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Dealer has me worried about my break in

morrisk64

morrisk64

New Member
Hi all, I picked up my new 09 Sg last week and did Gliders break in method down to the T. When I went to pick up my oil and filter at the HD shop, a mechanic was there and I told him how I did it. He laughed and said that he likes people like me cause I keep him employed, and said he will see me in the future with engine problems. Will somebody please put my mind at ease and ensure me that the method I used DOES work and I will not have any problems? It's driving me crazy, damn wrench.
 
I expect that it's Harley's cost cutting measures that keep him in business a lot more than Gliders break in method. Personally my conversations with HD employees about anything to do with the bike is guarded at best and follows the MOCOs recomendations to the freaking letter. If this guy is your best buddy then that's one thing but if you're just running your jaws to some mechanic then shame on you.
 
I would be surprised if the "know it all " mechanic didn't say what he told you. They all think they are the final word just because they work at the dealership when in reality, there aren't many of them worth a darn that I have met that really knew what they were talking about.
The fact that they work at a dealership means very little in most cases. If they were in such demand, they would be in their own business keeping the $$$ that are charged per hour and not working for a token salary instead.

I bought one of my bikes about 70 miles from where I live and I broke it in the way I posted before riding the bike home the 70 miles and then just varied my speed on the way home. The bike NEVER use a drop of oil between changes and was one darn good running bike to boot. That bike was a CVO that ran about 10K more than the regular models so would I chance posting that if I use that procedure it myself ? I also use this procedure on all my bikes as well as cars.
I've been working on bikes and everything else with a motor since 1969 so you can choose who to go with .:s

Take what some dealership mechanics tell you with a grain of salt unless you know their credentials.
 
What Richard says at the end of his post is the crux of this whole matter. If you blindly follow the advice of anything you read on the internet, including this forum, you are a total fool. Use the info you read here to spark your curiosity and do further research. Talk to indy mechanics and, yes, even dealership employees but never forget the background of the folks you are talking to at the current moment and who they might be speaking for. I've even run ideas from this forum up the flagpole at other forums to see what people think and vice versa.

All that being said, I honestly believe NOONE on this fine forum, especially the moderators, would ever intentionally give out false or misleading info. They love their Harleys and us too much for that.
 
Just to be clear, I was not doubting Gliders expertise or Harley Knowledge and level of experience, that guy had me convinced that I goofed up. But after reading the responses here I feel much better about it. Thanks everybody! Time to ride, 65 and sunny here today :)
 

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Relax enjoy the bike .. Most of the people at the dealers think they are all it .. i love talking to them to see how far the (edit) meter goes just because you dont work there they think everyone is a idiot well after building race engines and repairing stuff everyday some of us know a little be too and dont run the how to try to get out of fixing stuff line
 
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wow, this is very good stuff, the dealers tool guy was making me fell pretty bad consedering that this is my first HD, ever. But i ask about the breakin-in prosses and what i got from them was nothing but Bull, any way i was felling the same way as you, thinking that i was in for alot of trouble in the future. The only thing i dont get is that if we are all part of a brother hood, then wy try and make people feel or look stupid just cause you work for the dealer, is thier a test you take when you appli for a job at the harley store.LOL


drive on, as the infantry would say
 
You know, I think it really all depends on the dealer, and the folks he has working there.
For the most part, an older experienced mechanic is not going to intentionally give you bad information
Also, it depends on you. If you know nothing, you sort of leave yourself wide open to being misled, or misinterpreting what the mechanic is telling you.
You gotta do your homework, arm yourself with knowledge, and present the image that you didn't just fall off the turnip truck this morning.
No one is going to try and give you a snow job if you have at least a basic working knowledge of the questions you are asking.
 
What is there to breakin on today's Harley engines. The rings do not seat nor is there any breakin on any ball or roller bearings. Most gears should have already had a deburring done on them but perhaps a "polishing in" needs to be. The first hour of riding polishes in the bushings and mates the clutch plates. I have always broken in an engine like Glider does. Have I missed some thing? Fossil
 
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