Kahuna powersports - never again.

~Dirt_Diva~ said:
Disagree, any manipulation to a suspension is going to change the way any vehicle handles and how smooth or unsmooth the ride is. The customer needs to take some responsibilty for the situation as well. You can't rely and expect everyone to inform you of every detail-you need to educate yourself for your own safety.
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You are absolutely right! This is not an every day commodity you are purchasing, nor is it a car for that matter! In my opinion, if you are going to ride a bike, you have to have an elevated sense of awareness and at least common technical sense. This is paramount for your own safety! If you dont have that, then i'm sorry, but go buy a fast sports car and drive that into the ground.

Like I said before, it would have been nice as a courtesy for Kahuna to have covered the labour cost to raise the bike back up, but otherwise I dont think theyre in the wrong for having you cover the entire cost.
 
~Dirt_Diva~ said:
Disagree, any manipulation to a suspension is going to change the way any vehicle handles and how smooth or unsmooth the ride is. The customer needs to take some responsibilty for the situation as well. You can't rely and expect everyone to inform you of every detail-you need to educate yourself for your own safety.
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"Change" in this case does not have to equal "crap". On your average car with strut based suspension, you'd need new knuckles, lower control arms, springs, and shocks. Changing everything else to reflect to lower ride height will mean the car will be able maintain proper suspension geometry when cornering, braking, accelerating, etc. The ride will be stiffer and there will be less suspension travel, but the centre of gravity will be lower and handling will be improved.

This generally applies to bikes as well, with one caveat. You can revalve the forks, put in stiffer springs (and longer top-out springs), change the shock linkage in some way (usually shortening one of the links), revalve the shock and change the spring. The problem is (aside from it being super expensive) though it may handle fine, you've reduced ground clearance by a lot in turns.

Key here is reducing the suspension travel when lowering. If that doesn't happen, then you will have the OP's problem, wheels smashing into fenders that are generally not very strong.
 
Moreno636 said:
Uh no. First you said when you change the change the suspension to any vehicle it turns to crap, which isn't true. Cars routienly change their suspension and it supposed to enhance the performance of the vehicle (if the shop does it well).

Secondly its entirely the shops responsebility to inform the customer of any and all repricussions. They are the experts in this equation, the custome is coming to them for their expertise. If after the repercussions are explained and the customer insists on the change then it falls on the customer.
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It is impossible for the shop to go through "any and all repricussions" or scenario that could result from lowering the suspension. This is the problem right here!!! Nobody wants to take any responsibility for their actions anymore! People need to start taking responsibility for their actions, and if that requires a little bit of research before you commit to something, then so be it!

By saying the shop is the professionals and they should have informed him of every possible situation is the same rationale as "I'm a professional psychiatrist, if you jump off the bridge all your problems will be solved! "
 
~Dirt_Diva~ said:
Disagree, any manipulation to a suspension is going to change the way any vehicle handles and how smooth or unsmooth the ride is. The customer needs to take some responsibilty for the situation as well. You can't rely and expect everyone to inform you of every detail-you need to educate yourself for your own safety.
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I do not even understand 100% what you are trying to say...

I guess you meant - Any modification to the suspension is going to affect handling, but if it is done by a professional, the modification will produce positive results...

The customer should be informed.
But the tech at the dealer is supposed to be the professional.
If they cannot lower the bike (for whatever reason), they shouldn't do it.
 
9PointStar said:
It is impossible for the shop to go through "any and all repricussions" or scenario that could result from lowering the suspension. This is the problem right here!!! Nobody wants to take any responsibility for their actions anymore! People need to start taking responsibility for their actions, and if that requires a little bit of research before you commit to something, then so be it!

By saying the shop is the professionals and they should have informed him of every possible situation is the same rationale as "I'm a professional psychiatrist, if you jump off the bridge all your problems will be solved! "
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Why is it impossible for the shop to inform the customer of any reprussions?

Your example is so far off base I don't know where to start with it. The correct example is that the phsyciatrist prescribes zoloft at the patients request and then tells the patient of the possible side effects, and this happens every single day.


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Moreno636 said:
Uh no. First you said when you change the change the suspension to any vehicle it turns to crap, which isn't true. Cars routienly change their suspension and it supposed to enhance the performance of the vehicle (if the shop does it well).
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I said when you lower it. No matter how professional or 'done right' it is, by lowering any vehicle it changes the steering dynamics and how the vehicle handles, the ride is usually much bouncier, or rougher...many cars lowered have to avoid bumps in the road just to avoid causing damage or bottoming out.
 
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Moreno636 said:
Why is it impossible for the shop to inform the customer of any reprussions?

Your example is so far off base I don't know where to start with it. The correct example is that the phsyciatrist prescribes zoloft at the patients request and then tells the patient of the possible side effects, and this happens every single day.


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Because there are many possible outcomes from lowering the suspension.

And my example was an extreme example to show that you shouldn't put 100% trust in someone because they are a professional. Even with your example, if a doctor told me I needed zoloft, I would do some research on it first before swallowing a pill I have no information on EVEN if it is recommended/prescribed by him
 
9PointStar said:
Because there are many possible outcomes from lowering the suspension.

And my example was an extreme example to show that you shouldn't put 100% trust in someone because they are a professional. Even with your example, if a doctor told me I needed zoloft, I would do some research on it first before swallowing a pill I have no information on EVEN if it is recommended/prescribed by him
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How many could there possibly be, 5 maybe in an extreme sense 10? Why is that so impossible a task?

So you do the research and then what? Your gonna trust your judgment over a doctors?


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Draco'sWrath said:
Long story short, they lowered the 250 so my wife could also ride it (she's short). By lowering it, every time I went over a bump, the rear wheel would contact the fender. The fender broke, the wires housed under the seat got chewed up/fell off. I got stranded while riding and that's when I realized what was happening.
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Did it all happen during one ride? I mean, the bike was fine, you were riding and then "poof", the bike stalls and you get stranded..?

Honestly, I have mixed feelings about it. On one hand, the techs at the dealership could have predicted it, but on the other hand "buyer's beware", "client is always right", etc. Maybe they didn't think your weight would cause the bike to bottom out... How much does it take for it to happen?
 
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"I'm about 225 she's about 130."
LoL, heheh...
So you lowered a Ninja250 ~2 inches, then put a 225 pound rider on it?
Yeesh - n00bies are finding new creative/inventive ways to wreck perfectly good carefully engineered motorcycles.
But they should have warned you the bike is set up for 130 pounds, no passengers (or 225 pound pilots!)
Kahuna will also happily sell you oversized radial tires for your Ninja250, even though it comes with narrow wheels and bias-belted OEM...
I have been waiting for the lawsuits on that one,
Regards
 
~Dirt_Diva~ said:
Disagree, any manipulation to a suspension is going to change the way any vehicle handles and how smooth or unsmooth the ride is. The customer needs to take some responsibilty for the situation as well. You can't rely and expect everyone to inform you of every detail-you need to educate yourself for your own safety.
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it's a matter of good customer service.

and as a newb, going to a professional tech, they SHOULD definitely have told him that lowering the bike can adversely affect ground clearance and handling. As people say "ask the experts". If they're going to do the work, they have a responsibility to inform him of any likely possible adverse consequences. this happens in all aspects of today's society, from full disclosure in repair work orders, buying a house, getting a mortgage, having treatments/surgery by a specialist, taking medications, etc., etc. Our society demands and expects full disclosure. I don't see how a motorcycle shop/store (and a major one at that) should be exempt in any way.

When i had my bike lowered by Z1, he went out of his way to discourage me from doing it, for the way it would affect my handling, etc. I insisted, and the work was done, but i was fully informed. Had anything bad happened, I would completely be 100% responsible.

for the tech's at kahuna, they SHOULD have known that lowering the bike 2" would likely cause bottoming out and should have told him at least that much. I've been riding for 8 years and have had 4 bikes and would have believed the tech as well if they told me lowering it 2" would not be a problem.

Also, there is a proper way to lower a bike (adjusting springs, dampers as needed, etc) and a wrong way (only slapping on lowering links and nothing else). This should have been disclosed to the customer as well.

Instead they just said "yeah, no problem"...this was a new bike sale too, to a new rider. it's not like he rode the bike around and had an opportunity to get a feel for what it was supposed to feel like, or had a chance to research the topic in depth, or had any real experience to draw upon.

He asked all he needed to: "will it be okay? can this be done?"

The advice the shop gave him was poor ("yeah, no problem"), and perhaps (i'm speculating here) motivated to finalize a bike sale. as such, i believe Kahuna should be liable. if not legally or morally, than for the sake of just good, agreeable customer service -- the lack of which is what the OP is really complaining about.


Just my 2 cents
 
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Sorry to hear about your suspension problem that really sucks. I just wanted to throw in that before we take customers away from kahuna lets just be sure to say its the service and sales department and not the parts departments upstairs and downstairs.
I don't know if they are seperate buisnesses like in other places but i would hate for them to suffer because of lackluster service and sales since i have had nothing but good experiences with them.

Somebody should email a Kawi person at the head office that handles regional sales. I'm sure the regional sales manger would love to know that 1 of i guess 5 or 6 of his dealers in his region are really burning bridges with customers.

Kawi is worth millions you would be surprised what they are willing to do to keep loyal customers.
Just my 2 cents.
 
Question for you, did you ask the salesperson to lower the bike for you (I'm guessing before delivery) or the accessories/service department?

The answer you get will change completely depending on whether you ask the right person or not
 
Only going by what the OP said in his more detailed post of happenings. BUT he says they already had the type of bike they wanted lowered and displayed. If I knew nothing about bikes (and I don't claim to know alot). This would look like an option to me, possibly offered by the manufacturer. He asked if it could be done, and got a "No Problem". He asked would anything be affected? And he got a reply about eh kickstand not tilting the bike as much.

Whether or not this is the whole story I don't know. But based on that much I would side with the OP. But MAYBE it was the original guy he talked to and not so much kahuna as a whole.

Are you talking to the same people when you went back or are you talking to different people. And if so did you explain how the conversation went when you got the work done?

EDIT: Just read Regders post above and completely agree with his statement. The salesman would not give you the same info that the service department would.
 
When we purchased our bikes from Cycle World it was the Sales Rep who advised against the lowering right away. Said to give the bike time to adjust to our weight as the suspension would sink, come back after it had done that if it still wasn't low enough. Ended up never having to lower the one for the short hubby.

If professionals in all other aspects of life can manage to spit out a warning on things I'm sure Kahuna could have as well. It's easy to nutshell possible side effects enough to warn the buyer something "could" go wrong.
 
Kahuna can't even sell gear right...I bought my riding boots from them and they gave me two different sizes. I had to waste time and gas to go back and get the proper size. And they didn't even care.

No matter who's right and who's wrong in this particular "lowering the bike" discussion some of the main points are:

1) The people at Kahuna are very unprofessional
2) The customer service is beyond bad
3) They simply don't care

BB
 
~Dirt_Diva~ said:
Actually he assumed they would tell him....by his statement he didn't ask a single question. For someone who is a new rider who knows nothing as claimed would you not be concerned why your bike is hitting so hard when you hit a bump?
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"rofl" I can't think of another response. Thank you miss expert.

Bob: Thank you for making sense.
 
Oh honestly people, if done right and not some quick hack job you can lower a bike and still have it handle right. I had my track 07' GSXR 750 lowered 2' by Sherrard when I first go it. It did beautifully at the track for a couple months until I got too fast for the suspension. We then raised it by an inch (so it was still 1'' lower then oem) and again the bike worked great and even got me through a few races.

The only thing I can think of in this situation is if the OP told Kahuna to lower the bike for the wife, and they made the necessary adjustments assuming a 100lb rider would be riding the bike. A lowered bike set up for a 100lb rider would NOT be able to handle such a weight difference without some ill effect. And while that may be common knowledge to some, it's not to all and it would have been the shop's responsibility to at least tell the wife "make sure no one heavy rides the bike".
 
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