I was in an accident back in March this year. I was about an hour from home and bike could not be ridden home due to broken levers and foot controls/floorboards, plus I was pretty beat up, so I had it towed to a nearby shop in New Braunfels, TX for repairs. My insurance met with shop and figured out repair estimate, which shop quoted 5-6 weeks. I told the shop I would buy some of the parts and let him know what other replacement parts I wanted. 6

I took parts by shop a couple weeks later and bike had not been touched. MInsurance did not give me enough money to buy new Phatail seat, so shop agreed to make a custom fiberglass seat pan and shape and cover similar style to a Lepera solo seat. I asked several times if he could do it and he assured me it was no problem.

I was in area 3-4 weeks after accident and stopped by shop. Bike had not been touched and parts not ordered. I called insurance and asked what my options were to pull bike and do work myself. They told me check was issued to shop week 1 and it was cashed. I was pissed, because I did not have to cosign the check, and the shop had all the money. Insurance told me my best option was to keep working with the shop since they could not cut me another check to do repairs myself. Shop would not answer or return calls, so I had to drive an hour tithe shop every couple weeks for updates. Week 5 - no work done and I call owner and tell him if he is too busy, I will pick bike up and do work mysel and collect the insurance money - he promises he only needs two weeks. Two more weeks and bike is not touched. Won't answer phone or return calls - I keep driving to shop and yell and scream - owner apologizes and says he wants to fix bike. This drags on for several months. I start screaming at insurance that they need to make this right since they cut him a check I his name only - they agree to check up in progress and put pressure on owner, but they cannot cut me a check, since I picked repair shop.

Week 26!!! and I am going f$&@ing nuts - yelling at everyone, but bike still not done. I get insurance mgr to meet me at shop unannounced to see what has been done. One of his adjusters made notes in my file that shop said bike was done except for custom work I requested that was taking longer. I told him B.S. - bike had still not been touched and only parts ordered were the parts I ordered and a new exhaust. We met and insurance mgr could not believe NOTHING had been done in 26 weeks. Again, because some of the money was spent on parts, insurance said my best option was to keep working with shop to complete repairs. Shop owner promises me bike in two weeks. I demand some phone calls on parts being ordered, etc within two days.

3.5 weeks later, shop tells me bike is ready. Go to pick it up and seat looks like **** - nothing like what I asked. He did not build a tab to secure seat to bottom of tank, leather looked horrible, shape is crap, and seat does not even have a way to bolt down. See pic below. Shop could not buy the same belt pulley I had on bike, because manufacturer (wicked image) went out of business between the date of accident and when shop finally ordered parts 26 weeks later. The pulley I had was very nice, high quality pulley costing $495. Pulley shop put on bike was crappy, $40 part with missing poor chrome job and pitted metal. Shop claimed he could not find a replacement fender strut, even though I provided all the parts, vendors and best prices I could find. So he sent both struts off for rechroming. Struts are all pitted - chrome $ucks!!!

I visit shop again and owner is not there. I tell one of the mechanics what is going on and he promises to have owner call me. He also said he saw the seat and did not understand why they made it the way they did. No calls. I email and call at least ten times trying to resolve the issues and even offer only partial reimbursement of insurance on seat and pulley and I will fix myself. Insurance paid $355 for a replacement seat, $495 for pulley, and $195 for struts. I told shop I wanted $175 to get seat refoamed and covered, $370 for a pulley, and strut chrome warranty transferred to me so I could have them rechromed. He never should have put some of these parts on the bike. Shop basically keeps $180 for a seat pan and $125 for pulley, plus I'll return the shitty one to the shop. AND the owner lost my key and security FOB while they had the bike. I told owner if we can't resolve this, I have no choice but take him to court. No calls or email response.

Name of shop is Blue Collar Bike Werkz. Aaron is the owner and has no business sense - stay clear of this shop. I used him before for a cam swap several years ago and sent several people his way, but this experience was the worst customer advice I have ever experienced and no effort on his part to make it right! I felt like he was the customer the entire time he had my bike. I am sure there are members that know and will defend Aaron , but there is nothing to defend. I am sure he spent my insurance money long before he ever started working on my bike and then had to try to do work on the cheap. Guess my only option is take him to small claims court at this point. I saw a member get help on a fender that wasn't returned - maybe I can get some good forum mojo to fix this.

 

Yea, I agree...not fan of that seat. That sucks man, hopefully things turn around for ya.

 

More photos, if iPhone will let me. Hard to capture all the feelings and frustration that went into 28+ weeks of waiting for fairly simple bike repairs. Guess main thing is I just wanted bike repaired to same level it was before the accident. No more, no less - that's what we all pay insurance for, and I am pissed that shop try's to save money and provide poor quality parts as a result.

 

Seat was supposed to look more like yours - not even close. Plus, the foam they used was so soft and thin that the corners of the fiberglass pan where it wraps around ECM digs into my tailbone. There is literally no padding and I can only sit on it for a few minutes before I am in pain. The exposed frame look ok on some bikes, but not what I wanted at all.

 

Here's a pic of the strut pitting - just amazed a shop would install these and pretend they did not notice the poor chrome. And the pulley is much worse than the struts!

Anyone know of a good seat shop around Austin or San Antonio that might be able to take the seat pan and refoam and cover?

 

Very sorry to hear about your experience. I am not good with this at all. That shop/owner would get his down the road; just saying

August 24, 2012 I went down (hit n run). Sounds similar to your story. Lots of cosmetic damage and that's it really. I was stiff but okay. Biggest difference was the insurance check was written to me. I can't believe they didn't at least put your name on the check that is insane. It did take my mechanic and painter 4 months to finish my bike but man it was worth the wait and I had clear communication with both of them the whole time. Dude not to make you feel worse but I could never let this slide. I'd have that dude begging on his knees. I really wish the best for you and hope this gets resolved quickly.

 

Man, that sucks, I am actually surprised more and more of those incidents happening these days ? during the 2008 crisis we did not have vendors doing this ? we get it now in good times (supposedly) !.

 

Wow, what an awful experience. I wish i could see the pics (can't since I'm so new to the forums), but you did a pretty great job of explaining it. You can rest assured that someone who conducts business like that will not stay in business long. I don't think I could of handled it as collectively as you did. I'd be busting skulls by week 6, lol.

 

Dude, that SUCKS!! NO way I could have stayed as calm as you! I'd probably have went to jail. By the way, who is your insurance with?

 

Are they in New Braunsfels?

If so, I was not impressed when I stopped by there about a year ago. I like a cold beer as much as anyone but the 2 guys that were working there were drinking while working and B.S.ing. Never bothered to see if I needed anything