[Queestce]

How hard is it to change a f****** tyre! Just had the factory rubber swapped out on my Multi and the rear wheel came back to me like this...

Almost drove 3x the distance to a specialist tyre shop but decided to support local despite paying MORE, and the wheel goes from factory fresh to this... Luckily I noticed in the shop and they've admitted fault and are going to get it fixed, but I really want to know, how hard is it to swap out a tyre without damaging the rim?? I also wonder how obvious it would have been to the "mechanic" that it'd occurred, because he claims he had no idea, though I feel like it'd be hard to miss...

I'm so sick of paying people to do work to a bike, and having it come off like this just because they take to the job with all the care of a bull in a china shop. Should have just bought online and done it myself. Not the first time I've dealt with careless bike store workers either - what is it about motorcycle stores that attracts the lowest common denominator...

 

[ZADSS]

...they've admitted fault and are going to get it fixed...

That's a oxymoron. When the professionals can't get it right in the first place, how will they get it fixed in the second...?

 

[Queestce]

That's a oxymoron. When the professionals can't get it right in the first place, how will they get it fixed in the second...?

Send it to someone who can actually do their job is my hope!

 

[ZADSS]

Good luck with that.

 

[Chuckracer]

...what is it about motorcycle stores that attracts the lowest common denominator...

Yeah, I can tell horror stories about "motorcycle mechanics" who leave critical fasteners loose, cracked a brake rotor, bent a valve in a Ducati, all followed by an "I didn't do it!" denial.

I don't know for sure but my hunch is the lack of money in the motorcycle industry, so the kid doing the work on your bike has little experience, is paid crap, probably hates his job and just doesn't care. Combine that with the generally Don't Give A F**K attitude of todays youth (exceptions certainly abound here) and you get what we see here.

That stinks...sorry man.

 

[flynnmon]

Be proactive on the repair, research the best shop in the area for the fix and demand it be done there or you want a new factory rim. ASAP so you're not losing a bunch of riding time for their error.
Hopefully you have something in writing if it goes bad.

 

[Queestce]

Be proactive on the repair, research the best shop in the area for the fix and demand it be done there or you want a new factory rim. ASAP so you're not losing a bunch of riding time for their error.
Hopefully you have something in writing if it goes bad.

That's a good idea. Might spend the time I intended to spend riding tomorrow researching the best place to send it. Nothing in writing at this point... Probably another good idea...

 

[flynnmon]

Don't let their error cost you riding time, research at night, make a few calls to verify the next day and get some miles in!
Speed safely!

 

[Queestce]

Don't let their error cost you riding time, research at night, make a few calls to verify the next day and get some miles in!
Speed safely!

Unfortunately they've still got the wheel! I might take the Monster out though

 

[motoFiend]

I agree. I just had the valves check on my thruxton and the the mechanic tells me when I pick up the bike that the cams were put in wrong the last time. The shop I used before was a reputable triumph shop, or at least I thought, here in Atlanta. Turns out I found a few other things he had done wrong. Scratched my headlight bucket, put on a 520 chain instead of the 525 to match the new 525 sprockets. Unfortunately, it's not just motorcycle shops that perform crappy service.

 

[ducvet]

Okay from an in the industry viewpoint mistakes are no fun for anyone.

If the shop has a reputation for mistakes do not go there, simple. If the shop does NOT have a bad reputation, do not run to the internet and make it seem as if they do. First talk to them like adults and see if they will make it right as they should. I think you will find most shops will take care of you because they DO care, They are just more bummed than you are because ...
1. They just lost more money than they made after fixing the mistake.
2. Their reputation just got damaged, even if you did not go on the web. They should care what you think of them.
3. They may need to fire someone that is hard to replace.

I have been fortunate to work with some of the Best Mechanics in North America at award winning shops, 4 years voted best service in North America. Did mistakes happen there? Absolutely!!
No one is perfect even the best, what you are paying for when you have a professional do work is education and experience some have more than others but those two things are what REDUCES mistakes not eliminates them. Keep in mind the guy doing the tire changing is often the guy/gal with the least experience , any easy jobs go to the beginner mechanics because ... well they need the experience to become better.

The shop owner has to balance his employees and his customers there have been times where customers have tried to pull scams on shops and times when shops were butchers and do poor work . In my area most bad shops get a reputation and MOST people do not use them. I have been there myself, I did my own tire changes and had a wheel scratched when done at a "good" shop. we worked it out and I stayed with them because I knew if there was an issue, they would take care of me. This is all I can do now is make my customers comfortable with the fact that if there is a problem I will do my best to make it right.

Having and training new mechanics is no fun, I have had a few from the trade schools and they have not lasted a month. I took on an apprentice for a couple years and in the end he cost me more money that he produced so we had to part ways. Unless you wish to do all of your work yourself (which can be a problem for some) we all need those beginners to get better and that means that both shops and customers will need to work together if they want to have a good relationship.

Fixing your wheel right will NOT be an issue if they put any effort into it, factory paint is often sub-par anyway so the bigger issue may be the fresh painted part being better than the rest. I personally would powder coat a wheel at LOW temperature. I feel the powder is stronger than paint but then my painter disagrees, either way it should be an easy fix. Ask the shop if they have a loaner wheel you can use while it is being done so you do not miss any riding time. I like fresh painted wheels to set for a while before putting them in service and nothing touches my wheels but plastic.

 

[Iwannaduc]

How hard is it to change a f****** tyre! I really want to know, how hard is it to swap out a tyre without damaging the rim?? I also wonder how obvious it would have been to the "mechanic" that it'd occurred, because he claims he had no idea, though I feel like it'd be hard to miss...

It would be hard to miss if you were the one to do it. I worked tires for a while. I know there are things that happen...some machine related, others operator related. I scarred my own wheels due to a machine related valve issue.

I've had machine clamps simply loosen up due to a faulty valve...mid tire removal. I stopped BEFORE the customers rim was damaged. Called the repair guys to fix the machine. Same machine that I used for my own wheels.

They showed up and before I could leave the customer I was helping, they took the wheel out of the machine and scratched living hell out of it. I told the tech that I could have done the same damn thing but now the customer's rim was scratched to hell. What was his company going to do about it. The answer is, nothing. My shop had to eat the repair cost and it wasn't even our fault.

what is it about motorcycle stores that attracts the lowest common denominator...

The pay. Really, it's the pay. I worked at the shop part time because I enjoyed working on bikes. I work on heavy mobile equipment as a job because it pays better than working on bikes. WAY better.

That said, you wouldn't believe the incompetent morons we get in the field claiming to be mechanics. Removing a hydraulic valve from a pressurized system without depressurizing is pretty idiotic, yet I've seen it happen. What's worse? I've seen it happen multiple times from the same tech before he got fired.

It's why no one touches my wheels but me. No one turns a wrench on my any of my bikes but me. It's why I paid for the No-Mar machine now bolted to the floor in my garage. No more chipped, scratched or pitted wheels. ....sean

 

[lwszabo]

I agree 100% with being sick of idiots who don't care and have business pushing them to get things done fast so they can screw up the next bike. I had a perfect 1995 M900 built by FBF...gorgeous bike! I searched day and night for a red tank/ gold frame and found this bike! I left it at a reputable shop for service and picked it up with the tank scratched, and rust in the scratches (left outside/ think he wanted to use the rust as it was old damage) both FBF exhaust cans scratched with the badge on one side bent, scratches all over the frame from using a socket wrench and banging from frame to frame on each turn. I was so freaking pissed. The guy offered me a new set of tires as his price mounted and balanced!!!! Luckily I listed he bike for sale and someone who wanted the bike in 1995 from the dealership saw my add and bought it knowing the damage.

Fast forward to today. I found a shop in Charlotte NC that is very particular, and takes their time on bikes. They took very very good care of my 748.

 

[RACER_X]

520 chain will not fit on 525 sprockets

525 chain will fit on 520 sprickets


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Ricko]

A good shop should use these

https://www.amazon.ca/OTC-4769-3-Pi...503169632&sr=8-5&keywords=wheel+rim+protector

 

[wdietz186]

Could be the guy mounting the tire didn't notice the scrape. Mounting tires is often a pain in the ass, with stiff sidewalls and carcasses that cause the machine to bind and bog down. Often the shoe guiding the tire down over the lip will deflect more than normal and rub the lip of the rim. That the shop is taking responsibility is a plus, give them a chance to rectify the problem. It is just a little paint, shit happens.
Chuckracer and Ducvet are offering a glimpse the other side. There is not a lot of money to be made working on bikes compared to the auto or industrial end of the business and even in those fields the mechanics aren't getting but a small percentage of the labor rate. There are many good dedicated techs out there and they rarely get the appreciation they deserve.

 

[Dukerdr]

A good shop should use these

https://www.amazon.ca/OTC-4769-3-Pi...503169632&sr=8-5&keywords=wheel+rim+protector

That's for home mechanics to use...

The shop should have used this on their tire machine...plastic tip covers.

I've used both, so I know. And I even had a plastic tipped tool rub the cheap powder coating off a '90 something 900ss wheel. It wasn't as tough as the powder coated Ducati wheels on my F1 or my later Multistrada.

 

[jahjah]

It takes a long time to develop skills and it doesn't come very easily in flat rate shops and low paying shops where time is more important than quality of workmanship. Many shops have no quality control stage, leaving the job up to one mechanic that may not even have read the work order correctly or that wasn't written up correctly, and then signs himself off.

Social media is an imperfect source for rating a shop because the average customer has no knowledge base to work from, but you can get a measure of what you might experience by how many people complain about a 2 hour job taking weeks and the wonderful, "we found something wrong" on a perfectly running bike in for a standard lubrication service.

When you work on a Ducati, a significant share of the owners are going to consider the bike artwork. When you work on a Ducati, the performance level of the bike requires a high standard when you release the missile back to the customer. Untightened fasteners should never be tolerated. That said, even the most experienced mechanic will come up against problems that are difficult to resolve. These are complicated machines that are not R&D'd like a Toyota. They can come with problems that Ducati takes months or even years to remedy.

In the case of finish on the artwork of your bike, Ducati has outsourced a lot of parts for bid. That means some parts are going to have rock hard coatings and some are going to have a finish that is practically falling off because they can't afford to stop the production line for weeks while a supplier corrects their product. They have to fix the problem post sale through warranty service that can take a long time. That's part of the experience of buying a Ducati instead of a Honda or Yamaha.

One last thing, when a company has a dealer network and the Ducati trademarked logo is on the building, ultimately Ducarti has some responsibility for the work in the shop. If the dealer is unwilling to correct their mistake, learn how to write a legal Demand letter and send one to the dealer and Ducati. That starts a time duration that requires a timely response and satisfies the first step in trying to work out a satisfactory solution. (Confer with a lawyer for legal advise if you feel incompetent to represent yourself)

 

[Queestce]

Yeah, I guess in the end it does come down to dollars and cents. It's just a shame that such poor service seems to be commonplace in the motorcycle industry. Don't get me wrong, I have seen the exceptions to that rule too though, and it's always awesome. People who work on others bikes with more care than they would their own, and treat them like the works of art they truly are to their owners. I'll certainly never again take the short road and go to the local dealer instead of driving twice the distance to go to someone I know values bikes the way I do. Hopefully I'll get the wheel tidied up this week, call it a lesson learnt, and be back on the road and able to scrub in the Rosso III's I was hoping to ride on this weekend!!!

Learn how to write a legal Demand letter and send one to the dealer and Ducati. That starts a time duration that requires a timely response and satisfies the first step in trying to work out a satisfactory solution. (Confer with a lawyer for legal advise if you feel incompetent to represent yourself)

Interesting points mate. I certainly agree that social media is very much an imperfect way to ascertain the quality of a bike store - or anything for that matter. I'm having a hard time trusting Google reviews too...

Letter of Demand is an interesting idea. I'm really hoping it doesn't end up as pear shaped as that, but I suppose if worst comes to worst I may have to look into it. Have a family member who's a lawyer and works in insolvency, so that might come in handy - though I really hope not!

 

[motoFiend]

520 chain will not fit on 525 sprockets

525 chain will fit on 520 sprickets

Typo.....it was a 530 chain on a 525 sprocket.