Dave Zien, a former state lawmaker from Chippewa Falls, says Harley-Davidson cited his flags in deciding not to approve a warranty claim after the bike’s clutch failed. He is shown on a different motorcycle. Credit: Bill Schulz

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A former state lawmaker from Chippewa Falls who has logged more miles on a Harley-Davidson than probably anyone on the planet says Harley has denied a warranty claim on his new bike because there are too many big flags flown on it, including a 3-foot-by-5-foot American flag.

Dave Zien, who rode more than a million miles on his 1991 Harley that's now parked in the Sturgis Motorcycle Museum and Hall of Fame in South Dakota, says Harley-Davidson refused to honor the warranty on his 2014 motorcycle after the clutch failed on a recent trip to Dallas.

"All they said was, because I fly flags on the bike, there's no warranty on the powertrain," Zien said Thursday.

Since the 1970s, Zien has flown multiple flags on the motorcycles he's owned. He has seven flags on his 2014 Harley, including a National Rifle Association banner that says "Stand and Fight."

"Ain't nobody gonna stop our flags, not even Harley-Davidson corporate," Zien said.

"It's just my way of serving the Lord with prayer, flags and Harleys," he added.

Harley-Davidson says the warranty on Zien's motorcycle, a trike that has about 15,000 miles on it, is still in effect. But the company says his warranty claim was denied because the motorcycle was not designed to handle the added wind resistance at high speeds.

"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 spokeswoman Maripat Blankenheim.

Riding at parade speeds would not likely have the same effect on the engine and transmission, according to Blankenheim.

Also, the flag mounts on Zien's bike are not Harley-Davidson products, according to the company.

"When you alter a motorcycle with noncompliant products, that does impact your ability to make a warranty claim," Blankenheim said. "We have a right to protect our product. And (Zien) isn't using our product for the purpose for which it was designed."

Blankenheim said she doesn't want to spoil the plans that Harley riders have for using their bikes in parades.

"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. We also understand, especially with Memorial Day coming, there are lots of riders who want to show not only their pride in America but other things as well. We have products designed specifically for that, and they won't negatively impact the motorcycle. But because of what's been done to (this) motorcycle, and how it impacts the motorcycle's performance, we just didn't cover the warranty claim," she added.

Zien's complaint quickly caught the attention of other motorcyclists Thursday.

"I think every Harley Owners Group road captain, every Patriot Guard Rider, every American Legion rider and any patriotic American Harley-Davidson rider should be enraged at such a suggestion that flying a flag would void a warranty," said Tony Sanfelipo, cofounder of the motorcycle organization ABATE of Wisconsin.

With his "million mile Harley" and other accomplishments, Zien has become a celebrity at Harley rallies and parades. He's logged more than 2.5 million documented miles on motorcycles and, despite losing part of his leg in a near-fatal crash in Florida in 2011, he continues to ride tens of thousands of miles a year.

"I am all Harley-Davidson, heart and soul. But they ain't going to take away my flags," Zien said.

Retired now, the former state senator and Marine Corps veteran travels across the country on his bike, advocating for veterans.

Zien says he's flown multiple large flags on his bikes for decades, without a powertrain failure from it. He also believes that flags make a motorcyclist more visible in traffic, reducing the risk of getting hit by another motorist.

"More people should be flying flags. I believe a tattered flag is a beautiful thing," Zien said.

Still, some motorcyclists aren't convinced it's a good idea to have that much cloth blowing in the wind off the back of a bike at highway speeds because it changes the way the machine handles.

"I can understand doing things like that in a parade, because you're at a slow speed and you don't have to worry about aerodynamics. But once you reach a point where the wind has an effect, even if you're not (damaging) the motorcycle, you're taking quite a chance," said Tom Stresing, a motorcycle safety instructor at Milwaukee Area Technical College.

"It's like putting a big fricking sail on the back of your bike," Stresing said.

Jeff Haig, executive director of the Kettle Moraine Harley Owners Group chapter, said both Zien and Harley make valid points.

"I can only hope that Harley has considered very carefully who (Dave Zien) is and the ill will that this one warranty claim denial could generate among the Harley faithful. At the same time, I can empathize with the Catch-22 Harley may feel it's in because if the company extends a courtesy to Dave because of who he is, and what he's accomplished, it would make it hard to deny the next warranty claim that comes along," Haig said.