New DCT with issues

[sawride]

Hi, I joined the forum back in 2013 when I bought a new NC700X (manual transmission) but it was stolen and trashed before I had much of a chance to get involved. The insurance company gave me a very good settlement but I decided to try something else and went through a few bikes. Last week I noticed the local dealership had the red 2014 NC700X DCT that had been sitting in the corner for a long time marked way down so I worked a deal with them and rode it home. I only put about 25 miles on it but think I will like the DCT.

So when I got home I decided to set the time on the clock and pulled out the owners manual to remember the drill. While doing that I noticed the manual showed warning lights for the parking brake and ABS. Hmmm, I didn't remember seeing those. So with the parking brake set I turned the ignition back on and confirmed no parking brake or ABS lights. Then I decided to check all the lights and discovered the front brake did not activate the brake light. The rear brake did so I knew the brake light was good. Looking under the right switch pod I noticed a couple wires with blade connectors that were loose and the front brake light switch didn't have anything plugged into it. Unfortunately I had to head out of town so didn't have a chance to look any farther.

This afternoon when I got back home I plugged the wires in and the front brake now activates the brake light. I was hoping it might somehow be tied into the parking brake and ABS lights but no joy. So my next thought was fuses? I opened the battery compartment (noticing they had used plain bolts rather than the shoulder bolts my previous NC had) and popped the fuse cover. Three of the fuses in the top row are shown as ABS related so I pulled all the fuses in the top row and verified they were good with an ohmmeter. I put them all back in, turned on the ignition, and still no parking brake or ABS lights.

This is where it gets weird (I think). I got down close to the instrument cluster and looked with the ignition OFF. I could see the lighter gray cutouts where the check engine light, Neutral light, overheating, and oil pressure lights shine through but don't see any cutouts for the parking brake light or for the ABS light. I pulled the owners manual back out to be sure I was looking in the right place. I sure don't see any way for the lights to shine through. Could someone with a DCT please let me know if, with the ignition off, can you see where the parking brake and ABS lights would shine through? You may have to get down close to the instrument panel.

I'm wondering if Honda built it with the wrong instrument cluster or maybe there was a recall so the dealer replaced it but used the wrong type of instrument cluster? I check the Honda site and don't see any open recalls on my VIN. Is there a way to see what recalls have been completed? I was hoping to put some miles on the bike tomorrow but I guess I'll be at the dealership yelling at the sales guy and service manager.

 

[sumo]

If you're leery of dealership maybe another dealer could check the VIN and let you know if the bike has a history.

 

[670cc]

There was a service campaign but not a recall on the 2014's instrument panel. Ask the dealer where your bike stands with regards to the replacement.

 

[Gibsito]

I also have a 2014 but it's an X. There was a recall for 2014s on the combination meter (I think that's what they call the instrument cluster) as well as a magneto switch, if I remember correctly. Maybe they replaced yours with one for the X? Just stabbing in the dark here. Since your vin is showing no recalls they must have already replaced it. There should be a sticker somewhere around the triple tree indicating it was replaced and showing the mileage at time of replacement (since replacing it resets mileage to zero). Regardless, just bring it back and let them deal with it.

Correction - it was a "Product Update Campaign" not a recall.

 

[sawride]

Thanks all, I will be at the dealership when they open in the morning and give them the opportunity to make things right. Hopefully I will be pleasantly surprised by their level of service. Half of my frustration is with myself. I have been riding for a long time and have had other ABS equipped bikes. I should have noticed the missing ABS light. Never had one with a parking brake though so I'll let that one slide ;-)

 

[jayceegee]

I wonder how the bike passed the service inspection prior to selling it. Someone had to sign off that it was ready to roll.

 

[sawride]

I wonder how the bike passed the service inspection prior to selling it. Someone had to sign off that it was ready to roll.

My thoughts exactly. The guy that gave me the walk through had a checklist he was supposed to be working from but he just stuffed it in his pocket. They certainly can't tell me it was working when they handed it off to me because it's not that the warning lights aren't working, they don't exist.

 

[670cc]

The parts listing shows the NC700X and the NC700XD have different part numbers for the "combination meter."

I looked at my 2012 manual's display. There are no indicator cutouts on the display for ABS or Brake indications. Obviously there are different versions of the display for DCT/ABS vs Manual.

One plausible reason for your case is that the dealer pulled a bonehead move and installed the wrong display for the service campaign. The part numbers are one digit different; one ends in 5, the other in 6.

I wonder how the bike passed the service inspection prior to selling it. Someone had to sign off that it was ready to roll.

Yep, someone probably signed off, but that doesn't mean anything or everything was actually inspected.

 

[danwray]

If they didn't even manage to get the front brake light switch plugged in correctly, I wouldn't have too much faith in them having done the meter swap correctly either.

 

[sawride]

I think we are good. The shop emailed me a link to a satisfaction survey which I responded to last night with my whole experience. This morning I drafted a letter addressed to the sales manager and service manager outlining my issues and noting the bike should never have left the shop as it.

I rode the NC to the shop this morning and found the sales guy in the sales managers office and handed them the letter saying the bike has some issues. The manager said he had just finished reading my survey and had forwarded it to the service manager. The sales guy apologized profusely and said lets go find the service manager and get this fixed. The service manager was not in but the head mechanic (and the guy that did the walk through) got involved. Initially they said they would have to order the instrument cluster which would take a few days then they found the instrument cluster for the DCT. While I watched the head mechanic swapped out the instrument cluster and went through the bike making sure there were no other issues. So it appears everything is working correctly and now I can put the first 600 miles on it.

The paranoid side of me says when the recall was issued they ordered the part for the non-DCT NC700X and installed it putting the original part into the box the new unit came in. They don't put batteries into the bikes until they are sold so it would be a easy mistake to make and not catch initially. So now I, the unhappy customer, comes along and they go into self preservation mode, finding the original instrument cluster they decide it's the replacement one and put it back on. The only issue I have read about is the trip meter randomly resetting. Anything else I should watch for as a sign of a bad instrument cluster? Thanks!

 

[bduffey]

And I would seriously consider hitting them yup for a free oil change and service at the 600 mile mark! They owe you !!!

 

[670cc]

And I would seriously consider hitting them yup for a free oil change and service at the 600 mile mark! They owe you !!!

No thanks. I would not want this dealer touching my bike, would you?

 

[sawride]

No thanks. I would not want this dealer touching my bike, would you?

Yeah, I would be more inclined to see about a discount on part or accessories and not let them touch the bike.

I had enough time to put about 50 miles on the bike today and everything seems to be working well. Still getting a little anxious about no clutch lever to pull in as I come to a stop Tomorrow I should be able to spend most of they day on the bike and get used to it. I think I will like the DCT.

 

[kpinvt]

Did they put a sticker on the frame stating what the mileage was when they put the new cluster in? I had the recall, no not a recall, a "product update" as Honda calls it, on my bike at 5574 miles. The odometer on the new cluster read 0 miles when it was installed and the sticker is added to indicate the actual mileage on the bike when the change was made. I don't think it really matters if the bike had less than 100 miles on it when the new cluster was installed. Just another sign to steer clear of them. I'm very happy with my DCT bike. It takes a couple of days of riding to get a real sense of what the transmission can do. It won't stall, not even in an emergency stop. I was riding in manual mode at 50 MPH in fifth gear, I had to jam the brakes when I came upon vehicles stopped in the road ahead of me around a blind corner.The DCT shifted down from fifth to first without a hiccup. One thing I will warn against is don't put a throttle lock on the right grip. I installed a Vista Cruise throttle lock as soon as I got the bike. The Vista Cruise made it much harder to get to the control buttons especially the manual/auto switch at the front of the right grip. I took the Vista Cruise off and bought an o-ring as a simple throttle lock and sometimes use a Cramp Buster on long rides. Good luck with your new bike.

 

[sawride]

They did not put a sticker on to indicate the speedometer had been changed. The bike was a leftover new bike and I had only ridden it home in a slightly round about path and then straight back to the shop so it had maybe 35 miles on it. My "plan" is to keep it long enough and put enough miles on it that +/- 35 miles will amount to a rounding error. Thanks for the tip on the throttle lock. Now that you mention it I can see how it could cause a problem. Any advice on what size o-ring to look for?

 

[dduelin]

I use the plastic Go Cruise throttle lock, these have been on several bikes including my NCs for many thousands of miles. In the case of the DCT I rotate the GC straight down toward my thumb so it is out of the way of the Manual/Auto trigger yet right in place to set the throttle speed when I want to.

motorcycle throttle control

 

[kpinvt]

They did not put a sticker on to indicate the speedometer had been changed. The bike was a leftover new bike and I had only ridden it home in a slightly round about path and then straight back to the shop so it had maybe 35 miles on it. My "plan" is to keep it long enough and put enough miles on it that +/- 35 miles will amount to a rounding error. Thanks for the tip on the throttle lock. Now that you mention it I can see how it could cause a problem. Any advice on what size o-ring to look for?

Here is a link to the ring on Ebay:

8M4991 Yellow Caterpillar Silicone O Rings Motorcycle Throttle Lock | eBay

I also have something similar to the Go Cruise that dduelin pointed to.

 

[walawn]

My 2015 NC700XD had the same issue with the brake wires unpluged when bought new. No issues with the DCT or display yet.

 

[sawride]

Finally got a chance to go for a ride now that it's all sorted out [insert sound of knocking on wood]. 175 trouble free miles in middle Georgia today, bring the total miles to 228. Thanks all for the responses and suggestions!

 

[DirtFlier]

[...I rotate the GC straight down toward my thumb so it is out of the way of the Manual/Auto trigger yet right in place to set the throttle speed when I want to...ddueling]

If it's truly pointed down, what does it stop on to hold the throttle open? Perhaps there is some misunderstanding on my part.