Battery Problem - Maybe? 2015 FJ-09

[betoney]

2 hours ago, Magnum099 said:

Update - I had Autozone test the battery and it showed up as bad. Since this seems to be the issue, I will replace it with a new battery (I think lithium-ion) and move on from here. 

When you get the new battery make sure you get a compatible battery tender for lithium-ion. 

[PhotoAl]

Great to hear it was the battery, I've thought of going to lithium-ion but have held off due to their cold weather performance.  They save weight and are great batteries otherwise.  

Hummm time to go unplug my BoltEV before it burns the house down ....

[piotrek]

Off topic, but just so you're aware... check that you've had recall work done on your 2015 bike. Should have been handled by the dealer before delivery, if applicable (VIN). Shifter shaft was one, and handlebar holders/risers was the other. Do a search on the forum for info.

[Magnum099]

8 hours ago, piotrek said:

Off topic, but just so you're aware... check that you've had recall work done on your 2015 bike. Should have been handled by the dealer before delivery, if applicable (VIN). Shifter shaft was one, and handlebar holders/risers was the other. Do a search on the forum for info.

I actually did check before I purchased the bike and all the recalls were taken care of. They provided documentation to me showing they had been completed when I purchased it.

Funny you say that though, the handlebar holders/risers were actually one of the issues I had when I purchased the bike from this dealer. I noticed in the showroom that the handlebars seemed a bit tilted to one side. I mentioned it to the owner of the shop (who also was the salesman) - his reply: "Sometimes you need to shake the handlebars back and forth a few times when you ride and they will straighten up." At that point, I knew I would probably not be getting stellar service, so I knew what I was getting into.

The strange thing is, this guy owns at least 50 motorcycles, many of which are displayed in his shop. Several of them are highly desirable, somewhat rare motorcycles, and he drag races a couple of his bikes on the weekend also. Overall, just a really interesting guy, but I would not recommend him as a motorcycle dealer. Lol. 

His mechanic also left a lot to be desired - he supposedly took the bike for a test ride to make sure everything was good before handing it over to me, but when I got on the bike, the handlebars were still tilted to one side. There is no way he didn't notice this, so I figured they just didn't care at this point. After I took the bike home, I found that one of the riser bolts was loose. I adjusted the handlebars to the correct position and tightened it and all has been well since then. Also, while showing me how to work everything on the motorcycle, he tried to show me how to adjust the seat up and down using the plastic piece under the seat. After 20 minutes or so of struggling to figure it out, he couldn't get the seat back into place. He finally got it to lock in somehow and I just figured it out when I got home. These are the reasons why I do not plan to bring them my bike for anything. I do have a really good dealer only about ~20 minutes from me that I would trust to work on my bike though. 

I will not purchase another bike from them obviously, and this was my first new motorcycle purchase, so I really didn't know what to expect. In retrospect, I probably should have complained more about the issues. Unfortunately, bikes were in high demand and it was hard to find one I wanted at the time. I was upgrading from several older motorcycles - 1996 Honda CBR1000F (still have this one and love it), 1980 Suzuki GS1000G (sold), and a 2002 Honda ST1100 (also sold) and I was used to fixing things myself instead of taking bikes to the dealer. I was originally planning to get a more sensible Versys 650LT, but when I found the FJ-09 for less money than a new Versys, I decided to go for it. I do not regret it, as the FJ-09 suits me perfectly, as I tend to ride like a hooligan sometimes, and I don't think the Versys would have quite done it for me. 

[peteinpa]

Yeah, truly sad the state of affairs at dealers.  I've done EVERYTHING myself to my bikes for 25-30 years now.  ST1300 went back to dealer for water pump only because under warranty.

You could maybe swallow the high charges if they seemed to know what they were doing but just...NO.

[piotrek]

2 hours ago, Magnum099 said:

"Sometimes you need to shake the handlebars back and forth a few times when you ride and they will straighten up."

Yikes, that is some serious negligence on the part of the dealer.

You might want to take a closer look at those lower bar holders at some point. The issue noted in the tech bulletin as I recall is the threaded studs coming loose from the holders (not the nuts coming loose from studs). To fix the issue you have to remove the holders, unscrew the studs, apply thread locker that the factory missed, and re-assemble.