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Poppinsexz
Posted on Wednesday, May 16, 2012 - 10:36 am:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Custodian/Admin Only) Ban Poster IP (Custodian/Admin only)

I took my 1125r to the local dealer last fall for the water pump weep(my warranty was running out).
Long story short Tech bent the radiator bottom tank where the water pump inlet tube attaches. It caused a leak there. I didn't catch it until this spring. It is so bent I didn't want to try a solder fix and ended up ebaying a used radiator.

Moral - be careful with the radiators the metal is super thin and the tubes bend it easily with any force applied to them.

Also tech left out 2 bolts, didn't align the pod plastic with the fan mount plastic. Had the shifter so far out of adjustment even the service writer commented on how you couldn't ride it like that.
Needless to say I will never have any work done at that dealer again.
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Boogiman1981
Posted on Wednesday, May 16, 2012 - 10:39 am:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Custodian/Admin Only) Ban Poster IP (Custodian/Admin only)

what's the dealers name?
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Poppinsexz
Posted on Wednesday, May 16, 2012 - 01:42 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Custodian/Admin Only) Ban Poster IP (Custodian/Admin only)

Charleston WV, There is only the one.
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Kicka666
Posted on Thursday, May 17, 2012 - 09:11 am:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Custodian/Admin Only) Ban Poster IP (Custodian/Admin only)

The radiators are made in China, yep.
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Boogiman1981
Posted on Thursday, May 17, 2012 - 11:47 am:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Custodian/Admin Only) Ban Poster IP (Custodian/Admin only)

to the spec they were given. not everything from china is crap.
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Firstbuell
Posted on Thursday, May 17, 2012 - 02:46 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Custodian/Admin Only) Ban Poster IP (Custodian/Admin only)

mebbe.....

EBR's incoming QC may also be an issue
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Timebandit
Posted on Thursday, May 17, 2012 - 03:19 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Custodian/Admin Only) Ban Poster IP (Custodian/Admin only)


quote:

to the spec they were given



i happen to know someone who specializes in manufacturing engineering quality control / SPC, who jets around the world contracting parts production for a major motorcycle manufacturer. ; )

the problem with sourcing parts from China is that the laws there support poor quality producers and make it very difficult for customers to prevail when poor quality products are delivered. the result is that there's a supplier ethic that says that they only have to build to the lowest possible quality that the buyer will accept, and that unless there are explicit penalties in the contracts that harshly penalize the supplier for inappropriate goods, then the suppliers don't have any real fear about delivering poor quality product. there is a conscious effort on the part of many suppliers to intentionally produce poor quality if they can get away with it (if the contract doesn't explicitly say they won't get paid for what the customer unilaterally decides substandard parts), because in the chinese mindset they've succeeded in fooling their customers, and they've proven that they are smarter than their customers. deception and trickery is part of the chinese mindset in manufacturing. american companies need to understand that. they will get burned if they don't.

unfortunately, the supplier ethic over there is not the same that it is in america. In america, there is pride in manufacturing the best quality product you can produce. In china, there is pride in manufacturing the lowest quality product that you can pass off on your customer. the result is that many of the goods that come out of china are garbage because they are being sold to naive buyers who don't know how to negotiate. the only high quality goods are delivered to customers who have dedicated on-site quality personnel in the chinese plants to personally oversee production. most companies aren't willing to go to the expense of maintaining quality staff in china.

it's no accident that we perceive most of the crap coming out of china to be inferior. the chinese production ethic makes things that way on purpose.

(Message edited by timebandit on May 17, 2012)
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Dannybuell
Posted on Thursday, May 17, 2012 - 03:56 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Custodian/Admin Only) Ban Poster IP (Custodian/Admin only)

China has no foundation or history of business or civil law. In China contract's are written to handle disputes in countries that practice western law.

(Message edited by dannybuell on May 18, 2012)
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1313
Posted on Thursday, May 17, 2012 - 09:26 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Custodian/Admin Only) Ban Poster IP (Custodian/Admin only)

Charleston WV, There is only the one.

How odd...

I had a SPECTACULAR experience at that dealership when the 2nd stator failed in my 1125CR going to Homecoming last year. The guys in service waited for me after closing time so I could get the bike towed there, and once I got there they fed me beer after, er... I meant hospitality.

Once I decided that it would be best for me to rent a car the next morning and continue my vacation, one of the service guys drove me to a hotel. I called them during Homecoming and my bike was already fixed and ready for me to pick up on my way home.

Both the guys who stuck around in service were graybeards, but had nothing but good things to say about Buell's.

I guess experiences vary...
1313
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Pariah
Posted on Thursday, May 17, 2012 - 11:10 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Custodian/Admin Only) Ban Poster IP (Custodian/Admin only)

not everything from china is crap.

So true... I remember when I was a kid it was considered inferior if it was "made in Japan"... now if something is made in Japan it's rare and wonderful.

Don't mind me, right now I'm drinking sake brewed here in the USA. How wonderful is that, huh?!
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Boogiman1981
Posted on Friday, May 18, 2012 - 09:35 am:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Custodian/Admin Only) Ban Poster IP (Custodian/Admin only)

timebandit...bit jaded much? Look carefully at your bike there's several things made in china that are working just fine. Any part subjected to abusive/rough handling such as described will do what the OP described in failure.

Surely there is a lot of junk that makes it here from china then again there is plenty of junk made here too.

I'd love to see actual proof of your statement i.e. emails, recorded conversations etc as that's a very broad brush you're painting with.
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Poppinsexz
Posted on Friday, May 18, 2012 - 12:28 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Custodian/Admin Only) Ban Poster IP (Custodian/Admin only)

1313, I am really glad that they had such great CS for you.
I am still pretty much astounded by what happened in my case. I left out other stuff from the original post as I was and still am pretty ticked off about the whole deal.
It is amazing the differences in CS sometimes.
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Freight_dog
Posted on Sunday, May 20, 2012 - 09:00 am:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Custodian/Admin Only) Ban Poster IP (Custodian/Admin only)

Having had the rads off my bike, the quality seems ok, they are just made of a very soft aluminum. Obviously, they are quite light which is desirable, and I imagine the high malleability means the piece is a bit more durable on a machine that shakes and vibrates while it is running. The rads do require careful handling while removing and connecting hoses as the tubes are easily bent or scratched and if you bend it too much it is scrap.
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