ShortVersion – DON’T DO IT!



Longer Version – (my experience – aka,"How I blew a Paycheck!!!")

I ordered a full rear kit from STF. I ordered a sissy bar. I ordered custom paint.

I was an idiot...

And I cannot, cannot stress enough how much I wanted this to work out. I have liked the look of the STF kit since I first saw the o.d. green bike in American Iron back in like, 2007? I wanted it to be quality, I wanted Kyle to prove all the old reviews wrong. I wanted to show everyone that they had become better than the old reviews…but as they say, you can want in one hand, and take a dump inthe other and see which fills up faster…

THE GOOD– Kyle’s wife Deidra’s customer service and quick responses via email were the only thing keeping me sane. She was polite, understanding, and at the end, evenagreed with me that it all went badly on their end. Thus ends all the good things.



THE BAD– First, there was the paint. In my very first email to Kyle, I asked for a specific paint job. I even sent him a picture FROM HIS OWN WEBSITE of the paint scheme I wanted. (IT WAS TO BE A BLACK AND DARK MAROON PATINA JOB) Along with a pic of the sissy bar I wanted, again FROM HIS OWN WEBSITE. He said “no problem”…I send him a load of cash.

A week or so goes by and I get a pic of the tank, (he actually told me it was ready to ship, I said I would like to see a pic, to ensure it was done as agreed upon.)

Nope!

He says,it’s one of the coolest paint jobs his painter has ever done… I say, "looks cool.But not what I paid for."
Kyle says, “But it’s COOL!” I say again,that’s not anywhere near what we agreed on.

He says to give him some time to sell it online and he will make it right. Two weeks go by. It does NOT sell.

Kyle then calls me telling me it will cost me another $700.00to have his painter redo it. I ask him, “So… I have to pay out of pocket to get what I already paid for?!”

Let me be clear... Because Kyle failed to relay tothe painter what I paid for, I am asked to pay again. (And I sent pictures…from his own website)

YEP. That ACTUALLY happened!

I tell him I am a hard working Soldier, and not someone who has tons of cash to throw around. Send me the tins, and I will spray paint it myself…



I get my kit.

UGH!

My buddy and I dive in. Excited to finally get my bike back together! The rear fender has arrived predrilled, (and to be honest, I originally asked for it that way to minimize error on my side, but was ASSURED it would NOT come predrilled…as apparently “ every crossbones rear end is different”Kyle says)

SO… we get the rear fender mocked up. It’s crooked from where it is predrilled to fit at the base, and high on the right rear. Ok... we hope that once we install the sissy bar to the predrilled holes on the fender that it will even out.

Nope!

As we tap the axle thru the sissy bar, it catches the “less than quality” ( like bible paper thin) powdercoating on the inside and flakes it off all around the exterior of the sissybar base. Not only that but after we force it to bolt up to the fender we notice that the predrilled holes in the fender are half and inch off of each other and the whole damn thing sits crooked! … And seems to rub on the sissybar way to tightly, like the two were not made for each other.

All this from a rear end set up that Kyle ASSURED me had been fitted at his shop prior to shipping. (Though I argue that if he had,not only would he have seen the OBVIOUS offset of the fender and sissybar, but the powder coat that snagged on the axle would have come off then, and not in my garage!)

On the topic off the sissy bar… Yeah, it wasn’t the one I asked for either (no kidding, I sent him a pic from HIS WEBSITE, of the one I wanted,and again I got the “No problem” from Kyle).
I noticed that right out of the box, but at the time didn’t know I had completely blown my paycheck on a pile of crap, and was willing to make due. AND a huge chunk of powdercoating was damaged at the top. NO powder coating in the wrap or box, so I can only conclude that it was packed and shipped that was. Again, Kyle refused this as a possibility, I guess unbeknownst to me powder coating can evaporate into thin air during shipping.

WHICH REMINDS ME…

Gas tank...It was the last box to arrive. Pulled it out of the box, willing to accept the cards I dealt myself. (So, so, SO MANY reviews of SHADYTREE FABRICATIONS were "less than stellar" in the early years. And believe me I was warned. But I took Kyle at his word that the company had improved, Hell last month he was featured in American Iron)

There is paint spray all up IN my tank. And a good two inch DENT in thegas tank, where the paint flaked off in my hand as I touched it!

And THAT folks, is where I lost it. Called Kyle. Told him I was packing it all up and sending it back. He said he couldn’t refund me all my money. I Told him, if he was so proud of it, and if there truly was no defects (which MUST be the case since he assured me all the issues were mine) he could easily sell it to someone else.

Came to the agreement that if he gave me “X” amount of my money back (less than half, but I figure anythingis better than losing all my money.) That I wouldn’t write an honest review of my experience with him. Agreed that I would get my money refunded, two weeks ago.Last Friday Deidra sent me half, asking if I would give them til Monday to pay the rest. Well, I’m not stationed in Texas, so there is little I can do about it. I agreed.

Tuesday I email and ask if they got busy and forgot. Kyle tells me he doesn’t have it and to give him til Friday… I chalk it up to yet one more thing promised, that I didn’t get from SHADETREE FABRICATIONS...

Yes, I was conflicted writing this. I am a STRONG supporter of local, “Mom & Pop” businesses and realize that STF is not a “BIG name”in the game. And further conflicted because I told them I would not as long as my refund came thru smoothly. But they failed time and time again on their side, so I write this as a warning to all of you out there who may be visually impressed by the look they offer. Hell, as I right this, they still owe me money as promised days ago...

BOTTOMLINE – If you, like me, want to spend your money on a quality product, from a reputable company who will do as agreed for the price set. And if you feel that you should be valued as a customer…

AVOID SHADETREE FABRICATIONS!!!

IF, you are a guy who doesn’t mind getting the run around. Not getting what you paid for, and generally sits around on a Saturday lighting cigars with hundred dollar bills… go right ahead. But like many before me told me “you have been advised, good luck!”

 

THE UGLY -

This is the paintjob I asked for, was agreed on, and paid for -

 

This is the sissy bar (style) I was promised -

 

This is what i got -

 

Wow...that's totally f'd up. I can see how off the backrest holes are...about half an inch if looking correctly? Parts damaged in shipping? Ya I'd be hot.

 

Sorry you had a bad experience man, but if i recall you were advised by someone in the know not to do this. There is a reason they are referred to as "Shady Tree".

 

More...

 

Skipper - You are absolutly correct I and I am the first to admit it. I even said it in the write up. But many have been asking lately for "recent' reviews. I thought I would share mine.

 

Visago - fairly certain most of the damaged parts were damagedin house, prior to shipping. the bubble wrap and boxes were in good shape...

 

I would be pissed. I would have settled for nothing less than a FULL refund. That paint looked like someone threw up on it.