Here's your sign... (Ross Motorsports)

[Wes]

In my 33 years of life, I have done some truly ignorant things and despite my own shortcomings, I still encounter people whose stupity could cause Jesus Christ himself to lose his hope for mankind. (If he hasn't already-you'll have to ask him yourself as he doesn't talk to me)

On my trip to Push Mountain in Arkansas last week I managed to finish off my rear tire. I thought I might make it back to El Paso since I had 50% of the tread when I left but I was very wrong. By Nacogdoches I had cords showing. I was feeling like an absolute moron that I had let this happen but I limped the Concours 14 down to the Kawasaki Dealer in Lufkin for a new rear tire.

Well sure enough the parts guy looked at me and told me they don't sell tires. He couldn't even remember the last time the sold or installed a tire. So I get on the phone and start calling every dealer in town to no avail. The only option was to go to Ross Motorsports. Well I swore I would never go back in their shop after watching one of their techs stab a screw driver into a stator (hence ruining the stator). But I had to swallow my pride and admit to my recklessness and ride down there.

I walked up to the parts counter with my best Texas smile and a howdy and began explaining my predicament. I told the unpleasant old man at the counter I was looking a BT-21 in 190 for a touring bike. He wrote down the tire size and went to the back only to reemerge with a "Full Bore" brand tire in my size.

I asked him if there was any other choice as I have never heard of the tire. He replied in an obviously annoyed voice, "I don't know what big city you are from, but I don't know why anyone would want to run that fancy high dollar tire your looking for on their bike." "You must want to waste your money." Chin on the floor, the best response I could muster was "because it's a motorcycle, and tires are the only thing keeping me alive." He then rolled his eyes and replied, "Well I wouldn't waste money on expensive Bridgestones, who uses those any way."

I felt like at any moment Bill Engvall was going to jump out and say "and here's your sign!" And for a final slap in the face they managed to break my tire pressure sensor before I left and tire rides like greased owl snot even after the 1,000 trip home.

[txbanditrydr]

Too bad you didn't post up here first... I know of a couple places that would have helped you locate a new tire and changed the tire for free - not too terribly far from there.

BTW... I feel your pain on running short of tread.

[Siah]

Originally Posted by txbanditrydr

Too bad you didn't post up here first... I know of a couple places that would have helped you locate a new tire and changed the tire for free - not too terribly far from there.

BTW... I feel your pain on running short of tread.

Hey I got my rear changed but I need to change the front still. Any recommendations? Motorcycle Superstore will ship it to a shop that'll take my wheel off and mount the tire for $35 which is one of the best deals I've seen.

To the OP:
Never thought I'd ask this question (after years of putting up with customer's **** in retail), but: whatever happened to "the customer is ALWAYS right"?

[txbanditrydr]

Originally Posted by Siah

Hey I got my rear changed but I need to change the front still. Any recommendations? Motorcycle Superstore will ship it to a shop that'll take my wheel off and mount the tire for $35 which is one of the best deals I've seen.

Siah - I can beat that deal but you'll have to ride to Tyler. P/M me for details if interested.

[Wes]

The customer is never right anymore. I have been "up sold" a few times in the past when parts guys would try to talk me up from Bridgestones to slightly more expensive Michelins or Pirellis. I was floored to be "down sold" and then made fun of for wanting a better tire on a high performance sport-tourer.

When I lived in East Texas I used to say it would be the greatest place on Earth if 3/4 of the people would just move away.

[Manfred]

Wes,

A friend of mine ran his rear tire to the cord on trip last week up and back on the Natchez Trace. His experience with a dealer was better.

Don't be too hard on yourself - nobody can do anything to cause Christ Jesus to lose hope for mankind. As God, He knows that man can do nothing good by his own and that He is the only hope for man - and He never fails. Now that's good news!

[DaveC]

You can always leave a review.
http://maps.google.com/maps/place?ci...JYSGiAPvyLGYDg

[Sleepy Weasel]

If you'd put a car tire on there, you wouldn't have this trouble.

[DaveC]

Originally Posted by Sleepy Weasel

If you'd put a car tire on there, you wouldn't have this trouble.

considering that between Lufkin and El Paso there are all of
three turns, a good choice indeed.

[jrod]

Wow, just wow. That really speaks volumes of the owner/management. If I had an employee treat someone that way I would kick him in the *** so hard he would not sit down for a week. I do management consulting for powersports dealerships. Maybe I need to call the guy that owns that place and refer him to this thread then offer my services.
Really?
Are you kidding me?

And what the **** is a "Full Boar" tire.......10+years in the industry and never heard of it.
I'll bet dollars to doughnuts it is Chinese.

[focus frenzy]

why is everybody picking on the Chinese?? full bore tires are designed by a Japanese dude and made in Korea, wheather north or south, I don't know.

[Morgan Buchanan]

Originally Posted by DaveC

considering that between Lufkin and El Paso there are all of
three turns, a good choice indeed.

Why would a lack of turns cause a car tire to be a good choice? I'm confused.

Too bad you had a rube of a "sales" person. But it's a good story! We so often get good stories out of bad experiences....

[budzrex]

Shame you got a bad feeling tire out of the deal.

No excuse for poor attitude from the sales guy but does not surprise me that you got a bargin style tire.

Internet tire sales have killed most dealer tire sales for sporting tires as these riders are more prone to do their own service and tire changes. Most dealers only install cruiser or big touring bike tires so that is what they stock.

As a note next time you are in Arkansas try Russellville Honda for tires we were up there a few weeks ago and had a guy get to close to cord and rode down and they installed a tire at 6pm on Saturday for about 15 dollars over internet cost of the same tire

They are a good dealership that has been around for years and recently moved to a new facility just off I-40 and hiway 7

[Wes]

Most great stories also start with the story teller doing something stupid, as I did...

Well it turns out the tire pressure sensor they broke is ok. They only broke the valve stem so I'm only out $20 or $30 instead of the $200 I was expecting. The tire seems to be holding alright but I am leary of leaving it on to long since it's a cheapy. Next time it's a new set of rubber before I attempt a cross Texas adventure.

[JTM]

Just remember Lufkin Kawasaki used to sell tires, but they didn't know how to install them.

[wbrisett]

Wes, if you do a search on Full Bore, you see that folks riding them have a mixed reaction to them. Most seem to like them, but only because they are priced right for them and they consider them to handle OK. I'm like you, and I'm picky about my tires. I don't even like the choice BMW had for my new RT (Road Pilot 2s). I want something with a bit more stick to them, which is why I'm getting ready to put some Avons on the bike (although I will be changing out tires more often when I do this).

[busarider1]

Who wants quality tires anyways? sheesh.

[Wes]

busarider1: Apparently no one in Lukin... Just kidding.

JTM: I started my search with them and they had nothing.

[JTM]

Wes, that Kawasaki Dealer is the reason I was able to buy my ZX636 as inexpensively as I did.

The front rim and tire were mounted backwards.
The Rear wheel was misaligned by one notch side to side.
The Rear Axle bolt was over tightend.
The left the strap off the battery.
They spilled something on the tank that discolored it.

It is probably better for you that they didn't have the tires.

[Sleepy Weasel]

Originally Posted by JTM

It is probably better for you that they didn't have the tires.