Support your local bike shop?

[Paul in NZ]

Well I tried to.... They are being dicked about by their supplier to an astonishing level. I know 'cos I've listened to the phone conversations.

FFS all I bloody want are a set of 7/8 Norton Flats (drag bars)

They are in stock be here thursday, not in stock, in stock be there monday, in black but you didn't order them (I was there, we DID), in chrome (I want black but chromes OK), not in stock, in stock but you didn't order them (yes we did for the 3rd or 4th time) and now NOT on stock but on back order...

Piss off ventura - this is CRAP... You have dicked us around for a bloody solid week with the simplest bars in the world at a hideous price. I cancelled the order and wouldn't fit your sodding bars if they were the last ones in the bloody world - I'll make the buggers myself! Its a bit of 7/8 pipe with 2 sodding bends??? GAH! Take 2 minutes on a tube bender.

Wellington Motorcycles have had the patience of saints. Ventura, how the hell do you stay in business?

[98tls]

Feel your pain,never worked out why when i buy something direct from the UK its here in 6 days,if i go through a stealership it takes 6 weeks.:doh:

[jaymzw]

Particular Suzuki shop in my area took two weeks to order in a set of headset bearings for my GSXR, as with you Paul the supplier dicked them about (the first time) but i never got a call from the shop saying they didn't come(this was discussed). After the third time i went in, speaking with the same guy everytime, he promised me 15% discount. I waited a week and went in and got them, again the same guy but he didn't remember me. Had to explain to the prick that i had been promised the 15% and even showed him my initial deposit a good 20 days prior.

They're kicking themselves if they think i'll go back there again. I have a few other parts i could get from them but i've heard other stories of incompetence from the too. I guess i might just go through the states or ebay aswell

[Sparky Bills]

Hmmmm thats odd...? Dold Industries have a website for dealers to see exactly what they have in stock. Why didnt they just look and order through that?
They are usually pretty good at getting the goods out, but the past year they have been slipping up a fair bit. Which is a shame really as the Ventura stuff is a good product.

[roadracingoldfart]

Hmmmm thats odd...? Dold Industries have a website for dealers to see exactly what they have in stock. Why didnt they just look and order through that?
They are usually pretty good at getting the good out, but the past year they have been slipping up a fair bit. Which is a shame really as the Ventura stuff is a good product.

Think about it Marty . Its a sign of the economic times and unless accounts are paid the good old stop credit can be a big hurdle to get sorted.

I used to work for a place that didnt pay the bills until they had to due to stop credit and that is now becoming very evident im my present buisness now. Sad but maybe the facts .

Paul.

[Paul in NZ]

Which is a shame really as the Ventura stuff is a good product.

I beg to differ... ALL my bikes have used 7/8 bars and in recent times the bars are never properly round at the ends making fitting of twist grips a PIA. Its like it or lump it as far as they are concerned.

Honestly its dicking around with this simple shit that makes me want to chuck the whole thing in....

[98tls]

Particular Suzuki shop in my area took two weeks to order in a set of headset bearings for my GSXR, as with you Paul the supplier dicked them about (the first time) but i never got a call from the shop saying they didn't come(this was discussed). After the third time i went in, speaking with the same guy everytime, he promised me 15% discount. I waited a week and went in and got them, again the same guy but he didn't remember me. Had to explain to the prick that i had been promised the 15% and even showed him my initial deposit a good 20 days prior.

They're kicking themselves if they think i'll go back there again. I have a few other parts i could get from them but i've heard other stories of incompetence from the too. I guess i might just go through the states or ebay aswell If you do then specify post,a few times over the years ive paid for 1st class Airmail been charged for it to find out later....much..that they have sent it slow boat costing much less.

[Paul in NZ]

Hah! Rang the Handlebar man in nelson

http://www.thehandlebarcompany.com/

$36 plus freight, nice guy (fan bloody tastic actually - offered to make a custom bar) sent it today and much cheaper than crappy Ventura who were just plain C#$ts on the phone....

Know where I'm shopping from now on...

[the mouse]

Recommend the Handlebarco. Local made he made me up some 7/8 over stocks for my Bonny ...perfect, good quality, good price, and nice bloke.

[BMWST?]

so you got "triumph" drag bars?What did he indicate the price would be for a custom bar?

[the mouse]

Email him for prices, around 50 for the over stocks, a few years ago. Well worth it IMO.Some of the stuff iv'e had from an other NZ supply seem to rust after a while, poor chrome.

http://www.thehandlebarcompany.com/harley-handlebars.html

[Motu]

crappy Ventura who were just plain C#$ts on the phone....


I had the same problem earlier this year - I had a bend I wanted,not available anywhere.Dold's were a brick wall - we only do our stock bends....and they have pictures of their stock bends,no one has them in stock.I unfortunately had to import them.

Support my local bike shop? I used to work for them,I really like the guys there.If only I wasn't so tight with my money,I'd support them more.

[JimO]

i have been waiting since movember for a new set of brembo rotors for the cagiva, Triumph NZ sucks as far as getting warranty bits in , BUT having said that support the local guy or he wont be there when you need him

[hayd3n]

ill support the local mechanics they do a great job
well my one is any way but parts,meh any silly bugger can order parts from anywhere
dont the shops make the coin of gear and bike sales?

[Paul in NZ]

Wellington M/C's did a great job but they got abused by this clown - not their fault at all...

[Ocean1]

Room for another rack manufacturer in NZ then is there?

[Big Dave]

Room for another rack manufacturer in NZ then is there?

They would be doing well if they are nicer people or have a better manufacturing set up than the folks at Dolds.

There appears to be some sort of communication problem in this case.

[Motu]

They need someone on the phone with a better vocabulary than NO.

If they are so good - tell them to make it so.They suck in PR,they suck in imagination.

[Big Dave]

They need someone on the phone with a better vocabulary than NO.



No idea what the policy or capability is.

I know what they do make as stock in trade they make well for the price and the product has a good reputation worldwide - and they are not about intentionally pissing people about.

[Motu]

They certainly do a good job of what they do,no doubt about that.And that's it....they go no further.One thing that was learned from the last resession - companys that think like that do not survive.They need to extend their customer base....not piss them off.

[F5 Dave]

ok I'm hesitating to write this as I hate the shop etc beat ups. But I've been carrying this around for years.

An old girlfriend had bought some crashbars, they patently didn't fit very close to the case on one side. I returned & asked the shop (coincidentally it was Scooter centre) if they could get the bar shortened on one side so it rested the foam against the case like it did on the other side rather than stick out 2 inches where it caught on your shin while paddling the bike & would likely twist off in a crash (they were the clamp type).

It would have been a fairly easy job to change this & adjust their jig to improve the product & make this & future customers happy.

They returned them saying nothing was wrong with them. WMCC weren't interested but passed on a ph number. So I called Dold (think it was Paul Dold? the manager, too long ago to remember) to talk to him about it. He tried to start an argument that I refused to get dragged into, trying to keep calm. I know what a difficult customer is & I was totally on the side of reasonable.

I was then met with a tirade of abuse followed by threats that he could find out where I lived & something about 'the boys' etc.

I was dumbfounded so I gave up & took it to the local engineer who charged me $15 to lop a bit off, weld it back up & even hit it with a bit of paint. I was happy. That was all it took.

OK to put it in perspective this was 20 years ago. But the bike shop didn't stand up for me at all & Dold's response was scandalous.

Have either received any money from me in the last 20 years?
No.

If I buy a bike with anything on it marked Ventura or Dold it meets the grinder.

Being involved in manufacturing in NZ I think we should all support local manufacturing. But some people shouldn't be allowed out of the house let alone run a business, maybe he's croaked it by now but I'd feel sorry for anyone to work for such a person.

[Big Dave]

I've been using the products and occasionally working there for 5 years and it's always been a pleasant, friendly experience.

[YellowDog]

I like going to the dealer because whilst it costs more, it does save you a lot of farting around making sure you have got the right part No. and the right rev for your model.

I use Holeshot in Barry's Pont Road. A very helpful bunch of gauys and the service is pretty good. I am always happy to pay for good service as IMO it makes the item cheaper in terms of time wasted and errors.

BUT when it goes wrong, you really do feel bad and completely out of control. It took me 5 minutes to order some parts that would have taken me an hour or so to find. Six weeks later I still don't have them. I now wish I'd spent the hour or so to get them within a week from the USA.

I must say tht this has been an exception and not the norm, which is usually around one week.