From: markk@tcsi.tcs.com (Mark Kromer)
Subject: Berkeley Yamaha
Originator: markk@sparcplug
Organization: Teknekron Communications Inc.
Distribution: ba
Date: Wed, 8 Apr 1992 20:31:20 GMT


dcook@garnet.berkeley.edu writes:
>I was down at Berkeley Yamaha today picking up a part 
>for my rz350... I started talking to one of the salesmen
>there, and it seems they have heard about rec.moto... 
>The report of them stealing the instrument cluster from 
>a bike which came in for repairs has gotten back to the
>guys there and they seem kind of upset about it...

I was not the original poster, but his posting was based on a
conversation I and the owner of the motorcycle had with him.  I posted
a followup to the original posters article clarifying a few things,
and I am a first-person witness to most of the problems.

Here is exactly what happened:

My friend wrecked his FZR600 (t-boned a left turner).  The bike was
taken to Berkeley Yamaha for estimate.  He then picked the bike up and
took it to another shop to get another estimate.

The guages were not in the bike at this time.

My friend took bike back to Berkeley Yamaha for repairs.  The Service
Manager called my friend to come and decide which of the things on the
estimate he wanted repaired and I went along.  My friend said he
wanted the bike street legal and the Service Manager was going down
the list of non-essential things and came to the tachometer.

I went over to bike to see what condition the tach was in.  It and the
speedometer and panel were missing (about $600.00 worth); they had
been carefully unplugged, unbolted and removed.  The rest of the bike
appeared untouched; even the shattered remains of the fairing were
still hanging from the bike.  I asked the Service Manager where the
guages were and he said:

"They're gone."     (exact quote)

I thought this was a strange response, but at that time I didn't know
enough about the history of the situation to confront the Service
Manager.

After we left I asked my friend about the guages and he said he had no
idea what happened to them, but as his insurance company was paying
for it, he decided not to pursue it.  It was also clear that we could
not prove that Berkeley Yamaha removed them.  I stated this and the
reasons why I suspected Berkeley Yamaha in my previous posting on the
topic.

Since the original postings on this matter, the repairs have been
done, and we went to pick the bike up.  The gauges had returned!  They
were undamaged except for a broken guage lens on the tach.

Whether someone at Berkeley Yamaha intended to take the guages and got
spooked when I asked about them, or whether the Service Manager is too
incompetent to to be able to tell customers whether parts of their
bike have been removed for some reason or whether they no longer
exist, I don't know.  I don't understand his response when I asked
about the guages and I don't understand why I was prevented from
inspecting them.  They should not have been removed before work had
been authorized and the fact that they were not returned when my
friend picked the bike up to take it to the other shop leaves me
suspicious to say the least.

Recall that the guages were not on the bike when it was picked up and
delivered to the other shop.  I wonder if we'd have ever seen those
guages again if my friend had decided to leave his bike at the other
shop and have them do the work.

>Scott, the salesman who I talked to today, says that he helped unload
>the bike from the tow truck and the instrument panel was already gone.

Scott always seemed to be a pretty decent guy when I talked to him,
but I think he just got caught in an attempted butt-covering.  This
is why it would have been futile to pursue it with them.  I can
understand Berkeley Yamaha's concern, but if they are going to do
business in an underhanded and/or incompetent manner like this their
reputation will suffer.

Disclaimer: 
Teknekron Communications Systems Inc. accepts no responsibility for
the content of this posting.  TCSI cannot confirm the information
and does not necessarily support the opinions presented herein.

- ]V[ark]<             markk@tcs.com       TCSI, Berkeley, CA USA
1985 ZX900 Ninja     1977 RD400D (street)     1976 RD400C (track)
                "Turn on, Tach up, Take off"