I wanted to check to see if anyone has had a similarly bad experience buying/owning a custom chopper.?

Question

I bought a new 2006 custom 'assembled' 280 Highroller chopper from American Perfromance Cycles (APC). It has been in the shop 14 months of the 33 months of ownership and I have logged a measley, trouble=prone 3,500 miles. I have had the oil pump replaced, the stater, the battery, the whole frigging 124 ci S&S engine, the oil cooler replacxed and finally a re-paint of the entire frame & sheet metal parts.

What a nightmare! I think I now understand the difference between an assembled bike vs. a custom bike build.

Answer 1

Dude,  calm down.  Tis bad that your  ' custom ' was so bad. Ain't that a good reason to save the $ and build your own bike ? All that you need to build your own is an idea ( nice to have a doner ) of the style, FX or FL.

Answer 2

Does your state have a Lemon Law?  With that many repairs and amount of time in the shop, you ought to be able to get a new one if you do have a Lemon Law. (If you want a new one!)

Answer 3

sounds like you had a little more bad luck than usual.

but its not much better even when you do it yourself. it usually takes me a summer or two to get all the bugs out of one. most choppers are high maintenance the first year.

if you swap it off, the next guy will probably never have any problems with it.

Answer 4

We try real hard at our company to make sure customers don't have the experience you had... and to date (knock on chrome) none have. Having said that, we also tell folks that these are CUSTOM bikes, and there is an inherent risk... because no matter how hard we try to maintain quality control, we are at risk due to parts we don't manufacture. We try to assuage worries with an excellent warranty and first class parts. The whole custom industry found quality control to be an issue and has addressed it as job one in the past year or two. These problems like you had and the economy will thin out most all the incompitent. People like Big Dog have instituted strict quality control testing on all imported parts as well as in house products. In your case the strange element is that you're having issues with a quality product like S&S. Batteries and starters have always been issues with big inch motors if they don't have compression releases... and if your bike is a drop seat like the '07 APC's then you have a tiny battery in that already too small oil tank. Without knowing all the particulars your problems do seem excessive... but there are quality customs out there that are not 'fix or repair daily' bikes. The industry understands that if they continue to make problem bikes they won't survive. Example: bankrupsy of American Iron Horse and parts giant Custom Chrome (both bought out of BK and still functioning).

Answer 5

Sell it now, these bikes are meant to be owned buy guy's that can fix them, if the compression rate is high it will self destruct.......at your expense.$$$$$$$$$$

Answer 6

Hard to buy a good custom bike anymore, now days they throw them together and sell'em quick. Poor welds, no torque wrenches, etc. Most don't have much of a warrantyif any at all. Buy an assembled bike, get the warranty, got problems, go to the dealer.

Answer 7

Sounds like a POS alright

If the guys in Las Vegas it dont sound like them to hang you out like that "Dumb question" but have you talked to them & What did they say-That whole deal dont sound right for them

Answer 8

Metal on metal construction and that big jackhammer they call an engine, not meant to actually be ridden.  Friend of mine had a custom shop, took me to the back to see an almost new bike and the big thick rear fender had been torn in half by the vibration.