Canadian Tire v. Zdeno Safety Ins. Experience | GTAMotorcycle.com

Canadian Tire v. Zdeno Safety Ins. Experience

kawi_girl

kawi_girl

Well-known member
So, this weekend I took my bike (04 zx6r) to Zdeno for a safety inspection. Upon looking at my bike they said that they couldn't pass it because you couldn't see 'enough' behind you with the mirrors, and some of the wiring I had done for my headlights was a safety hazard because you couldn't turn the handlebars (even though you could....there's no way I would have been able to get my bike out of my drive way if that was the case). Anyways, I agree that the wiring needed to be cleaned up, however it was not nearly as bad as they had made it out to be. At the end of all of this, they were nice enough to not charge me for the safety, and told me that if I cleaned the wires up and put the stock mirrors back on they might be able to pass it.

I went home, cleaned some of the wiring up, and did some homework in regards to what the requirements are for mirrors on a bike as far as the Ministry of Trans. is concerned, where I saw nothing about just how much exactly you need to be able to see behind you. I decided to not take the mirrors off because I didn't see how they would cause me not to pass the safety insp., and decided to try my luck at Canadian Tire instead, which I had heard was much more leanient and pretty much didn't know enough about bikes to do a thorough inspection.

When I brought my bike to CT, I was surprised, because not only did I pass the safety with no problems, but the guy there who did the safety was actually pretty knowledgeable, and gave me some good suggestions for small things he had noticed on the bike that could be improved (chain was a little tight, how steel brake lines could help my 'soft' brakes, etc.). I didn't even tell him I went to Zdeno, and he ended up telling me about how they don't like to deal with bikes that have after market lighting (as far as doing safeties), and a couple of other things.

Anyways, long story short, just wanted to let you guys know that the CT in Kitchener East isn't just a guy who knows nothing about bikes, and that it's actually a decent place to go. Also, if you have a sport bike with aftermarket lighting, you may want to reconsider going to Zdeno for your safety insp. (I've also heard similar things from other people, not just the CT guy).
 
Quick questions..

CT East would be the Victoria Rd location?
Which place didn't like the aftermarket headlights?

Glad it is all certified and ready to go as I am sure I will se you out on a group ride sometime this year :D
 
jeffjones said:
Quick questions..

CT East would be the Victoria Rd location?
Which place didn't like the aftermarket headlights?

Glad it is all certified and ready to go as I am sure I will se you out on a group ride sometime this year :D
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Yes, CT East is the Victoria Rd location. I had heard that when it comes to safety insp.'s Zdeno doesn't like aftermarket headlights/mods (which I have quite a bit of - LEDs, angel eye, demon eye, HIDs, etc.).

Looking forward to group rides with everyone this year :)!
 
I've had three bikes safetied at CT but always the one in burlington and no complaints. I am actually surprised ZDeno's didn't charge you for the inspection with all the horror stories on here. I have never had any work done there but pop in from time to time when I ride by.
 
Nice, glad to hear you found a decent technician at a CT no less! I'm sure they're not all idiots but so many of them are it's hard not to generalize.

Yea, the problem with bike shops is that they can sometimes be too nit picky either because they take their jobs very seriously or because they want you to buy service from them. A buddy of mine took his bike to Cycle World in scarborough and they nit picked it apart and pressured him into getting it serviced by them. He said no thanks, took it to CT and had it passed there. If you're ever unsure about the fitness of your bike you can always take it in for a proper inspection after it's been safetied.
 
ya but don't use cycle world, their not a dealership, and you will get ripped off.
 
Twon said:
As this is my first season on a two wheeler, and haven't gone through all the...whatever there is to go through with it, may I ask the purpose of getting the safety done?
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Cant plate without one if im not mistaken
 
Twon said:
As this is my first season on a two wheeler, and haven't gone through all the...whatever there is to go through with it, may I ask the purpose of getting the safety done?
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It's the same as putting a car on the road (minus having to get an e-test). You need to have the bike pass a safety inspection before you can have it on the road (with the exception of 2 - temporary permits, good for 10 days each).
 
Safety inspections usually tend to be up to the tech performing the inspection. usually fear of something going wrong and a problem coming back on them personally/possibly affecting their license/job. if your not sure just ask for there inspection book and tell them to point out exactly why and how come it doesn't pass based on the 'ministry guideline book' that all inspection stations are required to have.

it doesn't take much for a bike or car to pass a safety.....if you read carefully, a vehicle doesn't require an engine to pass a safety. crazy!
 
wildturkey27 said:
Safety inspections usually tend to be up to the tech performing the inspection. usually fear of something going wrong and a problem coming back on them personally/possibly affecting their license/job.
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I read when it comes to the safety inspection, technicians are not liable for anything that happens after the vehicle leaves the shop. They are only certifying that it was road worthy at the time the inspection was carried out.
 
^ While strictly that's true, it would be difficult for such a technician to defend a massive rust hole in a frame that appeared overnight, or brakes that wore from the minimum pad thickness to bare steel overnight.

Burned bulbs, horn that stopped working, etc can and do happen in an instant, and that's what "... at the time of inspection" is meant to cover - along with situations like crashing the vehicle subsequent to the inspection, or removing compliant parts and substituting non-compliant parts.
 
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