From: joe@woody.mpd.tandem.com (Joe Senner)
Newsgroups: tx.motorcycles
Subject: Re: Woods, What's up with that ? (was Re: thoughts on GS oil)
Date: 8 Sep 92 22:54:29 GMT
Reply-To: joe@mpd.tandem.com
Distribution: austin
Organization: Tandem Computers Inc., Austin, TX.

]Why are people so down on woods ? What have they done to deserve your bad
]rap ?

here's my story. I'll only hit the high points. if I told you about
everything I doubt the message would pass through inews without it
dropping core...
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I've spent a fair amount of money at woods since 1990. a new ZX-11 at
$8500, an new 600f2 at $5300, helmets, some referrals (early on) that
netted sales, parts, etc. I'm treated like just another jerk squid
every time I go there for service. I was without my bike for a full
week while they replaced a rubber grommet on a mirror. after finally
getting my bike back I took it back after two blocks because the mirror
glass was broken loose and I couldn't see anything but fuzz. I cut my
losses and just had them put the old mirror back on. funny how they can
have the mirror in the building and take days to install it and then
take only five minutes to put my old one back on.

the real kicker was when I discovered a leaking float boal. I waited
a week and a half just to get the bike in, and then it was there for
4 days before they decided to tell me that they had gotten the wrong
part and not done anything yet. a week and a half later they had the
bike done. when I dropped the bike off I provided them with all the
warranty paperwork they needed. when I went to pick the bike up they
weren't going to let me take it because they forgot to get the
engine serial number while the bike was apart (after calling me and
telling me to come get it no less). they couldn't refer to any of their
records, I was supposed to leave empty handed and return with my warranty
papers before I could take my bike. after I did get my bike back, I made
it a grand total of three blocks before the bike died and would not
start. is it too much to ask that a dealer actually START a bike they've
just replaced a carburator on to see if it runs?

after that my ZX-11 developed the well known second gear problem. exactly
1 week before the announcement that Kawasaki was replacing second gear in
afflicted bikes for free (repeat and out of warranty bikes included) I 
called woods and asked them if they would simply call kawasaki and ask if
they would be willing to help with my particular problem, which I was
willing to describe in detail. they refused to even call. I would have to
let them tear my bike down first, then they would call and I could decide 
then. how fucking difficult is it for a dealer to make one simple call
for a customer that has spent well into 5 digits at his place of business?
I simply wanted to know what kawasaki corporate's position would be, that's
all. I refuse to believe that they didn't know about it, since the
magazines had to know at least a month in advance. after reading about
kawasaki's announcement I called kawasaki corp myself. I explained my
position and my problem and then spent the next 30 minutes listening to
the person on the other end tell me the truth about kawasaki's position.
they are not in any way shape or form admitting that there is a real

kawasaki: "some bikes ridden by older more conservative drivers have 
           exhibited symptoms like these and kawasaki has assisted 
           those cases. it is entirely the dealers descretion to
           warranty the bike. if they feel there is any abuse involved
           at all we will not warranty the bike. one of the things we
           have the dealers look for is bent shift forks, that would indicate
           that the bike has been raced or abused. we can't really blame
           the dealers for not wanting to warranty this since they will
           loose money doing it".
me:       "there's no way that the shift forks won't be bent because
           when the gears push apart, the fork is the only thing holding
           them in position, it has to bend, I've discussed this with
           a professional transmission builder and he's explained that
           this is the case."
kawasaki: "then it's basically up to your dealer, if they know you well
           and will belive you haven't abused the bike then they might
           be willing to help. if they suspect there are any signs of
           abuse then they won't warranty it."
me:       "like bent shift forks?"
kawasaki: "yes."
me:       "so I'm basically guilty of abusing the bike until I can
           prove myself innocent, and it won't be covered by kawasaki."
kawasaki: "yes."

kawsaki has no intention of fixing defective gears without a lawsuit.
woods has proven to me that they're not into helping their customers 
after the sale and have shown this not on just one occasion, but over
a period of years. I'm a valuable and important person while I'm on
the sales floor with my wallet ready, but I'm just another asshole
fucking up the service department's day when I'm there for service.

I'm perfectly willing to pay whatever price I need to to get a quality
product, as evidenced by spending $13k on a BMW. at BMW I've gotten
same day service with a smile, no questions asked, no hassles, and even
had the one of the parts people help me out on labor day, offering to
go down and open up the shop to get me what I needed. BMW service is 
unmatched in my opinion, and I've voiced that opinion with my money.
had woods provided me with quality service, hell, I would have probably
settled for courteous service, they would be getting my money as well
as my recommendation. as long as woods did right by me, I did right by
them. I recommended and referred business to them. they have changed my
position to what it is now. when you go into woods, the sales people 
will tell you whatever you want to hear, much like the vendors of a 
miracle elixor. later on though, the service people would rather you
didn't hassle them. they're apparently too busy working on jet ski's
and generators to hassle with motorcycles.

would you prefer to buy your primary means of transportation from a 
place that has it's neon flash painted jet ski wet suits out in front 
of the motorcycle things? woods caters to many more things than motorcycles.
motorcycles are just not their only focus and you'll receive that same
attitude throughout your purchase.

]Joe, where did lisa take her 600f2 to keep it under warranty ?

TJ's did all the work on the 600f2. screw the warranty if I invalidated it,
I won't let woods dipshits within 100 yards of any bike we own.

-- 
Joe Senner                                          joe@zx11.cactus.org
Tandem Computers Inc.                               joe@mpd.tandem.com