Hello Clayton. Rich King here. Got back from a 4-week trip and was looking forward to riding the Harley once again. Of course, we both know it just wasn't going to be that easy, didn't we. Here's the latest for your web site.

Went to pick up the bike (2007 110" Ultra P.O.S.) Friday, October 24th. They've had it two and a half months. Three things to do:

1 - Replace Engine (flush all oil, passages, primary gaskets, etc.)
2 - Replace Oil Cooler
3 - Rear Brake calipers (4 sets of pads in 16,000 miles - something's wrong)

Pam and I went down to personally meet the head service writer before we left. Wanted to let him know I was going to be gone and wanted to meet him in person since I had only talked to him on the phone. When we were down there, I again reiterrated those three things. They were on the work order written by the other service writer, when I first brought the bike in. I also called from Italy last week to see if the bike was done. Gracie said it was all done. I mentioned the three items again and she said "yes, according to the ticket, it's all done."

So you might imagine how ever so slightly pissed I was this morning after asking to talk to the mechanic who worked on the bike to explain to me what he had found wrong with the brakes (in case I needed to keep an eye on something in the future). His answer: "what brake problem? - guess I missed that on the work order."

We talked about this on our cross-country trip in regards to the fact that nobody seems to want to do anything right anymore. Anyway, they wanted me to leave it - for a couple more weeks while they ordered the parts (remember, they've had it 2 1/2 months already). So the service manager comes out of his meeting early and starts apologizing, etc. They decide to swap a master cylinder and rear caliper from a 2008 bike. 45 minutes later, I get the bike with a new master cylinder, but no new rear caliper - the 2008 version apparently isn't a match.

So now when I go back for the third 500-miles oil change, they're supposed to replace the calipers and the rotor (with a floating rotor). They said they'd comp the oil change, but Biggs said that before (after the 110" kit was installed) and charged me anyway.

But wait, there's more. My oil temp sensor doesn't work at all now. I had put new ends on the wires and double-nutting them onto the guage. So why doesn't it work now? They lost the adapter that the sending unit screws into -- the one I bought to get rid of all those funky hose adapters I originally had to use because the hardley parts didn't match the size of their oil lines. And get this, the mechanic who supposedly did all the work says he knows what the part is that he needs to finish the job. Yeah, you knew it but yet you didn't order it, install it, finish the job because???????? My oil temp sensor is hanging between the oil lines, zip-tied and doing absolutely nothing. I don't get how they could know that and still tell me my bike was done.

This is supposed to be the good shop. I have confidence they'll "eventually" do everything, but WTF - they had it 2 1/2 months. The rubber cover on my shifter is missing too - it's the little things.

I swear this bike is cursed,
Rich