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2014 Triglide problems
I love my new 2014 Triglide. The way it brakes, the way it rides, the way it looks and feels.
The only disappointment is the recalls and the problems with the coolant system. Its in the shop right now waiting for Harley to send the new thermostats because the dealer was told to send back the ones they had in stock which I already had replaced once with no success.
The new coolant bottle neck has been replaced according to Harleys letter sent out about 2 weeks ago. Its just waiting for the new thermostat.I hope this solves the coolant issues because I love my new bike. Just wondering if anybody:D else is having the same problems.?
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Re: 2014 Triglide problems
I'm sure many are as they are recalls. All units involved.
Still not sure I understand just cooling the heads and putting the radiators in the lowers?????
Cylinders still air cooled and now you can't remove the lowers for summer!
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I've seen on other forums where some are having the same issue, some have had it back to the dealer several times and still no fix. IMO Harley did a sh!tty job putting this new design out to market. It reminds me of the 2009 Triglide when they had trunk leaks and didn't come up with the fix until the 2010 MY. My dad packed his luggage in trash bags the entire 1st year he owned his 09 because if it rained you could count on the trunk being full of water.
Just going to have to sit back and give HD some time for the total fix to be engineered.
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My thoughts are like MSocko..You would think that putting the bike on the rode you do road testing before the public gets to inherit these 1st year problems..This way most if not all the bugs are noted and repaired before the public gets to purchase the new revised Trikes.. Now the buyer has to waste time and money bringing the trike back and forth to get things fixed..Thats not right in my book.
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The big reason I bought this 2014 trike as I was in Gatlinburg in October and was in heavy traffic. The engine started heating up so I turned on the fan I had installed to cool the engine. BIG MISTAKE! I cooked my goose! The 14 model blows the heat out the sides, big difference.Like I said, the potential is there for a great bike. I just hope they get everything worked out.
Besides, I could have bought a Cadillac cheaper!
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[QUOTE=trikermutha;210112]My thoughts are like MSocko..You would think that putting the bike on the rode you do road testing before the public gets to inherit these 1st year problems..This way most if not all the bugs are noted and repaired before the public gets to purchase the new revised Trikes.. Now the buyer has to waste time and money bringing the trike back and forth to get things fixed..Thats not right in my book.[/QUOTE]
[COLOR="#000080"][SIZE=3][FONT=Tahoma]Harley might have considered this, but then realized that their customer base is a much larger R&D Department.[/FONT][/SIZE][/COLOR]
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Re: 2014 Triglide problems
[QUOTE=JimmyDee;210139][COLOR="#000080"][SIZE=3][FONT=Tahoma]Harley might have considered this, but then realized that their customer base is a much larger R&D Department.[/FONT][/SIZE][/COLOR][/QUOTE]
Thats a good way to loose there customer base too.. I am sure there are people out there willing to give there product the R&D it needs before putting it out on the market.
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[QUOTE=trikermutha;210152]Thats a good way to loose there customer base too.. I am sure there are people out there willing to give there product the R&D it needs before putting it out on the market.[/QUOTE]
:Agree: I grew tired of being Harley's beta tester and bought a Goldwing. Back in 2009 when I first got my 2010 I was busting HD's customer service departments chops about the heat and lack of power and told them they must have a bunch of yes men working for them afraid to tell them the truth. I told the guy to send me one and I'd ride the snot out of it and tell them honestly what I thought and find the weaknesses.
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Well as much as I hate to say it but anytime one buys a new vehicle the first year of a new design, regardless of weather it's a Harley, any other make of bike, a car, or a truck that's the risk one takes and normally there are a few recalls and repairs that will need to be figured out and done. I agree that it shouldn't be that way but that is normally how it works.
Against my better judgment I bought a new 1997 Ford F-150 in 97. The first year for a completely new redesigned F-150. Well after driving it for 3 years and the 36,000 mile warranty and it was spending more time in Fords garage than in mine I got rid of it. If it wasn't in for a recall something was broke and/or not working properly.
I've learned never buy a new vehicle the first year of a new design. Most of the time there are going to be issues.
I'm sure Harley will eventually get the issues worked out on the new Tri Glide but only time will tell.
Dan
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It might be interesting for someone to research the various motorcycle manufactures and compare the number of recalls and major issues. I have purchased 7 Harley Ultras in the past 21 years and never owned one that didn't have some kind of mechanical or electrical issue that involved warranty work. During that same time I have owned 5 Goldwings and have never had a failure. If I go back 10 yrs before that I owned three other Wings and had one issue with a stator on my 1984.
I have never understood why Harley, with a loyal customer base and millions of dollars for R&D, can't produce a machine that is essentially mechanically sound.
I will admit that at my age I don't ride with many young guys, but of the older guys I know that, like me, have ridden Harley for years; they are getting increasingly frustrated with Harley and some of our local dealers.
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I should probably keep my mouth shut, but call me a glutton for punishment.
I`ve worked in electrical engineering R&D for over 25 years and what I see going on with the 2014 H-D models does not surprise me. Most think this comes from poor design or testing but I can tell you it happens all too often. The transition from a prototype to production always has some bumps. I can't tell you how many times I`ve tested systems and had the craziest un-expected issues pop-up as soon as it was transitioned to production. Now you can call this sloppy design work or whatever term you wish to use, but it happens. I don't know anything about how H-D does product development and maybe they do use their customers as 'beta testers'. I hope not. All I can tell you is despite the best planning, testing and intentions stuff happens when the production switch gets turned-on. Just giving you my own perspective and experience folks.
I will now put-on my flak jacket. :)
Jerry
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Re: 2014 Triglide problems
Ever watch the video on the design,build and cost to design the V-Rod,it's an amazing video and was proclaimed the "Best"Harley to ever hit the streets.Yet,not many liked or bought the V-Rod because it just didn't look like a Harley,and there were very few problems reported on the V-Rod.
Maybe Harley should have used the same approach in designing 2014 models,keeping the appearence their customers want,and there might have been less problems from the beginning.
As you know,a lot of Harleys are sold and shipped out of country.I wonder how these owners in other countries are dealig with re-calls when the dealer base isn't as good as it is here.
We have had several Gold Wings and Harleys,I think they are both beautiful machines.
Just sayin.
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I have owned a few Harleys in the past and have not had the issues that I have had with this bike (2010) Ex: oil leaks,loose oil pans bolts,trans bolts loose,compensator problems etc..I love the dam bike, but the R&D needs improvement before production to the customer.. It does bring the meaning of dont buy" the first year vehicle" to a new perspective..
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[QUOTE=Jerry/MD;210259]I should probably keep my mouth shut, but call me a glutton for punishment.
I`ve worked in electrical engineering R&D for over 25 years and what I see going on with the 2014 H-D models does not surprise me. Most think this comes from poor design or testing but I can tell you it happens all too often. The transition from a prototype to production always has some bumps. I can't tell you how many times I`ve tested systems and had the craziest un-expected issues pop-up as soon as it was transitioned to production. Now you can call this sloppy design work or whatever term you wish to use, but it happens. I don't know anything about how H-D does product development and maybe they do use their customers as 'beta testers'. I hope not. All I can tell you is despite the best planning, testing and intentions stuff happens when the production switch gets turned-on. Just giving you my own perspective and experience folks.[/quote]
I think you explained it very well. But most people don't understand that.
Dan
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1st year moans and groans are not limited to Harleys, trust me...2005 C6 Corvette, 2014 C7 Corvette Stingray,,,,and issues will continue even in the future yrs of the genre and then it begins all over again in the next generation of the name tag.
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[FONT=comic sans ms]To add to the great comments by Jerry/MD, some of the problems found with first production runs are created by the 'bean counters' trying to keep cost down. I have experienced the 'bean counter' problems on cars, trucks & guns, they can make what they [B][I]THINK[/I][/B] are small unimportant changes and the product & customer pays for it. It can be amazing how a small change in a supplier and/or material can create problems with a great design, including well tested designs. Its a shame that some companies allow the wrong people make changes to products and we have to pay for it[/FONT]
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[QUOTE=trikermutha;210271]I have owned a few Harleys in the past and have not had the issues that I have had with this bike (2010) Ex: oil leaks,loose oil pans bolts,trans bolts loose,compensator problems etc..I love the dam bike, but the R&D needs improvement before production to the customer.. It does bring the meaning of dont buy" the first year vehicle" to a new perspective..[/QUOTE]
:Agree: My dad and I both had good luck with our previous Harley's, he road the snot out of his 06 Ultra and never had one single problem. The guy who bought it off of him grind ear to ear every time he gets it out and rides it, still trouble free for the new owner. My 06 Ultra has never stranded me except for one time and I could have prevented that had I taken the time to replace the ignition lock before I left town. I'd get on that bike right now and take it out west without a 2nd thought.
Now my dads 09 Triglide has stranded him and spent its fair share getting fixed, his extended warranty paid for it self. The 2010 Triglide I had was looking to be more trouble than it was worth so I sent it down the road, I just didn't trust it anymore.
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Well This thread has answered my questions about the new 2014 Triglide we looked at today. The wife and I are going to be in the market soon for our trike and are looking at the Goldwing and Triglide trikes. We want one that is as trouble free as possible as we ride a lot and take long trips. We like both but don't want to be a test pilot for anyone.
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I feel the real ignorant part of the problems they are having with the cooling should have been solved long before they hit the market ! They had designed a full water cooled Harley around 1980/81 that never hit the sales floor, & look how long they have been doing the V-Rod......!
But then again when you are afraid of putting out a water cooled Harley in the full size touring motorcycle because people might not like it, you just made your first mistake with it ! I hope they finish the job maybe next year or at least the next. Either sh*t or get off the pot ! Speaking of which I saw a pix of Denver all fogged in this morning. Maybe it was fog & maybe not......
Excuse the rant ! But it is JMO !
pepper
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[QUOTE=bodymanpainter;210337]Well This thread has answered my questions about the new 2014 Triglide we looked at today. The wife and I are going to be in the market soon for our trike and are looking at the Goldwing and Triglide trikes. We want one that is as trouble free as possible as we ride a lot and take long trips. We like both but don't want to be a test pilot for anyone.[/QUOTE]
Please don't listen to advice from those that have no experience with the product they are bashing. These folks are just bitter because of the experience they had with the earlier model TriGlides, not the 14s. I actually own a 2014 TriGlide and it is an awesome motorcycle. I have owned more Harleys than most on here, easily. Get a 2014 TriGlide and enjoy.
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I'm not bashing just the '14's really. But they have a coolant problem. They are having electronics problems. If you haven't had to take yours back for problems that shouldn't have happened, but were a fault of R&D, then great !
Harley is the only USA owned MC Company that put together their own bike here in the USA. Not many USA parts, but it is assembled here. Also the only Trike that is all under one warranty instead of front half one company & back half someone else. All a big plus !
Also the problems that they are having are being worked on to try & solve.
All I am saying is the problems they are having shouldn't happen to someone buying a $35,000+ motorcycle with their experience building motorcycles!
Where does the price tag stop you from buying a motorcycle with built in problems?
Would I buy a '14 Harley Trike ??? If I was in the market for one,,,,, I probably would. But that still wouldn't make me happy being part of their R&D Dept. without pay !
But AGAIN....... JMHO !
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[QUOTE=Buckin';210394]Please don't listen to advice from those that have no experience with the product they are bashing. These folks are just bitter because of the experience they had with the earlier model TriGlides, not the 14s. I actually own a 2014 TriGlide and it is an awesome motorcycle. I have owned more Harleys than most on here, easily. Get a 2014 TriGlide and enjoy.[/QUOTE]
Actually I'm bitter with the company and how they have been handling customer service. Up until my 2010 Triglide I had great customer service, they went above and beyond. Heck the stereo on my dads 06 had the display go out a year after the warranty had expired. I called customer service on his behalf and they took care of it. I don't know what happed, my guess is bean counters which are the ones who just about drove the company off the cliff back in the AMF days.
For those who have had no problems and the customer service of their dealer has made up for the lack of service from the company, I'm happy for you. For the rest all you can do is hope when you spin that cylinder and pull the trigger it only goes click.
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I am far from bashing the product but stating facts..The bike is wonderful until you have that 1st,2nd and so on issues. As MSocko has stated pull the trigger .
Go for it buy the Harley or Honda or whatever you like..Its your money live and ride..
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[QUOTE=bodymanpainter;210337]Well This thread has answered my questions about the new 2014 Triglide we looked at today. The wife and I are going to be in the market soon for our trike and are looking at the Goldwing and Triglide trikes. We want one that is as trouble free as possible as we ride a lot and take long trips. We like both but don't want to be a test pilot for anyone.[/QUOTE]
My first thought was buy the Honda. Then I remember some of the problems that friends were having with their Goldwings. So now I say go on the Goldwing forum also and see what problems they are having - - I bet they aren't much better then Harley when it comes to problems.
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As the old saying goes "If it has wheels or ?? it will give you problems"
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WOW, I had no idea that all 4 of my Harleys were such giant pieces of sh**. I can't believe that my '09 Tri-Glide hasn't fallen apart under my butt in the 40,000 miles I have ridden her. Ditto wife's '11. Only bike I had 'problems' with was the '95 Springer, but that was after I decided it needed more power and dinked with the engine.
I noticed that Goldwing Trikes were mentioned here a lot. You know that Honda doesn't make a trike. You take your brand new Goldwing to a local dealer and he installs a trike kit. Good luck with warranty problems. Honda says it is XYZ trike kit problem, XYZ says Honda. My neighbor played hell finding the proper U-Joint replacement. Just something to keep in your mind.
I'll just keep riding my hunk of junk Harleys. They are noisy, hot, and under powered. Always have been, probably always will be.
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I read 2014 problems.
Just like women, some years are better than others.
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[QUOTE=msocko3;210397]Actually I'm bitter with the company and how they have been handling customer service. Up until my 2010 Triglide I had great customer service, they went above and beyond. Heck the stereo on my dads 06 had the display go out a year after the warranty had expired. I called customer service on his behalf and they took care of it. I don't know what happed, my guess is bean counters which are the ones who just about drove the company off the cliff back in the AMF days.
For those who have had no problems and the customer service of their dealer has made up for the lack of service from the company, I'm happy for you. For the rest all you can do is hope when you spin that cylinder and pull the trigger it only goes click.[/QUOTE]
Guys, please don't take me wrong, especially you M3, as I know you are a sharp guy and I have a lot of respect for you and your Dad and what you went through.
Could things be better at the MoCo? Absolutely! Could you say the same about GM, Ford, Chrysler, BMW, Honda, Toyota and the rest? Absolutely. This, I know about Harley, I keep buying them. Over and over and over again. This is the best one I have ever owned. Hands down. Is it perfect? Never had a machine of any kind that was. Problems, no not really, a couple of inconveniences, that's it. Engineering problems? Nope. Engineering is actually pretty dad gum good. Paying close enough attention to parts, no I'll give you that. Should the MoCo have known that the filler neck needed to be manufactured from better material? Yes, they should. Should I have had to take my bike in for an inspection when I knew it had the correct clutch release plate assembly? Nope but that's reality with a safety recall.
Cutting to the bottom line is...the issues with the new TwinCooled bikes are overhyped and overblown (IMO as an owner). The fixes are in. The bikes run great and those who own them overwhelmingly love them. I just hate to see people who are thinking about getting one be scared away by those that don't own one.
Everyone stay safe and I hope 2014 is a great year of riding for us all!
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[QUOTE=trikermutha;210403]I am far from bashing the product but stating facts..The bike is wonderful until you have that 1st,2nd and so on issues. As MSocko has stated pull the trigger .
Go for it buy the Harley or Honda or whatever you like..Its your money live and ride..[/QUOTE]
I've read the whole thread and the only people complaining about the 2014s don't even own one. :xzqxz:
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[QUOTE=Buckin';210551]I've read the whole thread and the only people complaining about the 2014s don't even own one. :xzqxz:[/QUOTE]
Could it be those that don't own one maybe have a good reason for not getting one right now? Thank you for being part of the R&D team. Someone has to do it.
As someone else said here when things go to production a lot of things change from the pre-release products.
Many times the pre release types were hand built including most of the parts being hand fit. When things get ready to go for a production things get modified. Most times for the cost. Sometimes mods that aren't proven out as a dependable change, but time & money won't let them prove out the mods first.
This is where the new owners come into play. I just don't want to do that. I'll wait & let the changes/recalls happen while I'm riding my trike. Later, if I want one at least a few things will be fixed. It is just the obvious things that should never be that make ya look bad !
Do they actually have the water problems FIXED, or did winter come? Really I hope they do!
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[QUOTE=GARYD;210442]My first thought was buy the Honda. Then I remember some of the problems that friends were having with their Goldwings. So now I say go on the Goldwing forum also and see what problems they are having - - I bet they aren't much better then Harley when it comes to problems.[/QUOTE]
The Goldwings have their own set of issues, I would say a good many are either from neglect or other owner induced problems. One problem which can be a PIA is electrical issues, some guys bolt so many lights on them they look like a spaceship has landed. Figure for every wire run or splice there is a possible issue waiting to happen. There are a lot of guys on Wings who put 6 figure mileage on without nearly a hiccup.
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[QUOTE=Buckin';210551]I've read the whole thread and the only people complaining about the 2014s don't even own one. :xzqxz:[/QUOTE]
As long as you are happy thats all that matters..:D
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[QUOTE=Buckin';210394]Please don't listen to advice from those that have no experience with the product they are bashing. These folks are just bitter because of the experience they had with the earlier model TriGlides, not the 14s. I actually own a 2014 TriGlide and it is an awesome motorcycle. I have owned more Harleys than most on here, easily. Get a 2014 TriGlide and enjoy.[/QUOTE]
I have heard that you need to change the exhaust because of the cat. converter and the heat issue, did you change yours, if so was it for heat issuses or more sound?
Thanks
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[QUOTE=bodymanpainter;210639]I have heard that you need to change the exhaust because of the cat. converter and the heat issue, did you change yours, if so was it for heat issuses or more sound?
Thanks[/QUOTE]
riding in fl. yesterday in the mid 80s with a little over 300 miles on my 2014. compared with my '11 which had a v & h header tts tuner bassioni mufflers stage 1 ac,trike stuff lifts, the '14 is running cooler for the passenger and rider, riding smoother with a little more room for the passenger . only cranking it to 3500rpm so far and I can tell it has more roll on torque. probably will only put the old mufflers back on just for the sound. an maybe the lifts if it drags the pipes, so far it has not.
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I just watched my 2014 Tri Glide go back to the shop for the third time on a trailer because of the cooling system. They can't figure out how to keep fluid in it. I called Milwaukee and they said they might have the dealer send it back to the factory to let them figure it out. The only good news is the factory is just across the river from where I live.
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[QUOTE=jimcsar;237923]I just watched my 2014 Tri Glide go back to the shop for the third time on a trailer because of the cooling system. They can't figure out how to keep fluid in it. I called Milwaukee and they said they might have the dealer send it back to the factory to let them figure it out. The only good news is the factory is just across the river from where I live.[/QUOTE]
One good reason to do everything you can not to jeopardize the warranty with modifications, I think some folks with 14's will use the heck out of the 2 year warranty and possibly it not even be long enough. New changes can breed troubles for the 1st MY of those changes.
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I've always kept my Harleys as stock as I can and then only use Harley upgrades. I also buy the 7 year warranty - especially on the '14 TG. So far the ESP has paid for itself on 2 of my Harleys. 1. my 2003 Ultra and 2. my 2012 TG. Well worth the money.......so far. :)
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Re: 2014 Triglide problems spark plug wire
No recall yet on this, but I read in the Harley thread about front plug wire rubbing through the insulation on the edge of the gas tank. I checked mine (2014 Triglide) and sure enough, mine was worn more than 1/2 through (5K mi). I put plastic wire wrap over the wire and brought bike to HD dealer. Dealer says they have seen this problem on other 2014s. They are replacing under warranty, but not making any changes because no factory recall has been issued. I don't think it a good idea to have the plug wire sparking to the gas tank, but HD must think otherwise?
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I have owned many Harleys over the years and currently own three. My first Harley trike was an '09 Street Glide with a MotorTrike kit. I traded it this weekend on a '14 TriGlide. I only have 200 miles on it (all in Mississippi heat) and I love it. It is much cooler than my '07 Ultra with the 103 upgrade that I had to put Rush true dual headers on.
I have seen comments in other forums about the water cooling system. Can it not be ridden at all without the water coolant circulating?
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[QUOTE=GARYD;238020]I've always kept my Harleys as stock as I can and then only use Harley upgrades. I also buy the 7 year warranty - especially on the '14 TG. So far the ESP has paid for itself on 2 of my Harleys. 1. my 2003 Ultra and 2. my 2012 TG. Well worth the money.......so far. :)[/QUOTE]
The extended warranty my dad took out on his 09 paid for it self also, I know of several people with baggers who had the extended warranty pay for it self, one guy had enough stuff break his paid for it self several times.