So here we go again, spilling my darkness on internet.
Well, long before ADV and all that crap, you always had to do mods by yourself and with a lot of help from friends or someone who knows someone who maybe knows a guy who can help. This was in a way cool because you had a unique piece, and helped also with social interaction. Now you can buy whatever crap you can, overpriced and with a service that you usually wouldn't buy again if it was a regular shop.
I am a fan of amazon, and I love how they treat the customers, how easy you can return stuff and how smooth goes when one product is defective or some part of it broke at assembly. Not the same I could tell about the ADV crap "your dreams from bikers to bikers".
So .... on my path to "adventurise" the Tenere I kind of had my share of shit attitudes. Now the small story:
I purchased in a bigger order from a regular motorcycle equipment dealer one SW-Motech luggage rack, the steel one because was not over the psychical threshold of 100 EUR. Well, it came and to my surprise just a plate (looks good btw) weights almost 2 Kg. Duuuude ... the entire luggage rack from Suzuki GS500 which is more than a metal sheet .... is a bit lighter. Of course, I said, 2 kilos for the plate and on the tail I can put just 7 Kilos, at least this is waht is said ..... I remain already with 5 Kilos for luggage. Well, tried to send it back, looks like or I return the entire order, or I keep the rack. For the nasty man inside I would had return the entire order but I kind of needed those boots and bought them at a special price ... so tthe action was over, just for one rack I will lose more money. So if someone reads and needs a 1.700 grams of steel luggage plate from SW-Motech, original price 70Eur, I will sell it happily with 50.
Bummer .... next, took a lot of crap from Touratech, nothing to complain, just that some parts are not as useful as advertised, but kudos for the aluminium luggage rack. Don't drink late night and then shop ... I always try to do it but always end up buying crap that I don't need.
The biggest surprise is a well praised company called Off The Road - from them I purchased almost over 1000 Eur loads of crap, some may be useful, some look just "cool to have" installed, some are a must for me - like panniers and hand-guards. Bought the special kit for XT660Z of Acerbis Rally 3, ok, the only addition is the mount for standard handlebars which are threaded, but ..... Acerbis made a nice system to keep them in place, so they can't spin around the handlebar end. OTR missed this aspect for the "special mount kit". Already a star lower, if you do something .... don't do just a cork with outside and inside thread ... make the fucking system as Acerbis did for the rest of the mortals out there. Well is not the end of the world, I can live with it as it is. But the best part is coming. I ordered also the Dakar soft luggage panniers produced by SW-Motech. I don't have the money for the aluminium boxes and I don't see their use, I am a freak anyway and don't keep anything on the bike, because can be interesting for thieves. So the textile luggage was the best choice.
I started to mount them and a screw broke, really broke at 6Nm, Yes I was using the special torque tool. Called OTR to say that piece broke, I need a new part. Their answer was the shittiest one ever and I quote "just a screw we can't order from SW-Motech, try to talk with them directly, also from our point is not a warranty case, or try to buy the part from some hobby store because we don't think is a special screw made only by them." With other words "Go fuck yourself!!!!!". The money were good but we are too lazy to care, buy another one or just solve your shit. Really!?!?!? The thing costs about 400 Eur and you act like this?!?!? Then go fuck yourself too!.
In another discussion with them, before the thing broke, I asked them about the tidy tail, which can be seen as a luxury problem but the long vibrating tail annoys me, and 2 kilo less, as advertised, is a good thing to start with. So I asked if they can recommend all the parts to fit with a stock bike ... well the answer was, just order what you need from the web-shop. Seriously?!?! Can't you say "ok, because are LED lights we recommend the XYZ resistor for them", or whatever, the turn-lights can be these because .... Really, just be professional and not like the guy from the small boutique store across the road. But even he knows how to sell better. From my side, I regret to be their client, although they have some cool stuff, I will be looking at other companies.
SW-Motech ... well, I emailed them about the screw, after 4 days I got the offer to buy the screw with 7,99 EUR. During the 4 days was like one reply from them per day and even if I responded in 2 minutes no answer until next day. After 4 days, they told me that it will be sent just after the money hits their account. I was pissed off so I kind of fisted the last guy, because I need the bike to be travel ready in just 3 days. Was nice to have it first for a test ... well, the guy didn't even reply. I don't care that I have to pay 8 EUR for a god damn screw, well actually I do, but I expect at least a bit of "sorry that our somehow overpriced product is crap, we will do our best to..."
So just 3 days to go and no luggage, probably I will do it old school with a 80 L backpack strapped on the pillion seat.
Kind of feeling that this companies are aiming just rich middle-aged men and give just crap at diamond prices.
Shame on OTR and SW-Motech, even my Yamaha dealer who sells a lot of bikes, so is not hungry and can stick to the price, made me better deals and gave me better advice. I paid just the bike and the parts, the installation was free, no extra costs. What can I want more?!?!? This is what I call a biker for bikers. Not to mention that he gave me all the original parts, even the screws they took out and replaced with the custom parts.
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