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Cruiser
Posts: 60
Bradenton, FL | Well I have really been loving my bike, up until now that is. Had a failure in the most embarrasing way possible today... Was showing of my 14 Vision to some Harley and Honda guys. Set the bike on its side to demonstrate the skid plates and tip-over prevention. Had lots of ooh's and aah's, at least until I stood the bike up. I grabbed the handlebars and the rear grab handle and began to gently lift the bike back up and then CRAAACK! the grab handle ripped right off in my hand.
Needless to say when everyone stopped laughing at the great build quality of my new Vision, I simply rolled her back on home to assess the damage. Luckily none of the plastics broke, they just popped loose. I cant say as much however for the large aluminum plate that the handle bolts to.... 
Needless to say I am not impressed. After listening to my dealer on the phone, it sounds like it will clearly be a warranty issue, but sounds like it will be weeks in the making to get it fixed. It's a brand new bike with 300 miles on it AND its 3 days before Bike Week in Daytona which I had been planning on riding to... All I can say is that obviously there had to be a flaw in the casting, no way a big hunk of aluminum like that should of snapped. I only hope that I wont have to look forward to more casting problems considering the whole frame is aluminum as well!! Has anyone else reported any similar problems, or is this an isolated incident?
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Cruiser
Posts: 50
Virginia Beach, VA | I have a 13 Vision and I always lay mine over for various reasons. I haven't noticed any problems yet, but I'm going to be more cautious from now on. |
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Cruiser
Posts: 119
CASTRO VALLEY, CA United States | That sure sucks! Should push Victory for a loaner while your bike is being repaired. Hopefully it's not a defect for the 2014s. Good Luck! |
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Visionary
Posts: 3773
Pittsburgh, PA | i remember years ago someone saying those were Not made to withstand weight or pulling.. (Handles i mean) a lot of what ive read in the past said there are certain ways it should be lifted back up .. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u_OK-D5zW3M and 1:45 second on this video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nxwLQJ2TNqo i noticed in those videos they turn the bars. and you see most of the strain is on the bars. |
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Iron Butt
Posts: 691
Manchester, CT | Hey BC
Looks like there are marks from a grinder around the plate in your picture? |
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Cruiser
Posts: 209
| maybe it was all that extra weight from monster speakers and amp???? just kiddin'.... |
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Visionary
Posts: 8144
New Bohemia, VA | a little jb weld will make due until you get the piece in. Wouldn't stop me from riding. Ouch, sorry that happened. |
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Cruiser
Posts: 60
Bradenton, FL | Street Eagle - 2014-03-04 6:04 PM
Hey BC
Looks like there are marks from a grinder around the plate in your picture?
It definitely has swirl marks on it, but that's how it came from the factory. |
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Cruiser
Posts: 60
Bradenton, FL | Arkainzeye - 2014-03-04 6:03 PM
i remember years ago someone saying those were Not made to withstand weight or pulling.. (Handles i mean) a lot of what ive read in the past said there are certain ways it should be lifted back up .. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u_OK-D5zW3M and 1:45 second on this video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nxwLQJ2TNqo i noticed in those videos they turn the bars. and you see most of the strain is on the bars.
Ironically, that's the exact same demo video I saw that taught me about the tip over plates.. lol. I actually picked the bike up in the exact same fashion when she came unglued. |
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Puddle Jumper
Posts: 49
Madison/Huntsville, AL | That really is disturbing. As you mentioned, the whole frame being aluminum. Vic better do some serious investigating to find out how a flawed piece of aluminum got in 'one' of the bikes.
Don't let it keep you from Daytona. Something will hold it in place well enough for appearances. Good luck. |
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Iron Butt
Posts: 802
| I was just watching the Arizona video. Yikes, that sucker is strong! No finesse there just brute strength.
Marc |
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Visionary
Posts: 3773
Pittsburgh, PA | i also read a few times where customers and or dealers were showing off their tip overs and their motor mounts broke. (1 or more) |
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Visionary
Posts: 4278
| dealer orders new plat and only two hours to replace free and life goes on. Wine to dealer and see if you can some new goodies out of them |
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Cruiser
Posts: 155
Victoria Tx, TX United States | See if they will take the part off one in stock? I was in the White Good business? We did that all the time. SORRY about that!! |
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Cruiser
Posts: 51
Okotoks, Alberta | I had the same thing happen on my 09 a couple years ago. Fell over on some ice and when I went to lift it off the tip overs the same aluminum plate broke. I could have went through warranty but just bought a new plate rather than wait several weeks (or months) for Victory's decision if they would cover under warranty |
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Tourer
Posts: 573
Central Illinois | I was helping a guy load my Vision onto a truck Saturday for some warranty work and the bike started to go over on him. He was trying his best to catch it but the tip over was threatening his foot. I just told him to let it go rather than hurt himself. Some HD guys must have sued him in the past because he just couldn't relax and let it go that last 2 inches. He finally lost but did at least get his foot out of the way. The pick up looked as easy as the AZ Victory video does with both of us lifting it back up once we were in the right position to do it.
I lay mine down any time I want to do work on just one side, like installing the adjustable timing wheel. It is very convenient but I don't just drop it, I try to lay it down gently. |
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Visionary
Posts: 1350
| A bad casting happens. We work with aluminum all the time. Doesn't mean any other pieces from the cast are bad. Could be improper torquing of fasteners and other things.
Yes, you even get bad castings in other materials.
Sucks that it happened. Have your dealer call Ma Vic and they most likely get it swapped out before you leave or have it done there.
We hate when things like this happen but it doesn't mean a national recall should be done. |
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New user
Posts: 1
| Take it to a good welder around town until the Vic dealer can fix it. Should only take a few minutes to tack back in place and then you can head down to bike week and no one will know the difference. |
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Cruiser
Posts: 60
Bradenton, FL | cliff0529 - 2014-03-05 8:03 AM
Take it to a good welder around town until the Vic dealer can fix it. Should only take a few minutes to tack back in place and then you can head down to bike week and no one will know the difference.
Yeah that's the plan, am taking it to a local shop today to see if they can TIG it for me. |
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Cruiser
Posts: 60
Bradenton, FL | farlz - 2014-03-04 8:50 PM
I had the same thing happen on my 09 a couple years ago. Fell over on some ice and when I went to lift it off the tip overs the same aluminum plate broke. I could have went through warranty but just bought a new plate rather than wait several weeks (or months) for Victory's decision if they would cover under warranty
How much did the new plate cost you? |
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Iron Butt
Posts: 752
Broken Arrow, OK | Banjodan - 2014-03-04 5:04 PM
maybe it was all that extra weight from monster speakers and amp???? just kiddin'....
I bet the super low sonic vibrations from your new subs caused stress fractures in that aluminum!
Surely you'll be well taken care of. Good luck |
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Cruiser
Posts: 161
Albuquerque NM | My dads broke in the exact same way, but he was using an engine hoist to try and help him right it. He admits that he has had much better ideas in his life. Anyway ordered a new used one from evil bay, $75.00 and a few hours to swap it out. Dealer wanted over $300 for the part. |
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Visionary
Posts: 1308
Sand Rock, AL United States | Never seen that before. I think the worst thing for me would be the ribbing from the hd , honda guys.  Looks like an easy fix and like has been said, I sure wouldn't let it keep me from Daytona. If I had to , I would fic it after Bike Week. |
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Cruiser
Posts: 60
Bradenton, FL | Well I did fix it myself, took the bike to a welder and had him TIG the broken ear back on. Reassembly was kind of a PITA and much more involved than I thought since you cannot get to the rear nut under the grab handle. Have to remove both pairs of latches on each side, unbolt the computer, remove all 8 bolts from the plate and use a pry bar to shift it up and over enough to get a wrench on the stupid nut. NOT a job I want to do again. 
Moral of the story? Those stupid grab bars are nowhere near as solid as they should be so BE CAREFUL any time you use them to stand your bike up unless you want to devote an entire day to this stupid fix. Thanks Victory for making a great bike, but heres a solid FU to the engineer who designed these handles! |
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Visionary
Posts: 1308
Sand Rock, AL United States | glad you got it fixed. |
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Visionary
Posts: 8144
New Bohemia, VA | I was going to suggest getting it welded but you said it was covered under warranty. Good job! |
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Cruiser
Posts: 51
Okotoks, Alberta | Seems to me it was around 300 and change |
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Puddle Jumper
Posts: 19
| Good to see it fixed. My opinion on lifting is spreading the lift load forces between the handle bars, that handle which attached to the bracket which broke on yours and pushing the seat with your backside. I don't know if that is practical on a vision as I have not tried to lift mine yet. I would also be trying to get assistance of someone pulling from the high side. |
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Tourer
Posts: 390
| The earlier bikes had thinner plates than are in these pictures. These look beefier but cast aluminum is not known for it's strength . Weld job looks good but my experience with welded castings has not been favorable . |
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Visionary
Posts: 4278
| If you could see the brass studs that are pressed into the handles to hold them down. you would never pick up your bike but they work |
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Well this sucks, brand new and now broken 14 Vision