Can we really trust service tech's ? Should we double check

[Brian]

Well guys picked up the new bike..... looks beauty, M4 pipe etc etc...Taller version. When I rolled it off the truck into my garage it had 4 miles on it.
This past Saturday evening, I took it for a first ride... WOW what a bike.
approx 4 miles had elapsed and I was approaching a intersection, downshifting from approx. 50 mph marvelling at the wonderfull torque.... as I was getting alittle below 30 mph time to grab alittle front brake, WHAM !!! next thing I new I was doing a header over the right bar all 6'2 240lbs landing just short of the intersection... looking back to make sure they're were no cars ready to run me over I ran to my beautifull bike to pick her up, front brake locked up and cars now approaching so I picked up the front end and dragged it to the side and up onto the side walk. Why is my front brake seized ??? Upon closer inspection of the front caliper I saw one of the two bolts missing........ this allowed the caliper to spin wedging the rotor into the caliper. Not serious damage but about $ 1000.00 including the nice little dent in my M4 can.......All I can say is I'm very glad that I transported my Baggy from the dealer rather than actually riding it the 65 miles home. Yea Phlat I am going to order my Bark Busters and Skateboard wheel here sooner than originally thought, got to go now..... I am going to call my dealer now and calmly ask him what he is going to do for me and my now damaged 8 mile motorcycle. (still alittle stiff but nothing a couple scotches can't fix ) later.... Brian

[Dezmo]

simply put, the dealer fucked up....
whether it was a tech or some kid they have uncrating them, somebody screwed up and didnt get double checked on it. I'm not sure how complete baghiras are in the crate, but a lot of bikes come without front wheels installed, and part of installing them is assembling the brake caliper correctly. It sounds to me like whoever set the bike up didnt tighten one (or both) of the caliper bolts...a mistake that could have very well killed you.
I've been in the moto-biz for 10 years now, the past 6 of which at various dealerships...one thing you have to think about when working on bikes is the fact that you have someone's life in your hands...make a mistake with a car, and they might be stranded at the worst....chances are with a bike someone will be hurt or killed. You got lucky.
If I were you I'd take the bike back to the dealer and demand either a refund or a new bike then I'd be sure to check every nut and bolt you can get to while there at the dealership

[credit]

my dealer put the front fender on backwards...I was able to get the Motoranda NA to send me one for the mistake. They have a lot of inexperianced fools selling these bikes unfortunately.

[Brian]

In Hinde site I should have chosen my subject wording a little better It was a general statement... blanketing people in the industry was not my intent. I got hooked up with a small company that dropped the ball....Okay, albeit big time.... just a heads up.... anything is possible.... If they give me a new one..... ? I'll have them send it to Asheville/NC, I'll know it'll get it built correctly over there....
I'll post pictures when I have finished abusing my "favorite" bike dealer......

[BAR]

(off topic) I'll be in your neck of the woods this Friday hopefully picking up my 2004 BP from Reeves, so I'll be sure to visually inspect my ride before leaving, ensuring no loose nuts/bolts are present. Wouldn't want the same thing happening to me that happened to Brian (glad to hear you're ok Brian)...

soon-to-be new owner of a Panther (also named Brian)...

[Brian]

Is it a stock machine or did you bite it and go for carb/mod and can... ?Most of the guys that participate in this forum have done alot of aftermarket stuff. I would recomend reading all the previous postings there is alot of very good info. My present and future mods/ideas actually all came from here. Congrats on the bike I have put only a few miles on mine(but by no means an expert) and can't say enough about it.... just a huge grin ! I will be doing ALL the work on my bike myself ! I'm glad I'm okay too, Thanks.....

[BAR]

Bone-stock for now, although the dealer mentioned that for the M4 can, no carb tuning is required. From what you post, it sounds like he might be incorrect? I want to establish a baseline w/stock setup before I go modding it out, but you can be sure I'll at least swap out that heavy stock muffler soon enough!

[Dezmo]

the dealer mentioned that for the M4 can, no carb tuning is required.

Mine currently has a M4 slipon with no carb tuning, it runs cleanly, but is a tad on the lean side and pops heavily on decel. I'm thinking of ordering the carb kit from tunebike.de, which I have heard good things about, along with their headpipes and a 7800rpm limit ign box.
and brian...if you want to send your bike here I will personally see to it that it gets correctly assembled....and road tested....and tires scuffed.....hehehehe

[Brian]

OK !! While your scuffing my tires etc I will be sitting "trackside" embibing in some "liquid"muscle relaxent Its over the counter medication.....Mr. Fidich in one mitt and a good NC Micro brew in the other !!
(yeaaa theres balance issues as well )
Later, Brian

[Dezmo]

(off topic) I'll be in your neck of the woods this Friday hopefully picking up my 2004 BP from Reeves

Stop by MR Cycles (2 blocks south from reeves) and say hi if you want
just go to the service dept and ask for tex (I'm from texas, thats what they call me there )

[Dezmo]

I hate to jump on the MZ dealer bashing bandwagon here, but I feel I need to share this with potential customers of theirs.
I work at a shop just down the street from Reeve's in Asheville, NC, and we had a 4-stroke crank out of a kawi ATV rebuilt with a new rod, as well as the cylinder bored. Since we dont have a boring bar or crank truing jig, we outsourced the work to reeve's (we have been using another machine shop before now) We got the parts back and all seemed well until I had the motor almost complete and was in the process of timing the cams. Then I noticed that when I turned the crank, the cam didnt turn with it! at 1st I thought the camchain had come off its sprocket, but I eventually found out the sprocket was spinning on the crank! this is an 'interference' fit, meaning you need a press to exert several hundred pounds of pressure to install it. Somehow, they bodged the sprocket enough that it was no longer a tight fit on the crank. We called them and got the guy to come check it out, he took one look and said "guess you need a crank" I wanted to smack him repeatedly in the face, but restrained myself...he took the sprocket back to his shop to 'measure it accurately' despite my offering to let him use our dial bore guage, and comes back with the inner part knurled so it will be a tighter fit....if you dont know what knurled is, look at a ratchet wrench handle with the crosshatch pattern grooving for grip....thats knurling...thats what he did to 'fix' this part which cannot be ordered except as part of a crank assembly. THEN he proceeds to beat it onto the crank without bothering to align it properly so the cam could be timed correctly! I managed to get it to turn it enough to align it, which means it was still too loose, so I sent the crank over to a welder's to have him hit it in 3 or 4 spots with the TIG...beats ordering another crank I guess. Needless to say I was less than pleased with reeve's work and do not reccomend dealing with them at all.

[DAVID THOMPSON]

hello all
read the comments above and cry
and see why i try to buy a very simple bike and do all
my own work
i ride too many miles too fast
to have some one else screw up and make me fall off
check your own work then go rest or do some thing else
come back later and recheck it all

get smart do things that prevent screw ups
like at oil change warm up bike
then lay the keys on seat. then bungiecord a cardboard
box on the seat over top of keys place new quarts of oil
in box in cans of course this way you dont start it without oil
as the key are hard to get
unless you have used the oil
and if you haven't started one with NO OIL
just wait you will some day!!

dont drink and work on your bike
thats as bad as drinking and riding it

if you pick up a new bike haul it home
and check every thing
the rt125 i have the battery needed water i missed it and
i think thats why the voltage regulator blew at 19 miles
the saxon tour i just bought had a tire on the front that was too big
and was it a nasty handler
some bikes set on dealers show room floors for a long time
and should be checked very well
by YOU befor you ride them
the title for the saxon tour said it was new 02/28/2001
so that one set at least 5 years maybe longer
i think a dealer put new tires on it that were the wrong size
because the ori tires were bad
the fellow i bought it from said the tires were on it when he bought it new
now has a 300x18 and its not scary to ride 110/90x18 was way toooo BIG
its screw ups like this that make riders fall off

check axel and wheel nut installation both front and rear
if wheel was installed at dealer
it may very well may get a bad bearing if some one tightened axel up
to 10,000 ft/lb with out checking setup notes for proper spec.

[Brian]

OK thats it Dez does this company do brake work..... by the way do you have those new springs dialed in post updated picts on the same corner with the updated suspension yea.... maybe that is getting alittle carried away.... Ah what the hell, put your snowies on and go for it

[Nobog]

The loose bolt on the caliper thing happened to me also except it was on my Z1000 Kawasaki. One side was OK (dual rotors). The other side one bolt was missing and the other only finger tight after about 100 miles. I was lucky. I caught it before #2 bolt vibrated out. The Kawasaki dealer was more than happy to Fedex out a new bolt. Jim

[BAR]

"Stop by MR Cycles (2 blocks south from reeves) and say hi if you want
just go to the service dept and ask for tex (I'm from texas, thats what they call me there )"...

Count on it, I'll be there hopefully sometime close to 11am-12pm tomorrow!
Brian