Severe Bombardier Rally Safety Issues

[Persadius]

I don't know if you can help me but I could use some direction. Back in early 2003, my wife and I bought a new Bombardier Rally. It was a great ATV for the first 2 hours of riding, then the nightmares started. We currently own a 2004 330 Outlander, Kasea Skyhawk 50, and a Bombardier DS90 2 stroke. I'll try to keep this short. So far within 300 miles of riding (speced by odometer on oOutlander) these are the problems which we have had and are still having:

1. Rear brake lost strength within first 2 hours of riding. Air filter does not stay in place. Left rear axle nuts won't stay tight (working loose and jingling out to rim)
2. Rear brake makes terrible screeching sounds after first 2 hours of riding (glazed)
3. Contacted Dealer immediatly concerning brakes. (told that is just the way they are)
4. Had 10 hour service performed
5. Within first 6 months had antifreeze leak in motor.
6. Brake problems persisted.
7. Called Bombardier to complain
8 Within first 6 months when cold out would not start (they had to tear the carburator apart and put new parts, Jet, etc.)
9 Runs better
10. Brake problems persisted, Air filter does not stay in place. Left rear axle nuts won't stay tight (working loose and jingling out to rim)
11. During ride in summer 2004, while coming down a steep hill with softball sized rocks covering the hill, my wife went to apply the rear brakes which now had failed. When trying to compensate by grabing the front brakes, the front wheels dug into the stones the rear end flew forward to a vertical position and she barely stopped from flipping forward.
12. Also during this ride, it lost 1/4 or more of its power. Sluggish
13. Took it to the dealer again. Needs new CVT Belt. Rear brake pads replaced, Rear rotor not turned. Axle nuts tightened again.
14. Called Bombardier during the visit at dealer. Told them I wanted a new rally or the 2005 model year axle disc brake installed since the rear suspension and axles have stayed the same. NO HELP WHATSOEVER. they claim that the 2005 model year brakes are an upgrade not a fix. Bull!! I've read other horror stories on the web in forums. I told them about my wifes accident and that she could have been killed, but Bombardier did not want to discuss the issue. My dealer has been trying to help me through all of this but their hands are tied they say.
15. Just the other day we got it out to run around the property with the kids atvs. My wife took it around are acre track 3 times and the rear brake cable SNAPPED!!! It was the first time we had it out since it was at the dealer on line 14. about 1 month sitting in the garage.
16. This morning I am taking it back to the dealer.

Like I said all of this within 300 miles of riding, services performed, Tires still look new. My wife rides this so it is babied (I'm not kidding, she is a novice and very cautious).

I wanted to trade it in on the new rally since it seems they "UPGRADED" all the problems, but the dealer will only give me $1500.00 for it even though it has been maintained, ridden seldom, Awesome condition by appearances. I paid $3000.00+ for this lemon. I'm absolutely sick of it. And don't get me started on the DS90, My kasea from Standard Moto, which has the same 2 stroke motor family and frame is much better an has been completely reliable since 2002 when we bought it. My kid hates the DS90 because it always has a problem. It to has been back under warranty 2 times.

I don't want this ATV anymore. Is Bombardier required to meet PA. "Lemon Law" issues? Who do I talk to, how do I help to make Bombardier responsible for their negligence? Just found out today that another customer of my dealer bought a new 2005 rally for their kids for this christmas and it went 100 feet before the crank bearin went. (it was not aligned with the oil jounal). Bombardier won't give him a new engine, so the dealer swapped the red plastic onto a green one for him and now the one he originally bought is to be fixed and put out for sale new!!!!! Bombardier won't even help their dealers. This is reliable information since the dealer is a friend of mine.

Asking for your help,
pcmicro@ptd.net

[bombdsbaja]

I had some of these dealings with Bombardier, the right front shock on my Baja came apart, the piston unscrewed from the shaft and bent 45 deg. very good thing that I was just playing around camp when it happend, had it happend while I was going threw some whoops at high speed or anything where I was needing the suspension I could have been seriously injured. I called Bombardier, and they said I was 1 month out of warrenty and they would not cover it, I got a little sh**y at this point and asked why they are selling something that has a trade name of Baja as though it were intended to race desert and be ridden aggrsivley and the parts they were putting on them would not hold up to my intermediate rider ability, they had no answer and really did not care ( this is just a phone tech or what ever they are) I then asked for there manager, and then that persons manager, and finally was leaving messages on the head nuts of the recreation departments phone letting him or her ( don't remember) know that this was a safety issue and I would be selling by Bomb and spreading the word, if no response ( ohh did I forget to mention that I also told them that if this was not resolved they would be hearing from my lawyer) I got a call back from a manager, and with the help of B&B Cycles in Victorville,CA got the shock replaced after a month and a half. Amazing how mentioning a lawyer seems to grease the wheels of advancment. well hope they don't do you wrong because it's bad words like this that really hurt a company, wether they realize it or not.

Tom

[busmechanic]

sorry to here you have had lots of problems with bomb. I have a 2003 ralley that my 15 year son rides. on ocassian I ride it for a few minutes. pulling wheelies, jumping a little. I have had zero problems with mine. it was a little hard to start one time after sitting for a couple months. but nothing to complain about. I have heard the rear brakes wear out quikly. and, you should keep a eye on them. keeping a spare set of pads might help. but mine are still fine. have you tried a little medium strength lock tight on the axle nut? that should stop it from coming loose. I dont like the filter that much myself. I was thinking of making one a little larger that would fit the hole better. it seems to stay in place for me though. maybe you could just sell it your self in cycle trader or something and upgrade. good luck

[Persadius]

No, I did not use lock tight. I shouldn't have to. The rear brakes I have kept an "EYE" on from the beginning. I SHOULD NOT have to replace the rear brakes after 2 weekends of light trail riding, that is just a rediculous notion. I don't know of one atv that chews rear brakes like this, and the ones with mechanical drums seem to last forever!!! My dealer bought one for his son, and has had almost the same frequency of brake problems as I do. I don't know if you ride it hard or not (trails/ steep inclines/ mud/ water...ETC) but this ATV fails in this department. Zipping around a field on flat trails is not the issue. There is a severe safety risk with this ATV. And cost of new pads on such a frequent basis is unacceptable. I am now on a mission........

[busmechanic]

why should not have to use lock tight. its not a locking Nut. there for, another locking type option may be required. you said your wife drives it "very cautious". trails,steep inclines, mud and water is not "very cautiuos". sounds like its been ridin harder than first indicated.

[OregonDunePatrol]

Dealers suck - well, for the most part. It would seem that even the really good ones are sometimes restricted by Bombardier; what they will, or won't do.

It took a few years to get the kinks out of the DS650 - A lot of aftermarket folks saw the kinks from day one, and started developing products to fix them. Two years later, Bombardier finally took heed and developed thier own items. My advice to you is try and find a fix before your dealer does.

I hope you can get your stuff taken care of. Please list your dealer name, city and state. Sometimes you'd be amazed who reads these threads. [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif[/img]

[Persadius]

The left rear axle of the rally has 2 mind you 2 nuts. 1 for tension, 1 to bind. The outermost binding nut should lock the inner tension nut in to place. If the threads of the axle are machined properly or the thread was machined to a smaller design, the binding nut would not back off. However, Bombardier machined this to a coarse thread when in fact it should have been "machine thread" by measurement.

"you said your wife drives it "very cautious". trails,steep inclines, mud and water is not "very cautiuos". sounds like its been ridin harder than first indicated"

Just because I choose to take my wife to some medium level trails does not mean that it has been abused. You are wrong in your assumption. We have progressed over the last year and Bombardier made no mention that this ATV was only rated for infantile trails. This ATV was designed for "EASE OF USE / OPERATOR SKILL LEVEL". Not to be limited to running around the family farm. You can do these things cautiously and preserve the ATV's operation and terrain manipulation abilities, or you can blast down a trail, up a hill, or over a jump and beat the living crap out of it. Slow cautious movement is not over extending the Bombardier Rally's intended use. If you can prove otherwise, Please do. (Since they can't)

[busmechanic]

I did not assume anything. I read what you wrote. and, I never said you abused it. I said you rode harder than you first indicated.

its out of warranty. right? so, why not try some fix's of your own? that is if you are going to keep it.

[scorpion]

Same brake problem here... I've been thinking about getting some Galfer brakes, I guess they're supposed to work way much better than stock

[Persadius]

I heard about the aftermarket rear brake pad sets, but so far haven't heard anything promising about their life span. A Longer lasting pad would be a harder composite therefore glazing the rotor even more quickly. I imagine that the screching noise from the rear brake would be worse if not change to a grinding noise. The real problem is that the dimensions of the rotor are too small. If a larger rotor was squeezed in there it would leave oppurtunity to install a much larger brake caliper as well as brake pads with a much larger surface area.

The inboard braking is good in theory but only if you use a rotor or drum big enough with a large surface area of braking friction. Also, the larger the rotor the longer the rotor's braking surface takes to cycle through the caliper allowing the rotor to cool a bit before rotating through the brake pads.

Ask yourself these 3 questions:

1. Why, if there was nothing wrong with the brakes, did Bombardier change such a good mechanical caliper, inboard, rock proof, design to the 2005 model year which has a 3 times larger rotor on the rear axle, hydraulic caliper, hanging in the middle of axle land for every rock to ding, smash, or destroy, lowering the overall ground clearance of the ATV. Why?

2. Why did they completely revamp the air filter housing if there was nothing wrong with the first. Body design doesnt matter here, I've seen the new ones.

3. Why did they change the carburetor and choke design if there was nothing wrong with it. Honda, Kawasaki, Suzuki, All of them have been using the same motors for decades with a minor change here or there but well designed motor did not need a carb change in 2 years of production.

My Outlander is awesome.....No problems, and I wouldn't trade it for the world, But seeing as I spent alot of money with them buying 3 ATV's and a trailer, I think I have the right to criticize Bombardier for lack of doing their homework and putting OUR safety first before profit. It is a cool little ATV lots of good ideas and hi technology built into a lower end machine, but it was never refined enough.