Author Topic: New Honda Fender Quaility (Read 4845 times)

AshimotoK0 · « **on:** May 22, 2009, 03:28:40 PM »

I bought a new Genuine Honda front fender for my 750K0 (K0/K1 style) but after inspecting it by rubbing my hand over the chrome there were sharp points sticking through the chrome. I bought it from David Silver whose prices and service are first rate in my view. They told me to return it (they arranged pickup and return at their expense !! - brilliant customer relations or what !!). They told me that they had to go through a large number of their stock to find me a decent one, as they all had 'blemishes'. A UK Sandcast aficionado told me that he has seen the chrome on new fenders yellow after only about a years use. I know Honda's chroming was always suspect in the 70's but are we again being passed off with poor quality parts. If Honda are passing off new items which are imperfect then how do you complain to them directly? It is not the distributors fault and personally I feel sorry for Silver's as they get the hassle and yet have done more for old Honda restoration in the UK than anyone I know.

kghost · « **Reply #1 on:** May 22, 2009, 03:44:20 PM »

I posted about a muffler I got from DSS...

I wasn't happy with it.

Guess you had a better experience then I did.

AshimotoK0 · « **Reply #2 on:** May 22, 2009, 03:52:12 PM »

To be honest I have no problem with David Silver's whatsoever. This item was all wrapped up and sealed in a genuine Honda box. Surely Honda's QC should have picked this up and the fact that the majority of the other stock was flawed made me post this question. Sorry if you had bad experience with DSS - I first dealt with him when he was working part time from his home selling NOS parts 23 years ago!! He is always considerably cheaper than CMS. I cheat and use the CMS website to find the part no. and then copy and paste this into DSS's part no box !!

Johnie · « **Reply #3 on:** May 22, 2009, 03:56:08 PM »

Honda quality must be going down the tubes. Took my dealer four tries to get me a #3 HM300 exhaust without a dent in it. For what they charge for one of those pipes they should be 100% perfect!!!

jaknight · « **Reply #4 on:** May 22, 2009, 04:57:29 PM »

Got To Agree,

About 2 1/2 or 3 years ago I had to buy a new front fender for my '74 750 K4........ was easy to tell the quality wasn't as good as the original (which was totally smashed from a car doing a job on me). There was no way I could rework the original.

I have toyed with the idea of buying new Honda pipes for my bike and Honda front & rear rims....... I heard a rumor once, some time ago, that the rims don't look as nice as the originals. Now, I'm not sure what I'm going to do.

As Johnie said, you pay mucho bucks and they can't understand why you should get a good part?

~ ~ ~ jaknight ~ ~ ~

nippon · « **Reply #5 on:** May 22, 2009, 08:20:14 PM »

Yes, I returned the #3 pipe of HM-300 pipes the third time now for a customer, too.
They all have a small dent at the rear.
Currently it's like a lottery to get good muffler set.

nippon

AshimotoK0 · « **Reply #6 on:** May 23, 2009, 01:12:17 AM »

As its the 40th anniversary of the CB750 soon and we are all spending our hard earned money on Genuine Honda parts to keep them on the road and as standard as possible. Surely as a group, we could somehow express our dismay at the substandard quality of the parts to someone at Honda themselves, not the unfortunate reseller. I need a new pair of rear shockers for my 750K0 which I was going to order from DSS but what's the quality going to be like? I could get re-pro, OEM looking ones for much less.

I can see that with the weak pound v dollar that you guys would be tempted to order parts from the UK. But imagine the 'hidden cost' and associated hassle of shipping them back and then getting replacements returned.

It's all a shame. On one hand you have to marvel at Honda for still producing HM300 pipes when they could just produce only 341's. But then again they cost around 25% more than 341's and maybe they sell so many that it is in fact a good earner for them. Don't know the numbers really.

I wonder what happens to all of the 'returns'? Or maybe they are just passed on to some other unsuspecting buyers.

Hmmm you have got me worried now my new set of 300 pipes are still in the wrapping and I never fully inspected them - just hid them under my daughters bed when I bought them at Christmas time before Honda increased their prices in the UK !!!!!!!

754 · « **Reply #7 on:** May 23, 2009, 08:06:38 AM »

2 things..

Chrome industry has changed drastically this side of the pond (& probably over there), way harder to get chrome done these days.

Nobody, before or since, cared as much as Sochioro. if a beancounter can trim a yen or two.. they are on it like white on rice..

Magpie · « **Reply #8 on:** May 23, 2009, 08:28:49 AM »

Better check your 300's. Not only the chrome and for dents - I bought a set and on one the bracket/mounts for the heat shield was in the wrong place and on the other one of the holes had not been threaded! I had to had quite a heated discussion with my parts guy because I had bought them and put them away for awhile. I did get another pair but it seemed to be touch and go.
Cliff.

754 · « **Reply #9 on:** May 23, 2009, 08:46:25 AM »

A lot of the younger readers maybe dont know this..
There was a time where I am thinking, a Honda bagged part being a reject, was pretty well unheard of..

I can remember working at a Honda shop part time, around 72, and I was putting together bikes from the crates. A mechanic looks at me and says; Do you know that you never see a figerprint on a HONDA in a crate, they wear white gloves when they put them in!..

Not a 100% sure if thast was true, but I sure looked and never saw one..

MRieck · « **Reply #10 on:** May 23, 2009, 09:04:38 AM »

The quality of many OEM replacement parts has slipped. This is because Honda is farming out the work ( for old bikes) to small vendors and not really paying attention to quality. Honda's response would probably be....Hey....at least we can supply the part for a 35 or 40 year old motorcycle.....don't complain.

HondaMan · « **Reply #11 on:** May 23, 2009, 09:32:38 AM »

Quote from: 754 on May 23, 2009, 08:46:25 AM

A lot of the younger readers maybe dont know this..
There was a time where I am thinking, a Honda bagged part being a reject, was pretty well unheard of..

I can remember working at a Honda shop part time, around 72, and I was putting together bikes from the crates. A mechanic looks at me and says; Do you know that you never see a figerprint on a HONDA in a crate, they wear white gloves when they put them in!..

Not a 100% sure if thast was true, but I sure looked and never saw one..

They sure did: one more than one occasion, I found parts of one of those gloves in the crates (a finger once, with no human parts, and a palm part another time)! They were real small, like kid's gloves, and at first I thought it was just that, or a joke.
Then I saw some pictures from a Honda rep on the process for those bikes: Honda took each one off of the assembly line, installed oil, ran them around a test track for about 1 mile (usually about 1.3 miles showed on a new bike), took off the handlebars and front wheel, drained the oil, and bolted them into the waiting pallets. Then they misted cosmolene over the chrome parts (sometimes the whole bike) and installed the cardboard box cover. Later, they made a whole crate out of it. It was and assembly line thing, and it had to be done on a non-rainy day, which hampered their production. There were probably 30 people in the pictures I saw, doing this task, all with white gloves and small hands. And 750s as far as the eye could see!

AshimotoK0 · « **Reply #12 on:** May 25, 2009, 01:45:50 PM »

But how can we (as a group) lobby Honda to improve the quality? If we all take the attitude that they don't care anymore and we should be grateful they are still available, this seems like we are being defeatest. I bet if you add up all of the parts costs they are selling for pre-80 machines and look also at the profit margins, then they must be making a fair amount of money at it. Or if they can't be bothered anymore then let Japanese firms like Sankei (exhausts) sell them direct, made using the original tooling. It is obvious that a lot of original tooling must still be around, otherwise how could Yamiya still supply K0 750 wrinke tanks brand new?

jaknight · « **Reply #13 on:** May 25, 2009, 11:39:19 PM »

Quote from: AshimotoK0 on May 25, 2009, 01:45:50 PM

But how can we (as a group) lobby Honda to improve the quality? If we all take the attitude that they don't care anymore and we should be grateful they are still available, this seems like we are being defeatest.

We Should begin some active role. Perhaps these posts could be the birth of that beginning.

If we remain passive, we are by default beaten into acceptance of whatever may come our way. The formation of a coalition (I really don't like that word), a community, a group, a league, a concerned Honda owner's federation,...... whatever.

We have more than 6,000 members here. A persuasive, well written petition, with signatures of the majority of people here could have some impact on Honda's representatives whom are responsible for the quality and brand effect of the Honda name.

The NRA (National Rifle Association) has frequently had success with a grass roots movement. Politicians may hate the NRA, but, they seldom ignore the NRA. Another example is the Dairy Association here in America. They are very powerful; I have read somewhere that they have more political muscle than the NRA, which most people discount as a fallacy....... but, the Dairy Association gets financial subsidies, the NRA does not.

As the current state of affairs stands, I submit that there could be little wrong with trying for an improvement.

~ ~ ~ jaknight ~ ~ ~

Johnie · « **Reply #14 on:** May 26, 2009, 05:13:34 AM »

Are you talking some sort of official petition or sending them a hard copy of this thread? I agree it is good to let them know that we know of the poor quality. But I also know I do not want them to pull the parts availability for the vintage bikes. My thinking is if you are going to make it, you may as well make it right. Isn't that the American way...

jaknight · « **Reply #15 on:** May 26, 2009, 11:28:13 AM »

Well,

In my last post to this thread, drop the word petition. It could be simply a well written letter. I don't think we would want to make demands of Honda, but rather insure that Honda is aware that there has been a drastic drop in quality and that Honda owners are not pleased with parts they are receiving.

~ ~ ~ jaknight ~ ~ ~

AshimotoK0 · « **Reply #16 on:** May 26, 2009, 11:57:56 AM »

Hmm! Delicate one this, which I started. I too wouldn't want them to start discontinuing parts. Take for example the K1 fender and the Cut K0 fender. In the UK, the Genuine Honda K1 part is 90 GBP and even if you had to rechrome it it would still 'only' be around 200GBP total. Because Honda don't make the K0 one now, you have to pay upwards on 700 GBP for a replica one. Perhaps I could talk to David Silver Spares and ask them what they think is the best way forward. They must have lots or parts returned and have to take this up with Honda. Perhaps member 'Nippon' also has experience of this.

jaknight · « **Reply #17 on:** May 26, 2009, 12:08:00 PM »

Hi Ashimoto,

Yes, communicating with DSS would be a wise move.

As I write this, I am sitting here today waiting for parts being delivered by UPS, several minor items, but also a supposed OEM by Honda seat for my '74 750 K4....... I dislike high anxiety...

Edit Add On The truck just pulled up!
~ ~ ~ jaknight ~ ~ ~

AshimotoK0 · « **Reply #18 on:** May 26, 2009, 02:00:31 PM »

I wouldn't worry about the seat. Its the K2 vinyl pattern style they don't sell anymore. I got a K1 seat and one for my 400/4 and the quality was spot on. It's the chromed cycle parts that seem to be poor quality. Maybe the seat manufacturer is decent and the Fender one is not. In which case Honda should confront the fender people on their quality.

AshimotoK0 · « **Reply #19 on:** May 26, 2009, 10:30:43 PM »

Hello Everyone - I sent the email copied below to David Silver Spares in the UK. I will keep you posted on any replies I get !!

Hi,

I recently bought a heap of parts from you and more to come for my UK CB750K0 !
You recently replaced a 'K0/K1 & early K2 style' CB750 Front fender for me, which had chrome defects. Brilliant customer relations from you -thanks !!
I have started a bit of a 'hornets nest' on the SOHC4 US website regarding the quality of Honda's replacement chromed parts.

The link is http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php?topic=51892.0

The US user group has 6000 members and I am sure many are buying from you, particularly since the dollar exchange to GBP has become so favourable to the US.

Can you yourselves make any comments on what is said please?

Kind regards (and thanks for the excellent service!)

Ashley

jaknight · « **Reply #20 on:** May 26, 2009, 10:58:00 PM »

Ashimoto,

A wise strategy move. This is moving in the proper direction. I will most certainly be constantly checking.

Thank you for initially bringing this up and thank you for delivering a fine message to DSS.

~ ~ ~ jaknight ~ ~ ~

nippon · « **Reply #21 on:** May 27, 2009, 04:06:55 AM »

@Ashimoto, great job!
I'm not the 'big player' so your decission was right to contact DSP.

nippon

AshimotoK0 · « **Reply #22 on:** May 27, 2009, 09:57:02 AM »

No Reply from DSS yet but notices this thread on the UK sister site

http://www.sohc.co.uk/index.php?topic=1932.0

jaknight · « **Reply #23 on:** May 27, 2009, 10:13:20 AM »

By The Way,

In my initial posting to this thread, I mentioned that 2 1/2 years or so ago I had to buy a new front fender, which was lacking in smoothness of metal work and depth/thickness to the chrome plating, because of a car whacking the bike and I.

I should have mentioned that the front fender did come from David Silver Spares.

~ ~ ~ jaknight ~ ~ ~

AshimotoK0 · « **Reply #24 on:** May 29, 2009, 09:00:47 AM »

EMAIL REPLY FROM DAVID SILVER HIMSELF

Hello Ashley,
Thank you for bringing this discussion to my attention.
To be fair, we recieve no more complaints about vintage parts than we do on any other parts. Any complaint that we do recieve which are very rare and immeasureable as a percentage of sales and well within expectation for factory produced goods.
While it is anyones right to complain, it would be unreasonable to expect a company like Honda to invest large amount of capital in making new tools, changing chroming procedures etc.. for motorcycles that are over 30 years old. The net result of complaints may result in the parts being withdrawn from the market altogether which is in nobody's interst. If there is a major fault with a part then this obviously needs rectifying but as to minor issues and any perception that chroming quality has deteriated would not be best dealth with by a 'class action' complaint against Honda.

Kind regards
David

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Author Topic: New Honda Fender Quaility (Read 4845 times)