First, let me warn you this might be a long post.

Background:
Last November my bike began pinging pretty bad and was running severely hot.
I took it to a local indy with a pretty decent reputation for his work. I explained the issue to him. While there I shared the motor had previously been into and worked heads by Vee twin performance and were decked with .40 gaskets, Andrews 57 H cams RC components pipes, and screaming eagle air cleaner. I toid him I wasn't in a huge hurry.

He told me it was good time to drop it as he was pretty slow. Fast forward 3 weeks and after not hearing from him I stopped by after work to just check in. His son said they had not looked at it but i was next in line and they would call me early the next week. Another 2 weeks goes by and I stop again and it was the same story. Fast forward another 3 weeks This time I stopped in and asked to simply pick up my bike because when I said I wasn't in a hurry I didn't mean to let it sit there for months. The owner came out from the back and very aggressively Crowding on me and started with "you said you weren't in a hurry" and you keep "checking in on us" and disrupting our work. I settled him down and my gut said pull it anyways but I didn't listen to it because he said he had the tuning off and it wouldn't run. He assured me he would have answers in a couple of days. The owner even went as far as sating " I'm and A-Hole but I am the best at what I do.
I guess me wanting to pull it got things moving.

Fast forward about 2 more weeks and he calls me telling me my cylinders are junk, "Whoever did these heads sucks" and that he recommended I go with a 107 kit. Well after many more calls from him we ended up with new heads (ported by him) new 107 cylinders. new Woods 510 cams, new True dual Rineharts and slip ons. New head bolts, some sort of hardened rings (Chrome)and a litianly of other parts. He is telling me he can get the bike at 120 plus in torque and about the same HP. Of course I had to remove my junk *** snake oil Powervision and Target tune and go with his programming. During all of this he tells me how my junk AIM clutch won;t hold the power so he added a Barnett heavy spring to the clutch. In a subsequent conversation I told him the clutch t was brutal and his response was to shift to neutral at lights. Now I am one to let a craftsman do his thing so I agreed to each new part. Again this guy has a pretty strong reputation.

So Finally in the middle of Jan I got my bike back along with a bill for $4790 and instructions to ride for 1000 miles and he would re tune.

I rode it on and off and got on a big project so it was a couple of months before I took it back. The bike ran strong but not any more than the previous build with cams and exhaust, intake etc... So I took it back for a final tune. His words were drop it on Tuesday and I will have it back by Friday. Well that Friday and 4 more Fridays went past before I get a call telling me he cant tune with my junk *** Screaming Eagle breather. I said we are almost 5k in this build and he went off before I could finish my statement, which was what is a couple of hundred more. Instead he began screaming and cussing at me like I did something wrong. Again he told me he was an *** but I could tolerate that for a strong running bike. One of his reviews on yelp says he offered to go out to the parking lot to "settle it": with a customer. Much the same as he acted aggressive with me when I questioned him. He is a fairly large guy.

So finally I get it back with a Dyno sheet that shows the bike making 128 ft lbs of torque and 113HP Not too bad. I had to listen to him warn me about how strong the bike was and how I needed new / better brakes to stop it and how loose it was and I needed to adjust the neck bearings. Even though I had just done a fall away on it. He tells me how he over shot the drive way because he couldn't get it stopped and how it would do 100 MPH in third gear etc...He son also tells me how he had it out on the road and it was a strong running bike. Well I get on and the back brakes will not stop it at all and the fronts were squeeking. Funny they were perfect before. (I ended up stopping by the dealer and having a break job done the next day because they were so glazed it wouldn't stop.) So now I am presented with a $1001 bill for a 58 mm throttle body and new Ness cleaner. (so for those adding it up I am over $5800 on a 107 build) Well I take off and I carefully get on it thinking I would have this untamable beast. Well it was ho hum to say the least. i mean it ran decent and sounded fine but it was not crazy power.

A week later I ride the bike to a rally about 2 hours away and get to a light and the bike is smoking blueish smoke. I remembered when I checked the oil it was at the full mark so thought the hard run may have sucked some through the intake. So I pulled about a half a quart out. I thought it resolved it until today (I'll write about that in a minute)
So when i got back from the rally I still did not think the power I paid for was there so i took the bike to another builder about is about 2 hours away for his opinion. He puts it on the DYNO and the hp is at 83 and the torque is 102. He also notes the previous dyno crossed at 4250R{M not 5252. Which is strange. We tinker with it and he wants to pull the air cleaner after multiple runs in an attempt to give the benefit of doubt. Well when we try to pull the air cleaner cover this guy has either cross threaded or red loc tighted the cover bolt. We tried every way including an impact to pull the bolt with no luck. We ended up having to drill the bolt out to get the cover off. So now I have a ruined filter. We ended up doing several pulls on the dyno with the filter off and the numbers got a little better but still nowhere near the previous claims. The new dyno guy did not wan to try and tune it before I deal with the problems with the build.

Well today I am so disgusted with the whole thing because now the bike has a wobble (wasn't there before the build) a compensator that is knocking like hell and no where near the power I think it should have so I stop by Harley to see about trading it in. Well the dealer flat low ***** me saying the bike is smoking (and he showed me it is) and that they would have to go into the motor if they take it in on trade.

So I know what i have done so far but I am hoping some one you read this and I would like your opinion on how you would handle it short of taking it back to the guy. I cannot run a risk of my job by ending up there and a fight with him and I believe that is what would happen. or he would do something worse than he has done to my bike. Oh and by the way., the wobble and knocking seems to be a broken front motor mount and torn up comp.

So as a summary for those who skimmed. Bike went to this guy, he took months for a supposed short time build, said every part I had was junk and sold me all new ones, tore up my breaks, compensator and motor mount and the bike has the same or less power than my built 103 did. Suggestions on how to remedy this?

 

Too much money for small claims court. You'll have to get a lawyer and sue. Unfortunately, the lawyer will cost more than you've got in the build. So you'll be gambling on two things:

1. Do you think you can win, given the (I assume) lack of signed contracts and/or work orders.
2. If you win, do you think you can get anything out of the guy.

Your other options include felony crimes of violence on your part. Not a good choice.

Lesson learned. After the second missed promised date, "get the bike back".

 

WoW! There out there. The guy was right about his self assessment. His an Azz. Sorry for your bad luck. Spread the word so others don't get duped.

 

After the bike sat for weeks why the hell would YOU allow this to continue?

I'm sorry, but I believe in personal responsibility and you're as much to blame as this dipshit for LETTING it happen.

The first time I get a bad feeling about who I'm giving my money to I bail on the deal, regardless of how intimidating the situation.

 

You should not let that scam artist near your bike again! It really sucks, you got screwed big time. I'd let a trusted mechanic check it out and see if he can tune it, or straighten it out. It is really sad to hear a scam artist like this guy is in business. What is the name of the shop?

 

Tough spot to be in and reading that story put a knot in my stomach.

Sounds like getting warranty or money through the legal system isn't going to happen. The best thing you can do is take a logical approach not an emotional one and what I would do is pick up a barely used 103 engine (no shortage of them) and swap it in so you can ride the bike and later decide what you want to do with the current engine. No matter what way you go it means money whether a lawyer gets it, the dealer hoses you on a trade or you spend on a replacement engine. Its a bitter pill to swallow but this kind of stuff happens in life whether its a crappy home contractor or an incompetent shop just don't devote too much time into letting it eat you up. Get an engine, ride the bike, post a review on yelp.

 

Wonder, as you say, why this guy got such a good reputation for his work?

 

I am feeling your pain, hind sight is not 20/20 by accident, I think you have to chock up the $5+K as lesson learned, and move on, I would recommend fixing the 3 issues, with a good shop and riding it.

 

I had a similar issue on a remodel project. In the end, I threw them the fk out of my house and paid them to go away. Fixed all of the issues (except one) on my own. I documented everything with photos and videos from throughout the process and let the kerfuffle on Angie's List set things right with him.

 

This is usually the best approach. Cut your losses and move forward and you'll be happier without the bs the other options bring along with them.