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My H-D Pan America Nightmare

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I'd first ask for a refund. If denied, is rider it over to another dealer and trade it in on suffering else I expect to be more reliable. I'd never trust it again.
 
William Wolfen said:
I'd first ask for a refund. If denied, is rider it over to another dealer and trade it in on suffering else I expect to be more reliable. I'd never trust it again.
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I did request a refund and/or to sell the vehicle back to the dealer. However, I found that the main reason for my frustrations are intentional. HD will not allow customers to speak with anyone who can make a decision. Their company is structured so that "end users" can only talk to "intermediary service representatives" and anyone who can make a decision is "not customer facing."

So who can recommend a good lawyer?
 
I had a boat deal go bad and went to the bank where I financed it and got them in my court. They helped me get all my money back except taxes and I got them later through the state. I later saw the boat dealer at a boat show and I swear that big ole boy looked like he was going to whup me. I just smiled and walked on past his booth. All this took me about 6 months. They called me and would say come get your boat and I would say politely "its not my boat, that's your boat." Patience, documentation and persistence is the key. They wanted me to go away in the beginning and they paid me to go away in the end. Actually Looking back I think I kind of enjoyed it and I really don't care for lemonade. I did what I had to do and was determined even if it cost me money. It did not.
Refunding your money is just chup change to Harley. I wonder if the dealer has passed your money on to Milwaukee yet. It has happened.
 
Hope they get it sorted out for good. I was interested in the Pan America as well because it represented something different in the dual sport space. Any chance they'll host you on a loaner bike while the PA gets a new heart?
 
I would think getting a buy back would be difficult since they are honoring the warranty. Why not get the new engine and ride the thing. Take it back to the dealer for the first few service intervals so they have records and if it lives then it will likely live a long time, if it doesn’t then you have a pretty solid case for getting your money back.
 
Just out of curiosity - is the engine serialized to the VIN? If so, does the new engine have the same serial number as the old engine VIN?

Asking cause if the bike is not "numbers matching", as they say in the classic car trade, you might have a very strong argument the engine replacement resulted in a diminished value for the bike.
 
Two weeks in so I called the dealer that has the bike for an update! The technician that is handling my case is off today. The guy at the service desk looked in the computer and told me the notes say they are waiting for an "inspector" from HD who is not local. No mention of the a new engine being shipped, no ETA for completion, no ETA for the inspector. On the bright side, I got the impression that the desk guy was the first person I have talked to during this process that was telling me the truth.
 
Jeez: Harley's service is as slow as their bikes are. That isn't right. If you owe money on it I would contact the lender and let them know what's going on. Two weeks is enough time they should have a plan in place for the repair. On the upside maybe they'll just get you a replacement bike. It's too bad no matter what.
 
The inspector finished inspecting ... or something like that. ETA for completion approx 2/28 or 3/1. I was curious about what the inspector was doing. I found out that the HD inspectors log their inspections with a video log system and I was able to get them to send me a link from his inspection of my vehicle. This video explains the process very well.

 
I just read latest issue Dirt Bike. Had the adventure bike buyers guide. No Pan American, over sight or is it gone?
 
You see them everywhere with hardly any miles going for cheap. I think there were many electronic problems, but nobody is admitting anything. They sure are quick when running down the road though. I'd demand a full refund. Contact BBB as well for your options. The value of a rebuilt bike is dismal unless a whole new engine is installed, given the low confidence any normal buyer would have in the repair work. So sorry to hear this.
 
Big Block said:
Jeez: Harley's service is as slow as their bikes are. That isn't right. If you owe money on it I would contact the lender and let them know what's going on. Two weeks is enough time they should have a plan in place for the repair. On the upside maybe they'll just get you a replacement bike. It's too bad no matter what.
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Bett that bike was faster than 99% of all bikes in BC :-)
 
Finally got it back today after being in the shop for 23 days. It has a different engine that makes a lot of rattle-ly noises but it seems to function fine. Definitely does not sound or feel like the smooth, rev happy first engine. I only rode it for about 40 miles after I picked it up and did not push it very hard as it is still breaking in. I suspect this engine is making around 100-110hp or down about 33% from the prior engine. I suspect that it was detuned to reduce stress on the internal components. Once the break in is done I will find a dino to confirm.

From the invoice the service guy gave me, it looks like HD spent just over $12K labor + engine + odds and end parts. They probably would have come out ahead if they had just taken it back and let me buy another.
 

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Good to have your bike back. If it does not meet expectations, save yourself the stress this will create.
Youll need to change some registration details given new engine numbers. Then sell it and distance yourself from HD and reclaim peace of mind.
 
Good you have your bike, bad the engine is not as good as the original.
Perhaps the electronic tune on it is dialed back until after break-in?
 
Well the good news is the lack of power issue was from having the wrong oil in the new engine after it was installed. Another dealer put the 20-50 oil it was supposed to have and the new engine came to life.

The bad news is that as of yesterday it now has the "normal" electrical problem where it will not start and just throws engine codes and makes banging noises when you cycle the starter. Additionally, the dealer that was working on it will not work on it anymore. Republic HD service department said it's not their problem and don't bring it back to their service bay. A Corp. HD office guy called me today and said he thinks the the start up issues are software related and wants me to take it to another dealer for new software. I got Mancuso to agree to look at it and do the software thing on 3/28. Interestingly, the guy at Mancuso really did not want to work on it and asked me to take it somewhere else because they only have one technician with the training cert from HD because it is a requirement from HD. Unofficially, they don't recommend buying or owning a Pan America.
 
Rusty Shackelford said:
Well the good news is the lack of power issue was from having the wrong oil in the new engine after it was installed. Another dealer put the 20-50 oil it was supposed to have and the new engine came to life.

The bad news is that as of yesterday it now has the "normal" electrical problem where it will not start and just throws engine codes and makes banging noises when you cycle the starter. Additionally, the dealer that was working on it will not work on it anymore. Republic HD service department said it's not their problem and don't bring it back to their service bay. A Corp. HD office guy called me today and said he thinks the the start up issues are software related and wants me to take it to another dealer for new software. I got Mancuso to agree to look at it and do the software thing on 3/28. Interestingly, the guy at Mancuso really did not want to work on it and asked me to take it somewhere else because they only have one technician with the training cert from HD because it is a requirement from HD. Unofficially, they don't recommend buying or owning a Pan America.
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I have read elsewhere that many owners have had the electrical issues go away by having the latest software updates done on their bikes. Hopefully, getting them done on your bike will get you fixed up once and for all.
 
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