exhaust system for a g11

[piston]

are there any other exhaust makers that anyone can vouch for.ive had my fingers burnt by one of the leading makers. i wont mention who they are.the exhaust is for a 1858 g11 cs roadbike siamese system

[Biscuit]

MM? 1858? that must have been when the Widow of Windsor had shares in AMC. Joking aside, I used Armours on my '56 G11, I had to increase the length of the hole in the slotted bracket for the forward mounting, apart from that no trouble. After eight years the chrome is still good apart from some battery acid spashes on the left hand silencer.

[Steve Martin]

Hello Robert, sorry to hear of another problem with a 'leading exhaust supplier'. If it's who I think it is, you are by no means alone! Carry out a search of this site, and you will find a range of views depending largely on the luck of the buyer. When the stuff is good it's very good, but quality control, particularly in the area of bracket and bend accuracy, is 'variable'. In the event of a problem there is a well rehearsed, very offensive 'fob-off' routine, and the best you'll get is your money back. I shall never use them again.

I was in the fortunate position of being able to have my system repaired and rechromed; for a bit more than the price of the new one, but it fits!

There are other makers out there, but as yet I haven't used them. They include www.feked.com who list the pipes you need; www.gazbike.demon.co.uk who will make a complete stainless system specific to your machine,[pricey, but looks good] and D.H.Day of Swindon.[see ad in OBM ]

If it is at all possible, take the bike to the supplier, and ask them to check the fit before buying. That was the offer I was made in response to my letter putting on record my dissatisfaction with the service I had received. It would have been interesting to see how they would have made it fit, but knowing it to be a waste of time and effort, I didn't bother!

Best of luck, Steve.

[lawrence]

I can understand your frustration Steve but had you taken the bike to the supplier it could well have prevented a problem for everyone who ordered the same system after you. A supplier can only work on standard measurements until he sees proof otherwise. I don't know what negotiations went before but if they offered to make it fit, it sounds as if they ultimately wanted to make you happy.

[itma]

As I don`t get OBM any more got the tel no for Day of swindon, Steve?
Is it the same guy as does mag repairs?

[Steve Martin]

Hello Ken, Yes he is the same guy, on 01793 812323. It's the first time I've noticed this advert, but I don't know how long he's been doing exhausts or exactly what he offers, but its another source.

Hello Lawrence, in a perfect world, I would agree with you. I've had reason to query a number of pattern products from a variety of sources. In almost every case I found that a polite, well evidenced explanation of the problem got a positive and sympathetic response, and a productive outcome; leaving me comfortable about continuing to do business with them. I was therefore taken aback by my treatment at the hands of the supplier in question. You can follow up the story by searching for 'Pattern Exhaust Pipe' last spring/summer; and likewise on the Yahoo Group Site.

Suffice it to say that I spent a week studying the issue, taking detailed measurements, comparative photos of the items, both on and off the machine; and on several counts concluded that the system as supplied could not possibly fit the machine it was claimed to.

An attempt to present this evidence in a polite, reasoned manner was met by the claims that the items were exact copies of a genuine original, [which they are not]; that no one else had had problems, [ not true]; that my machine was incorrect in a number of respects,[also not true], and the problems could be sorted with a 'rubber mallet'! The photos were ignored. Having made a 150+ mile round trip to be treated in that way and to get nowhere but my money back, I was not inclined to waste further time and cost of transporting the bike, for what, with those parts, could only have been a bodge job. The 'humble servant' tone of the letter I received was difficult to reconcile with the illogical arrogance of my treatment in the shop. I feel my duty to 'saving the world' has been sufficiently discharged by bringing the situation to people's notice. They can then make up their own minds.

The firm has been made aware of these issues by many people over some time. I know of two 'marque specialists' who only buy unchromed items to allow correction and rechroming. If these guys can't get them to sort things out, they are not going to change much just because I turn up with my machine.

As I said before, a lot of their stuff appears to be very satisfactory as several contributors have pointed out. Fine. But that does not alter the fact that some parts are not satisfactory, to a greater or lesser extent, and the firm's stock reponse in this case is every imaginable form of denial.

Cheers, Steve.

[lawrence]

disappointing to hear that Steve. Certainly sounds as if you did more than most would. in a pure world, firms that give bad service would cease to exist

[piston]

HI STEVE . ROB HERE THE G11 EXHAUST CHAP. THE REHEARSED FOB OF WAS TRIED. BUT I GOT MY MONEY BACK.THE ONLY WAY IT WOULD HAVE FITTED MY "PILE OF BITS COBBLED TOGETHER" IS WITH A WELDING TORCH AND A SLEDGE HAMMER.IT WAS OVER AN INCH OUT IN PLACES. NO MODIFIED BRACKETS WOULD HAVE WORKED.JUST A MODIFIED BIKE! iM THE 2ND OWNER FROM NEW ON MY MACHINE WHICH IS THE SAME SPEC AS VIC WILLOUGHBY'S 100 MPH TEST BIKE ON THE MIRA TEST TRACK. EXCEPT FOR THE ELASTIC BAND AROUND THE BATTERY BOX.THANKS FOR YOUR HELP EVERYONE,BUT BE WARNED THAT WHAT STEVE WROTE HAPPEND WORD FOR WORD TO ME AND TO OTHER MEMBERS OF OUR CLUB. CHEERS

[Steve Martin]

Hello Rob, you have my sympathy, and I appreciate your confirming I'm not the only one!
Cheers, Steve.

[Dave Walker]

this all seems pretty conclusive - so who were they? - or have we to be even more careful than the BBC over libel cases?