'97 Vulcan 1500 A11 - 2nd Problem: POG & the Kawi Dealer

[hokiepolk]

Okay, here's the real problem with my bike. On way back from Tennessee to Florida last weekend, was riding along happily on I-95 after several hundred miles until I reached about 30 miles south of Savannah Georgia and then had what I believe to be the "infamous" POG (plastic oil gear) failure. Heard a difference in my engine sound, cupped my hand over the instrument panel and noted that the oil light was lit (bright light outside made it difficult to discern it was "ON"). Immediately pulled over and cut off engine with kill switch. Checked oil level and found that it was fine. That's what jogged my memory about the POG and I quickly surmised that this gear failure was the likely problem.

Had the bike towed to local Kawi dealer. Immediately got some neg vibes as they were already trying to sell me a new bike and stating they really don't work on bikes older than 2000, but took it in anyway to check out for me. Just got their first response was that "they don't think" my bike year had the POG that is under recall. I responded that I am pretty sure it was/is and confirmed via the kawasaki parts diagram for my bike. I may be screwed though because I simultaneously have a starter switch problem (see other post today) that makes it difficult to start my bike. Dealer said they were able to turn the starter over, but that it would not start and are wanting to completely rewire bike and replace/rebuild the carbs ($2300...before they even look at the POG). I told them bike was starting and running fine, ran strong all through the smokey mountains and for several hundred miles back from TN to GA before getting the oil light and being shut off. My guess is that they were trying to start bike directly on the solenoid (jumping leads of starter), but I mentioned to them that the Kawi dealer in NC tried that too until they realized that there's a safety circuit that prevents you from doing just that. My dilemma here obviously was that the repair requires that you don't restart the bike, but I also have a starter issue that doesn't let me restart the bike.

Asked them to please first check again and determine that my bike is in fact covered by the service bulletin for the POG failure. Original request was for them to repair/replace the starter switch so bike could be started and then fix the POG issue. It's clear to me that they simply don't want the headache and want instead to sell me a new bike (not gonna happen) by scaring me off with high dollar repair bills for rewiring entire bike and replacing the carbs.

Any suggestions from any of you that wrench on these beasts often? Most everyone I've asked has stated that Kawi is still honoring fixing any POG failures in the U.S. Really REALLY don't want to retire my bike and part it out.

Hope some of you can at least give me some encouragement on how to deal with Kawi dealer. Thanks.

- Hokiepolk
Jacksonville, FL
'97 Vulcan 1500 A11
'97 Yamaha Virago 1100