the_stude_dude
15th July 2008, 05:46
Hey, HD Incorporated I just bought a new Sportster last week, first every Harley but I've been riding since the 60s, 50s even if you count a Wizard motorbike.
In anticipation of a trip up north, i.e. Canada today I went and picked up your essentials kit which included a Sundowner seat, touring quick release windshield, detachable side plates (?), sissy bar & back rest and cover. Oh, yeah - you threw in a belt buckle. Like who the hell gives a shit about a frickin belt buckle. How does that help me ride or load stuff on the bike. Worthless. I couldn't get a nickel out of it if I tried to sell it. So let me take things in order.
1. WINDSHIELD From what I read this thing could be installed in minutes. False, You need to reroute the clutch cable on the left and the accelerator cables on the right, kind of complicated. After a while messing with it I gave up and will take it to the dealer, no doubt you'll charge me up the ass for it.
So why weren't these cables routed to the rear of the handle bars in the first place if that is where they have to be for windshield installation. This speaks of inconsistency as will be shown in the rest of what follows.
2. SEAT I've had the bike for 5 days but only ridden it for 3. Why on a new bike should I have to change the damn seat. This thing cost over $10,000. And what am I supposed to do with the stock seat? Can I sell it? Doubtful, who would want it? So why the hell don't you put a decent seat on your bike when you make it or just ship the damn thing with no seat.
3. SIDEPLATES I have never seen such poor chrome plating in my life. Also the star wrench or star screw driver needed to take off and replace the hold down screws on either side are of a different size. I believe the stock ones require a size 40 and the replacements, the ones that come with the side plates are a 30 or 35. I had to stop everything and go to an auto parts store to get another one. Why the hell should the replacement which is going to hold up a backrest and in my case a luggage carrier use a different size. Ever hear of standardization. It's been practiced in Japan for decades and they learned it from Americans. They even give an annual prize called the Laurel prize for the best made stuff. I know, I lived there for 25 years, I speak, read and write the language and after riding a Triumph then rode Japanese bikes for decades and never had one break down on me. So if you want to keep this new customer, come out of the dark ages.
4. SISSY BAR The screw holes in the center of the sissy bar, where the backrest screws to it, in my opinion are drilled the wrong way. You have it so that when completed the welds face to the outside. I of course put it together backwards because I thought the welds should be to the inside and thus hidden by the backrest. So I had to take it back apart which of course meant removing the seat since you cannot really get to the sissy bar screws with the seat in place. WTF who wants to see ugly welds.
In anticipation of a trip up north, i.e. Canada today I went and picked up your essentials kit which included a Sundowner seat, touring quick release windshield, detachable side plates (?), sissy bar & back rest and cover. Oh, yeah - you threw in a belt buckle. Like who the hell gives a shit about a frickin belt buckle. How does that help me ride or load stuff on the bike. Worthless. I couldn't get a nickel out of it if I tried to sell it. So let me take things in order.
1. WINDSHIELD From what I read this thing could be installed in minutes. False, You need to reroute the clutch cable on the left and the accelerator cables on the right, kind of complicated. After a while messing with it I gave up and will take it to the dealer, no doubt you'll charge me up the ass for it.
So why weren't these cables routed to the rear of the handle bars in the first place if that is where they have to be for windshield installation. This speaks of inconsistency as will be shown in the rest of what follows.
2. SEAT I've had the bike for 5 days but only ridden it for 3. Why on a new bike should I have to change the damn seat. This thing cost over $10,000. And what am I supposed to do with the stock seat? Can I sell it? Doubtful, who would want it? So why the hell don't you put a decent seat on your bike when you make it or just ship the damn thing with no seat.
3. SIDEPLATES I have never seen such poor chrome plating in my life. Also the star wrench or star screw driver needed to take off and replace the hold down screws on either side are of a different size. I believe the stock ones require a size 40 and the replacements, the ones that come with the side plates are a 30 or 35. I had to stop everything and go to an auto parts store to get another one. Why the hell should the replacement which is going to hold up a backrest and in my case a luggage carrier use a different size. Ever hear of standardization. It's been practiced in Japan for decades and they learned it from Americans. They even give an annual prize called the Laurel prize for the best made stuff. I know, I lived there for 25 years, I speak, read and write the language and after riding a Triumph then rode Japanese bikes for decades and never had one break down on me. So if you want to keep this new customer, come out of the dark ages.
4. SISSY BAR The screw holes in the center of the sissy bar, where the backrest screws to it, in my opinion are drilled the wrong way. You have it so that when completed the welds face to the outside. I of course put it together backwards because I thought the welds should be to the inside and thus hidden by the backrest. So I had to take it back apart which of course meant removing the seat since you cannot really get to the sissy bar screws with the seat in place. WTF who wants to see ugly welds.