Wade Wilcox Injectioneering Theif? You decide.

July 10, 2010

This is a heads up out there for all moto guys who were thinking about EFI TB (throttle body) mods and maybe using a company called Injectioneering. Unfortunately I found out a bit late on how Injectioneerings owner Wade Wilcox conducts business or rather in my case steals from people.


What went down:

I came to know about Injectioneering during winter ’09-‘10 through connections I have with major teams in motocross who were experimenting with his services. Long story short on May 18, 2010 we (my engine builder and I) decided to send Mr. Wilcox the CRF 450R throttle body off my bike and had him do his mod so we could test it. This was presented as a ‘bolt on’ mod so I was expecting no hassles and due to a testing date already booked I spent $160.00 for overnight air service to and from Injectioneering to have it in time.

The TB arrived back within a few days and I borrowed a stock TB from my dealer to do some back to back testing at the track. As this was a new mod-motor build I started with the stock TB to establish a baseline and then after several track sessions swapped in the modded unit. The bike immediately ran fat and had a serious hesitation (bog) off closed throttle when exiting corners. Even when you ran the bike sitting in the pits and cracked the throttle you could also experience the bog and if you were quick enough with your wrist you could snuff the motor. Put the stock TB back on and finished the day of testing, no issues bike is awesome.

Contacted Wade at Injectioneering and went over the issues, we tested sensors, output voltages, connections etc. etc. Since all was in spec the only suggestion he had left was to make a custom fuel map for the bike. At this stage I already had many hours into testing and diagnosing this thing and the additional dyno time to have our motor builder create a new custom fuel map for his TB (after having one built and tested for the mod motor with a stock throttle body) was not in the budget. This “bolt on” mod clearly was not.

In hearing Wade’s explanation of the how and why this mod works combined with the testing he had us do to ensure everything was functioning properly we discovered some technical limitations which call into question the approach Injectioneering has taken to create this mod. Without getting into the fine details of it we believe so far it’s been okay for MX because in motocross the percentage of time at WOT (wide open throttle) is far less than Supermoto so the problems it creates do not come to light as obviously and as severely as they do in our application.

Up to this point not an unkind word was spoken, we both politely agreed it was a fail for this application and in closing I even offered to test a revised body should he develop something down the road that was potentially going to work in Supermoto.

Wade offered to “undo” the mods, return the throttle body to stock and refund the fee along with our throttle body. We had a break in the schedule so I immediately shipped it back to Injectioneering and after knowing he had it for a few days called to find out the status on getting it back. Wade said: “it’s all done, I’m packaging it up as we speak” and wanted to know whether to send the refund check with the body or in the ordinary mail as both would go out that day. I asked for it to be mailed, said thanks and hung up. We’re now approaching a month later no check, no throttle body. It takes 6 days max by ground to ship from Toronto to Torrance, CA and about the same for US post to get here.

After 10 days I started calling, now oddly when I call I don’t get an answer, ever. He did by his own admitted mistake call me back on the 5th of July by redialing one of my calls from his call display. During that conversation he admitted to never sending the check as “I have no money right now” but did maintain the body went out UPS weeks ago. I pressed him for a tracking number and he told me “well I’m not at the shop right now and it’s a holiday but I promise to call you back first thing tomorrow with an answer on what happened” Still haven’t got that call.

I’ve called every day since and never an answer. I don’t think he realizes everyone knows he lives at his shop and his phone number is a landline (quick internet search), which means he was at his shop when he called me back.

I’ve left him umpteen messages giving him endless opportunity to call me back and just tell the truth about what is going on with my throttle body, nothing. Unfortunately we all like to believe people are on the up and up going in and only do research on them after they have shown their true colors. In canvassing the industry and the web you don’t have to go far to find others who have been shafted by Wade Wilcox or were about to be but because of who they are or know it got resolved.

The bill so far:

Injectioneering Mod $250.00
Air overnight shipping to and from $160.00
Return shipping $40.00
Replacement throttle body $601.89

$1051.89

Obviously no one likes to spend time detailing how a thief got the better of you, it’s embarrassing. However I can’t in good conscience sit idly by and let others walk through the same door without a heads up. Utilizing the same approach as another upstanding company Rock Racing, we’ve published on the Internet the facts of what transpired. Sadly once again Wade Wilcox of Injectioneering has foregone his right to deal with matters in private and is now being given the opportunity to challenge any statement herein and make things right. As with Rock Racing’s call for rebuttal I expect silence since the facts are documented and it’s hard to call keeping the property and money belonging to others anything other than theft which makes you a THEIF.

Injectioneering
1926 Del Amo Blvd., Suite A
Torrance, CA 90501
Phone: (310) 953-2915
wade.wilcox@gmail.com

Your thoughts, comments and possible solutions if you live local to Torrance are welcome here.

Kind Regards
Dave Arnold
AMA and Canadian Supermoto Pro.