Roadsmith HTS1800 Trunk

[rogerm60]

Help needed! The cable connecting the latch (located under the tour pack) has disconnected from the trunk locking mechanism. I can't open the trunk. This should be an easy warranty fix; however the trike was purchased new in Arkansas, and I live in SE Texas. Roadsmith says there's an emergency release cable that will also release the trunk, but if they're speaking of the thin wire cable, it's broken as well. Roadsmith hasn't exactly offered a great deal of help, and if I can't remedy this situation with them soon, I'm going to become very vocal about them on this site and others. Anyone else experienced this problem with a Roadsmith HTS 1800 conversion?

[dirtdobber]

Just take it to another installer if it's under warranty. I had a seal that started leaking, very minor. I took it to another dealer. They took care of it with no problem.
Your warranty is with Roadsmith not the installer. You can contact them on the roadsmith page here on tt.

[rogerm60]

dirtdobber - That's precisely my problem. If there was an installer anywhere close to me, I would do that very thing. According to the Roadsmith website, the closes installer is almost 160 miles from me. Roadsmith has offered to walk me through the fix, but (1) that's not doable by phone, and (2) I shouldn't have to do my own warranty work.

[mhgoldwing]

Roadsmith has always supported my warranty claims.

I'm not sure what you expect Roadsmith to do if you're not willing to drive a couple of hours to an installer for the repair. Could probably be back home same day.

I also don't understand why you can't let them guide you over the phone. I would rather do that than have a trip to make.

Also, if returning to your installer is such an issue, maybe you should have considered this before you purchased any trike.

[rogerm60]

mhgoldwing -

I sure appreciate your "words of wisdom". It's reply's like this that makes you wonder why you bother to post anything. Yes, I considered that when I purchased the trike in Arkansas, and yes I purchased a Roadsmith because of what I thought was good quality, and yes I expect Roadsmith to do more up to and including locating an installer or Honda dealer that could fix this problem. Give me a break!

[FuzzyWuzHe]

Also, if returning to your installer is such an issue, maybe you should have considered this before you purchased any trike.

Not trying to flame anyone here ... but it always amazes me when people buy stuff from a dealer hundreds of miles away, and expects them to do warranty work by coming to them.

I do swimming pool repairs/service, I have a customers that is 185 miles from me. When he wanted me to install a new cover on his pool, I explain to him, the warrantee policy of the manufacturer and that my mileage was not covered. A year later the motor failed. It has a 3 year warrantee. I told him I'd get the new motor and install it for free, however, my mileage was his responsibility, he said he wouldn't pay. I offered to spit it with him, he still wouldn't pay. He took me to small claims court, even the judge said I was more than reasonable in my efforts to make him happy. He took to social media ... I got a lawyer and threatened to sue him if he persisted.

When he finally quit, I offered again to split the mileage, but he'd have to pay it up front (I was born at night, but not last night), he sent a check, I installed the new motor.

We talked while I did, and now, he's one of my best customers.

Moral of the story, you can bad mouth them all you want here (to a point), but you are gonna come off as just that, a complainer.

I feel you should accept at least some of the responsibility for buying an item that does not have local support. Work with them, sounds like they are willing to send parts and walk you through the install. If you don't want to do the work yourself, make an appointment, go for a ride and let them do it. Just my humble opinion.

[Solidbob]

The cable and the unlatching mechanism are Honda parts still attached to the bike portion of the conversion. It's nice that Roadsmith will walk you thru the proceedure but why not take it to your closest Honda dealer if your not willing to try the walk thru.... Roadsmith is first class , your original installer would be the first choice, Honda dealer should be #2 choice . Just because you used a far away installer is only your fault.... said 100's of times during conversations to pick the best installer closest to you....

Not Roadsmith's fault.... Here's the closest large Honda dealer... should take them very little time after you ride over there. You'll get better service if you call and explain that the trunk won't open and you think its the cable off and show up when the say... don't make a big deal out of the conversion unless you don't want them to fix it , maybe under warranty!!

[rogerm60]

I do appreciate the opinions, but the implications of being a "dumb a$$" is un-necessary. My reasoning for purchasing the trike from Honda of Russellville is they had the largest inventory of trikes anywhere around the Texas / Louisiana / Arkansas area. They were good to deal with, plus they offered the best deal (they do sale a large volume of trikes all over the country). I did consider maintenance and warranty, but it's a Honda, Honda dealers will take care of engine work. As for Roadsmith, the quality has been good up until this little issue. I've spoken to them, and they said they would return the phone call with a rep that could walk me through the fix if I wanted them to do that. As of 4 hours ago, I've heard nothing. The suggestion to bring the trike to a Honda dealer was my next move, I just wanted to hear if any other Roadsmith customers have experienced this problem.

[FuzzyWuzHe]

]if I can't remedy this situation with them soon, I'm going to become very vocal about them on this site and others. Anyone else experienced this problem with a Roadsmith HTS 1800 conversion?

I think this is the comment that is upsetting ... at least to me.

[Solidbob]

I do appreciate the opinions, but the implications of being a "dumb a$$" is un-necessary. My reasoning for purchasing the trike from Honda of Russellville is they had the largest inventory of trikes anywhere around the Texas / Louisiana / Arkansas area. They were good to deal with, plus they offered the best deal (they do sale a large volume of trikes all over the country). I did consider maintenance and warranty, but it's a Honda, Honda dealers will take care of engine work. As for Roadsmith, the quality has been good up until this little issue. I've spoken to them, and they said they would return the phone call with a rep that could walk me through the fix if I wanted them to do that. As of 4 hours ago, I've heard nothing. The suggestion to bring the trike to a Honda dealer was my next move, I just wanted to hear if any other Roadsmith customers have experienced this problem.

Never had a Problem with Roadsmith.... ask for Taylor and he will get you to the best TECH....

but I'd vote for riding over to Austin in the morning after traffic.....

dealer is on North Bound I-35 at E.

Braker Ln.

Service Road..... you get more service with Honey than bug spray... Just saying.... and call them back if you want quicker response....remember they have a limited number of busy folks...at Roadsmith, the Honda dealer is waiting on you!! Enjoy the ride once it gets addressed and chill.... it still runs and drives.....

[wiredgeorge]

Round Top? Isn't that the big flea market town? My wife dragged me there one year while we lived up near Austin to look at junk... she loves that stuff. Anyway, you mentioned your cables were BOTH broken? Do you see where they are broken or are you supposing since the trunk won't open.

I had a Roadsmith conversion and found the trunk latch difficult to get adjusted correctly and never actually did. I finally got mine to where it would lock and not stick but it would pop open going over a big bump so I put a marine grade latch. Latch was made of rubbery stuff and not metal. It was basically a loop on one side and a hook on the other. Worked great. I spoke with RS and they offered to drag my conversion to an installer but I didn't find the issue irritating enough to do so as the nearest installer was a long way off as is your case.

I honestly don't think an installer could have done better than me since I fiddled with it so much. I think Roadsmith should find and install a better latching mechanism. The conversion was great and quality super and that was the ONLY issue I had. I would highly recommend them to anyone.

If i were engineering a trunk mechanism, I would forgo the cable and lever under the top trunk and just use a simple external lock with a key if you choose to lock the trunk. A tee handle type affair with a keyed locking mechanism or something along those lines. I would also put the tail light wires in a loom and route it so it wasn't so exposed.

[Gold Rush]

The cable and the unlatching mechanism are Honda parts still attached to the bike portion of the conversion. It's nice that Roadsmith will walk you thru the proceedure but why not take it to your closest Honda dealer if your not willing to try the walk thru.... Roadsmith is first class , your original installer would be the first choice, Honda dealer should be #2 choice . Just because you used a far away installer is only your fault.... said 100's of times during conversations to pick the best installer closest to you.... Not Roadsmith's fault.... Here's the closest large Honda dealer... should take them very little time after you ride over there. You'll get better service if you call and explain that the trunk won't open and you think its the cable off and show up when the say... don't make a big deal out of the conversion unless you don't want them to fix it , maybe under warranty!!

Bob, I don't think it's the Honda mechanism. If the emergency cable does not open the trunk lid then there must be an issue with the trunk lock itself. That cable is connected directly to the trunk latch assembly.

dirtdobber - That's precisely my problem. If there was an installer anywhere close to me, I would do that very thing. According to the Roadsmith website, the closes installer is almost 160 miles from me. Roadsmith has offered to walk me through the fix, but (1) that's not doable by phone, and (2) I shouldn't have to do my own warranty work.

Roger, our forum Founder had a Roadsmith dealership before he moved to the Houston area. I believe he is still an authorized dealer but don't know if he has a shop set up. You might contact Bazooka ( http://www.triketalk.com/forum/members/153-Bazooka )and see if he can help. If you don't want to do that and don't feel capable to let Roadsmith walk you through the situation then maybe a friend can step in for you...

[Papa Zook]

I called Roger and he is going to try his Honda dealer first and if they cant resolve it he will bring it to me. Glad to help Roger, he's a very nice fellow, bought a new Bushtec trailer from me a few months back.

[Gold Rush]

I called Roger and he is going to try his Honda dealer first and if they cant resolve it he will bring it to me. Glad to help Roger, he's a very nice fellow, bought a new Bushtec trailer from me a few months back.

Thanks Randy. I figured you would do everything you could!!

[Solidbob]

Bob, I don't think it's the Honda mechanism. If the emergency cable does not open the trunk lid then there must be an issue with the trunk lock itself. That cable is connected directly to the trunk latch assembly.





Roger, our forum Founder had a Roadsmith dealership before he moved to the Houston area. I believe he is still an authorized dealer but don't know if he has a shop set up. You might contact Bazooka ( http://www.triketalk.com/forum/members/153-Bazooka )and see if he can help. If you don't want to do that and don't feel capable to let Roadsmith walk you through the situation then maybe a friend can step in for you...

Could be, looks like you guys have a plan in place so I'm sure it will get handled.... thanks to Gold Rush & Randy..... Teamwork from Long Distance....

[Papa Zook]

Could be, looks like you guys have a plan in place so I'm sure it will get handled.... thanks to Gold Rush & Randy..... Teamwork from Long Distance....

Thanks for your input too Bob. You're always quick to offer up some good advice.

Jerry has also always been a very helpful guy. He's installed a dozen or so of my rake kits for his friends. I just wish he was closer to me and I'd try to put his butt to work!

[dirtdobber]

I understand 320 miles is a good ride. You could make it a ride not a have to repair ride. I had to trailer mine to the installer. I took photos to the installer and they took care of it from there. Yes it is a out of the way thing but turn it into a pleasure ride.
How in the sam hill did both cables break at the same time?
That's really odd

[mgwtrike]

I had a Roadsmith conversion and found the trunk latch difficult to get adjusted correctly and never actually did. I finally got mine to where it would lock and not stick but it would pop open going over a big bump

I also had trouble with my trunk latch opening from the day I picked it up.
Drove down the road and everyone was motioning my trunk was open......a real pain.

Called my installer, set up a appointment on a nice day, rode 80 miles and stop for breakfast.
My installer was waiting, and had it fixed in 1/2 hr. with a sincere apology's that he didn't catch it from the start.
I swear, Roadsmith and their installers are #1 in customer service with a product that's top-notch.

[SMSgt]

I also had trouble with my trunk latch opening from the day I picked it up.
Drove down the road and everyone was motioning my trunk was open......a real pain.

Called my installer, set up a appointment on a nice day, rode 80 miles and stop for breakfast.
My installer was waiting, and had it fixed in 1/2 hr. with a sincere apology's that he didn't catch it from the start.
I swear, Roadsmith and their installers are #1 in customer service with a product that's top-notch.

Don't you have the right saddlebag open indicator come on on your dash when the trunk is opened? I had to do a little "warranty" work on mine to make it work as it is supposed to.

[mgwtrike]

Don't you have the right saddlebag open indicator come on on your dash when the trunk is opened? I had to do a little "warranty" work on mine to make it work as it is supposed to.

Oh Yeah, it came on about every 2-3 miles all the way home.........