----- Original Message -----
> Message-ID:
> Date: Mon, 5 Jun 2000 07:13:38 -0700 (PDT)
> From: Tumu Rock
> To:
DSN_KLR650@egroups.com
> Subject: Bad mechanic/worse weekend (nklr)
>
> I was prepping my bike for my MSF course on Saturday and the Durty
Dabbers ride in PA on Sunday. I had new MT21's but my tire irons hadn't
arrived in the mail yet. No one in NYC had tire irons in stock so I decided
to suck it up and shell out $80 to have the Pirellis mounted. That way I
would learn about traction management on the tires I would be riding.
>
> Well, when I got up on Saturday morning to head for MSF the rear brake
felt weird (I had bled the line already so I knew that wasn't the problem).
When I realized it was definitely a brake problem, not just new tires that I
wasn't used to, I pulled over and inspected the situation. The guy who
changed my tires put the rear caliper back on wrong! He had both brake shoes
on the outside of the rotor. The rotor had chewed through about half of the
aluminum caliper "fingers". I went back to the mechanic and woke his ass up
at 7:00am to bitch and moan. He saw his error, was mortified (I brought the
man to tears) and offered to replace the part at his expense. Well, no shit
you'll do it at your expense. Not to mention pay for the MSF course which I
couldn't take due to my bike being unsafe. I also got to miss out on what
would have been my first opportunity to meet some fellow listers in person.
> I felt like a kid who had his house robbed on Christmas Eve.
>
> I had an offer from a fellow lister (thanks, Mark) to loan me a rear
caliper until the replacement came in but that would have meant 250 miles
on a KLR with almost no rear brake. Or loading up the bike in my 85 minivan
which has a cracked front axle and risk ending up on the side of the road
with 2 usless vehicles.
>
> Well, instead I'm at home staring out my windows crying about my missed
weekend (it was supposed to my mini-Moab!). I took 2 days off work for no
good reason.
>
> Does anyone think I should give this mechanic a 2nd chance, or should I
just get the part and install it myself? The way I see it, there are 2
possibilties for future service from this guy. He might be so pissed at his
own mistake that he will give me extra special service for rest of my life,
or he might resent me being a reminder of his shortcomings and I'll never
get good service. Whaddya think?
dat brooklyn bum
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