Warranty - Yes or No? : V-Twin Forum: Harley Davidson Forums

mcneguy · 09-14-2008, 07:47 AM

I traded in my 2001 Heritage yesterday for a 2006 Screaming Eagle FatBoy. It has just under 12,000 miles on it. I can buy a warranty from Harley - 5 years is about $1900 or I was thinking of getting two years so it is just like a new bike for about a grand. The warranty covers everything that a new warranty would, pretty much everything.

This will be our 3rd Harley. I started on a 2002 Sportster which I traded in on the Heritage 5 years ago. My wife rides a 2004 Low Rider and now the Screaming Eagle and I have had a total of one repair so far that was covered under warranty (Sporty speedometer stopped working) so I have had zero problems with any of the bikes.

My question is this, should I purchase a warranty? I am kind of considering it simply due to all the stuff on the Screaming Eagle editions.

Thoughts?

mungo · 09-14-2008, 07:57 AM

I'm going through the same stuff with my '09 Street Glide. Sort of.

I had the dealer put on my SE slip ons, breather and ECM flash. Something I could have done within two hours myself, but wanted to preserve the 2 year mfg warranty.

My thoughts are this:

If you plan on altering the bike's engine or transmission in anyway, don't consider the warranty. If you are going to just ride it as it is, and the warranty covers stuff that may already be done to the bike, then eh... if it makes you feel better, go for it.

The Fatboy doesn't have the electronics of the Ultra and the 2006 88TC is good engine. If it were me, I wouldn't get it.

Take the $1,900 and put it in a high yield savings account or a mutual fund just in case you need it for an out of warranty repair.

mcneguy · 09-14-2008, 08:15 AM

First off please allow me to apologize to the mods for cross posting this ( I posted it to the general forum before I realized the CVO forum existed)

I traded in my 2001 Heritage yesterday for a 2006 Screaming Eagle FatBoy. It has just under 12,000 miles on it. I can buy a warranty from Harley - 5 years is about $1900 or I was thinking of getting two years so it is just like a new bike for about a grand. The warranty covers everything that a new warranty would, pretty much everything.

This will be our 3rd Harley. I started on a 2002 Sportster which I traded in on the Heritage 5 years ago. My wife rides a 2004 Low Rider and now the Screaming Eagle and I have had a total of one repair so far that was covered under warranty (Sporty speedometer stopped working) so I have had zero problems with any of the bikes.

My question is this, should I purchase a warranty? I am kind of considering it simply due to all the stuff on the Screaming Eagle editions.

Thoughts?

bwana01 · 09-14-2008, 09:13 AM

dealer installation does not mean "F A" towards the warrenty.

If you are riding 5000 miles or less per year, forget about the warrenty. If you ride 12000 or more per year you ought to consider it.

Throttle Jockey · 09-14-2008, 10:00 AM

If the bike has a document service history and the stealership has checked it over, the other consideration is your riding style? Do you slam the throttle light to light? Tour X country? If you’re a day tripper I’d say pass. $500.00 a year for 2 years of coverage, save you money! A $1000 pays for a lot of repairs.

YankeeBob · 09-14-2008, 10:21 AM

I merged them here for you.

Geezer-Glide · 09-14-2008, 10:41 AM

My thought is no, and here's why.

It's been mentioned above, but the first time you put something on your bike, the dealer can slam you and deny your warrantee. If the dealer has installed accessories, and they offer to cover any of THEIR motor work during your warrantee period, that's fine. Until you leave town. 900 miles from home, problem develops, and the dealer in that town says, NO to your warrantee.

Like Mungo says, stick it in an ING Orange account. It's making almost 4% now, and that's unheard of in banks! You break something, you got the cash to fix it. You want to upgrade something, same-same.

geezerglide · 09-15-2008, 11:00 PM

Yes, buy it. Going to Milwaukie one of our guys with an 06 street glide(not SE) crank grenaded. On the way back guy on 06 SE ultra, cam bearing/complete-$ 6500 for engine on this one. 21k on this bike. out of warranty and he sure wishes he had it!

nanoosepeter · 07-03-2009, 03:31 PM

I was driving up through Montana last year [Dell ,Montana] when my engine blew. I was 4 months out of warranty and called Harley Costomer service .They checked the service records and asked what they could do for me ,I replied I would like the Motor Company to give me a new motor. It was sugested I take it to a dealer and have it torn down to see what the problem was. I did so and it turned out the inner cam bearings failed and completely destroyed the engine. With an application from Skiggit Harley in the northwest a new motor was shipped at no charge.Nice to see they stand behind the product .I have since bought 3 other Harleys ,the last being a 09 CVO Fat Bob Peter