Help! Robert Taylor stole my bike.....well not quite..

[trumpy]

.......but it's definitely not the same bike I gave him three weeks ago. It looks the same, sounds the same and even has the same number plate, but sure as hell doesn't ride the same!
The suspension has been feeling a little tatty for a while and after my little off last November I just haven't been able to get comfortable on the the bike. Thought it was probably just me but, as I was going to keep the bike for a while decided to have the suspenders looked at. A chat to Robert confirmed that yes, he could probably help and that no, Ohlins don't do a shock for the S4, however he knew that Shaun Harris had an Ohlins for a K6 that he could probably make work. (Thanks Shaun for a good deal and your patience in waiting to confirm that the deed could in fact be done). The Trumpy was duly dispatched off to Dr Taylor's Hospital for Depressed Suspenders and the appropriate treatment applied. As well as the rear shock and spring, the front end was rebuilt and new headstock bearings installed.
The old girl was discharged on Saturday but I only got my first ride on her today. Wowee....what a difference! This thing now goes exactly where I point it rather than approximately in that direction and, despite Transit's best efforts just remains totally composed. As a bonus the bike is MUCH easier to ride making me a lot more relaxed which makes me ride better, less tired etc, etc.
The downside? I have now lost my last possible excuse for being a crap rider........I still ride like crap but at least I now do so in comfort. So thanks to Robert for a job well done and the superb service he and his company provide.

Just a further comment leading on from a recent post by Shaun.....check your headstock bearings guys. Mine at 40,000 km's were not quite ready for the bin but were hardly pristine either. I am the perennial 'tail end Charlie' and I definitely do not do wheelies, stoppies etc so am quite easy on my gear but they were still reasonably worn.

[dwnundabkr]

mate just did mine at 22000ks but it is a buell and they are hard on them.

[icekiwi]

I got some new head bearings coming for mine and when i fit them plan on getting Rob Taylor to steal it too...hopefully...
Kawasaki Gen brgs $65 odd each...Same bearing from Saeco $23.30 ea
Gotta ask yourself.... They knew the bearing no's well some bike shop up these ways gets a bulk order everyonce in awhile...
Anyways glad to hear your rides going where you point it....

[Swoop]

...and, despite Transit's best efforts just remains totally composed.

Shhhh!
The bastards will try even harder to fu*k up the roads if they hear that!

Good to hear.
Confidence in your steed is mighty important.

[Robert Taylor]

Shhhh!
The bastards will try even harder to fu*k up the roads if they hear that!

Good to hear.
Confidence in your steed is mighty important.

Thanks for the vote of confidence. Much of the praise though has to go to my very capable right hand man, Dennis Shaw. Dennis was totally responsible for rebuilding and fitting appropriately valved piston kits and springs to the front end and was charged with steering bearing replacement and shock fitting / final set up. My own personal input was reworking, revalving and respringing the shock to suit. Its great to have another brain to bounce setting suggestions off and then ''decide by commitee'' what is going to work best for the individual customer. Dennis fits the bill perfectly, we worked well together at Yamaha 20 odd years ago and do so today.
I must confess to feeling a touch uncomfortable with public endorsement. Sooner or later we will get something wrong and those who subscribe to the ''great Kiwi knocking machine'' will be out with their long knives.
Just a word about headrace bearings and aftermarket bearings in general, dont always buy on price.A lot of this stuff is coming out of mainland Asia and I for one am skeptical about the metallurgy, tolerancing , longevity of many.

[trumpy]

I understand your point re public praise but when a company such as yours provides great product and great service then they deserve public acknowledgement, like you say we are quick enough to criticize if the service is bad.
Personally I no longer worry about the "knocking machine", after 22 years in business we have found that those with the biggest mouths no longer seem to be in business, in fact we seem to have inherited an awful lot of their former clients. I have a RIGID policy in my company that NO One (me included) is allowed to criticize a competitor in public (ie in front of clients, parents, guardians, other therapists, public etc), if they have nothing positive to say about a competitor then keep quiet. Behind closed doors of course they are free to speak their mind. Interestingly enough very few comments are ever made, none of my staff see the point of wasting energy on such activity when they have plenty of other more fruitful things to do.

[Robert Taylor]

I understand your point re public praise but when a company such as yours provides great product and great service then they deserve public acknowledgement, like you say we are quick enough to criticize if the service is bad.
Personally I no longer worry about the "knocking machine", after 22 years in business we have found that those with the biggest mouths no longer seem to be in business, in fact we seem to have inherited an awful lot of their former clients. I have a RIGID policy in my company that NO One (me included) is allowed to criticize a competitor in public (ie in front of clients, parents, guardians, other therapists, public etc), if they have nothing positive to say about a competitor then keep quiet. Behind closed doors of course they are free to speak their mind. Interestingly enough very few comments are ever made, none of my staff see the point of wasting energy on such activity when they have plenty of other more fruitful things to do.

Thats certainly my experience and there is also an interesting correlation between those who have the biggest mouths and are also very slow to pay. Seen this time and again, not a very scientific analysis but have had it confirmed over and over again. Funny old world!

[Devil]

Glad to see you know what to do with a Speed Four now!
I shall consider my options!