Posts
8025
Joined
10/31/2013
Location
PA
US
Edited Date/Time
6/25/2017 5:14pm
I really do not like to bash a company publicly, but my patience in this situation has run out. I know I will get ripped on for this, but please read this post and take a look at the photos with an open mind. Try to put yourself in my shoes. This will be a longish wordy post.
December 1st of last year I sent my 2003 KX 125 cylinder to Eric for a 144cc big bore with race gas compression. He says on his website to send in your old piston and spark plug for a free analysis, so they were also sent. On my work order I stated very clearly to please call me before the work is performed as I would like to discuss options. A few days later I had a PayPal request for payment as the work had already been performed. After a few days of trying I got a hold of him he answered the phone, and luckily the work he performed ended up being what I wanted.
December 12th I received my cylinder back in the mail. None of my old parts were returned, and there was never a "free analysis" given, no biggie really. Upon inspection of my cylinder I noticed a TON of pitting, most of which was large enough to be "nailed". I have had many cylinders re-plated and some pitting is normal, but look at the pictures and you can see it is excessive......especially the large hole on the exhaust bridge. Not only was the pitting terrible, but his "porting" was non existent. Not one of the transfers was even touched, all of the casting marks still remained, and port sizing was stock. I sent him an e-mail with photos and he said send it back, not a problem and I would be refunded for shipping. Cool, I understand that mistakes happen.
Initial cylinder plating
I sent the cylinder back and it returned a few weeks later with a much better port work, but with a SUPER thin crooked exhaust bridge. I also included my PayPal address for the $25 refund, this is just ignored (still is being ignored). Winter was coming to a close so I figured it was time to assemble the engine and get it broken in. We had a nasty blizzard here so our riding season did not start until mid April. April 30th of this year i finally get to take the bike for a ride and start to break it in. Runs descent the first half hour, it was still rich for break in. I take it to my local riding spot to finish the break in and to start to dial in the jetting. This occurs on May 4th. I felt the engine starting to go away and getting weak, so I shut it down and took it home after 1.2 hours of ride time. This is what I found...
Before you tell me I should have measured all the components before install, just remember, I paid someone else a lot of money so I did not have to do so. The piston clearance was too tight causing it to partially seize. The ring was snagging on the powervalve assembly and just for fun, zoom in on the exhaust bridge and look at that terrible chamfer job. Crooked and skinny. So i send the cylinder back once again.
He responds promptly to my e-mails and even acknowledges that I am still owed $25, cool....Shit happens I know. I send it back May 9th. The cylinder returns to me June 6th, still with no PayPal refund, and with numerous e-mails in between stating so. He warrantied the piston, gaskets, and cylinder...Sweet, and the cylinder looks great. He re-welded the exhaust bridge and the plating looks excellent. He ground the exhaust valves so they will no longer hit the piston....etc. There is just one more hitch. The piston he sent back to me has the exhaust bridge cooling holes drilled so crooked that there is no way to cover them with the exhaust bridge.
I sent my initial e-mail about the piston on June 9th (started engine assembly). Since then, I have received nothing. Not one e-mail, no returned phone calls, radio silence. I had to order a piston because I can no longer wait for him to cover the mistakes (I want to ride this thing). I sent him a PayPal request for $130.30 for the piston and return shipping he still owes me (this was mostly to try and get some type of response). I have sent numerous e-mails and tried calling on the phone several times. I was never threatening, nor even angry. If worse comes to worse I would gladly share all of our conversations.
I am mostly making this post out to see if anyone else has been in contact, and could ask him to contact me. I know it is only over $130, but this is months and months of going back and forth...and my bike has been useless ever since. Sorry for the lengthy read, I am just quite frustrated.
December 1st of last year I sent my 2003 KX 125 cylinder to Eric for a 144cc big bore with race gas compression. He says on his website to send in your old piston and spark plug for a free analysis, so they were also sent. On my work order I stated very clearly to please call me before the work is performed as I would like to discuss options. A few days later I had a PayPal request for payment as the work had already been performed. After a few days of trying I got a hold of him he answered the phone, and luckily the work he performed ended up being what I wanted.
December 12th I received my cylinder back in the mail. None of my old parts were returned, and there was never a "free analysis" given, no biggie really. Upon inspection of my cylinder I noticed a TON of pitting, most of which was large enough to be "nailed". I have had many cylinders re-plated and some pitting is normal, but look at the pictures and you can see it is excessive......especially the large hole on the exhaust bridge. Not only was the pitting terrible, but his "porting" was non existent. Not one of the transfers was even touched, all of the casting marks still remained, and port sizing was stock. I sent him an e-mail with photos and he said send it back, not a problem and I would be refunded for shipping. Cool, I understand that mistakes happen.
Initial cylinder plating
I sent the cylinder back and it returned a few weeks later with a much better port work, but with a SUPER thin crooked exhaust bridge. I also included my PayPal address for the $25 refund, this is just ignored (still is being ignored). Winter was coming to a close so I figured it was time to assemble the engine and get it broken in. We had a nasty blizzard here so our riding season did not start until mid April. April 30th of this year i finally get to take the bike for a ride and start to break it in. Runs descent the first half hour, it was still rich for break in. I take it to my local riding spot to finish the break in and to start to dial in the jetting. This occurs on May 4th. I felt the engine starting to go away and getting weak, so I shut it down and took it home after 1.2 hours of ride time. This is what I found...
Before you tell me I should have measured all the components before install, just remember, I paid someone else a lot of money so I did not have to do so. The piston clearance was too tight causing it to partially seize. The ring was snagging on the powervalve assembly and just for fun, zoom in on the exhaust bridge and look at that terrible chamfer job. Crooked and skinny. So i send the cylinder back once again.
He responds promptly to my e-mails and even acknowledges that I am still owed $25, cool....Shit happens I know. I send it back May 9th. The cylinder returns to me June 6th, still with no PayPal refund, and with numerous e-mails in between stating so. He warrantied the piston, gaskets, and cylinder...Sweet, and the cylinder looks great. He re-welded the exhaust bridge and the plating looks excellent. He ground the exhaust valves so they will no longer hit the piston....etc. There is just one more hitch. The piston he sent back to me has the exhaust bridge cooling holes drilled so crooked that there is no way to cover them with the exhaust bridge.
I sent my initial e-mail about the piston on June 9th (started engine assembly). Since then, I have received nothing. Not one e-mail, no returned phone calls, radio silence. I had to order a piston because I can no longer wait for him to cover the mistakes (I want to ride this thing). I sent him a PayPal request for $130.30 for the piston and return shipping he still owes me (this was mostly to try and get some type of response). I have sent numerous e-mails and tried calling on the phone several times. I was never threatening, nor even angry. If worse comes to worse I would gladly share all of our conversations.
I am mostly making this post out to see if anyone else has been in contact, and could ask him to contact me. I know it is only over $130, but this is months and months of going back and forth...and my bike has been useless ever since. Sorry for the lengthy read, I am just quite frustrated.
Was considering sending my yz 125 top end to him for a 134 job etc....maybe not?
The Shop
Sucks bc it just makes customers more reluctant to hand over their money to small outfits in the future. Hope you get everything resolved.
Fletcher Lambert is perhaps one of the coolest, most laid back guy who loves to ride dirt bikes that I have ever met.
Former motocrosser, still rides in the woods every weekend that he can.
http://fletcherscycle.com/
Pit Row
The reason he's changed addresses so many times is because he has tried having partners and it hasn't worked. When I say partners, I mean like when he recently worked for Millenium Technologies. Each time he changes things like that, it's a new address.
He's a super nice guy that has more work than he probably knows what to do with.
Long story short the bike would not take off from a dead stop. Every start by the time I got across the gate everyone else had atleast 3/4 a bike length on me. Once I got going it ran ok but still wasn't worth a shit. So I borrowed my buddy's KTM and got qualified at the next regional and raced it in the 2stroke class at Loretta's.
After that I put the CR in the back corner of the garage and left it alone since my main bike was my 450. I never attempted to contact him since I figured he wouldn't do anything anyways. Wrote it off as a loss and lesson learned to never do business with him again.
It seems he has the skills and knowledge to do fantastic work, but it's hit and miss, potluck whether you get him on a good day or bad day.
Those inconsistencies deter me from using his services.
PERIOD
It seems like, from your description, you were careful not to be pre-mature about airing your grievances. You have obviously seen that done before here and didnt want to be that guy. It sounds like you have done your due diligence. Sometimes, a spade is a spade.
I hope you get your issue(s) worked out.
Post a reply to: Eric Gorr Terrible Customer Service