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Cruiser
Posts: 281
| Bill, I for one appreciate the effort you have put forth on this issue. If you had not, I would not have noticed this issue on my fenders until it is too late.
After putting comments on the Victory FB page, I received a message from them. I was aksed to provide contact information and VINs and was told I will be contacted in 3-5 business days. I'll let you know where this goes.
As a temporary solution, I'll settle for them covering replacement of the fenders, even with the faulty part - until a permanent solution is available. |
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Tourer
Posts: 500
| I spent over 20 minutes talking with a Victory Staff guy at the recent Demo Days rides at Dick Scott's Cycles in Livonia, MI. this last Saturday about this fender issue on the Vision..He was very interested and showed concern about the potential danger if the rear half of fender breaks and gets caught in lower fairing part..He assured me he would contact those at Ma Vic that should be able to investigate this issue and take the necessary steps to correct this serious potential safety problem....I hope he follows through and someone gets the message soon so engineers can come up with a better idea and improvement.....Temporary fixes are kinda like "greasing the pig" and can get you into, sometimes,more trouble than things that really work...Mine is fine for now and I will address this situation if and when it happens...Hopefully Victory will have a fix by then.....
Edited by opas ride 2013-08-26 11:48 AM
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Tourer
Posts: 494
Akron Ohio area | For those who think I'm whining about this, let me point out a few things.
If the fender came loose from the fork mounts and was just flapping around in the wind, I could deal with that.
BUT, that is not the case.
It jams in the lower fairing and makes steering impossible.
This isn't simply a cosmetic problem, it's a serious safety problem on a 900 pound motorcycle.
Toyota had to recall millions of vehicles because the floor mat got tangled up with the accelerator on a few vehicles.
I paid $24,000 out the door for SCREAM.
There are a lot of cars I could have bought for the same, or less money, and their body panels wouldn't start flying off causing safety concerns after only 2 years.
My lower front fender has been replaced at my cost so far.
Part and labor.
If she doesn't want to redesign the front fender on the Vision, then I want her to pay for my replacement, each and every time it cracks/breaks.
I still believe a rubber grommet would alleviate the problem. |
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Tourer
Posts: 500
| Lets wait and see what Ma Vic does, if anything. I agree with bigfoot on all issues and hope this gets resolved soon...Rider/passenger safety is the real issue here, not a plastic fender than works loose or breaks off..I for one do want to chance the thing getting jammed in my lower fairing and have no steering control, as said above, on a 900lb motorcycle....End of story for me as I am stepping aside to wait and see the final results...... |
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Cruiser
Posts: 100
Hudson, Ohio | I was just contacted by Consumer Services at Victory informing me that they will not be recalling the front fender on the Visions. They said their engineers have reviewed the cases submitted and have concluded there is no problem with the fenders and the cracks are considered cosmetic and normal wear and tear. The person went on to say that Motorcycles are mechanical and like anything mechanical, you should be vigilent about pre-ride inspections to ensure the machine is suitable for riding. So, Vision Riders - be sure to check your fenders or re-enforce them like others have suggested. Victory will not be offering an alternative part for this issue because they do not consider it a manufacturing defect or problem.
I am not an engineer, but to expect that people should be checking their front fenders for crack failure seems extreme to me.
I am not surprised by this decision in any way shape or form. I hope that by raising this issue, it may prevent injury or death due to the front fender cracking. |
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Iron Butt
Posts: 802
| Same story here. I guess we'll just have to keep an eye on it and hope for the best.
Marc |
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Tourer
Posts: 500
| As I posted on the earlier comments.."I am shocked"...Typical corporate CYA on Victory's part...Have a nice day and check you fender before each time you ride!!!! What a lousy deal.....
Edited by opas ride 2013-08-27 6:25 PM
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Visionary
Posts: 1365
Central Maryland | marcparnes - 2013-08-27 7:06 PM
Same story here. I guess we'll just have to keep an eye on it and hope for the best.
Marc
....or exercise due diligence and reinforce the inside of the rear fender; where it bolts to the fork. |
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Iron Butt
Posts: 1066
Peru, IN | I just got a call from Wes at Victory, too. Same, same. Very disappointing. |
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Tourer
Posts: 494
Akron Ohio area |
....or exercise due diligence and reinforce the inside of the rear fender; where it bolts to the fork. Are you typically in the habit of reengineering new vehicles? I kind of thought it rather obvious and sensible to expect body panels on my $24,000 2011 Vision not to come loose and jam in the fairing causing loss of steering. Do you fill up your tires with hard rubber to avoid flats? Do you put tape on your windscreen to prevent it from shattering? Do you attach a flashlight to your handlebars in case the headlight falls off at 80 MPH? |
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Cruiser
Posts: 281
| Their response is unacceptable. |
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Visionary
Posts: 1365
Central Maryland | bigfoot - 2013-08-27 8:23 PM
....or exercise due diligence and reinforce the inside of the rear fender; where it bolts to the fork. Are you typically in the habit of reengineering new vehicles? ? I kind of thought it rather obvious and sensible to expect body panels on my $24,000 2011 Vision not to come loose and jam in the fairing causing loss of steering.? Do you fill up your tires with hard rubber to avoid flats?? Do you put tape on your windscreen to prevent it from shattering? Do you attach a flashlight to your handlebars in case the headlight falls off at 80 MPH?? ?
Now your being silly.
But yes, I do improve, check and fix things that other Motorcycle manufacturers fail to address; even when it's reported to them.
Take for instance, my Suzuki DR650. Ever since this model dual sport has been produced; there has been a problem with the NSU screws coming loose and grenading the engine. Happens very infrequently but is still cause for concern. So I; as well as many other DR650 riders have done, is remove the clutch cover and clutch basket, and safety wired the NSU screws (along with locktite) so they can never come loose. Peace of mind.
I will also have peace of mind regarding my front rear fender on my Vision, as soon as my front tire is removed for replacement (which should be less than 8 thousand miles from now.
So continue to ridicule preventive maintenance for a flaw that can become apparent. Self reliance and ingenuity are fast becoming a lost skill amongst the Vision riders here. |
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Cruiser
Posts: 100
Hudson, Ohio | willtill - 2013-08-27 9:35 PM
So continue to ridicule preventive maintenance for a flaw that can become apparent. Self reliance and ingenuity are fast becoming a lost skill amongst the Vision riders here.
Will - i still believe you have missed the point here. The fender should not be an issue period. Even people that have taken matters into their own hands agree that Victory should address such a chronic issue. In my opinion, a good manufacturer listens to their LOYAL customers and makes improvements to such design flaws. I am not whining and I have taken matters in my own hands to fix the fender to be safe. I still believe Victory's position on this matter is a complete joke. |
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Puddle Jumper
Posts: 47
| I just fixed mine with plastic weld to bond the piece together and fiberglass matting on the inside over washers. It's pretty strong now and my extended warranty company has agreed to replace it. |
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Visionary
Posts: 1365
Central Maryland | Spiderman - 2013-08-27 9:50 PM
willtill - 2013-08-27 9:35 PM
So continue to ridicule preventive maintenance for a flaw that can become apparent. Self reliance and ingenuity are fast becoming a lost skill amongst the Vision riders here.
Will - i still believe you have missed the point here. The fender should not be an issue period. Even people that have taken matters into their own hands agree that Victory should address such a chronic issue. In my opinion, a good manufacturer listens to their LOYAL customers and makes improvements to such design flaws. I am not whining and I have taken matters in my own hands to fix the fender to be safe. I still believe Victory's position on this matter is a complete joke.
I have not missed the point. I agree that they (Victory) should address it but they won't. So that is why I advocate fixing it ourselves. Waiting around and doing nothing about it is not going to take care of it. |
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Cruiser
Posts: 100
Hudson, Ohio | willtill - 2013-08-28 4:41 AM
Spiderman - 2013-08-27 9:50 PM
willtill - 2013-08-27 9:35 PM
So continue to ridicule preventive maintenance for a flaw that can become apparent. Self reliance and ingenuity are fast becoming a lost skill amongst the Vision riders here.
Will - i still believe you have missed the point here. The fender should not be an issue period. Even people that have taken matters into their own hands agree that Victory should address such a chronic issue. In my opinion, a good manufacturer listens to their LOYAL customers and makes improvements to such design flaws. I am not whining and I have taken matters in my own hands to fix the fender to be safe. I still believe Victory's position on this matter is a complete joke.
I have not missed the point. I agree that they (Victory) should address it but they won't. So that is why I advocate fixing it ourselves. Waiting around and doing nothing about it is not going to take care of it.
I dont know of anyone that suggests sitting around and doing nothing is a good thing...that is your claim. Glad to see you agree Victory should address the issue - atleast we agree on that.
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Tourer
Posts: 573
Central Illinois | Will, I think you are missing a much bigger point. You and I know about this issue and can McGiver our bikes but what about the 90%+ Vision riders that will never see this thread or similar ones on other forums? They are the ones at risk, not us. |
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Puddle Jumper
Posts: 30
Scottsdale | My concern is not cracked when I check, cracked while riding thus causing problems |
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Tourer
Posts: 500
| Same with me AZdave...I am in the 90% group that is not a McGiver type and was hoping that this issue would be fixed by a responsible company that cares about its loyal riders..Obviously not the case here as Victory's "engineers" are forced to speak "corporate lawyer BS" and not address the real issue here!!...Rider Safety..... |
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Iron Butt
Posts: 802
| Oldman47 - 2013-08-28 6:49 AM
Will, I think you are missing a much bigger point. You and I know about this issue and can McGiver our bikes but what about the 90%+ Vision riders that will never see this thread or similar ones on other forums? They are the ones at risk, not us. That I think, is the MOST intelligent comment relative to this issue yet. At least we know what to be aware of and keep an eye on. The poor schmo who has his fender come loose and has no clue what just happened is the real guy in jeopardy. We should consider ourselves at the least, informed.
Marc
Edited by marcparnes 2013-08-28 11:59 AM
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Tourer
Posts: 500
| And again, I truly appreciate the comments on this and other forums that have made me aware of this serious safety issue with the Vision and I will watch my bike carefully and try to fix it someway before I get hurt or killed on a long ride...Man, what a deal....For those who never see this and other boards I will bring this safety issue up to every potential Vision buyer and any current riders I see...They can then make their own decisions as to what to do....I hope no one has to experience what some others have in the past with the fender breaking...... |
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Tourer
Posts: 500
| This bad decision by Victory's Mgmt. is already spreading to the biker community...I know as I was asked by a HD rider a couple hours ago at the gas station if my bike was of the ones Victory will not fix the fender on....He said he found out about this issue from a buddy who's wife will not let him ride his Vision until he fixes the fender...Safety first people....Not profits....
Edited by opas ride 2013-08-28 6:27 PM
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Iron Butt
Posts: 691
Manchester, CT | If this snowballs in the biker community competitors will be slinging FUD focused on anything Victory. Fallout is worse....even if the issue gets resolved, perception will linger on and on |
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Cruiser
Posts: 100
Hudson, Ohio | I am sure Victory is counting on this issue dying...wonder if it will?
My view of Victory is now tainted because of their poor decision here. Choosing $'s over the safety of the people that spent their hard earned money to buy these machines is absolutely wrong. You can all me naive all you want and I don't give a shit. I bought Victory because of their products and what I perceived a different mindset than the status quo.....I am seriously considering getting rid of the Vision now. I am not making an emotional decision yet, I will give it the winter but I will be looking at alternatives and if I find the right bike for me, I will do it.
I am keeping my Conquest bike though (Venom) as it is one bad ass machine and so customized that it doesn't matter anyway. Plus, it was my brother's and it's staying in the family.
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Tourer
Posts: 500
| Spiderman...After many posts and expressing my total dis-pleasure with the "idiots" that made this very un-ethical error in judgment, in my opinion, and put the CYA and $$ mentality mindset to this very serious issue, I to, am done with it...I have been seriously thinking about another bike myself next year and you can bet your sweet ass it will not be a Victory....Those on this site,and others, can do as they wish, bad-mouth me, whatever makes them happy, but I, like you, will think about it over the winter and go from there..Again I love my Vision and it is otherwise a great bike, but Victory's customer service and response leaves a lot to be desired...Maybe a mistake on my part maybe not...but it is my money and my life not others......Good Luck in the future |
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Front Fender - Major Design Flaw
