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Nukles
22nd January 2003, 12:42
Before I say anything, could some of you post your opinion on them if you have one. This is very important.

Thank you.

Coldkiwi
22nd January 2003, 12:49
Gidday knuckles...

as I think I mentioned the other day, they seem strangely indifferent to people wanting to spend up large and not really inclined to help.

I presume you're still waiting for the duke huh?

:angry:

Nukles
22nd January 2003, 13:35
i was still waiting for it but now it is being fixed by the friendly folks at AMPS.

imagine i rather pay AMPS for something that i'm supposed to get for free (warranty) from them.

anyway i want some feedback from more of you. please indulge me.

SpankMe
22nd January 2003, 14:10
Havn't delt with Haldane's, but the guy who runs the place used to run a Honda shop in Barrys Point Rd years ago. Brought my first two bikes from him. A CBX250rs and a CBR600FH. The place went under after he brought in a lot of Jap imports (Second hand bikes made for the Jap market). They were all shite and didn't sell or needed constant fixing.

What?
7th February 2003, 08:16
they seem strangely indifferent to people wanting to spend up large

Indifferent is the word, Coldkiwi. And here were we believing that times are tough in the motorcycle industry... Obviously not, if Haldanes attitude is any sort of guide!

Actually, I have noticed a trend in many Auckland shops to treat you like a leper if you are not riding the latest model from their franchise range.:argh:

Nukles
8th February 2003, 16:38
yep some AKL shops are certainly like that.

which is why i praise AMPS so much. i'm down do my second bike that i have not bought there (a Honda when they didn't sell them and now my Ducati) and they ALWAYS treated my the best way possible. these guys are champs.

needless to say that i will buy next bike from them when the day comes.

wkid_one
8th February 2003, 18:13
I've dealt quite a bit with Haldanes - mainly with Chris. I have had my VTR serviced through them the last 2 times and they have done an excellent and reasonably priced job.....

Chris is good as he is still racing and knows his shit - he is also pretty good with a sharp pencil.

I would recommend them, especially if you have a twin, as they are one of the only shops in Auckland regularly servicing them, and Ramone the mech - is a top mechanic......

I haven't had much to do with AMPS so can't compare too much with them.....

Nukles
9th February 2003, 16:43
aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahahahahaha

that's the first time i ever hear someone supporting the work Ramon. this guy barely knows not to put his underwear on his head in the morning.

i guess there is one person that this guy can please and that is you.

wkid_one
9th February 2003, 17:49
Exactly as you said. Everyone has war stories about every mechanic and shop as someone always knows someone that got hard done by/stiffed/shafted/ripped off etc etc.

However, I tend to believe my own experience rather than idle gossip and rumours about people as I prefer to work off reality rather than miss out on a good shop or mechanic just because someone didn't get exactly what they were after and tells every one they know about it.

My experience is it is sometimes the fault of the person not the shop or mechanic, however these people have too small a penis to admit THEY fucked up so they blame it on the shop or mechanic - hence the rumours.

If I listened to everyone and their 'war stories' I would never-

- buy off the internet
- ride a motorbike
- drive without a seatbeat on
- ride a motorbike
- own a dog
- ride a motorbike.

You seem to be forgetting the hundreds of people who tell us not to ride bikes as they all know people who have killed/maimed themselves - yet we still do it???? Why do we choose to ignore some rumours/gossip/war stories and not others?

Give people a fair chance - unless you have experienced a cock up first hand - there is no reason to think it will happen - unless you beleive your mate's father's uncle's brothers cousin who got the wrong colour anodised bolts from a particular shop?

You are entitled to your opinion - don't patronise me for having a different one.......

Anywho - my whinge over - in the future if you don't have anything constructive to say - keep it to yourself

bluninja
9th February 2003, 20:10
Hmmmm..... since Knuckles pre-framed his post with
Before I say anything, could some of you post your opinion it was a fair bet he was not going to say anything nice.

It seems a shame that Knuckles is attacking people who dissent from his view. From the posts it seems that a few people don't like Haldane's attitude to customers, and Knuckles is paying AMPS for things that he should have got free from Haldanes under warranty. No specific objective evidence on the aptitude or ineptitude of Haldane's mechanics.....someones skills in dressing don't directly correspond to their skills as a mechanic :D

For the record I've never been to Haldanes; I would rate the personal service I've received from AMPS (though my bike wasn't bought from them), the guys in Red Baron were smashing, and Coleman's actually sold me my second bike.

TTFN

Nukles
9th February 2003, 20:44
at first i really was not going to talk about my personal experience with them even though Simon is right, my initial post did suggest that i was going to do so.

i have personally more nightmare encounters with Haldane than i can count on my 10 fingers but the last one was the cherry on top.

without going into details they basically managed to take my one-year-old bike in 99.99% perfect condition and took it appart to take the frame frame and motor to get painted and it had at least 5 things not working after they put it back together and so the day i took it back from them to get it warranted (cuz they don't offer this service) it failed on five counts. all of which were perfectly fine before they put their greasy paws on it.

and to add insult to injury they give me the bike back C_O_V_E_R_E_D in grease monkey paws. my bike was barely dusty when i took it to them NOT SLIMY. we're taliking about a 25K bike that is barely a year old taken to THE dealership of the city for a warranty job. what a fucking nightmare.

after all that they told me to F-U-C-K O-F-F and take my bike away that they were not going to fix their screw-ups under warranty because, and i quote Tim: "these will not be coverd under warranty by Ducati because to them the job is done and we won't get paid for it, WE DON'T WORK FOR FREE"... that's no my fuckin' problem. :argh:

man i feel the friggin' steam comin'up my collar, i have to stop. sorry if this upsets anyone but nobody should be treated that way weather you pay 3K or 30K for your bike. NOBODY!

i once had to have my instruments replaced under warranty on the same bike and was told that it had been taken care of with the importer and should be resolved soon so i went back two weeks later just asking kindly if they had received them. and Chris Haldane's clever answer was: "we have not really resolved that yet because you see we have to get the parts in our order and pay for them until Ducati pays us back a month later and so we can't get them in right away..." bla bla bla. that's not MY fuckin' problem !

then during the 2 months+ that they had my bike for the paint job i asked if i could borrow a SMALL bike or a SCOOTER (i would have preferred a scooter) only for TWO DAYS, i said ONLY TWO DAYS. Mr Haldane's clver answer: "well you see i'm not Ray Pratt or Ian {whatever his name is from Northern Imports}, i can't lend bikes to just everybody..." very nice, especially when i'm the market for a 749S that i plan to buy without trading in my MS4. guess where i'm going to buy it now ?????

Maybe from Heath in Hamilton who has treated me as an equal ever since i met him and still does. or maybe from Motomart, where the service SO DAMN GOOD that i would not mind paying a plane ticket to go get the bike and not even ask for a discount off the retail price just because the customer service is so good it's out of this world. (Andrew if you read this, you're the best, man). i almost even bought a bike by email from Motomart last two weeks ago but it ended up not being exactly what i was looking for, but i would have it it were.

anyway, like i said at first, i was not going to splash all this out i just wanted a general opinion but someone asked for it ;) dealers have to realise that they cannot treat people like shite anymore and get away with it. i don't want people being put-off by dealers because i want to see more bikers on the road and more happy bikers as well.

bluninja
9th February 2003, 21:21
Knuckles, from what you've typed, I can see how incandescant with rage you would be. But laying the facts out, is a lot clearer than just appearing to have a go. So far I've not had the misfortune of bad things happening in NZ, but in the UK I've had a fair number (bike and car); so much so that I used to get the workshop manager to inspect my vehicle with me before it went in...and when it was returned. Though some things are hard to spot....such as cracking an alloy sump casing at the plug by over torquing.....plug came out at over 80 mph and as I slowed all the oil spewed down onto my back tyre....first ride after picking it up from the workshop. Mentioning this to my mates, I then got all their horror stories about Del the mechanic.

TTFN

Nukles
9th February 2003, 21:30
yep, i too have a faire amount of these stories. both cars and bikes as well (more about cars though) :eek:

anyway, i know that the best i can do for myself is to just ignore them and get with my life. that being said, people still have right to know.

BTW, Haldane Motorcycles do not have an accredited Ducati technician, just a pair of mechanics. so that's also something i did not know becofre trusting them. now i know and i simply will deal with the qualified people.

you know what i need Simon? i need to start Judo again to go back to my life-loving self again. :D i will do that soon and the world will then be rid of my opinionated attitude. i'm already doing better now that i work in a office once again doing what i like :bigthumb:

bluninja
10th February 2003, 07:16
Judo huh ? Well why not pop along to Te Atatu Judo club on Wednesday night 8:00 to have a look....means missing the IMOC meeting I know, but sacrifices have to be made :p

BTW I was once qualified to work on Gotaverken marine diesels (760mm bore 1500mm stroke 9 cylinders) so maybe I could service your Ducati. It had a strange arrangement of cams, and pushrods from the bottom end to actuate the single exhaust valve. Parts that weren't in stock took months to arrive, or had to made specially.......sounds more and more like a Ducati :D

TTFN

Nukles
10th February 2003, 13:14
well like i told you last time we met, i am totally into joining your club. and IMOC meetings are never on my agenda, i have no aspiration to belong to that club. the Ducati Owners club of NZ, RogueRiders and AMCC is enough for me ;)

this week is out of the question though, as i'm in Brisbane for training. i'll be back next week.

bikerboy
10th February 2003, 17:52
The great thing about these sites is they are a source of information and opinions. Not everyone is going to agree but it is helpful to hear what others think about businesses or products.

It is up to each individual to weight the info, do I believe it or not. If a lot of people think something/one is bad news then I react with caution, if everyone thinks something is great, I'll check it out.

People often rubbish Ducatis as unreliable etc, but I looked into them talked to people who own them, then made my own decision. I've owned four, have never had any trouble and probably will never buy anything else.
And yes, three were bought from Haldanes, who have always treated me with courtesy, respect, fairness and honesty. At the end of the day that's all I can ask.

I know from personal experience when things go wrong all the good things fade away and the bad lingers much longer, something all businesses should remember.:done:

big_bry
10th February 2003, 20:49
Heyyy ... this is uncanny.

I train at the Bays City Judo Club... over on the shore.

Been with them for many years.

I remember as a young player coming out to some of the Te Atatu comps (many moons ago). Seem to remember a good bunch of players out there.

b.

bluninja
11th February 2003, 07:19
Wow....maybe we should create a section in the forum for bike riders that do judo :D

Probably once I get judo fit I will start visiting other clubs, cos we are limited to one session a week at Te Atatu (don't manage all of that at the mo, the kids tire me out in the first session).

TTFN

Nukles
11th February 2003, 10:34
i really can't wait to start. i'll be goin to the gym three times a week and Judo once a week but as much i want to strat right away I CAN'T

i have to let my cracked ribs heal properly first. i can't even do my pre-riding stretching it hurts too much. :brick:

gruesome
19th February 2003, 11:18
I've been going to Haldanes for close to 10 years and have always been treated with courtesy and professionalism.  The only time I have ever seen a chink has been when I've gone in with a bad attitude and I take full responsibility for that.  I sure wouldn't want to be dealing with me.  That being the case, I would suggest that if you were told to F*&^ off, perhaps it had something to do with your approach?

Your comment about taking your bike only to qualified people from now on confuses me - is a mechanic not qualified?

Shiny side up, sticky side down...

Nukles
19th February 2003, 12:37
nobody at Haldane is as qulified, or certified for that matter, than Motomart or even Hamilton MC.

i'm actually taking my MS4 to Motomart soon to have it dyno-tuned properly. like about 10 other Ducatists from Auckland i might add.

gruesome
19th February 2003, 14:00
Obviously it's your prerogative (and that of the other 10 "Ducatists") to take your bikes where you wish.  My choice is, and always will be, regardless of what I ride, Haldanes.

So far as the qualifications go, I don't know about Ramon but it's my understanding that Tim has worked on the Britten, the BSL, and an international GP team.  One thing I do know for a fact is that Tim built Chris' race bike which won 2/3 starts at Paeroa last weekend.  If he's good enough for them, he's definitely good enough for me!

 

Nukles
19th February 2003, 14:20
that kind of conversation is like someone telling another what colour he should choose his underwear or not.

i couldn't care less where you go, i just know that since they offer less than the others, my hard earned money will be happier elsewhere.

and a mechanic's ability to build a good yamaha has nothing to do with his customer relationship skills.

gruesome
19th February 2003, 15:03
You stated that no one at Haldanes is as qualified as the places where you will be going in future.  That may be so, but I pointed out that I believe there is at least one VERY qualified and experienced person working there.  My earlier post stated that, from personal experience, the customer service skills displayed by someone at Haldanes may have had something to do with your own approach. 

FYI, my underwear preference is black.  :)

SPman
19th February 2003, 18:52
I think that the attitude you take into a shop will generally be reflected by the service you receive.

I've dealt with Haldanes for 5 yrs or so and have bought one bike there. I don't always get my bikes serviced there - I find that different shops seem to suit certain bikes better when it comes to servicing (in my case, anyway), so I move around a bit. Dave Cole, (when he was at Haldanes), seemed to suit my bike best, so servicing was at Haldanes. I have had a bit of minor bother lately, but Chris has been very helpful and fair in getting it sorted out, and, when it comes to buying gear, etc, both Chris and Darryl are ever ready to bring out the sharp pencils to give you a good deal. Personally, I'm generally quite happy with the service I get and they'll cheerfully put  up with me time wasting, talking bikes ,etc, unlike a couple of other shops around town!

As always, there are 2 sides to every (horror) story. - the shop from hell, - the customer from hell! Often, it just comes down to a clash of personalities, so you move on until you find a compatible shop. I havent tried all the shops in AK but I find Haldanes and Red Baron good to deal with and Spectrum are OK. (ie. I've had no real horror stories?)

Nukles
19th February 2003, 21:16
Dave Cole is the man and that's a fact. In fact i still turn to him if need Ducati expertise locally. And about personality, i don't have any problem with any other shop in the country i don't why it would be my fault. Some people just have no respect for people who put food on their table.

Gixxer
20th February 2003, 09:54
I like the guys at red baron, they are always friendly, and the Spectrum boys rock, always get premo service from them and they do not over charge, my bike always goes there.

MikeL
20th February 2003, 10:14
Has anyone had recent experience of Mt Eden Motorcycles service? I have been taking my Honda to Red Baron but Mt Eden would be more convenient for me if they are good and don't charge too much.

SpankMe
20th February 2003, 10:51
If ya want to get into a discussion about bike shops in general, might be best to create a new thread/topic.

bikerboy
20th February 2003, 10:59
I've bought a few things from the guys at Mt eden MC and they were great, friendly helpful etc. I've know a few guys to use their mechanic's services and were very happy, no complaints that I've heard for what thats worth.

I've generally found all the shops to be very good. Only the people at Coleman's Suzuki seemed uninterested when I was looking at the MV Augusta and the Cagiva Raptor1000. Went in there four different times and waited up to forty-five minutes before leaving. No one ever asked if I needed any help, etc. No one seemed to be doing anything paticular and there weren't any other customers in there but they just ignored me, so I left. Probably will never go back.:argh:

gruesome
20th February 2003, 13:07
Funny, so far as I know, Dave Cole is currently concentrating on building his house and not having a lot to do with bikes at all.  He's never been an easy person to get hold of so I assume your last contact with him was a while ago...

Nukles
20th February 2003, 14:20
as you say, Dave prefers to be a master of his free time. so i have to plead the fifth on this one.