We have control.

[Motu]

VTNZ has now bought out On Road - both are owned by the MTA.Kind of ironic that the Motor Trade Association,a non profit organisation set up to help and support members of the motor trade now has a monopoly and owns the opposition to the private garages issuing WoFs.A new testing station is going in up the road from me (I can see the crane working now) I wonder how this will effect the 5 garages within a 500mtr radius who issue WoFs? I am the closest,my only consolation will be that I am the first garage the failed customers will see,and I will get to fix the loose petrol filler cap and loose wheel nuts they drove out on.Hopefully the pedantic little pricks who work there will be making work for me to fix,even if they don't need fixing.

[vifferman]

Are WOFs a significant source of income for you, Motu? I had heard that apart from the repairs that result from failed WOFs, they were more of a nuisance than a benefit to gargres. :spudwhat:

[StoneChucker]

I certainly hope that if "they don't need fixing", you mention that. Did you watch Target the other night, about the crooked mechanic finding and charging for unnecessary work?

But, I can see your point, hope you don't get affected TOO much with this change.

[ching_ching]

Hopefully the pedantic little pricks who work there will be making work for me to fix,even if they don't need fixing.

Life is short, ping 'em all Motu, ping 'em all!!!

[F5 Dave]

I am constantly amazed at the attitude of some motor users. Tyres aren’t worn out unless it fails a warrant & no repairs are needed until such time. Some countries don’t have regular WOF checks & I can imagine the junkers that would be rolling around here if that were the case. With Japanese being so reliable they may not be seen by a mechanic for 100s of thousand kays.

Why is it that motorcyclists are the most likely to have baldarse tyres when they are fundamental equipment? Or is it that I just don’t care enough to look at cars?

People who believe they have insurance just because their premium is paid & they have a current WOF could be in for a surprise come pay out time.

Anyone have an idea how often insurance doesn’t pay out for this reason? In the UK they are quite vehement in this regard I believe.

[vifferman]

I am constantly amazed at the attitude of some motor users. Tyres aren’t worn out unless it fails a warrant & no repairs are needed until such time.

Indeed.
I couldn't believe it when this one time, when I couldn't go to band camp, so I like went in and like got some new tyres. And there was like this other dude there buying a back tyre for his Ducati coz it had like no tread, man. But like neither did his front tyre but like two tyres was too expensive man, even with him like being offered 'favourable payment terms'.
Like what's up with that? :spudwhat:

{preach mode on: the converted may tune out}
There's no way you'd catch me doing that, especially not on a bike, where your life depends on a contact patch about the size of the palm of your hand.
Never mind insurance - what about life and death?

The reality is, the tyres aren't due for replacement when there's no tread left - they're done when they've exceeded their quota of heat cycles. Fairly easy to tell when this is, because they don't grip too well anymore.

{/preach mode off}

[jrandom]

Why is it that motorcyclists are the most likely to have baldarse tyres when they are fundamental equipment?

Speaking as a penurious bastard with baldarse tyres, I suspect that it's primarily because they're a bunch of penurious bastards.

Or is it that I just don’t care enough to look at cars?

My *car* is always fitted with top-notch tyres, replaced regularly. This is because I have to let my wife drive it.

[merv]

I have tried over the years to support my local garage, but what happens? First of all the closest one BP get their hands on it, rebuild the place - no workshop attached, warrant man disappears. So I try the second closest place - sorry can't do bikes. Then to the third closest - he's an ex-biker OK doing warrants.

However, over the last 5 years I've probably had to go to VTNZ just as often for my cars and bikes. Why? Ring up to make an appointment (don't have to do this with VTNZ these days) and he says "Oh I'm away that weekend no can do" or "The LTSA are checking me out, not sure if I'll still be certified to do WOF's when you want to come in" so in cases like that I have to resort to using VTNZ because I can't postpone my WOF's because of the foibles of his business. I do try to give him first option to do them.

Here lies the problem for the small guy - how do you continue to provide reliable customer service in comparison to the big guy who has more options to cover his bases? Buggered if I know, but I will continue to try and support the little guy first but resort to VTNZ when I have to. My problem is to try and not waste too much time as I have 7 WOF's to get at various times throughout the year, some twice a year because the vehicles are older than 6 years.

[F5 Dave]

Speaking as a penurious bastard with baldarse tyres, I suspect that it's primarily because they're a bunch of penurious bastards.



My *car* is always fitted with top-notch tyres, replaced regularly. This is because I have to let my wife drive it.

Many years back I took this chap from my bike club’s bike out for a ride (sort of friend) to see what it was like (ended up buying one later). Had a bit of a front end twitch & later saw the front tyre was well had it. Had a bit of a rant at him that he should buy new tyres. Couldn’t afford it etc.

He died the next day, fell off in front of a truck up the Rimutakas, I shit thee not.

Fortunately no one was relying on him to provide income or parenting.
*rant mode off* Not trying to be a jerk, just an illustration of priority.

[jrandom]

Since you seem to be curmudgeoning me, even if ever so slightly...

... saw the front tyre was well had it.

I'd never ride a bike with a shagged *front*.

He died the next day, fell off in front of a truck up the Rimutakas, I shit thee not.

And I'd never push a bike with less-than-happy tyres into fast open-road riding.

[Motu]

One little WoF rule that pisses me off - the tyre must have a 1.5mm tread depth across 3/4 the width of the tyre around the whole circumference...What this means is that a motorcycle tyre can be completly bald in the middle - and completly leagal.So I often fail a motorcycle tyre that is perfectly leagal,what a prick eh?

Thanks for supporting the little guys Merv,you can see what we are up against - but we gotta have a life too eh?

My MTA rep was in today - he reckons I'll get a shit load of work out of the testing station,he says it's the best news I could get.He said no one knew about the take over - it has to go before the commerce commission anyway to make sure they aren't controling the game.

[What?]

I like testing stations. They get the no-hoper "mechanics" out of real workshops...

[Posh Tourer :P]

The reality is, the tyres aren't due for replacement when there's no tread left - they're done when they've exceeded their quota of heat cycles. Fairly easy to tell when this is, because they don't grip too well anymore.

And if there is still tread on them by that point, you havent been riding hard enough?

[vifferman]

And if there is still tread on them by that point, you havent been riding hard enough?

Well... maybe that's a fair comment! Or mebbe a last burst of hooliganism is required to get the last few dollars worth of fun from them.
I have a habit of ending up with tyres that are worn on the sides but still have tread in the middle. I keep intending to smoke up the rear tyre on the nice shiny concrete in the gargre at work, but sanity/sobriety always gets in the way...

[AMPS]

Motu, how are you going to go with the new Metzeler Roadtecs? They don't have tread cuts in the centre. Their theory is that the front tyre does all the water clearance when travelling straight. Are they illegal when new?
Lou