Bad news for me tonight

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sirch345
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Re: Bad news for me tonight

Post by sirch345 »

jchesshyre wrote:Thanks VTRDark. I am still feeling extremely lucky three weeks after the crash. My graze has healed already and I'll just have a bit of a scar which naturally doesn't really bother me.

I'm delighted to say that thanks to a bit of eBay thriftiness on my part but largely due to the kindness and helpfulness of people on this forum I now have all the bits I need to get the bike back on the road. I'm still after a red fuel tank but the bike is rideable with the dented one (I think - need to double check it isn't split). I've taken the small bits over to the garage already and will be taking the fairings over this weekend, so it's *possible* that weekend after this I'll be taking her out on the road again. I hope this weather lasts...

I'll post some photos of the rebuild when I can.
Good to hear the update :thumbup:

Chris.
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Re: Bad news for me tonight

Post by jchesshyre »

The bike's now had its weld on the subframe mounting lug and is all confirmed as aligned. They're starting work putting the new bits on tomorrow so really shouldn't be long now till I post a picture of my shiny (sort of) new 'storm :thumbup:
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OtterSmacker
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Re: Bad news for me tonight

Post by OtterSmacker »

Gah! Unlucky mate.

At least you came out of it better than the bike did.
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Re: Bad news for me tonight

Post by jchesshyre »

It's starting to look more like a bike again now...it's in a straight line which is a start :lol: The rest of the bits are going back on this week. :D

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sirch345
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Re: Bad news for me tonight

Post by sirch345 »

Good to see the bike coming back together :thumbup:

Chris.
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Re: Bad news for me tonight

Post by jchesshyre »

I'm now just awaiting a call to say the bike's ready for me...either today (unlikely now), Monday or Tuesday. Come ON!!!!
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Re: Bad news for me tonight

Post by jchesshyre »

So, my bike's still at the place where it's being repaired, a month after I took the last parts in. Although I know they're a busy place who predominantly do tyres, and they're doing me a bit of a favour doing it up, I was rather hoping it would be ready sooner than this.

I have been in quite a few times over the last few weeks and don't want to pester them too much but I REALLY want to be able to attend the meet in Birmingham a week on Saturday. When I went in a week ago they'd replaced the clutch cover having cleaned the sump and crankcase out of any dirt or swarf, replaced the subframe, seat and rear cowl, leaving basically just the fitting of the exhaust silencers and headers and front fairings plus filling up the sump and cooling system. Surely all that is three hours' work absolute max, assuming there are no unforeseen problems?

They shouldn't be prioritising other jobs over mine really which they must be, having not finished it yet. I should add that the mechanic who's working on it (ex-police bike mechanic :thumbup: ) is not the tyre fitter - they have separate guys for that - so I can't see why it's taking so long.

I'm paying them another visit in half an hour or so to see where they're at, and although I'm not great at being the 'tough customer' I think I will have to insist that it's ready by the beginning of next week otherwise I'll need to take it away and fit the fairings myself. I always feel though that it's a tricky balance to strike between giving them necessary prodding and pissing them off (which applies to other people in my life too :lol: )
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sirch345
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Re: Bad news for me tonight

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It's always a bit of a tricky one that, as you say you don't want to pi$$ them off, but on the otherhand you want your bike back in good working order so you can use it before the summer is gone.
Was there any mention of a time scale when they took the work on :?:

Good luck with it, I hope your visit shows up some positive moves in the right direction of getting the bike finished,

Chris.
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Re: Bad news for me tonight

Post by jchesshyre »

Thanks Chris, yes that's exactly it - Summer is here!

Well I'm pleased to say that I don't think it'll be long now - all that's left is fitting the front fairing + headlight, exhausts, and fuel tank.

When I first discussed it with him I said 'do you reckon the end of the month [June] is feasible?' and he sort of said, 'ohhh, yeah, I can't see it taking longer than that.' As far as I know there haven't been any unexpected setbacks. However he is retired and isn't there full-time by any means, and I knew that, so...as long as he does a good job I think in a month's time I (hopefully) won't be giving it a second thought and will just be enjoying having the bike back.
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Re: Bad news for me tonight

Post by alanfjones1411 »

Bit of a bummer that but it's probably better for you if they take their time and do it right.
SO WHEN DOES THIS OLD ENOUGH TO KNOW BETTER KICK IN
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sirch345
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Re: Bad news for me tonight

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jchesshyre wrote:Thanks Chris, yes that's exactly it - Summer is here!

Well I'm pleased to say that I don't think it'll be long now - all that's left is fitting the front fairing + headlight, exhausts, and fuel tank.

When I first discussed it with him I said 'do you reckon the end of the month [June] is feasible?' and he sort of said, 'ohhh, yeah, I can't see it taking longer than that.' As far as I know there haven't been any unexpected setbacks. However he is retired and isn't there full-time by any means, and I knew that, so...as long as he does a good job I think in a month's time I (hopefully) won't be giving it a second thought and will just be enjoying having the bike back.
Fingers crossed for you it's not that long now, as you say not a huge amount left to do. I agree, providing it's a good job then it'll be worth the wait,

Chris.
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Re: Bad news for me tonight

Post by jchesshyre »

Went to visit her today and now that the exhausts are on she's looking much more her old self.

I've explained about the anniversary meet this Saturday and the guy has assured me that if it's not finished when I show up at 5 on Friday afternoon he'll trailer it to his house round the corner and finish the last bits there! I hope he wasn't joking. Fingers crossed I'll be able to ride it down to Birmingham on Saturday morning. :thumbup:
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sirch345
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Re: Bad news for me tonight

Post by sirch345 »

Aw so close, Friday tomorrow :eh:

Good luck,

Chris.
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Re: Bad news for me tonight

Post by jchesshyre »

They didn't finish it today :x :x :x They had too many cars come in for tyres apparently and as they are a tyre place primarily they can't turn people away because I'm waiting for my bike - I knew this was the deal but it's still very annoying.

There's a chance they'll finish tomorrow afternoon, but I'll be coming to the Anniversary meet on my black CB500 instead. See some of you there!
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Re: Bad news for me tonight

Post by jchesshyre »

Well the lad at the garage has sent me a video of the bike running which is great, but even after their working on it yesterday it's still not ready.

I plan to go in tomorrow and say that if it's not ready by the end of Thursday I'd like them to trailer it round to my house on Friday and I'll finish it myself.

Although no actual deadline was agreed, at the beginning in early May they said that finishing it by the end of June should be no problem, then they promised to have it ready for Friday (two weeks into July) in time for yesterday's meet, and now it still isn't ready and we're approaching three weeks into July. I understand that unexpected business can happen, but there have been no major setbacks with sorting it and really all that's left is fitting the front fairings and general tidying up of some cables etc. Plus an MoT.

What irks me is that there hasn't been any acknowledgement whatsoever from them that it's taking rather a while or any explanation as to why it is. Then, the last straw was that on Friday morning, when they got me to bring a coolant hose in to cut to size for the little hose on the back of the RH rad (which split in the crash and which I brought a replacement in early on which they seem to have lost), they said they'd phone me on Friday at 5.30/45 and by 6.30 I'd heard nothing and ended up texting the lad who's helping with it whose number I have, to be told only then that they hadn't finished it.

Anyway...yesterday's meet in Birmingham was great fun. Had a nice ride down with uk13iker and an even better ride up (better roads and no rain), and it was brilliant to see the museum and to be together with a load of Firestorms (even if I was on my little 500 twin), and especially to have met some of you. I look forward very much to joining in some rides in the future!

I will probably abstain from posting to this thread now until I have a nice photo of the finished bike with a backdrop of Snowdonia when I'm out for a first blast on it :D
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