DT Cycle

Response to claim # [redacted] recieved 02/28/17.Customer did bring the bottom half of his motor to my shop along with the crank kit for me to install on fri 9/9/2016. I did tell him I would do it for $100 + $25 for a cam chain he needed,provided there were no other problems since...

the motor bottom end was still together.Not having X ray vision you never know regardless of experience ( I have 40+ years in the business) what you might find inside.We did know in advance that he had oil pressure failure causing his crankshaft to fail.Also he had told me prior to his crankshaft failure that his oil was foaming.This too indicates oil pressure problems. Also the $100 labor fee was based on the assumption of being able to disassemble and reassemble in 1 day but he said the following weekend would be fine,that he still had other parts to buy and his money was tight. That day I disassembled the motor with full intention of reassembling the same evening.I discovered that the motor had blew up at least once prior to this time.There was evidence of damage not caused by this crankshaft failure and I also discovered the reason for his oil pressure problem that caused the crankshaft to fail as well as the oil foaming he had mentioned.The parts he needed to properly repair were very expensive new and not economically feasible for the value of the motorcycle.The oil pump body was damaged and is actually machined out of the right crankcase halve.I helped do online research after hours to help him to know what all years would interchange so that he could start hunting for used parts on ebay at ¼ price. No charge. I had also helped with the research in the weeks prior to help him to find out what years crankshafts would work as his bike is a 2002 and the parts were less common,more expensive and the 2003 and newer crankshafts were heavier duty  but required that some other parts needed changes as well.Again after hours and again.No charge. It took him a couple weeks to get the other used ebay parts to me.Sad to say the used parts he bought weren’t much better than his originals.I suggested he find better parts but he said he would have to use the ones he bought because of money.I told him I had the day he brought it cleared for him and that now the motor had sat for 2 to 3 weeks and it wasn’t going to go together as quickly as it would have if I could have reassembled it right away. This was clearly not my fault.Also that I might have to charge $25 more labor since it had been apart a few weeks and also that I could improve the quality of the parts he bought making it a much better oil system for $15 to $20 additional.Had I put it back together with the problems I discovered that day like some may have, it would have repeated the crankshaft failure.Then he might have had a legitimate reason to go to the Revdex.com.Our shop is very busy and we are always trying to find more hours in the day to help more people.We try to work on first in first out as best we can.We also try to finish the jobs that are going to be paid for and picked up when scheduled.He asked me when I would have it done.Since he had told me several times his money was in short supply especially after the other damage and parts needs were found,I asked him when he would have the money.This was in early October and his work was getting cut back and he said it could be a couple weeks.Over the next 3 to 4 months he has called about 6 times asking if I had the motor done and I told him tell me a day when you would have the money and I would be sure and have it done for pick up on that day.Each time I was met with the same answer with different reasons.It was either Christmas or no work or groceries and at least twice the light bill.He did offer the first of February to pay $50 toward it and I told him to hold it back and let me know when he had it all saved up.As I said earlier we can’t finish jobs to have them sit.We don’t take payments and we don’t have lay away.He called me around the 15th of February and said he was pretty sure he would have the money at the end of the month which to me was feb 28th whatever day it falls on.He said his last light bill was smaller than expected and it was going to help his finances. I told him no problem I would have it ready.He asked what the total was gonna be and I repeated the previous prices but told him as long as he had the original $100 I could work with him on the other $40/$45 since he was having trouble. This was going to work out perfectly as we are closed on Mondays but I always work on things that didn’t get done the previous week but would have liked to completed.This was Monday the 27th. I had all day to complete but would only take a couple hours.We had a Plan! Wrong.Keep in mind up until this time we were very civil and working together problem solving,he/we had no problems.It’s been off season and he said he wouldn’t have been riding it even if he had it and all was good.Then Thursday the 23rd comes.It’s a very warm day and he had came across some unexpected money and wanted his bike so he could ride now! I told him I was still good with the plan we had for the end of the month (5 days) and he couldn’t wait.He would just take it as is and pay me for what I’ve done so far. Really? Seriously? I charged him $35 labor for the disassembly,the inspection,hours of research on what would work or might work or wouldn’t work.Not to mention the hour to reply to Revdex.com to defend myself and business.I now know what it feels like when someone innocent of a crime has to higher a lawyer to prove they didn’t need a lawyer. I charged $6 for two $3 needed parts that he had to have and they cost me $3 shipping.I returned to stock the $22 cam chain that he no longer wanted cause he could buy it on ebay for $21.I also still have in stock a special bolt I ordered a year ago for him yet I continued to trust his word.As I said earlier I have been doing this professionally for 43 years. This is my 1st Revdex.com contact and my first dink on Facebook.I couldn’t begin to tell you how many times and ways I have helped this guy.Like I told him.It’s a crazy world.But at least you now know why he left here with a box of parts.I received this complaint in the mail the day he was supposed to pick up a completed repair. Sincerely,Daniel T[redacted]