MOTORBIKE SPECIALIST NOT SO SPECIAL. SENT TO FIX SAME ISSUE 3 TIMES

[Fresh1]

Hi

I am new here and since covid have many problems in life like many I'm sure.

 

This site and the individuals giving up their time is just great to see.

 

So I bought a specialist bike of which I have had 2 before (2012/2014).  There is only one very well known specialist in the UK who has serviced and rebuilt the engines on nearly all of these in the past 14 years or so.

I never used his services prior to this saga but since this bike just did not run properly from when I bought it, I sent it to him via a transportation company he recommended. £300 round trip.

 

The mechanic works from his home up North and is not a registered business.

 

The mechanic knows the person I bought the bike from very well and for the last 15 years or so.  Not close friends but in a circle of track day friends and used his services in the past.

 

I sent the bike up for service and to see why the bike was running so badly.

 

He charged me for oils and filters, changed sprag, smoothed gears, fuel pump, built clutch up, powder coated forks, wiring for road use, mot and took out for a test run.  £800 plus the £300 transport = £1100  10/06/22

 

09/07/22 Test myself after delivery still the same, not starting, when eventually did just wouldn't ride properly, like a misfire and lumpy

 

took a while to send back up

 

16/08/22 back up north £300 round trip

 

Bought some bits like a starter motor to put on and some grips whilst its there  then he offered me exchange front suspension which I took.  px and £350 on top

Cold start, tinkering with mapping

 

Said again that nothing stands out as wrong, very happy with starting     £820 plus the £300 transport   £1120

 

I'm pretty reasonable but when I got the bike again it started better but was still a complete pig.   As soon as he rode it he would be able to tell too but sent it back again as all great!

 

Anyway I sat on it for the winter and booked it in with a reputable guy who used to work on the same bikes and used to own and race one.

 

I took it to the new garage in February as had to book in and he has a waiting list.

 

On inspection and with a couple of hours, I had pictures coming through of the fuel line split, leaking fuel pump and two old non matching spark plugs (more powerful plug (iridimum) to the rear)

 

The next day I get a video call to say the rear cylinder is not firing at all and of course that is the whole reason the bike just couldn't ride and felt awful.

 

If I took the infamous specialists words and was not cautious, I could have tried to ride it more and more and it would have blown the entire engine.

 

The first mechanic/specialist would clearly notice a big problem and is beyond me why he would say to keep sending it up if he had no want to diagnose and fix the problem.

 

I kept all texts and he simply says I shouldnt own such a bike and his hands were tied, as if I told him not to fault find or put limits in place.  My texts say entirely different and my intentions were to keep this bike and send it to him for always.

 

I now already have my time spent taking the bike to the South and costs.  His diagnostics are already £800 but on point and with some direction in rebuilding the rear cylinder.  £775 in parts so far.

 

The first mechanic/specialist argued and is now non responsive after I asked him to offer some money back.

 

I am looking for help to claim from him now as the old me would walk away and leave it at that.   I am in bad times now and I've had enough of people like this.  

 

I do not want to name yet until I make a claim as his name associated with the bikes name too will flag in days.

 

Service or lack thereof claim, not fit for purpose claim, wasting my time, could have made me blow the whole engine.   Looking to use law and claim trying hard not to fail.

 

Any and all help appreciated

 

 

 

 

 

 

[dx100uk]

if he is such a well known name the very fact that you are going to ruin his name in public would imho be a very good threat to make him cough up....... 

 

dx

 

[Fresh1]

Hi DX

I do agree in normal circumstances.  He hides well behind the fact that the manufacture never offered a warranty from new and he tends to tell the fan boys that his complainers just didn’t want to spend money.  As he is literally the only person and runs the only UK social page, he holds majority of the cards and others have just walked away also.

 

i did send a letter before claim last week and have given him till Friday to respond.

[Manxman in exile]

Out of interest, what is the 'bike?

[Fresh1]

Hi Manxman

that brings this straight up too.  
its a V twin Aprilia supermoto without saying it outright.

 

[BankFodder]

It would probably be helpful if you could lay things out in a bullet pointed chronology .

So far you have given us a narrative which I suppose tells the story but it's rather difficult to fully understand, especially giving you reluctance to name names .

 

So when did you buy the motorcycle ?

What state was it in when you bought it ?

Can you give us a description of the motorcycle? At least has to the year, condition, and price paid and also any claims made in respect of it.

 

Please give us a chronology of what has happened

 

 

 

 

 

[dx100uk]

waste of a letter of claim then unless you gave 14 days and are prepared to raise a court claim on day 15 for every penny you paid him, inc shipping and the full price of fixing it.

 

sorry you've been had blind from day one.

warranties mean nothing.

 

your target should have been the retailer that sold it to you not some jack the lad biker that everyone makes out to be a hero cause 'he helps'

 

RUDDY FACEBOOK CONNERS AGAIN.

 

dx

 

 

 

 

[Fresh1]

Hi

 

okay so I bought the bike from its first owner who has had the bike since new in 2006.  
The bike is a race bike from creation from Aprilia.

 

the condition of the bike was pretty good and promised to be a very well cared for example.

 

the bike was not road legal so hard to test fully.

 

I bought it February 2021 and it was £7.5k

 

however the bike was lumpy and had this problem from then.  Basically bought with the problem.

it was pointed out by a few that it could be the dual exhaust as some feel the exhaust doesn’t work properly on the bike.

 

after speaking to the specialist I sent it up to him for a full service and inspection.

 

it came back the same. Unrideable and. Not starting.

He put a fuel pump in and sparks as well as oils and filters.

 

i sent it back and back again but returned exactly the same

 

 

having been fed up sending it to him I found someone else who immediately found faults with:

fuel pump

fuel line

spark plugs

 

one spark plug to the rear points to the specialist trying to get more of a spark to the rear cylinder.

 

the problem that I described and the fault from day one is that the rear cylinder was not firing.

 

which is why the specialist put a different spark to the rear.

he also put the pump in and attached the fuel line.  The bike has not been ridden.

 

Are we saying that although this guy runs a illegitimate business and has been paid for a service.  There is no claim possible?

 

 

[BankFodder]

Thanks for the summary of events.

It's not clear whether you bought it from a dealer or from a private seller.

Also, things have become a little bit complicated because you have had at least three people now dealing with the bike and so it becomes much more difficult to isolate who is responsible.

Each one can blame the other for the faults.
A bit late to say it now, I know, once you have a problem with something then you should retain the direct connection with the seller or the person who apparently caused the problem rather than diluting the apparent chain of causation.

[Fresh1]

Hi

 

sorry a long winded story.

 

but it is only one person who has serviced the vehicle and who I have fault with.

 

i bought the bike privately as is.

 

the specialist mechanic was paid to fault find and ultimately fix

 

he is the only person.

 

the work he did was substandard, the parts faulty and could have been devastating.

 

the problem was never fixed or diagnosed.  I was told it was all hunky dorey. 1 test ride for 10 seconds would tell him differently.

 

 

the new mechanic is being paid to fault find.  With no previous insight and within a very short time found problems with the parts I paid for and an attempt to fix the actual original problem of a non firing cylinder 

[BankFodder]

Maybe you can tell us by how much you think you are out of pocket – meaning how much would you like to claim back.

You bought the bike privately and at least a couple of years ago so there would be no comeback against the seller even if you had that in mind. If it had been a trade seller then we could be looking at that.

In any event, the whole matter would have become confused because the seller would say that you had had a mechanic interfering with the bike and that some of the difficulties have been caused by that intervention.
As it is, that question doesn't arrives.

So it's all about what this mechanic is done or not done and what expenses have been incurred by putting the bike into his hands.

I'm going to warn you now that is going to be very complicated and I suspect that it may not be worth it at the end of the day and you are probably going to be best off letting it go – but let's have a look anyway so that we understand exactly what your position is

[dx100uk]

private sale opps TINY - Tough Its Now Yours.

 

i ca nsee yours issues now,

 

yes this is why the 'machanic' gets away with it so many times.

 

dx

[Fresh1]

Thanks guys

so yes the whole point of this is to see if I can get any money back from the mechanic.

 

not interested in the seller at all.

 

in the first instance the mechanic would have felt and heard the problem.  He test rode it after changing fuel pump and servic.    his own admission (text).  Which he should test ride it.

when delivered back to me.  It wont start or run properly.  I said do what it takes.

he is the specialist after all and I send it back up

 

he does cold starts, tweaks with maps and says it running great.

 

i get it back and it starts a bit better but still doesn’t run properly and is the same as when I first sent it up.

 

since I had to drive 6 hours to take somewhere else and pay someone else who immediately found major faults with the leaking pump, leaking fuel hoses and spark plugs…. All fitted by the first mechanic as well as trying to get more spark to the rear.

the fault in the first instance was actually the rear cylinder not firing.  The first mechanic trying to get more spark to the rear indicates he knew there was a problem but chose to hide it.

 

driving down to the second guy and leaving it there for diagnosing cost me £1000.  Then the parts and work on too will be about another £1000.

 

I would  be looking to claim back about the same amount for negligence, faulty parts, not fit for purpose and rather than say no, had me keep sending the bike back and forth with no intention to tell me there is a problem with the rear cylinder.

 

Can this mechanic just get away with it?

[BankFodder]

I asked you to let us know the figure by which you consider you are out of pocket .

You have given a very generalised response uncertainly not itemised .

 

It would be helpful if you could set down some figures in a list form and explain next to each figure What's it represents in terms of purchase or work .

Please skip the narrative. We get the picture. We don't need any more of that .

We need a list of expenses