Saving Money

[avgas]

Red Barron are a bunch of pirates.
They get a container load of about 5 of the same bikes, strip em all and put all the good parts on one bike, all the bad parts on another and basically end up with 5 frankenstien bikes with no matching numbers...... makes me wonder were all the stolen bikes go

[scumdog]

Good on you for getting in and doing it yourself - my attitude is: even if it takes 2-3 times longer than the service outfit, if you get it right it's a mighty good feeling AND you save money.

And re the comment that somebody found burnout rubber under their rear guard:- I NEVER leave my bike alone at the garage/whatever, it's not just mechanics, Joe Snotpimples who happens to stick his beak into the workshop ("just getting the 800hp kit fitted to my 1973 XL125 ya know") can do all manner of carnage with his sticky little saurian claws - let alone what damage an 'adventurous' mechanic can do.

[T.I.E]

i guess i have been lucky with spectrum. well that will be untill my luck runs out with them. then somethings goes wrong.
motohause seems to be really good. i have heard great reviews, but i suppose i just have to wait for it, then some disgruntled person has to pop up. i hope that does not happen to them for a long time.

[MikeL]

8am - excellent.

But in practice more likely to be 8:15 or 8:20. Every minute counts when you have to drop your bike off and walk the rest of the way to work so as to arrive by 8:30! But if that's the most serious complaint I have about Mt Eden Motorcycles you can see why I keep going back...

[Lou Girardin]

I assume it hasn't been long since the service, so why do you have to prove anything?
They didn't do the job they were supposed to.
Another customer lost?

[kerryg]

Fuck red Baron I say. I will not be going there ever again.

I've got no axe to grind but I have had a few dealings with Red Baron's workshop guys over the past few years, and OK they know how to charge (they're not alone in that) but I really can't fault them on their workmanship or with regard to keeping to deadlines etc. I've got nothing but praise for them really. Their management people however...well, let's not go there.

Interestingly I had a D model FZR1000 with a misfire, took it to Mike at Red Baron who found a fouled plug, asked me if I was running 96 fuel, I said yes, he said "there's your problem". They cleaned the plugs (which were brand new by the way, I'd put them in myself) , filled it up with fresh juice(Gull or the 98 octane stuff from BP)...and problem gone! They could have made a meal of it, stripping carbs etc but they didn't.

On the other hand I've had some bad experiences (1 potentially life-endangering piece of negligence, another instance of an outright lie about non-existent faults [allegedly stuffed rear shock, plus low compression..both BS] on a bike I was hoping to trade, just to haggle the value of my bike down) with two shops I won't name that are routinely praised here.

[SARGE]

but with red baron i am not sure what they are doing. a learner went in there knowing nothing, they were given a helmet and jacket two sizes too big for them. rider went from a xl helmet to a medium. after i had had much discussion saying he should not have left there store with gear so large. and the learner was not to know any better. they finally changed the gear after alot of wo is the company..
there is no excuse for it..

reason #3634566 why i left

[Lou Girardin]

It's strange isn't it, it takes no more effort to do a good job.

[NC]

It's strange isn't it, it takes no more effort to do a good job.

Apprently it take effort to have good phone manners and customer relations.

I just spent $608 dollars on shit service and bad attitues.

[swanman]

I'll be honest I won't go back to RB unless I am absolutlely desperate. But in general in my 20 yrs of biking and going to bike shops, I am rarely impressed by them. Occasioanly you come away happy and reckon you have got value for money, but that is actually quite rare. WIth the exception of AMPS ( which comes accross as quite a classy/shiny outfit at least superficialy) all the bike shops I know in Auckland are a bit seedy to a larger or lesser degree, the service from salesman is poor or indifferent, etc . Yes the experience can be good, but really if you went to a Honda or VW car dealership and saw the same standards you would be aghast.

Bike shops need to raise their standards.

[SARGE]

I'll be honest I won't go back to RB unless I am absolutlely desperate. But in general in my 20 yrs of biking and going to bike shops, I am rarely impressed by them. Occasioanly you come away happy and reckon you have got value for money, but that is actually quite rare. WIth the exception of AMPS ( which comes accross as quite a classy/shiny outfit at least superficialy) all the bike shops I know in Auckland are a bit seedy to a larger or lesser degree, the service from salesman is poor or indifferent, etc . Yes the experience can be good, but really if you went to a Honda or VW car dealership and saw the same standards you would be aghast.

Bike shops need to raise their standards.

i think you are tarring us all with the same brush man..ask anyone .. i go out of my way to provide service and get the best deal for all involved


saying that " all salesmen" are wankers is like saying that all Muslims are terrorists..


im not a trained sales sleezebag.. i did radio for 2 decades in the states. im first and foremost a biker ( and all its conotations) i may come across as gruff and slightly base at times.. i have tatoos.. i dont shave every day and i have no problem telling a tosser to fuck off out of my shop and stop wasting my time.

everyone gets the same basic level of service from me.. some get more but none get less..i treat people the way i'd like to be treated

[Pixie]

Good on you for getting in and doing it yourself - my attitude is: even if it takes 2-3 times longer than the service outfit, if you get it right it's a mighty good feeling AND you save money.

And re the comment that somebody found burnout rubber under their rear guard:- I NEVER leave my bike alone at the garage/whatever, it's not just mechanics, Joe Snotpimples who happens to stick his beak into the workshop ("just getting the 800hp kit fitted to my 1973 XL125 ya know") can do all manner of carnage with his sticky little saurian claws - let alone what damage an 'adventurous' mechanic can do.

The only time I'll let a monkey near my bike is for servicing to keep to the warranty obligations.
They just aren't up to my standards.

[Pixie]

It's strange isn't it, it takes no more effort to do a good job.

It just takes having your brain engaged,and how many people can be described like theat today?

[T.I.E]

i think you are tarring us all with the same brush man..ask anyone .. i go out of my way to provide service and get the best deal for all involved


saying that " all salesmen" are wankers is like saying that all Muslims are terrorists..


im not a trained sales sleezebag.. i did radio for 2 decades in the states. im first and foremost a biker ( and all its conotations) i may come across as gruff and slightly base at times.. i have tatoos.. i dont shave every day and i have no problem telling a tosser to fuck off out of my shop and stop wasting my time.

everyone gets the same basic level of service from me.. some get more but none get less..i treat people the way i'd like to be treated

actually gossip about you sarge. i had a friend whom came and saw you about a buying a bike. he had a lot to say about you. brilliant, and if he ever will buy a bike again he will be coming to you.
i think i will try to do the same. nice work dude.
people like you are missed out in the sales rep world.
and i believe he loves his bike to bits.

[tracyprier]

..i treat people the way i'd like to be treated

Now that's just plain CRAZY talk Sarge! If people started doing that, hell soon everyone would be treating everyone else with common decency and manners and then where would we be?? it's heresy I tell's ye.