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    Web Cam & Holeshot Performance

    Hi guys, Those of you that have read anything Ive written in the forum know that I can be a little testy at times when confronted with baseless opinion and conjecture. Lately Ive been on a personal campaign to get my zen on and relax a bit. I have my fingers in so many things that i seem to run into what seems like more than my share of stupidity.

    First let me say that im not a chauvanist by any means. im actually looking for a woman that rides a bike and can handle herself in a conversation. Nothing more sexy to me than a (straight) woman on a motorcycle. Yahoooo!

    So I have eluded before and now I'll say it. I know whats up with ALL things mechanical.

    Even though Ive always had one, I havent tore into motorcycles before, just rode and broke them, then passed them on to someone else and got another. I was always too busy with all else. Now, in the past couple years I have been forced, thru a bad purchase to learn about motorcycles and I have found that they are kid stuff and fall directly into line with all else mechanical.
    In my previous lives I am U.S. Navy Submarine qualified, SAE Master tech qualified and a Chrysler motors Master Technician. I only mention this to show that Im not an average moron with outrageous expectations. I quit all that in 2001 and have my own business now which has nothing to do with vehicles so my 83' 1100E is a cathardic release of my inner mechanic.

    So I have degreed the cams on many V8 motors. Using a degreeing kit which in the business is usually a shop tool. Only career people would buy an expensive tool set as such, in General.

    So after riding with my web cams straight up for awhile, then putting on adjustable gears I figured I should degree the cams. I bought a full kit from Web cam and when it came in, it turns out it is made up by Holeshot performance.

    I got it in the mail, tore into the bike and went to town. when tightening down the pinch bolt on the indicator arm I found that it wouldnt tighten. I had put NO PRESSURE on it and it wouldnt take any pressure, just spun.

    Took it apart and found the pinch bolt threads completely stripped off. I immediatly closed my eyes and went "Hummmmmm, Hummmmm"
    Par for the course since there were greasy fingerprints on most of the "NEW" pieces in the box when I opened it. I figured they gave me the last one that was returned and was understandably ****ed since I let go of over $250 for this kit.

    I called web cam and talked with Laurie. She actually knows nothing about the products she sells or ANYTHING mechanical. She did agree to send me a new elbow and pinch bolt if I would return the "one I broke" Sizzzle.

    So I got it in the mail today, unwrapped it.... can you guess?

    I did not run it forward, I unscrewed it to pull it apart to asssemble it to its arm and this bolt is stripped also. Sizzzle, pop, crackle.
    Not completely yet, just the tips of the bolts threads are wiped so i can tell what the issue is.
    The bolt is what looks like a 5x0.8 and the nut inside the plastic handle is 3/8" standard. Not exactly sure of the sizes but you get the picture.
    Im going to clean the threads and go get a nut that fits myself this time.

    After a minute or two of "Hummmmmm"
    I called web cam and this time talked to Melissa. Nothing mean, smile on my face, just to let them know that there is a problem with the product they sell. she went and got one out of a new box on the shelf and we walked thru the issue. She tells me that you "should" be able to slide the bolt halfway into the nut before getting resistance and that this is my fault for over tightening and I would have to pay for the next one.

    SOoooo I called Hole shot performance and talked to a woman there. Cant remember her name because my head popped off when she asked me what a cam degree kit was.

    Is it ME ? or at the very least should a person that picks up the phone at a company know something about the products they sell.

    Im vexxed actually because I had the Exact same experience with Race Tech last month. They list an emulator kit for the 82' GS 1100 but the sales girls cant tell you which model of GS 1100 and after a little salesperson conjecture much crap ensued from that situation.

    I guess Im saying that you should be VERY careful when dealing with these companies.

    Hate to say it but, ask for a guy, cross your fingers and hope he knows more than his sister.
    Last edited by Guest; 03-08-2007, 12:10 PM.

    #2
    Call holeshot and ask for Dale Walker. He's the owner. If you read motorcycle magazine tests in the 80's,their rider was always Dale or Jay Gleason.

    Comment


      #3
      I did call and ask for Dale. Too "busy" at that time. took my number and Im still waiting.......and not holding my breath.

      Update on the nut and bolt sizes.
      Took them to our local emporium, Tacoma Screw. These guys really know their nuts. Ha. Really.. Its a pro supply bussiness and they sell all types and configurations of fasteners. Made up my own allen head stainless engine covers kit from here with ease. ($14)

      They tried to match up the nut and bolt with their tattles. the guy at the counter immediatly said 6mm bolt and 1/4x20 nut by eye, but when trying to match the threads found both the nut and the bolt dont perfectly match the tattles for any size although both are a different size and thread pitch and dont belong together anyway.

      He noted that the bolt was black but poorly anodized or blued since you could scrape it off with your fingernail. The black is chalky.

      Their final analysis was that the fasteners were made by a company using old worn out tap and dye jigs and there is no telling what actual size they are supposed to be.

      I got two 6mm nuts with a close pitch and squeezed them a bit in a vice so they were snug when turning.

      THE END of my doing business with Web Cam, Holeshot performance... and Race Tech by the way.

      I know these are popular companies in the M/C business and cant expect people to stop using their products but I dont see myself needing their headaches anymore.

      Seems that its the age old business problem. Start out dedicated with a good product and when the bank account gets big, everybody can suck it.

      Brings me back to the girl issue. Even before this episode its been my policy to avoid, and not do business with companies that use women with low self esteem and fake **** to sell their products. You should have seen all the girls at the Seattle International bike show last year wearing bikinis and high heels. Jeez, what stupidity. Everybody knows you cant change gear in open toe'd high heels. Ha!

      Fake women, Fake parts.
      Last edited by Guest; 03-08-2007, 05:09 PM.

      Comment


        #4
        Update.

        Did get a call from Dale Walker today.
        He got the message that I was "stuck" and couldnt figure out how to degree my cams so he was giving me a call. Seems like a little extra effort

        When we straightened out his message, he told me the stuff is made in Taiwan and he has no control and maybe I could fix it myself.

        From there he couldnt get off the phone fast enough.

        No problem, Oh ya, have a good day.

        Comment


          #5
          Sorry about the problems. I've delt with dale and holeshot for over 25 years and never had that kind of response from him. Called him tonight and he gave me the "WTF can I do" response. I told him that's no consolation to some one who has bought product from him. At that point he basically gave me the bums rush and hung up.

          Comment


            #6
            If this was me, I'd apologize, offer to replace the defective parts ASAP, source a batch to a local job shop at USA prices.

            In the meantime, I'd get on the phone, put the suppliers nuts in a vice and stop buying until they could show me quality.

            I understand how hard the language barrier can be, but it's still no excuse for accepting garbage. Tiawan, and many other countries can produce quality if it is insisted upon.



            When you outsource, Your supplier works for you.

            The customer is concerned with the quality of the parts YOU sell, not what you may or may not buy.

            If you can not source quality parts, you are not a quality company.
            Yamaha fz1 2007

            Comment


              #7
              Damn madjack, How about giving a couple other guys a call for me!
              I need to change my user name to madmike.

              Another thing about that kit that irked me was the "instructional video"

              Even though its not rocket science I wanted to see how he mounted the caliper base on the motor so I watched and was actually disgusted.
              Its a copy of a VCR tape that he made in the 80's.
              Tripping over his tongue and being vague about the procedure without any real discussion of the numbers or ANY why factor.

              Im not really sure a person could properly degree their cams by following this video. There are too many unanswered questions for a first timer.

              Also the tools he's using in the video arent the ones supplied. He's using actual quality tools.

              Comment


                #8
                It's good to know - over the past week or so, we talked about adding a cam timing kit to the items we sell - top of the list was the hole-shot product. I think we can cross that name out...

                Comment


                  #9
                  Mike, or anyone else interested, IF you can find it, get a copy of the tape Vance & Hines made with Byron degreeing cams. On an 1166 motor with 33 MM Mikunis they got 166 HP out of a STREET engine! The cam degreeing part of the tape is what the tape was made for & what really sold it. I used to have it but someone "borrowed" it & I never got it back. Ray.

                  Comment


                    #10
                    Id be interested in that tape to check out the motor build. Especially what cam and ignition. Im looking for 150hp in the end and Im using the web .340 cams. Over 150 would be excellent.

                    After the cam install and degreeing, I stiffened my ohlins rear shocks and can leave a patch of rubber on the ground going into 3rd. You can feel it grinding rubber to asphalt. 1st, smoke, 2nd, grind and smoke, 3rd, grind. Pretty cool. The Battlax is gonna need to be retired (Ha) soon.

                    Next is to play with the dyna 2000 and get a matching advance curve for the cams and wait for spring for our local dealers to bring out the dyno.

                    I didnt say it before but spchips, you are right on the money. I own my own business and know this to be true. Its called a six link chain. Every disapointed customer I can turn around is worth 6 referrals throughout time. For that matter, goes the same for happy customers. The only problems come when there are too many customers to service.

                    Thanks rapidray Im going to do some googling for that tape.

                    Comment

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