David Zien loves his Harley-Davidson motorcycles and he loves his country. His Harley-Davidson chariots have transported him for over four decades, and in 2009, his 1991 Harley FXRT motorcycle achieved over one million miles, earning it enshrinement in a motorcycle museum in Sturgis, S.D. And his current motorcycle, like his previous Harleys, are decorated with several flags hanging from its rear, including a mixture of American flags, a “Don’t Tread on Me” Tea Party flag, and an “NRA: Stand and Fight” flag. Some of the flags measure nearly five feet in length. They are a tribute to his patriotism and his love for his country.
On a recent motorcycle trip to Dallas, Zien developed clutch and transmission problems with his Harley. His chopper was still under warranty, so he contacted Harley-Davidson for warranty coverage.
Harley’s response – no coverage. Because of the huge flags on the rear of the chopper, Harley would not honor the warranty.
Zien was not happy. According to an interview with the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, Zien said, “All they said was, because I fly flags on the bike, there’s no warranty on the powertrain … Ain’t nobody gonna stop our flags, not even Harley-Davidson corporate.”
Harley replied that Zien’s motorcycle warranty was still in effect, but the claim he filed was not valid because of the addition of aftermarket products – essentially, the huge flags.
“The issue isn’t that the flags are heavy, but they provide terrific drag on the engine and the transmission, especially when the bike is at highway speeds,” said Harley-Davidson spokeswoman Maripat Blankenheim to the Journal-Sentinel. “When you alter a motorcycle with non-compliant products, that does impact your ability to make a warranty claim … We recognize that it’s a very cool thing to (mount flags) on your bike, and we want our customers to be able to personalize their bikes in that way. But because of what was done to (this) motorcycle, and how it impacts the motorcycle’s performance, we just didn’t cover the warranty claim.”
Okay, let’s get a few things straight. I would argue that Zien should be allowed to fly as many flags as his Harley engine can tow. Be proud of your country. Show it. Honor it. I mean, it looks super-awesome when you’re riding your motorcycle and you’ve got the red, white and blue fluttering behind you. That’s bigger than any bumper sticker or gas tank decal, for sure.
I would also argue that Harley-Davidson is within its right to honor or not honor a warranty if they feel that something has been added to their product that wasn’t part of the original construction. I wouldn’t use a Harley-Davidson to tow a bulldozer, and then expect Harley to replace the powertrain when it broke because of those actions.
I suspect, however, that this will eventually be settled in a court of law. Zien will argue his right to let his flags fly; Harley-Davidson will argue that the flags caused unnecessary problems with his motorcycle’s powertrain.
My opinion? I’ve seen those type of motorcycle-and-flag-fluttering combos at the Americade motorcycle rally. They’re awesome and impressive and emotionally evocative, the flags fluttering as a symbol of the open road and of the undying loyalty and patriotism of cyclists nationwide.
I just wouldn’t imagine that same motorcycle, with those flags and flagpoles in tow, traveling long distances along the Thruway or the Northway or the Massachusetts Turnpike. Wouldn’t all those fluttering flags at 65 MPH feel like you’re dragging a parachute behind you? I mean, yeah a Harley engine is powerful, but I don’t imagine it’s THAT powerful…
So let me hear your comments on the topic. Should Harley-Davidson repair the powertrain on Zien’s chopper? Or is Zien out of luck?
Chuck The Writer 
The headline is a bit misleading, Chuck. Harley – Davidson didn’t disallow the warranty claim because of Mr. Zein’s patriotism; you would be hard pressed to find a more patriotic, American, corporation than H-D. But I can see where driving for extended periods at highway speeds with huge flags attached to your bike would put a lot of stress on the drivetrain.
I think Mr. Zein should bite that bullet, forget about H-D footing that bill, and show his patriotism a bit more conservatively, at highway speeds anyway. Save the huge flags for parade speeds.
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Bill – I understand your concern about the headline. I wrote that because it almost seems that, in the original Journal-Sentinel piece, Mr. Zien has condensed this dispute to Harley-Davidson denying his right to fly flags and still get his warranty honored.
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In the original article it’s clearly stated that Harley-Davidson has NOT voided his warranty…they’re disallowing his claim for a clutch replacement because of the huge flags. H-D didn’t say he couldn’t fly flags…but they’re not going to pay for repairing his bike because of it. It would probably make more sense for Mr. Zein to install a heavier clutch instead of getting a stock replacement considering the way he’s using his bike…but that’s something he would have to pay for.
Your headline is more than a bit misleading…as is your posting of a pic of a trike when in the article you refer to a chopper. You’ve seen the D357 chopper…you know the difference. Maybe you can get a job writing headlines for the Huffington Post.
You can absolutely hook a house trailer to your Cobalt for your next trip to Canada but do you really expect GM to pay for a new clutch if you make it back? There’s a reason that optional tow packages are offered for some vehicles.
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http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/manchester/5038310.stm
No idea if this is accurate, but it says a loss of ~3% fuel economy which is analogous to around 3% more power required to offset the drag. If a harley can’t handle 3% then they are not “built american tough”.
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I’m not sure if the link is accurate, either…but I am sure that a 3% increase in drag on an automobile is not the same percentage on a motorcycle.
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You’re right. It’s definitely lower on a motorcycle. Much higher Reynolds number on a motorcycle to begin with.
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This is really over the top. Flying an American flag is wonderful, but given that the Tea Party is racist, homophobic, xenophobic and against any and all types of government aid, including for war veterans who fought and, in some cases died, for his precious freedom, and that “NRA: Stand and Fight” is a stance which opposes all regulation of firearms and condones massacres of schoolchildren as the price of 2nd Amendment absolutism, I respectfully submit that not everyone would agree with this extreme right-wing brand of “patriotism”.
As far as Harley is concerned, if they can present scientific proof that the size, weight and drag coefficient of adding those flags at highway speeds creates sufficient strain on the powertrain to void the warranty, fine. Otherwise, they should honor it.
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Thanks for the warning but “over the top” doesn’t begin to describe this comment. Stop looking for free stuff and take some personal responsibility.
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I tend to agree with Mickey that if the flags are, literally, a drag, that could void the warranty (or however they’re phrasing it). But they’d then need to be consistent in the application and be proactive going forward about limitations to said warranty.
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Harley IS being consistent…that’s why they’re denying this claim. I don’t have my owner’s manual on me so I can’t provide a quote right now but you can believe that you just can’t add anything you want to a bike and expect someone else to foot the bill for repairs.
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Those are some pretty freakin’ huge flag mounts, that’s for sure.
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Yes, and that’s not the bike in question.
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The photo says “David Zien on his motorcycle, with flags fluttering in the background.” Nowhere does it say that this is not the bike in the article.
Also, it’s the same bike as the one featured in the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel. article.
Can you provide some links to a photo or a story to back up your assertion, because I don’t believe you.
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Ok, I see, buried in the original article, it does note that the bike pictured is not the one discussed.
Maybe you could have just said that to being with smart guy.
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Will Harley Davidson not honor the warranty if the rider is 300 pounds as opposed to an average 180 pound rider? What about carrying a passenger, especially a passenger with wide dimensions? As an engineer I understand stresses and can assure that at highway speeds the flags will flow out and follow the path of least resistance. That path is relatively straight back and not act as sails of any appreciable area. The flags he was flying will cause no more stress on the engine and drive train than an overweight driver, or a wide shouldered driver, or a driver with passenger. I think that Harley Davidson has bitten itself in the posterior by not honoring the warranty on Mr. Zein’s motorcycle problems. The story indicates to me that Harley Davidson does not believe in the dependability of it’s motorcycles.
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