Mt Eden Motorcycles: Workshop warning

[Robert Taylor]

So those with experience and mechanical aptitude could also be reasonably expected to suspect that irregular wear may have occured, due to an incorrectly set up perch,lever,cable. After all, you state that it is not uncommon. It is not immediately obvius to the inept and inexperienced.

A mechanic (the ones I 'enjoy' going to) might give options "we can do the lever and cable etc for $X, but it may not fix the problem" "we can do a new clutch for $y but that may not fix the problem either" "we can do both for $z and you should be good for a while". I usually end up going for Z because I want hassle free motoring.

If I wanted to futz around with the same problem week after week, and then get it fixed properly, I would attempt it myself, or go to a mate's backyard. I go to a mechanic because I am prepared to pay to have it done right.

I guess that's the problem with the airline analogy. Charge Pilot's rates and more people would be prepared to endure the extra hassle of getting the job done on the cheap.

Yes, thats a fair understanding. What in all fairness must also be remembered is that the motorcycle industry ( like many others ) has a severe shortage of experienced and qualified mechanics.

[Crasherfromwayback]

Mr crasher(whosecoffeeis not that bad) I have seen the shop you work for getting trashed on here and I have seen your responses to some of the threads.

In your opinion what damage do these threads have to a business, and should the businesses attempt to respond? Of course taking it as read that it should never get to this stage in the first place.

Sure, WMCC have copped a few tellings off via KB, but in my eyes, nothing too serious, and nothing we didn't try to right straight away. There are always two sides to every story as everyone knows, it's just that sometimes, some shops may not be aware of the mud slinging hence not have the chance to reply here. Other shops may know about it, but deem it better to sort out in person rather than end up here for all to see. BUt I'll repeat myself for the umpteenth time...no shop that I've worked for over the last 23+ years intentionally rips customers off. It's too small a community (the bike community), and bad news travells too fast to risk trying. And as I've also said many times...most shops I know of are run by gals and guys like you. People who love motorcycles. It's tough out there, even harder when fellow enthusiasts are out for your blood.

I've seen stuff from a lot of people here that leads me to think they'd like to see the 'industry' disappear. That's not really that wise. No industry = no distributors = no activities they more often than not sponsor.

So my advice to everyone here is this...find a local (or as close to local as you can) shop, get to know the guys and gals well. Be polite. Keep going back. Call by and say hi when you're in the neighbourhood. You'll be amazed how things go from there. I got in the industry by doing that with Boyle Kawasaki. They ended up becoming more like family than bosses, and helped me no end with racing etc. From there with everything I learnt, I've never had to ask for a job since. The bike industry is full of good/clever/funny/fun guys and gals. Get to know them.

[Elysium]

Nope. If the customer is wrong then they are wrong.

The trick is knowing how to make them realise they're wrong without fucking them off.

Takes a while to know the trick aye, but sadly too many out there take being told they're wrong badly.

[Robert Taylor]

Nope. If the customer is wrong then they are wrong.

The trick is knowing how to make them realise they're wrong without fucking them off.

Sometimes thats like walking through a minefield!!

[Smifffy]

Yes, thats a fair understanding. What in all fairness must also be remembered is that the motorcycle industry ( like many others ) has a severe shortage of experienced and qualified mechanics.

Yes, and the inexperienced and underqualified expect to be paid the same rates as those who know what they are doing. Ergo it benefits all riders to help identify the places suffering the shortages and identify the businesses that have the experienced & qualified.

Regardless of the perceived intellect of the customer.

[HenryDorsetCase]

I got in the industry by doing that with Boyle Kawasaki. They ended up becoming more like family than bosses, and helped me no end with racing etc. From there with everything I learnt, I've never had to ask for a job since. The bike industry is full of good/clever/funny/fun guys and gals. Get to know them.

Hey, remember me? I was the spotty little herbert that used to come in and put fingermarks on all the fairings and screens and make vrooooom vroooooom noises and annoy you with questions about the most minute detail of every bike in your shop and then not buy anything. I did trade my GPz750 on an EX500 (no, I have no clue either why I did that: seemed like a good idea at the time).......

[Katman]

Sometimes thats like walking through a minefield!!

I haven't lost a foot yet.

[Robert Taylor]

In this case the business in question has lost a customer, the same business lost another customer according to another recent thread. Whatever the reason, if this is a representative sample then it's not looking that great long-term. The OP on this thread had another thread asking for advice on dealing with the workshop a few days back. He received a bunch of advice, I don't recall whether you offered any pearls of wisdom on that thread or not.

Some of the advice (mine included) was quite detailed, and involved a LOT of extra time and effort. Clearly the OP has decided it is time to cut his losses and move on. Can't say I blame him.

That is of course the case but I will be very interested to find out if a correct clutch perch fixed the problem or didnt fix the problem? Or indeed if it is something that the dealer has missed.
Personally I would have subsequently asked them to replace the perch ( upon their further advice ) and also requested a look at the replaced clutch components. How simple is that?
If the dealer is at fault then so be it, if the rider is at fault then lets hear about that as well. Is that a pro dealer argument or is it being realistic having also questioned the whole debacle from the outset that I posted on this thread??

[Robert Taylor]

Yes, and the inexperienced and underqualified expect to be paid the same rates as those who know what they are doing. Ergo it benefits all riders to help identify the places suffering the shortages and identify the businesses that have the experienced & qualified.

Regardless of the perceived intellect of the customer.

The sad reality is that the experienced and qualified are very underpaid as the market forces wont allow it. The whole issue self perpetuates.

[Smifffy]

That is of course the case but I will be very interested to find out if a correct clutch perch fixed the problem or didnt fix the problem? Or indeed if it is something that the dealer has missed.
Personally I would have subsequently asked them to replace the perch ( upon their further advice ) and also requested a look at the replaced clutch components. How simple is that?
If the dealer is at fault then so be it, if the rider is at fault then lets hear about that as well. Is that a pro dealer argument or is it being realistic having also questioned the whole debacle from the outset that I posted on this thread??

It's a much clearer statement of your position, and to me at least, seems much more reasonable than what you had posted previously.

[Mom]

Sometimes thats like walking through a minefield!!

Utter bullshit.

You have a reputation in these parts anyway of a guy that will sort a problem immediately. No excuses, no bullshit, just an ok, sorry, lets get this sorted ASAP. That is how it should be done.

It is the ones that dont sort out a problem that get hammered like this in my opinion. You can not afford to have a cavalier attitude to a customer these days.

I haven't lost a foot yet.

Neither should you. You would not still be in business if you took the high road against a customer. And heaven help you, you are now famous on here for actually helping one out!

[Smifffy]

The sad reality is that the experienced and qualified are very underpaid as the market forces wont allow it. The whole issue self perpetuates.

Market forces will allow it, when the shops with the good guys have the business, and the shops with the twats don't.

IMO - (and somewhat off-topic) it is this whole skills shortage thing that has been a major contributor to this last economic situation. People that didn't know what they were doing were in positions to make major decisions and were rewarded as if they were experts. It worked for a few years and then went tits up.

[Katman]

Neither should you. You would not still be in business if you took the high road against a customer. And heaven help you, you are now famous on here for actually helping one out!

Sometimes I miss my mojo.

[Crasherfromwayback]

Hey, remember me? I was the spotty little herbert that used to come in and put fingermarks on all the fairings and screens and make vrooooom vroooooom noises and annoy you with questions about the most minute detail of every bike in your shop and then not buy anything. I did trade my GPz750 on an EX500 (no, I have no clue either why I did that: seemed like a good idea at the time).......

When I was at Boyles?

[bogan]

How often does someone in the industry initiate a bitch thread about a customer?

tis a bit irrelevant init? has nothing to do with the us vs them theory. Well, apart from showing that you lump all customers into the them category.