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2K views 18 replies 9 participants last post by  andycamaro 
#1 ·
As most of you have read that my recent purchase of a 2001 transalp is not even a week old of ownership and here is the flip decision

So the bike shop I got the bike from have agreed to pay back the cost of the innertubes and also the road tax if I hand back the alp and get back my bm and then id have to try else where for an alp deal.

or

Basically I get back the money for the tubes and then spend minimum 225£ to have the wheels re-spoked.
the bike has 39k on it which is nothing really as my cb500 98 vintage lasted till75k although i had rebuilt the bike in that time ie strip powder-coat n assemble.

so the gamble is do i swap back - not knowing what they have done to my bm bike in the week ive had the alp or keep the alp n spend the money on the wheels.

I do like the alp but not had much of an experience for it to come accustomed to it fully as it rides like jelly!
The F8 I know the history etc

dilemma!
 
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#3 ·
It is not the rims that are damaged.

The bike had a couple of spokes replaced and a new mot - but after less than 1 week of ownership it appears that the spokes are maybe not of an mot-able condition ie the company who changed the tubes reported that all the spokes are loose which would be either an advisable to failure to the mot.
 
#4 ·
To replace spokes alone shouldn't be that costly?

My local guy charges £50 to spoke a hub to a rim if you take him all the parts down

Where did you get the quote of £225 from? and what does that include?

If your mechanically minded its pretty easy to do yourself, iv done a couple of wheels before!
 
#5 ·
To replace spokes alone shouldn't be that costly?
My local guy charges £50 to spoke a hub to a rim if you take him all the parts down
Where did you get the quote of £225 from? and what does that include?
If your mechanically minded its pretty easy to do yourself, iv done a couple of wheels before!
few places over the internet and locally would be replacing with the thicker spokes as well
interestingly enough my local bike shop told me to be aware of the honda oe DND rims which to the best intentions of Honda are not "metal"
 
#6 ·
PM Jem of this manor (lives in Brighton).

She has one about the same she was thinking of selling before she goes off travelling.

Might help make the decision.
 
#7 ·
Anything like this does tarnish the experience of buying a bike, if it was me, I'd explain just how dangerous the whole blown-out incident was and I'd expect the dealership to do the re-spoke as well as get the money back for the tubes. If not, I'd take the BM back.

I know for the sake of a couple of hundred quid you could have a good bike with many years of loyal service ahead, but why should you have to sort it out.

That's just my view.
 
#9 ·
Give it back to them and take your old bike back, if they can't be trusted to do a simple job and still get it thru MOT then you don't know what else may be around the corner when it is too late to give it back, I have had personal experience of a bad bike from a dealer and wish I'd listened to my instinct to demand a full refund immediately rather then get fobbed off, even when the bike was mostly sorted I never felt comfortable with it and ended up selling it privately for a loss.

The only benefit of buying from a dealer is you expect the bike to be fully sorted and have rights if there is an issue.

Just my tuppence worth

Jonesthesteam
 
#10 ·
You bought the bike from the dealer with a full MOT and presumably some kind of guarantee, even if only 3 months. I think you are entitled to have the wheels respoked by the dealer. Maybe suggest to them that you get an independent report on the bike with a view to getting advice from the Trading Standards people, and see if the dealer's attitude changes.

I wouldn't leave the bike in their possession in it's present state, until you have some letter of intent from them that they will sort it out at their cost and put it into a merchantable condition. You were sold something that was unsafe and they bloody well know it. Don't take any crap from them.

I realise you have probably lost faith with the dealer and don't need this hassle, a lot depends on whether you feel you like the bike. There is no reason why the handling should be a problem if it is sorted properly.

At the end of the day, the dealer has more to lose than you do by you naming and shaming. I feel you are in a powerful position in this matter and would agree with the comments of wheeliebin above.
 
#11 ·
I do like the bike but it is a worry as to what else could go or would be wrong in th enot too distant future, the dealer has agreed to take the bike back and refund me the cost of the road tax and also the cost of the tubes.

I know it means that I would be alp less but then would have my old bike back and then have to look for another suitable alp after selling or trading my bmw f800s

Yes I have the power for name and shame, but if they are willing to collect the bike as it currently handles like a jelly mountain especially trying to negotiate a roundabout! it borders on being exceptionally dangerous, and they are not willing to take the cost of respoking / rebuilding the wheels even though it has "passed" an mot! (enough said)
As communicating with my regular bike shop report that loose spokes and or broken spokes are an MOT failure!!
 
#12 ·
To me its a no brainer. Get your old bike back that you know. Walk away from the un known. The MOT tester sounds ripe for a VOSA visit.
 
#14 ·
I have to agree with Traveller, this is a no brainer, the bike needs to go back, there could be a few nasty's waiting down the road for you.

I was quite lucky when I purchased mine in greece, I had to replace the tyres and steering head bearings as well as the fork oil but I only paid 2800 euros for the bike with 38 km on the clock and it looked like new and that was a private sale, had I bought it from a dealer I would have expected it to have had these things done before I left the shop.

Having worked in a bike shop many years ago, I used to have to check over every bike that was going on sale and it would be gone over with a fine tooth comb and any faults sorted as well as a service.

Shops these days seem to be only interested in your money, in all my years of having bikes (31) I have only found 2 garages in my area that do a proper mot on a bike, the amount of bikes I have replaced parts on ( chain and sprockets and brake disks and pads) after an mot when they haven't even been advised is a real worry.

If you are having problems with the bike so soon after you got it from the shop then take it back, I know it's a real pain in the butt but do you want to be dealing with a shop that won't sort this out, they have sold you a bike that isn't fit for the road.

Get you beamer back and take your time and find a nice transalp, believe me when I say there are some really nice ones out there for a good price if you look hard enough, I have had loads of bikes in the past from moped to mussle bikes and the transalp has made me feel as though I won;t need to keep changing bikes, it's a great bike, it's the right height and a joy to ride.

I hope you get this sorted soon, keep us posted.

 
#15 ·
well the bike shop will be collecting on Monday as it does not feel safe to ride hence the "jelly" like handling.

There is another trader in the local vicinity which I have been to a couple of times and the last occasion looked at a 2002 honda cb500, as having one before know the bike well.

hmm well to begin with it felt like riding a 125 due to the size difference, then the rear tire needed replacing which the owner was well aware of, only problem is the tire he had was one step too wide which is ok on a bike like this ie has 130 and they were putting a 140. the next issue was that the profile was incorrect as was a 60 instead of a 70 meaning that the rear would spin quicker and to top it all off was a NO NAME Chinese tire!!
Next issue was that the bike looked all clean and low miles but the sides of the engine had been repainted but they ommited to paint the front of the engine where the crap & crud collects.
Lastly the bike had apparently already been "cleaned" but looking over the swing-arm you could see masses of crud collected on the inside of the swinarm between the tire!!

I understand its a business and everyone needs to have their cut or make money, but to fit a no name brand tire is in my mind not a good option! at least fit a part warn quality brand.

In short only used the option of a dealer as would omit the necessity of tire kickers to come & have a look at my bike in my attempt to sell it!

Will now be searching for another transalp but alas the ones currently are out of my budget. But will be on the lookout!
 
#16 ·
Good move, I have never ridden a Transalp but I am absolutly certain they dont handle like jelly. Plenty of rider of TAs here I am sure would testify so. My AT is from the same geen pool and handles fine.
Take your time, keep looking and the right one will appear.
 
#17 ·
Glad to hear you have decided to have the bike sent back, as for jelly handling would suggest the wheels are in desperate need of attention, mine was bad enough before I replaced my tyres, and when they were changed it showed up more faults ( head bearings and fork oil ) so you can never be sure if you fix one thing another fault won't rear it's ugly face.

Being my first transalp I was surprised at the way it felt, being the tallest bike I have owned it took a little while to get used to, the previous bike I owned was a Honda CB1300 (BIG disappointment) but once I had I found it was faster in the twists and turns. A good Transalp feels sure footed until you try to really give it a fist full of throttle out of a corner and the rear wheel will spin, saying that though I have found the bikes ability to let you feel what it's doing at all times it is so controllable and is really good fun.

I hope you manage to find a good one, it's worth taking your time over.

The one good thing about my Transalp is it's ability to put a smile on my face, I'm pretty sure most transalp riders would say the same.
 
#18 ·
I am glad to hear that you are returning your bike.
I would also be inclined to inform VOSA about your experience as I hate to think what state they are allowing bikes through the MOT.
 
#19 ·
I had no issues with the transitiion from f800s to transalp as was nice to ride a bike all upright and felt positive until the incident.
scans will be taken of all documents before it goes back

crazy thing on the mot reports that the bike has only done 3k ish each year for the past 3 mots as shows the milage history so 9k in 3 years is obviously "sunday rider" only a local gent as well was the previous owner!
 
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