Posts: 4

1. 

   Custom Tail: Part 3 - Completed

   30.Aug.08, 18:53 EDT
   
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   Spent the better part of my Saturday fashioning a license plate bracket. It was a fun little project with some minor errors along the way. But overall I'm very happy with the end result. My object was to mount the plate without having to put additional holes in the plastic, yet have the plate secure, legally lit, and look some what decent once mounted.

   
   

   A friend of mine who works as a computer aided designer at a company trying to develop a hydrogen car was able to get me for free two 8"x6"x1.5mm stainless steel plates. I was hoping for aluminum, but considering it was free, I wasn't upset.

   
   

   I took the required measurements of the tail and created a full-scale template in Photoshop. I then marked the stainless steel accordingly and started cutting and drilling. Once the bracket took shape, I "buffed" the bracket with the cutting disc to give it a brushed look. Perhaps in the future I will paint or powder coat the bracket black.

   
   

   I mounted up the plate using the trunk lock as the mounting point. 

   
   

   Template at 50% scale
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

2. 

   Custom Tail: Part 2

   24.Aug.08, 20:18 EDT
   
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   For the most part, the tail is completed. All that remains is the license plate mount. The turn signals have been installed and sealed.

   
   

   My plan is to attach the license plate mount to the lock on the undertray. This will allow for me to not have to put any further holes in the undertray.

   
   

   The bolts that attach the plate to the mount have LED's in them that shine onto the plate. I should be able to mount it so that the LED wires are routed through the same hole as the lock. Nice and clean! 
   
   

   
   
   
   
   
   

3. 

   Custom Tail: Part 1

   25.Jun.08, 14:48 EDT
   
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   First stage of the custom tail project is done.
   
   Preface: I didn't want to spend big money on aftermarket wheels only to have them come in black. White would have been to reminiscent of the 80's. Red and silver wouldn't match the red or silver of the bike enough in my opinion. So I went with gold, which for the most part always looks good on any sportbike. However the '04 RC comes with the silver frame, swinger and tail. This threesome doesn't balance to well with gold wheels. So I decided to change up the paint scheme to bring things back to ZEN
   
   The top pic is the bike prior to the start of the project. The middle pic was my mock up in photoshop as I wasn't sure if the number plate should be black, white or silver. The last pic is the finished product.
   
   Next is to toss the Hot Bodies undertail for a flat piece of Kydex painted in the same red as the tail. This will remove the bulbous tail, brake and turn signal lights. What you don't see in the pic are the integrated tail, brake and signal lights. Once I get new lights wired up, I'll post some more pics.
   
   

4. 2004 RC51 for $8,484

   22.Jan.08, 15:19 EST
   
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   The long drawn out story of a local Honda dealership the couldn't deliver on its promise and had to sell me a '04 RC51 for $8,484. The following was my written complaint to the dealership. I wrote it the day I was schedule to take deliver of a '03 RC51 and hand delivered it to the dealership that day. Within 10 minutes of producing my complaint, the dealership gave me the '04 RC for $8,484. 
   
   (Names have been changed to protect the innocent and the not so innocent.)
   
   On Sunday, March 20, 2005 a Honda dealer advertised in the Sun-Sentinel sports section new 2003 Honda RC51’s for $8584. I had been shopping for a motorcycle for some time and I immediately knew this was the opportunity I had been waiting for. That Sunday I went to the Honda dealer to look at the bike. Mr. Salesman, whom I’d met on an earlier visit, was at the store that day, as was Mr. Salesmanager, the sales manager. There were no 2003 RC51’s available for me to physically look at, however, both Mr. Salesman and Mr. Salesmanager agreed that one could be ordered and received by at the dealership on Wednesday, and possibly as early as Tuesday. I was completely satisfied with that as I didn’t intend to close a deal until the following Saturday, March 26. I left that day putting a $500 deposit down on a new 2003 RC51.
   
   It wasn’t until Thursday, March 24 or Friday, March 25 that a bike had arrived. However, Mr. Salesman wasn’t happy with the bike as it had damage to the right mirror, right front fairing in 2 locations, and 2 decals on the right fairing. Mr. Salesman said he wanted me to take deliver of a clean bike, and not one with such damage. Not seeing the bike, I trusted Mr. Salesman and disappointingly and anxiously agreed to wait another week for an undamaged bike.
   
   Sunday, March 27 the Honda dealer again advertises in the sports section of the Sun-Sentinel new 2003 Honda RC51’s for $8584.
   
   Throughout the week of March 27, I call Mr. Salesman to check on the status for delivery of the bike. It wasn’t until Thursday, March 31 that 2 bikes arrived, however the bikes were not new ‘03’s but more expensive ‘04’s. Mr. Salesman said that since they couldn’t get anymore new ‘03’s delivered, that he was going to have to try and get me the ’04 for the advertised ’03 price. Sounds fair to me since it is illegal to advertise something that one can’t sell. Mr. Salesman asks that I come in that night to take a look at the ’04 and wrap up a deal. With permission from my manager I leave work an hour early to meet with Mr. Salesman.
   
   40 minutes later I arrive at a Honda dealer at 5:15 p.m. Thursday and slowly, methodically and extremely patiently work through the sales process with Mr. Salesman. We get a trade-in value for my car and Mr. Salesman presents Mr. Salesmanager my purchase offer for an ’04 RC51 for $8584. Of course I don’t expect this part of the purchase process to be non-negotiable, however I don’t expect Mr. Salesman to come back to me with a counter offer that is completely unlike that for the ’03. Since the ’04’s aren’t being advertised like that of the ’03, I have now been thrown into what looks to be a new sales offer for the ’04. This is completely regardless of the fact that I’m there to accept the dealership’s advertised offer for the ’03. Eventually, I have to make it very clear to Mr. Salesman that he needs to tell Mr. Salesmanager that I am here to purchase a new 2003 RC51 for $8584 and since the dealership can no longer take delivery of new 2003 RC51’s as promised that I intend to purchase the 2004 at the advertised 2003 price. Anything short of Mr. Salesmanager accepting this offer puts the dealership perilously close to running a bait-and-switch offer.
   
   It is then that Mr. Salesmanager personally enters the negotiation and explains why he can not sell the ’04 at the ’03 price. Mr. Salesmanager also acknowledges that it wasn’t until earlier in the week that they could no longer take deliver of anymore ’03 RC51’s. This, of course is just days after the fact the bike was advertised in the Sunday paper.
   
   It is then that Mr. Salesman explains to Mr. Salesmanager that they do have 1, and only 1, ’03 RC51 on the floor, but that it is damaged. The 3 of us proceed to the bike to examine the damage. After reviewing the bike, Mr. Salesmanager offers to fix the damage and take another $100 off of the bike. A nice gesture considering that even after the damage is repaired, it will still be noticeable. At this time we settled on a price for the damaged ’03.
   
   Mr. Salesman or Mr. Salesmanager at this time proceeds to write up a sales order. When the order is presented to me, the price of the bike has changed and is now more expensive by $151. Additionally, the line items for the miscellaneous charges ($480.09 for Tags?) and allowances do not add up to the total shown at the bottom of the page. The total on the page is incorrectly inflated by more than $200. I have Mr. Salesman correct the price of the bike and present me with a new offer that matches the price that I have mathematically produced. It is then that I am finally presented an offer that doesn’t contain any mystery amounts (the $480.09 for tags was curiously reduced to $100). The price for the bike was to be $8,027.53 after trade-in, deposit and misc. fees, of which will be paid in full, cashiers check on Saturday, April 2.
   
   Before the night is through, I finish up with Mr. Finance (though the bike will be purchase in full with cash, the finance guy is still responsible for the monies). I do not leave the dealership until after 9 p.m. however, I was not Mr. Salesman’s only customer that night, so I understand the delay.
   
   On Friday, I call Mr. Salesman to confirm that the bike will be ready for pick up on Saturday morning. He says that he is at that time having the mirror replaced and that they are working getting the decals in and the bike cleaned up. He assures me that the bike will be ready Saturday morning and also states that he will not be at work but that he could be reached on his cell phone if needed.
   
   I arrive at the dealership Saturday morning at 9:25. Mr. Finance is ready to wrap things up and have me take delivery of the motorcycle. We walk to the back room to examine the bike and find it dirty and with no repairs made other than the replaced mirror. It is now that I start to realize that the subtleties exhibited in Mr. Salesman’s behavior are becoming major flaws. His lack of organization and preparation are all too clear now. So what happens next shouldn’t have come as a surprise. When Mr. Finance starts the motorcycle it idles for maybe 30 seconds and dies. Mr. Finance tries a few more times and suspects that the bike is out of gas. Mr. Finance fills the bike with gas and tries to restart. The bike will not start. With failed subsequent attempts to start the bike it is determined that the battery should now be replaced with the old one to be placed on a charge.
   
   A new battery is delivered from the parts department and Mr. Salesman 2 attempts to start the bike. When that battery eventually fails it is determined that that battery also was bad. An hour passes and it is nearing 11:15 a.m. I have to leave the dealership at 11:30 as I have a 12:00 appointment. Mr. Salesman 2 and I decided at this time that he will put in the bike the original battery which has been charging for about an hour. He will get the bike started for me and I will drive it home at put the battery back on charge when I get home. Curiously, my discussion with Mr. Salesman 2 also revealed that this particular bike had be sitting at the dealership for the last 2 years. Interesting, since Mr. Salesman said this bike came in the week of March 20.
   
   11:40 p.m. Saturday and the bike still will not start. It is agreed that the sparkplugs need to be exchanged. I leave the Honda dealer completely disgusted by this experience and have to drive a car, not a motorcycle, home.
   
   Saturday, April 2 the Honda dealer again advertises in the sports section of the Sun-Sentinel new 2003 Honda RC51’s for $8584. Can a bike that doesn’t start and is scratched to the point where the damage is permanent really be considered new?
   
   I am an extremely tolerant and understanding person. This Honda dealer is fortunate that this disaster has happened to me and not another customer. However do not let this fool you into thinking that I am not overwhelmingly dissatisfied. I am. The Honda dealer can choose one of the following options to redeem its self and keep me as repeat customer (I purchased a 2002 Civic in Sept. 2004), and for me to continue to think positively about my experiences with the Honda dealer. I expect an answer by end of day Monday, April 4.
   
   1. Delivery of a 2004 RC51 at the same terms reached as the 2003 I have tried to take delivery of.
   2. Complimentary purchase and installation of a Lojack security system in the 2003 RC51. I will assume the monthly fees.
   3. Deliver the 2003 Honda RC51 I have purchased with a $500 refund check or equivalent credit to be used toward the purchase of motorcycle parts and/or accessories at listed price(s), on sale or otherwise. Reward points will also be allowed during such purchases.
   4. Service intervals at 600, 4,000 and 8,000 miles and a $200 credit to be used toward the purchase of motorcycle parts and/or accessories at listed price(s), on sale or otherwise. Reward points will also be allowed during such purchases.
   5. Complete cancellation of the sales order. The traded Ford Contour will remain titled in my wife possession, the $500 deposit will be returned and a Honda dealer will keep the 2003 RC51.
   
   Lastly, I feel that credit is due to Mr. Salesmanager, Mr. Finance and Mr. Salesman 2. Each was helpful and did their jobs accordingly if not exceedingly. It is unfortunate that Mr. Finance and Mr. Salesman 2 were subjected to this disorder as well.
   
   I look forward to hearing how the Honda dealer will turn this experience into an enjoyable one. One where I will gladly continue to refer customers to your dealerships of all brands.
   
   Regretfully,
   
   T.J.