Wilsons Sandbox

When I bought my bike I was told that another company puts the bikes together before they are delivered to the dealer, and I asked my dealer very specifically if they go over the bikes and check them out before they sell them, of course he said yes (he was a salesperson, they tell you what you want to hear). It doesn't matter who puts them together, the company who produces them is still responsible for making sure that they don't fall apart (even though it sucks thats the way it works), if it is something vital to the safety of the machine, it should be attached at the factory and shipped with it attached so there is no doubt that some min wage teenager who doesn't give a crap about your bike doesn't mess it up when they put it together. I think knowing what I know about motorcycles now, I would want mine delivered unassembled in a crate so I could spend the weekend putting it together correctly, which means tightening the friggin bolts. I will admit that getting screws to stay in anything that holds on plastic is hard because you can't tighten them down very good because you'll crack the plastic, I have however found a solution to that, neoprene backed washers, the neoprene works kind of like a lock washer on the plastic it makes it so that it's harder to turn the screw out, I havn't lost a single screw with a neoprene backed washer on plastic yet. As for the other bolts that hold down metal, once I get a hold of them, they aren't going anywhere. Trev A16

--- In DSN_klr650@y..., "tomklra14" wrote: > I do check my fasteners on a somewhat regular basis and while I have > lost a couple of screws I have never lost any parts. Regular > maintenance is a responsibility one must accept as a motorcycle > owner; motorcycles need more maintenance than cars. However, I do > believe that any product you buy, including motorcycles, should be > capable of being used for its intended purpose at the time of > purchase. > > Can the blame for this problem be put totally on KHI? I thought the > dealers recieved the bikes in crates and did some assembly work on > the bikes before putting them on the showroom floor. The dealer > where I purchased my bike charged an assembly fee. Is this > incorrect, do the bikes go to the dealers completely assembled? I > would be more inclined to be pissed at the dealer where I bought the > bike than KHI if something fell off a newly purchased bike. Granted > KHI should be inspecting dealers to make sure they are properly > assembling the bikes, but if something falls off a new bike shouldn't > the dealer take most of the blame? > > Tom > A14 in El Paso. Any other KLR enthusiasts in the West Texas, > Southern New Mexico area?

Or a safety recall with no known turn-around date. "Your bike will stay here until we decide what to do" and they give you a kx80 to ride until then. Maybe. millerized (nutz are tight, belt is loose)

--- In DSN_klr650@y..., "Harvy" wrote: > > Careful guys... all this talk of manufacturer responsibility will have the attorneys circling. When they're done with all their legal nonsense, they will have the KLR costing an extra few thousand dollars so we can be protected from ourselves. > > Harv > > > > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

tomklra14 wrote: [...]

> However, I do > believe that any product you buy, including motorcycles, should be > capable of being used for its intended purpose at the time of > purchase.

Agreed. The KLR is primarily a road bike that can handle bad roads and some easy offroad jobs. Some owners my never take their bike off any kind of made road. It is no KDX.

> Can the blame for this problem be put totally on KHI? I thought the > dealers recieved the bikes in crates and did some assembly work on > the bikes before putting them on the showroom floor. The dealer > where I purchased my bike charged an assembly fee. Is this > incorrect, do the bikes go to the dealers completely assembled?

I guess it depends on where you are, but I have always assumed that new bikes were crated to the dealers. Crates may be easier to transport around than built-up, scratchable, prone to falling over bikes.

> I > would be more inclined to be pissed at the dealer where I bought the > bike than KHI if something fell off a newly purchased bike.

I would bet that any KHI approved procedures for uncrating would include an overall nut and bolt tightness check. The first service and subsequent services at prescribed intervals would also spec a nut and bolt tightness check. Whether dealers ever do any of this is open to conjecture. Sure the bike has vibes, but the twin counterbalancer system _should_ help a lot. Have a look at a brochure for the bike, I bet it makes a big deal about the counterbalancers smoothing out the vibes of that big bad single. If bits fall off due to vibration loosening fasteners, then we could argue that the sales blurb is false and/or misleading, or the dealer prep and subsequent servicing was incompetent.

> Granted > KHI should be inspecting dealers to make sure they are properly > assembling the bikes,

What are the chances that will ever happen?

> but if something falls off a new bike shouldn't > the dealer take most of the blame?

Whoever did the last nut and bolt tightness check. Mister_T Melbourne Australia

Hi Dave, you wrote:

> Hi Ted, Your right, bikes are at least partially assembled by the > dealer. Usually front wheel, handlebars, turnsignals, etc. But, I > also I heard from another KLR group member that KLR's in the last few > model years have been assembled in Taiwan, and they have been > notorious about leaving parts loose that they assemble.

All the more reason for competent dealer prep.

> Now having > said all that, It's a THUMPER!!!!!

A counterbalanced thumper.

> Expect to invest in Loctite.

I never have. I should have used it on the starter clutch bolts, but I can only blame myself for that. I rarely had bolts come loose. Maybe it was because I used to routinely pull a lot of the bike apart for cleaning.

> Besides, after having worked in a shop in my teens, and the fact that > a lot of shops still use inexperinced labor to assemble their bikes, > take it for granted that they need to be completely gone over with a > fine tooth comb when you get them home.

At what point should we not need to go over the bike with a fine tooth comb when the bike first gets home from the dealer? When we buy a ZXR? Or a Gold Wing? Bits falling off can become a public liability issue. Say somebody buys a new bike, supplied, prepped and serviced by an authorised dealer. The muffler falls off and a guy riding behind runs over the muffler, crashes and dies. Who is to blame? Is the owner to blame because the bike was new and presumably maintained to spec by people authorised by the factory and paid to do so? Or was it just bad luck? Should KHI put a sticker on the tank that says the bike is not to be ridden by people who do not have mechanical experience? Regards, Mister_T -- /_/_/_/_/_)_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/ | RC17 KLR600 KHGZ31JAMG Solaris FreeBSD 4.4-R | ) Team RC17 Australia http://www.teamrc17.net | |_________________________________________________________________|/

Should KHI put a sticker on the tank that says the bike is not to

> be ridden by people who do not have mechanical experience?

Yeah, right. Imagine the posts we'd get then. Can you imagine the lack of common sense posts we'd be getting. Whoops, I'd better check the 2003's right away! millerized (how tight do I have to hold the grips while riding, it's not in the manual?! or the FAQ)

Just wondering how you get the mail program, in my case - Outlook, to do the following when replying or refering to a previously posted message or email:

--- In DSN_klr650@y..., "" wrote: