Kerry and Motohaus, a very bad situation made good.

[zeocen]

I was debating whether to put this up on KB, as majority tends to focus on the negative, even when there is a positive. Please focus on the positives in this post!

Well after the crusade to get my much beloved Avon Storm STs, Kerry came to the party on Friday morning so I scooted over to have them put on. As always was a very friendly atmosphere in the shop, asked if I wanted a coffee and a seat etc (even gave me a free Continental tyre hat!), I even got talking to a man who recently gave up his Hayabusa for a Buell !!

All sorted, rode home happily enough in slow typical motorway riding (new tyres + big fatty bike = zeo too scared to lane split!). The weekend was used as 'quality time' with the girlfriend so I didn't get back out riding until Sunday arvo.

So I was riding out on Sunday arvo, the usual route for breaking in some tyres around here.. Alfriston -> Clevedon -> Maraetai -> Whitford loop, enough to finish off the 100 - 120km scrubbage.
As I got to Maraetai I actually saw my old man out riding, so I waved him down as we past and I u-turned to meet him and decided to go back the way I came (sweepers rather than twisties). After a while my front wheel felt really strange, I thought maybe I just wasn't used to the new tyres, then as I came up to a bend (_WELL_ under the speed limit) I put on the front brakes and it almost threw me off! It braked, then went free, then braked again.. so I resorted to the rear brake before I turned in and some how managed to not plow straight into the bank!

After that there was a loud knocking on my front wheel, I found the first safe place to pull over and had a look at my front wheel.

My right hand brake caliper had lost it's bolts!!! I was gob smacked, the thing was dangling around the disc freely. The bloody mechanic at Motohaus hadn't tighten the screws properly. I firmly believe that had it not been for the bird's LBS putting on some of the rear brake as well as the front, I may have been toast!

My dad came back and immediately came to the same conclusion. I have a perfect bike, I get tyres change, I ride for 80kms or so, bolts fall out.

We weren't far from home, just around cleveland area so my Dad offered to hop on and take it cautiously home, so I hopped on his ZZR 1200 (I even got to use the hazard lights, for realsies!) and rode behind him. Had I kept going on through the skinny little maraetai twisties and the brakes did what they did on the sweeper... well.... ;/

The next morning we rang Kerry from Motohaus and told him the situation, as anyone would, he defended his mechanic but at the same time offered to come out after work and take it in tomorrow morning. Well he did come over, baring gifts in the form of fresh caliper bolts from the local Honda store. Now, as far as he was aware, according to the mechanic and the tick sheet, the bolts were tightened, but at the same time, he gave other reasons for why they could have come loose. (That was the general concensus, a few KB guys came over and agreed that there was no doubt that they came loose due to human error, it actually worried me on how worried THEY were, I knew it was kind of serious.. having no brakes and all that.. but....).

Kerry got straight to work, it was about 7pm now, we had a good yarn, he said he had a good talk with his mechanic, in 13 years nothing like this has ever happened. He was as baffled as us, but he was 100% straight up, he said at the end of the day he wasn't there at the time, the tick sheet shows everything fine but clearly it wasn't, his words were "I honestly haven't got a fucking clue" in straight up Kerry fashion.

The bike was fixed in minutes, I had my beautiful blue cardinal back! He then asked if I was due for a service, I said "probably", he said head on over on Wednesday and he'll give my bike a full service on the house, emphasis on "HE". He was straight up, apologetic and at the end of the day, there was no harm, no foul.

Basically, in a nut shell, Kerry stepped up to the plate. He was big enough to admit fault on his part as much as he could and offered service on behalf as an apology. He even stayed around for a few afterwards while we chatted about the state of euro bikes, I left very satisfied and my business will stay with him.

Not many professional shop owners would step up to the plate with the swiftness and straight up attitude he did. I am very impressed, and very happy!

/pointless happy thread over

:done:

(Jesus why do I always type so much when I start threads)

[gijoe1313]

.......... I knew late braking was a style used by bikers, but thats taking the biscuit! Glad to hear that all is well in the house of zeo, you only just got back into biking from your last crash/bin/off/accident :sweatdrop

Asphalt and Pillion Angel working overtime to make sure your Dad was there ... glad to hear you kept it rubber side up and that you got 100% Satisfaction.

[jrandom]

Yes, it's well known that Kerry is a Good Cunt (tm).

Never hurts to reiterate it for the folk who don't know it yet, though!

[sprag]

Man I am glad you did not take up the invite to come for the ride on saturday to meet justin for lunch in taupo then :P

It would have been a very long walk back for you :)

[Firefight]

not suprising,

he's one of the good cunts !


well done again Kerry,

good on you Matt for sharing.:clap:


F/F

[Usarka]

Yeah my bike had an unusual "incident" in his shop, rather than point fingers or sidestep he sorted it out professionally and quickly. i never posted about it at the time because it might have looked bad for him, but the way he handled it means i'm now a regular customer and i have nothing but postive things to say.:yes:

sometimes shit does happen (often imho), and it's how these guys respond which can be what differentiates them.

[R6_kid]

only heard good things about the guy!

[Gubb]

So whereabouts is Motorhaus? Need a service and some go-faster bits soon.

[zeocen]

sometimes shit does happen (often imho), and it's how these guys respond which can be what differentiates them.

Exactly, shit happens, people can't be perfect 100%.. how Kerry stepped up to the plate and handled it is what impressed me and will definitely keep my business with him (as well as my old man's).


So whereabouts is Motorhaus? Need a service and some go-faster bits soon.

It's in Western Springs right next to the Motomail Outlet store. If you're going west bound on the N/W motorway you hop off at the Zoo off ramp, turn left and the first left is the road. Just keep going down that road and you'll eventually see a platter of exotic bikes on display outside.

[Gubb]

It's in Western Springs right next to the Motomail Outlet store. If you're going west bound on the N/W motorway you hop off at the Zoo off ramp, turn left and the first left is the road. Just keep going down that road and you'll eventually see a platter of exotic bikes on display outside.

Ooooohhhhh. Motomail AND Motohaus. There goes next month's pay.

Cheers.

[shingo]

So whereabouts is Motorhaus? Need a service and some go-faster bits soon.

6 Western Springs road, right next door to the motomail outlet store.

[shafty]

Good post - it's the putting right that counts, bling on its way!

[discotex]

Kerry is a wicked guy. I love dealing with him as a person and there's no question he knows his shit but Motohaus may be a victim of it's success in this case.

They're so busy these days the risk of stuff slipping has increased since Kerry did all the work personally.

Quality control should stop that sort of thing happening as brakes and tyres are the difference between life and death. Personally I think a shop that specialises in tyres should do better than apologise. I'd want to know what systems they've put in place to prevent a recurrence.

[SlashWylde]

...we had a good yarn, he said he had a good talk with his mechanic, in 13 years nothing like this has ever happened.

Not true. Kerry fitted a new set of tyres put to my bike a year ago. Within a week the front axle nut had come loose and was about to fall off. Just wasn't tightened up enough. I re-torqued it and it's been fine ever since. He also fitted the rear tyre the wrong way round (for a directional type).

I tried calling him to bring it to bring it to his attention but couldn't get an answer so I sent him an email but never had a response.

Yes he is a good cunt, but he's rushed off his feet having to answer the phone all the time (or at least he was a year ago) and this leaves the door open for mistakes.

[Disco Dan]

Kerry is top bloke, have only great things to say about the guy.

Helped me out many a time, and I ride all the way from the north shore just to keep giving him my business.

[Motu]

I'll back up Kerry and his mechanic as to the bolts being tightened - but it's almost impossible to opt out when they come loose,the blame is obvious.Bolts coming loose after being tightened is a pretty common problem in most workshops....it's a puzzle,and every mechanic says ''but I did tighten them!'' So common with car wheel nuts that tyre shops are now giving a written notice to come back for a wheel retorque in a 100km.Seems to be mainly Japanese vehicles....never had things coming loose on the old British and Australian stuff.

[Manxman]

I have no idea who he is, but that Kerry bloke is a top man....he epitomises one of the main reasons that I moved here 10 years ago...an honest bloke who is prepared to take it on the chin and put things right without passing the buck.

Great to see it's still happening.

[Mikkel]

Good to hear that you're alright mate. Dangerous business loosing your front brake! :sweatdrop

And good to hear that the problem was solved and that the bikeshop was communicative. :yes:

Errare humanum est, ignosere divinum. (To err is human, to forgive is divine.)
Or "shit happens, try to move on" in more colloquial terms... and unfortunately when shit happens sometimes people get hurt or worse.

I don't know Kerry, but he sure sounds like a stand-up guy! Truth be told there are more of them around than we are led to believe by public opinion. Apparently people yell much louder when disappointed than they cheer when pleased.

[Whoosh]

it was refreshing to get straight up advice from a hard case Kiwi bloke. After being unhappy with the handling since buying the bike a month or so ago, realising the previous owner used it like an overgrown commuter & the front tyre as old & hard as a lesbian prime ministers smile, it was phone around & get a new front tyre time. Motohaus pretty cool so off I went. The Katana now handles like I remember, never tried Avons before & was cautious but when a dude sez "if you dont like it come back & throw it at me.. we'll look after you mate" you know its a good start :) Bike now transformed to something that actually feels like it wants to go around corners, Ill be back in a few weeks for a rear too

[raftn]

As many of you on here will know, especially in business, fucks up happen from time to time, i have always found that if you accept fault and make every effort to put i right the customer will come back, even if you are not convinced it was your doing. Being proactive is important in keeping customers.

[vifferman]

Aren't brake caliper bolts supposed to be loctited in? [insert spudwhat emotidweebicon here - if it was available]

[Blackbird]

The Katana now handles like I remember, never tried Avons before & was cautious but when a dude sez "if you dont like it come back & throw it at me.. we'll look after you mate" you know its a good start :) Bike now transformed to something that actually feels like it wants to go around corners, Ill be back in a few weeks for a rear too

I'm a long-term user of Avons and agree with your sentiments. As I'm now living in Coromandel with no local Avon supplier, I'll be travelling to Auckland to use Kerry when the need arises. No real excuse needed to ride down the Thames coast and then up through Clevedon:rockon:

[Big Dave]

I'll be travelling to Auckland to use Kerry when the need arises.

You know he's a bloke, hey?

[vifferman]

And he's married. :confused:

I thought Blackbird was married too...

[Blackbird]

You know he's a bloke, hey?

Awwwwww.......really???? In that case, I'll go to Thames for no-stick Dunplops:angry2:

[McDuck]

If I was Kerry, I'd kick your arse for starting this thread.

Good thing your not kerry.

[CookMySock]

it's almost impossible to opt out when they come looseYup. I sit here and listen to the excuses.. post after post after post of why everything is cool. Everything is not cool. It's time for him to take a serious lesson from this. Overloaded? Depressed? Financially pressured? Distracted? Sort it out!

Think for a second how easy it was for someone to die today ?

Sorry, I don't think a mistake like this is "just a mistake". Fitting a tyre backwards is a "mistake". Would it still be a "mistake" if it was your 15 y/o son in intensive care ? This mistake is well into the "severe error that will take your life" category.

"Dwell on the positives" ? I not think so, people. :blink:

Consider also, while you are Pilot-in-command you might check your own bike after such an operation. You are the master of your own destiny - trust no person. It's no slight on workmanship - its just procedure.


DB

[dwnundabkr]

all the years that i have been dealing with Kerry i also found him to be a good bastard and i tell him regularly that he is a bastard but this is serious and knowing Kerry and his mechanic I am very confident this is a one off (if human error) if this a bolt coming loose error then it would not matter if you did it or I did it it happens
in this case the out come was frightening but no harm was done i have had 4 bikes with all my tires and bits from Kerry and no incident i even had my bike there for a good part of a year in bits while rebuilding it with no incidents
I will and will continue to send other Bikers there as Kerry will and continue to look after any one who shops with him
my 2 cents worth

[DEATH_INC.]

Yup. I sit here and listen to the excuses.. post after post after post of why everything is cool. Everything is not cool. It's time for him to take a serious lesson from this. Overloaded? Depressed? Financially pressured? Distracted? Sort it out!

Think for a second how easy it was for someone to die today ?

Sorry, I don't think a mistake like this is "just a mistake". Fitting a tyre backwards is a "mistake". Would it still be a "mistake" if it was your 15 y/o son in intensive care ? This mistake is well into the "severe error that will take your life" category.

"Dwell on the positives" ? I not think so, people. :blink:



DB

I'll back up Kerry and his mechanic as to the bolts being tightened - but it's almost impossible to opt out when they come loose,the blame is obvious.Bolts coming loose after being tightened is a pretty common problem in most workshops....it's a puzzle,and every mechanic says ''but I did tighten them!'' So common with car wheel nuts that tyre shops are now giving a written notice to come back for a wheel retorque in a 100km.Seems to be mainly Japanese vehicles....never had things coming loose on the old British and Australian stuff.
DB, like Motu sez, shit DOES happen. We had an example of it over christmas in our business, and we really can't do anything extra to avoid it happening.
Again, I know Kerry, and he is a genuine guy, if his mechanic marked it off, what more do you think he can do? You can't straight out accuse the mechanic (it may not have been his fault) as you'll get in the shite nowadays, and what would that accomplish anyway? The mech obviously thinks he DID tighten them. And you can bet they had a real good talk about it!
We just gotta accept that this sorta stuff DOES happen once in a while (and anyone who says it doesn't happen to THEM is a fucken liar, and I'll happily say that to their face) and just be thankful that no-one got hurt.
Onya Kerry for sorting him out :niceone:

[Maki]

Good thing you are ok. I understand human error can happen, but this does raise some questions.

What happens if you take your bike in for some work, it is not done properly, for whatever reason. You have an accident, your bike is destroyed and you are permanently injured. If that happens, who is going to make it better? Is the repairer insured against this kind of thing?

Let's say you went off a cliff because of brake failure. Would Motohause and their insurance (if they have it) have replaced your bike? What if you died? Would Kerry and Motohause provide for your family?

I don't think Kerry and Moto did badly in this case. I just wonder what happens if the shit really hits the fan. Who is going to pick up the pieces?

[CookMySock]

DB, like Motu sez, shit DOES happen [...] we really can't do anything extra to avoid it happening.Theres your error. Do you see it ? It's about what you believe.


if his mechanic marked it off, what more do you think he can do?uh, he could CHECK IT FIRST and THEN MARK IT OFF.. or am I missing something here ?



You can't straight out accuse the mechanic (it may not have been his fault) as you'll get in the shite nowadays, and what would that accomplish anyway? The mech obviously thinks he DID tighten them.Who gives a fuck what anyone THINKS. Tell the staff to check their shit properly or get a nasty written warning. Your business doesn't need mistakes of this magnitude - especially if it gets in some forum on the internet. Do you want to stay in business or not ? Are you really at the mercy of your staff ? Can you not reprimand them in writing ?

Sorry those are tough words, but this is a tough industry, and being mr nice guy doesnt cut it. Get it right! Put extra staff on if necessary - put your price up if you have to.


We just gotta accept that this sorta stuff DOES happen once in a while (and anyone who says it doesn't happen to THEM is a fucken liar, and I'll happily say that to their face) and just be thankful that no-one got hurt.WRONG. What we gotta accept is people who make fuckups of this magnitude get out of the industry. Only then will the responsibility lie where it should.

Change your procedures.

Retrain your staff.

ONE written warning only then the sack. Sharpen up or get out.

HAVING SAID ALL THAT, I have taken this onboard, and will be checking MY bike personally after maintenance. If I have to open his toolbox and use his tools then so be it.

DB

[Big Dave]

If I have to open his toolbox and use his tools then so be it.
DB

I'd pay to see that - someone get bolshey with Kerry - those spanner swingin', tyre chucking forearms - and how many years in the SAS?

And you couldn't strangle him - c***s got no neck.

[xgnr]

Quality control should stop that sort of thing happening as brakes and tyres are the difference between life and death. Personally I think a shop that specialises in tyres should do better than apologise. I'd want to know what systems they've put in place to prevent a recurrence.

Holy shit... glad they don't fix aircraft.

Kerry may be a good guy but that ain't gonna help when one of his staff has screwed up and someone loses their life.

BTW I always watch the mechanic change my tyres.

(they couldnt/wouldn't sell me a Pirelli as "there is not enough in it for them to bother" hmmmm...)

[Forest]

Good thing you are ok. I understand human error can happen, but this does raise some questions.

What happens if you take your bike in for some work, it is not done properly, for whatever reason. You have an accident, your bike is destroyed and you are permanently injured. If that happens, who is going to make it better? Is the repairer insured against this kind of thing?

Let's say you went off a cliff because of brake failure. Would Motohause and their insurance (if they have it) have replaced your bike? What if you died? Would Kerry and Motohause provide for your family?

I don't think Kerry and Moto did badly in this case. I just wonder what happens if the shit really hits the fan. Who is going to pick up the pieces?

A properly run business will have professional liability insurance to cover situations like this.

Though strictly speaking, the liability of a limited liability company would be limited to the company's assets (unless the company's directors have behaved in a criminal manner). In other words, if a company is found to be liable then it will just be wound up.

[CookMySock]

I'd pay to see that - someone get bolshey with KerryI don't get bolshey with anyone. But if he or any mechanic is going to get all insulted while I check his work, while at the same time insisting that he is trustworthy coz he is a "really nice guy" and then make major fuckups like this, then there is a really serious problem to be overcome. Damn I'm glad its not MY problem - I have enough of those already.

WTF? what workshop is going to pissed that I check their fucking work ? Get real. They should be IMPRESSED not pissed off.

If its my arse in the sling, I'M GOING TO CHECK HIS WORK. He can GET OVER IT. Sportbike, paraglider, cessna - its all the same - the buck stops with the rider.


DB

[McDuck]

Shit dose happen. Hell it happens every day, a fair bit of it by me. The fact is they had been ticked off as tightened. That is not a 'shit happens' that is a 'negligence happens'

[CookMySock]

A properly run business will have professional liability insurance to cover situations like this. [...] In other words, if a company is found to be liable then it will just be wound up.Which means what for someones dead teenage son ? It means precisely jack diddly squat - thats what it means. Buy him a new caliper maybe ? I can tell you EXACTLY what he will do with that caliper if you hand it to him. He will jam it ungreased up yer fucken ass, thats what.


If you own your own business, then to criticize someone elses business I will assume you are telling me you've never had a fuckup? YOU ARE A FUCKEN LIAR! Or a hypocrite, or whatever you wanna call it.
Stop yelling names at people. It makes you look small.

There is a difference between fuckups, and fuckups that will take peoples' lives. Everyone makes mistakes, but some mistakes cannot be undone easily, and these mistakes must not happen.


I've been in the automotive industry for over 15 years [...] And I've seen bolts come loose that I know were tightened....re-read what you have typed here. Things that we "know" refer to what we "believe", not what is "truth". Use a checklist or other procedural method to convert "what I believe" into "what is actually true".

It would be nice to wander around associating truth with "what I believe" but sadly that is just a fantasy for me, you, or anyone, and is not an appropriate workshop method either.

Check it! Clear everything like this in a methodical, procedural fashion. Use a checklist. Do it or go out of business.

Take 5 minutes to do it. Charge the customer for this time.

DB

[DEATH_INC.]

Check it! Clear everything like this in a methodical, procedural fashion. Use a checklist. Do it or go out of business.
[/U]
Take 5 minutes to do it. Charge the customer for this time.

DB
Look, I've had shit come loose that I have personally done, and I can say I know 100% that it was tight when it left. Shit I've had shit come loose on my stuff too, who hasn't? Bolts bind, they also sometimes don't seat properly, there's a number of things that can go wrong.
I'm not saying that the mech didn't leave them loose either, it happens too. All I'm saying is that no-one here can state categorically that he did, because you weren't there and don't know the full facts.
I get sick of fools shooting down others when they too make mistakes. No-one is perfect.

[sidecar bob]

I don't get bolshey with anyone. But if he or any mechanic is going to get all insulted while I check his work, while at the same time insisting that he is trustworthy coz he is a "really nice guy" and then make major fuckups like this, then there is a really serious problem to be overcome. Damn I'm glad its not MY problem - I have enough of those already.

WTF? what workshop is going to pissed that I check their fucking work ? Get real. They should be IMPRESSED not pissed off.

If its my arse in the sling, I'M GOING TO CHECK HIS WORK. He can GET OVER IT. Sportbike, paraglider, cessna - its all the same - the buck stops with the rider.


DB

What planet mate?
Ive owned & run a busy specialist repair shop for about 15 years, & if you checked my work in front of me, id politely ask you to piss of & find a repairer that you trust, Impressed? Na, Id just think you were a tosser, But that may just be me tho.
Hey, if you can do it better yourself, then why bother a bike shop with it in the first place anyway.

[Max Headroom]

Who gives a fuck what anyone THINKS. Tell the staff to check their shit properly or get a nasty written warning. Your business doesn't need mistakes of this magnitude - especially if it gets in some forum on the internet. Do you want to stay in business or not ? Are you really at the mercy of your staff ? Can you not reprimand them in writing ?

Sorry those are tough words, but this is a tough industry, and being mr nice guy doesnt cut it. Get it right! Put extra staff on if necessary - put your price up if you have to.

WRONG. What we gotta accept is people who make fuckups of this magnitude get out of the industry. Only then will the responsibility lie where it should.

Change your procedures.

Retrain your staff.

ONE written warning only then the sack. Sharpen up or get out.

HAVING SAID ALL THAT, I have taken this onboard, and will be checking MY bike personally after maintenance. If I have to open his toolbox and use his tools then so be it.

DB


I understand the sentiments made here, and appreciate the consequences of calipers falling off etc. with potential loss of life. The same thing happened to my brother several years ago with a reputable tyre specialist based on Auckland's North Shore - caliper bolts coming loose.

The comments made here though suggest possible solutions and strategies which sound reasonable considering the potential for injury or worse. However they ignore the commercial realities of most small businesses in NZ. If anyone thinks guys like Kerry are making a fortune, think again.

I have an automotive trade background, and have swung spanners for a crust. I currently run a small business in a different field. I also happen to know Kerry personally and have dealt with him for many years. No matter who you are, or how good you may be at working on bikes/cars/anything mechanical, one day you're going to make a mistake. On that day, all you can do is pray it's a minor one, and that no harm is done.

Aviation maintenance practice used to require three signatures on every job. Even then, mistakes occasionally slipped through......

Find the perfect mechanic by all means, but when you do you'll find you can't afford him.

[CookMySock]

I get sick of fools shooting down others when they too make mistakes. No-one is perfect.haha, any further logic is wasted here. I wish I knew where you worked - It's critical that you never put a spanner on my gear.


I've owned & run a busy specialist repair shop for about 15 years, & if you checked my work in front of me, id politely ask you to piss of & find a repairer that you trust, Impressed? Na, Id just think you were a tosser, But that may just be me tho.Yeah its you mate. If it was your ass in the sling, and death on your doorstep - would YOU check it ? You would, wouldn't you.. Get insulted if you like, but its my arse in the sling, and my life on the line, and I AM GOING TO CHECK IT.


Hey, if you can do it better yourself, then why bother a bike shop with it in the first place anyway.Why ? Because I don't do menial little jobs. I pay staff to do that, so pull your head in and do your job.


The same thing happened to my brother several years ago with a reputable tyre specialist based on Auckland's North Shore - caliper bolts coming loose.just how widespread is this problem ?


However they ignore the commercial realities of most small businesses in NZ. If anyone thinks guys like Kerry are making a fortune, think again. Money is not the point - put the price up if you need to survive - everyone else is. What the point is, foolish and dangerous mistakes are being made. If this was the aviation industry heads would roll.


No matter who you are, or how good you may be at working on bikes/cars/anything mechanical, one day you're going to make a mistake. On that day, all you can do is pray it's a minor one, and that no harm is done.Praying isnt good enough. Look at each job, and if its risky one, then it needs to be checked over PROPERLY afterwards. You know what I mean about risky jobs - brakes, fuel lines, footpegs, bars et al.


Find the perfect mechanic by all means, but when you do you'll find you can't afford him.That can never be a solution, because there isn't one. Thats the whole problem. No one is asking for perfection so there is no reason for feeling inadequate. Just CHECK risky work INDEPENDANTLY. Gee, give the office lady a checklist and a pen and a torquewrench - she doesnt have to FIX anything - just check stuff off on the checklist and give it back to the mechanic if something isnt tight. How hard IS that ? sheesh.

No more free advice. Aren't you lucky! :yawn:

DB

[McDuck]

haha, any further logic is wasted here. I wish I knew where you worked - It's critical that you never put a spanner on my gear.

Yeah its you mate. If it was your ass in the sling, and death on your doorstep - would YOU check it ? You would, wouldn't you.. Get insulted if you like, but its my arse in the sling, and my life on the line, and I AM GOING TO CHECK IT.

Why ? Because I don't do menial little jobs. I pay staff to do that, so pull your head in and do your job.

just how widespread is this problem ?

Money is not the point - put the price up if you need to survive - everyone else is. What the point is, foolish and dangerous mistakes are being made. If this was the aviation industry heads would roll.

Praying isnt good enough. Look at each job, and if its risky one, then it needs to be checked over PROPERLY afterwards. You know what I mean about risky jobs - brakes, fuel lines, footpegs, bars et al.

That can never be a solution, because there isn't one. Thats the whole problem. No one is asking for perfection so there is no reason for feeling inadequate. Just CHECK risky work INDEPENDANTLY. Gee, give the office lady a checklist and a pen and a torquewrench - she doesnt have to FIX anything - just check stuff off on the checklist and give it back to the mechanic if something isnt tight. How hard IS that ? sheesh.

No more free advice. Aren't you lucky! :yawn:

DB

Give more advice OR THIS GOS INTERNATIONAL.

[zeocen]

If I was Kerry, I'd kick your arse for starting this thread.

...why?
It was started a while ago, someone bumped it back up.

I just wanted to share how well Motohaus handled the situation and that it always pays to be level headed in these situations, for both parties. The majority of the posts thereon are praising the guy for always going the extra mile. Man, telling people about a good experience I had at a bike shop, rather than a bad one, I'm an asshole! He pretty much admitted fault as much as he could, he came after hours out of his way with the tools needed to get it sorted right there and then and apologised.

You're more than welcome to come kick my arse in his stead, kattywatty.

[titirangi]

Not true. Kerry fitted a new set of tyres put to my bike a year ago. Within a week the front axle nut had come loose and was about to fall off. Just wasn't tightened up enough. I re-torqued it and it's been fine ever since. He also fitted the rear tyre the wrong way round (for a directional type).

I tried calling him to bring it to bring it to his attention but couldn't get an answer so I sent him an email but never had a response.

Yes he is a good cunt, but he's rushed off his feet having to answer the phone all the time (or at least he was a year ago) and this leaves the door open for mistakes.

That was similar to my experience. His mechanic fitted 2 new tyres, handed the bike over, I inspected and noticed the rear wheel block was incorrectly adjusted and brought it to mechanic attention. He remarked "nice catch" and fixe it in a few minutes. Which sounds OK but thankfully I kinda know what i'm looking for (20 yrs biking). And I'm paying bloody good money for the service so I expect safety to be paramount.

If that was it then I prolly woudnt bother posting here. But two weeks later a bloody good joker working on my front end noticed the bolts on my front calipers were only hand tight... The bike is a GSXR1000 so it s gets up - last thing I want is a caliper popping off at the wrong moment.

I can put up with loads, but someone compromising on safety gets a big thumbs down in my book. And no point blaming the mechanic - they are constrained by time, process and resource. A simple safety checklist signed off after every job would take 5mins and solve a big reputation and potential future criminal negligence issue for Kerry. He does seem to have a good heart, but now I will pay a bit more and get safety from Adam at Henderson MC.

[DEATH_INC.]

haha, any further logic is wasted here. I wish I knew where you worked - It's critical that you never put a spanner on my gear.
DB

No problem, I don't really turn spanners anymore, and your type is not welcome in any shop I run. I bet you drive a euro car.....Mr Perfect.

[Ixion]

Well, last weekend I fitted my heads and barrels. Torqued the head bolts down as per manual, 20lb ft, sequential, with the torque wrench . Went round again , retorqued, repeat until every bolt is 20 lb ft.

Started bike today, rode it round the block until it reached operating temperature. Cool down, checked the bolts. Same torque wrench. Gee, they're loose as . Retorqued them.

Guess I only thought I tightened them the first time, I better sack myself.

Maybe though I'll repeat the ride , cool, check cycle until they're stable. Kind of hard to do though when it's not your own bike.

[Big Dave]

No problem, I don't really turn spanners anymore, and your type is not welcome in any shop I run. I bet you drive a euro car.....Mr Perfect.

Heeeyyy! I just got a new Euro car.

[TLDV8]

I have purchased tyres off Kerry in the past (great service)


This is just thinking out loud.
One thing i always do when working on the brakes of other peoples motorcycles is to add a drop of blue loctite to the fasteners.
The reason i do that is simple (to me) I do not know the history of the bike,therefore i do not know who has worked on it previously and have witnessed on quite a few occasions folk doing up fasteners (way to tight) without using a torque wench.
If everything is fine the loctite is simple insurance.

Most bikes use bolts in the 8mm/10mm range to fix the calipers (10mm only go to around 16.5 ft/lbs)
What can happen when folk crank bolts up to tight (the threaded lug on calipers is quite often only 12mm and in alloy) is the threads are stretched,this can then mean even with the correct torque (without a locking agent) the fastener will not remain captive and back out.
Calipers are not spigoted so once there is a lack of friction at the mounts (low bolt tension) the caliper can then move with the bolt hole clearance.

Sure, mistakes can be made (and remedied as in this case :niceone:) but things are not always that simple or clear with things of a mechanical nature.

[Patch]

but things are not always that simple or clear with things of a mechanical nature.
exactly


For those that think bolts, rivets etc don't work loose over time - go back to doing what you are paid to do, shut your mouth and learn from those that know what the fuck they are talking about.

[Ixion]

But they are bolting into cast alloy, usually.

[CookMySock]

But they are bolting into cast alloy, usually.The bole is supposed to be torque-turned into its elastic region.

http://www.hexagon.de/tasignat.htm

DB

[CookMySock]

but things are not always that simple or clear with things of a mechanical nature.Sure they are, but tyre-fitters don't have a mechanical engineering degree.

DB

[DEATH_INC.]

The bole is supposed to be torque-turned into its elastic region.

http://www.hexagon.de/tasignat.htm

DB
What has this to do with it being wound into cast alloy? It's not the bolt elasticity that is affected by what it's bolted into.....

[Ixion]

A caliper bolt on a bike usually has to be much stronger than a pure clamping load would indicate, because of the heavy sideways forces it must resist as the disk tries to drap the caliper along with it.

F'instance , a quick check of the manual for the arszhole(just coz it's handy) shows a manufacturers torque of only 25 lbft for the caliper bolts. Much less than the bolt could take. But if you tightened the bolt down to its elastic limit, before you got there you'd have stripped the alloy threads on the fork leg.

The practical reality is, as anyone who has worked on bikes for a bit, especially old bikes, sometimes a bolt which is properly done up WILL slacken off in service. Vibration , expansion and contraction, all sorts of funny effects.