So, my dealer calls me on Friday, Oct. 3, and tells me that the part (a ratcheting-something-or-another for the clutch) for my warranty repair on my Vision is in (ordered 3 weeks ago), and I can drop the bike off the following week for the repair, and , I'm assuming, the recall. I take the bike in Tuesday morning the 7th (they're closed Sun. & Mon.) to drop it off. Told it will be done no later than Thursday. I never heard from the dealer, and I was crazy busy last week myself (Me & hubby's store had our 1 year anniversary party on Sunday, so I was involved in planning that and son's football games Thursday PM & Sat.).

So... I tried calling this morning when they opened to find out if I can pick my bike up. No one can give me an answer. The Service Writer is in court, no one can get a hold of her, or, apparently, look at where my bike's parked to tell me if it's done. So, hubby & I had to run a few errands (our store is closed on Tues. only, so it's our one day "off", meaning not having to be at the store.). We stop by there around 1 pm. (I rode 'bey-atch', just in case....) They tell me "No, the bike's still not done." They're waiting on a primary cover gasket, which they never ordered in the first place, knowing they had to take the primary cover off to repair the clutch. It was ordered on Friday. Might be in today or tomorrow..... Bike should be done tomorrow or the next day....

I got perturbed in the dealership. Explained how, of the 5 other Hondas that hubby & I own, not one of them has ever spent more than 60 minutes in the dealer for anything, except routine maintenance (hubby's GL1800 has almost 60,000 miles on it, my ST1300 has over 11,000 miles, my VTX 1800 has 9,000 miles his VTX 1800 has 7,000 miles, his Rune has 3,000). Had a screw back out of the brake caliper on my VTX. We fixed it, dealer just went over the system to nake sure nothing else as missed. My ST had a head gasket leak. That was replaced and on it's way, while I waited....My Vision, with 11,000 miles in 10 months, has been in the shop for 11 weeks for repairs. The service writer told me, "Ya know, you should never buy a car the first year. Let them work out the glitches..." I got majorly perturbed. They were very eager to sell me that first year bike when it came out. And, when I expressed concerns over repairs in the future, was told "Don't worry. We have a quck and efficient service department." I explained that I halfway have hubby talked into riding down to Tampa this Thursday (son has Fall Break from school Thur-Sun), and would love to have my bike in time (he's getting too big to ride on hubby's bike with him). They couldn't guarantee the bike would be done by Wed. PM. I then asked about a loaner, and was told, quite abruptly and snottily "No, we don't do that. It's not our policy." (Hubby has done several rides with them, for publicity, where they have let other guys from around town use Big Dogs, Iron Horses, etc., to drinking events. Even had hubby ride a Bourget across town to do photos for our ads, giving them credit for the bike...) And these guys are known to drink and drive, and hot rod their bikes. I don't have a rep. around town as being a daredevil on the bike....). I am so pissed..... I'm not sure if it's at my stealer or at Victory. Not sure if it's poor product, poor dealer support, or poor customer service..... I just know I don't have my bike in the garage to ride, for over week now. Last time it was in the shop, it was in there for 3 weeks, the time before that, 4 weeks. Is it that hard to get parts for them or technical support?! If this bike wasn't the most comfortable thing I've ever had my butt on, it would be on eBay tomorrow......

Yes, it is Low Country Customs. They are less than 20 miles from where I live.

The next closest dealer is over 2 hours away. I know the owner through other business relationships we have. IMHO, he prefers the "choppers" he sells- Iron Horse (defunct), Big Dog, Bourget, Martin Bros. They took on Vic's as their 'meat and potatos' brand. A $22,000 Vic is chump change to a $100,000 Martin Bros. or a $45,000 Bourget. Too bad.... People buy Vics and  RIDE them. I bet some of the Bourgets that they sold 2 years ago don't have nearly as many miles on it as my Vic does in 10 months (minus 11 weeks service time.... ). I have been composing a letter in my mind that will be typed out tomorrow and sent to Polaris Industries and CC-ed to LCC.....

My ST1300 is for sale.

I agree. I have too many bikes. I don't get any more time to ride than with one bike. I like to have 2, so I have a back up, in just such an event as this. I wish all dealer's had commitment to brand. I gotta admit. I am a little gun shy of the brand right now. My warranty runs out 12/11/08. I am debating on whether I want to keep this bike (definitly extend the warranty), or get something else. Hubby and I do at least one long distnace trip a year (son is 11. That number will increase in a few years when he goes off to school). I need a big comfy bike. My VTX can do it, dressed right. But, it's still not nearly as comfortable as the Vision...

Nervous about taking on a dealer 2 hours away, with a bike that has to go into the shop every  month or so. Decisions, decisions....

ness_fan - 2008-10-14 8:47 PM If it helps I sent an e-mail to Mark Blackwell the company vice president had a response in a little over an hour and 2 different customer service reps call me, not about low country but the local dealer here Jacksonville powersports. Mr. Blackwell and staff were very helpfull and my bike got fixed today! Robert

Take it to the top, go NessFan!

GAgirlTrixie, If you have a decent dealer, the bike won’t be going into the shop every month or so. Remember all the other people on this forum that only take their bike in for regular maintenance. As for the dealership I work at, regular maintenance is always taken in and moved through as quickly as possible. The longest I had a bike set on my lift was for one week. We had to order an entire clutch basket assembly and had to wait for that, but the woman dropped of her eight ball and we called her later that day to let her know what I had found. She did not have her bike for 5 days. Dropped off on Monday back out on Friday. However, we also keep at least one primary gasket in stock at all times. It usually is the job of the mechanic to order all the parts required when he does the diagnosis. There is absolutely no excuse for the gasket not being ordered when they ordered the Rack Insert. I assume that is what they had to order for the clutch. Good luck finding a dealer to take care of you.

Thanks for the info. I appreciate it. Ya know what has me the most ticked off, I think? That they won't own their own mistakes.... and no updates to me about my bike. Tried to blow off the not having a primary gasket on hand thing like it was nothing. Tried to blame it on the new parts guy taking over, 6 weeks ago (who was not there to defend himself). My hubby & I own an independent repair shop (as well as MC apparel and Accessory store). I told him (hubby) that one of our guys had better not ever keep a customer in the dark. If someone's bike is there for over 3 days, I want them contacted and updated. If another part has to be ordered, whether by oversight or discovery, I want the customer updated immediately. Our guys always check to be sure that we have all foreseeable parts in stock for a prescheduled repair. We won't let a bike come into the shop for prescheduled repairs of maintenance if we don't have everything on hand to do it with. We don't need to store the bike for that much longer, and the customer doesn't need to be without their bike if it's rideable. If I had gotten a call on Friday, when the primary gasket was ordered, telling me about it, I would be in a lot better mood than I am in now. I know they are busy, we all are. I know that we all make mistakes, but they routinely try to sweep things like this under the carpet, and hope it just goes away....Without an acknowledgment of error or anything. The Service Writer even said to me "Did I tell you it would be ready today?" She had told me & hubby when I brought it in, that it would be ready late Wednesday last week, Thurs. at the latest! And then tries to be, "Well, we didn't know it would need this gasket.". I said "You remove the primary cover, and don't expect to replace the gasket?" and she just mumbled..... Why they don't have one on hand, I don't know. I know of 4 or 5 Visions they have sold, so they have to expect them for service. Plus, the Vsion is a touring bike. Savannah is a major motor tourist destination. We are a good distance stop along the NE-->FL route (4 hours from Daytona, 8 from Miami, 13 from NYC), and have lots of bikes through here.

I appreciate the heads up from you, dwhite, and everyone else. I am a very patient person, but one that when I've had enough, boom, I've reached my boiling point.