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quality control horror story
Posted: Wed Sep 29, 2004 11:28 am
by steve pye
A friend of mine told me an interesting story this week.
Our local Kawi dealer had one 2003 KLR left on the floor all summer. Some chap from out of town bought the bike and planned to drive it from here ( Goose Bay, Labrador) to his home in Quebec.
He didn't get far. Apparently had a major problem with the rear wheel about 6 or 7 hundred kms down the road. He got trucked to the nearest dealer which was in Baie Comeau, Quebec. My friend stated that the rear hub was "torn to pieces". Upon inspection the Quebec dealer claimed that it appeared several pieces of the rear hub were completely missing - as in, never installed in the first place. The central spacer and one of the bearing retaining clips were not to be found.
I was prepared to blame this on my dealer here as an example of poor pre-sales inspection but, as my friend pointed out; the bikes come from the factory with rear wheel installed. A dealer might check things like axel nut, wheel alignment or chain tension, but who would think to remove the wheel to ensure all parts are there?
Is this another example of poor QC in the Thailand manufacturing process??
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
quality control horror story
Posted: Wed Sep 29, 2004 12:24 pm
by dooden
--- In
DSN_klr650@yahoogroups.com, "Steve Pye" wrote:
> A friend of mine told me an interesting story this week.
>
> Is this another example of poor QC in the Thailand manufacturing
process??
Dooden
A15 Green Ape (says "Made in Japan" on mine)
quality control horror story
Posted: Wed Sep 29, 2004 12:41 pm
by steve pye
----- Original Message -----
From: "Dooden"
> Dooden
> A15 Green Ape (says "Made in Japan" on mine)
As it did on my '87, '93 and '97. I think they went Thai in '02 or'03.
Anyone know for sure??
Steve
quality control horror story
Posted: Wed Sep 29, 2004 12:48 pm
by Devon
spye@... wrote:
> My friend stated that the rear hub was "torn to pieces". Upon inspection the Quebec dealer claimed that it appeared several pieces of the rear hub were completely missing - as in, never installed in the first place. The central spacer and one of the bearing retaining clips were not to be found.
>
>I was prepared to blame this on my dealer here as an example of poor pre-sales inspection but, as my friend pointed out; the bikes come from the factory with rear wheel installed. A dealer might check things like axel nut, wheel alignment or chain tension, but who would think to remove the wheel to ensure all parts are there?
>
They wouldn't, but you could measure from one chain adjustor bolt to the
other. If the inside cush drive spacer is missing, tightening the axle
will pull in the swingarm ends and close the distance between the
adjustor bolts.
Also, when checking the presence of the cotter pin in the rear axle, you
can see by how far the bolt sticks out past the nut if something is wrong.
Devon
quality control horror story
Posted: Wed Sep 29, 2004 1:42 pm
by Stuart Mumford
> -----Original Message-----
>
> A friend of mine told me an interesting story this week.
>
Any post that starts like this, I am skeptical of. I know Mr. Pye's integrity is above reproach, but he's hearing it thierd hand...
> Our local Kawi dealer had one 2003 KLR left on the floor all
> summer. Some chap from out of town bought the bike and planned to
> drive it from here ( Goose Bay, Labrador) to his home in Quebec.
>
> He didn't get far. Apparently had a major problem with the rear
> wheel about 6 or 7 hundred kms down the road. He got trucked to
> the nearest dealer which was in Baie Comeau, Quebec. My friend
> stated that the rear hub was "torn to pieces". Upon inspection
> the Quebec dealer claimed that it appeared several pieces of the
> rear hub were completely missing - as in, never installed in the
> first place. The central spacer and one of the bearing retaining
> clips were not to be found.
>
> I was prepared to blame this on my dealer here as an example of
> poor pre-sales inspection but, as my friend pointed out; the
> bikes come from the factory with rear wheel installed. A dealer
> might check things like axel nut, wheel alignment or chain
> tension, but who would think to remove the wheel to ensure all
> parts are there?
>
> Is this another example of poor QC in the Thailand manufacturing
> process??
>
>
>
Could be, if a place makes 10,000 widgets, at least one of them will be bad.
However, I think it is more likely that someone had the rear wheel off the bike (for brakes, sprocket, new tire, any number of reasons) and forgot the infamous spacer on reassembly.
Cheers
CA Stu
quality control horror story
Posted: Wed Sep 29, 2004 4:46 pm
by The Mule
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Dooden"
>
>> Dooden
>> A15 Green Ape (says "Made in Japan" on mine)
>
> As it did on my '87, '93 and '97. I think they went Thai in '02 or'03.
> Anyone know for sure??
> Steve
.........All I know is the black and green A17's are the best ever!!!
And mine smelled faintly of peanut sauce when new..........
My A14 had a fishy-sushi smell........but that may have been the fork
oil leaking.........?
Da Mule
quality control horror story
Posted: Wed Sep 29, 2004 6:16 pm
by Kelly Walsh
Thai me up, Thai me down. All I know is that my A17
was built in the same country that Coppola used for
Apocalypse Now. If it's good enough for him, it's good
enough for my KLR.
I just haven't figured out a way to get a surfboard on
the thing without it becoming airborn. Anything out
there from Arrowhead/Dual Star/Sagebrush?
Kelly Walsh
Santa Fe, NM (GREAT surfing, no on eshooting at you)
A17 (It's a Thai thing)
'81 GPz 550 (limping along)
--- The Mule wrote:
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: "Dooden"
> >
> >> Dooden
> >> A15 Green Ape (says "Made in Japan" on mine)
> >
> > As it did on my '87, '93 and '97. I think they
> went Thai in '02 or'03.
> > Anyone know for sure??
> > Steve
>
> .........All I know is the black and green A17's are
> the best ever!!!
> And mine smelled faintly of peanut sauce when
> new..........
> My A14 had a fishy-sushi smell........but that
> may have been the fork
> oil leaking.........?
>
> Da Mule
>
>
>
> List sponsored by Dual Sport News at
>
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> Krok at:
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> Unsubscribe by sending a blank message to:
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>
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quality control horror story
Posted: Thu Sep 30, 2004 5:27 am
by dooden
--- In
DSN_klr650@yahoogroups.com, "Steve Pye" wrote:
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Dooden"
>
> > Dooden
> > A15 Green Ape (says "Made in Japan" on mine)
>
> As it did on my '87, '93 and '97. I think they went Thai in '02 or'03.
> Anyone know for sure??
> Steve
02 I think, or maybe midway 01, seems I have heard some say there 01
was a Thai Stick special.
Dooden
A15 Green Ape
quality control horror story
Posted: Thu Sep 30, 2004 5:41 am
by dooden
--- In
DSN_klr650@yahoogroups.com, "The Mule" wrote:
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: "Dooden"
> >
> >> Dooden
> >> A15 Green Ape (says "Made in Japan" on mine)
> >
> > As it did on my '87, '93 and '97. I think they went Thai in '02 or'03.
> > Anyone know for sure??
> > Steve
>
> .........All I know is the black and green A17's are the best
ever!!!
> And mine smelled faintly of peanut sauce when new..........
> My A14 had a fishy-sushi smell........but that may have been
the fork
> oil leaking.........?
>
> Da Mule
Well if the forks were leaking of course it will smell like fish...
since they use Fish Oil in them forks...
Speaking of which I still have'nt drained mine.. Oops.. nice reminder.
Whats a good weight of fork oil and how much will be needed to just
drain and fill ? Will a Quart do both forks.. I suppose I should look
in the FAQ before asking.
I really do not have a problem with my shock/forks as OEM, but you
have to remember my last bike was almost 20 yrs ago, and it was a late
70's KZ400 with almost no suspension, and I used to ride that sucker
up and down the river banks in Jax, Fl after the tide went out. Talk
about a wild ride on that dark greasy stuff.
Dooden
A15 Green Ape
doohickey canadian record attempt
Posted: Thu Sep 30, 2004 8:08 am
by jobin.francois@hydro.qc.ca
Does anybody want to try to set a "doohickey" replacement "Canadian" record
in the Montreal region. Maybe I can provide a garage and lot's of Canadian
brew to make the competition go smoothly
Contact me if interested, it's getting more and more cold in the morning and
leave are getting more and more colourful.
Fran ois 97 KLR 650
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