Alignment etiquette

[Harmony 44]

So I had my RT aligned on the 28th, drove it home (80mi) and back to the my dealer (40mi) on the 31st for scheduled warranty work. Picked it up on the 3rd and drove it another 150mi over the weekend and parked it. While the handling was night and day better I that thought it had a slight pull to the right but didn't want to make a big deal about it because it thought it might be the crown of the road. Well, we just finished a 1000mi trip over the weekend and it defiantly pulls to the right and the handlebars are slightly off center to the left. We stopped by the dealer on the way home to see what they thought and set up an appointment to take a look, which they will, but I left with the feeling I should have said something sooner.:lecturef_smilie: Am I out of line?

 

[Pirate looks at --]

I think that is just the TRUMP factor causing that pull to the right....you are in New York after all!

 

[CapeSpyder]

No I pulled out of a dealer in an cage and gone right back if i felt "something" was off. low and behold I was right they fixed it apologized and on my way. If you don't say something they think alls well and they did a good job on to the next customer, but if you say hey it was like this when i came in and now it's...
I have my laser schedule for this fri at 9am and am ryding 131 mi one way for this :riding:

 

[jcthorne]

I see both sides of this.

I can say I have had a customer with a similar time lapse come back and get an alignment rechecked. I did so cheerfully and without charge. Just doing the right thing generates future business.

So yes, its been longer than you should have waited to get it rechecked, but most good alignment dealers will still recheck on good will. During the recheck, its pretty easy to tell if anything has changed significantly since it was first done. IE damage or repairs that could cause the issue.

 

[RTJERRY]

You don't say if this was a laser alignment. If so the bike needs to be put on the buds system to reset steering to zero. Not sure exactly how it works but pretty important. Handlebars should be straight on after an alignment.


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[Harmony 44]

You don't say if this was a laser alignment. If so the bike needs to be put on the buds system to reset steering to zero. Not sure exactly how it works but pretty important. Handlebars should be straight on after an alignment.


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Yes it was done with a laser, I was the 3rd or 4th spyder they had done.

 

[Harmony 44]

I see both sides of this.

I can say I have had a customer with a similar time lapse come back and get an alignment rechecked. I did so cheerfully and without charge. Just doing the right thing generates future business.

So yes, its been longer than you should have waited to get it rechecked, but most good alignment dealers will still recheck on good will. During the recheck, its pretty easy to tell if anything has changed significantly since it was first done. IE damage or repairs that could cause the issue.

If this was something I drove every day I certainly would have gone right back, too many other projects.

 

[SpyderAnn01]

Unsure the dealer would have appreciated hearing from you sooner, I would think that after you explained that you had been traveling they should take care of you.

 

[cptjam]

Learning curve

Take it back. It takes a few to get the hang of it. If the bars are crooked, they can fix that. If it pulls, they can fix that. I've had customers wait 6 months to tell me! We like to know if you are happy; if not, we fix it! If the dealer has only done a few, they need the practice, anyway! Every now and then, we get one that takes two tries to get it perfect. Others are straight forward, and no problems. We have done about 25 in the last week, and looking at a couple of dozen in the next two weeks. No one gets upset if you need an adjustment to get it right. When it is right, it is a joy to ride!

 

[Harmony 44]

Thank you for the replies, I really appreciate the support this site offers.

 

[Harmony 44]

Much Better

A big thank you to Central Vermont Motorcycles for correcting my alignment yesterday. They centered the bars and mostly eliminated the pull (drift really) to the right. Now it might drift left or right a little, I'd call it neutral, and the turn in is much better both directions. We took it for a 300mi ride yesterday and even my wife could feel it was better. They are new to the outlaw alignment system so they may have a few teething issues, but they quickly and happily made it right.:thumbup:

 

[IGETAROUND]

alignment etiquette

A big thank you to Central Vermont Motorcycles for correcting my alignment yesterday. They centered the bars and mostly eliminated the pull (drift really) to the right. Now it might drift left or right a little, I'd call it neutral, and the turn in is much better both directions. We took it for a 300mi ride yesterday and even my wife could feel it was better. They are new to the outlaw alignment system so they may have a few teething issues, but they quickly and happily made it right.:thumbup:

The bars need to be centered before the alignment is started, you will otherwise have bars skewed when the alignment is finished. Like Joe said, they need the practice to get it correct the first time.

Just like you don't want a surgeon who has only done 20 of the procedure you're having done when the "sweet spot" for minimal complications post op is 50!!!!

Practice does make for more perfect!!!!

 

[Chupaca]

Full circle story..

you gotta love them....:2thumbs: glad you got back to us with a wonderful result. You are back on the road and doing well...:thumbup:sound like a good group...