Thinking about buying a new motor for my K3 rather than fix mine.
Anyone had any experience w/ CycleX motors?
Anybody know other sources for complete motors?
P.S. - I'm not looking for a super motor. Just a good, RELIABLE stocker or slightly modified stocker.
I sure hope I don’t upset others here on this board with my story of Cycle X in Hazlehurst Wi.. My dealing with Ken is long. The story is long; I don’t know how to be fair with out telling the complete story as it happened. I have tried my very best on this post. Russ
I want to give you some of my work back ground. I worked as a mechanic for 25 years repairing cars, trucks, semi’s, heavy equipment and even worked on equipment for Union Pacific Railroad and given the freedom and trusted enough to be given blank Purchase Orders from them. I maintained and repaired the FBI undercover cars and Illinois Governor Thompson undercover cars with computerized drivability problems. I worked very hard at my profession and 4 times in my life I booked 100 hours in a week with 55 hours put on the clock each time. Only 2 comes backs in all those booked hours. I worked for and managed very busy shops in an urban area for 15 years so I can understand the problems that are part of this kind of business, how it should be run and how the customer is always first and satisfactory resolution should be done in a timely manner. Sometime things go wrong and a reputable shop will take the time to correct any problems that their shop or ordered parts or inferior work has caused and whether it is an employee problem or not.
I did extensive research and was confident in using and trusting Ken and proceeded with what I considered one of the best places to repair of my1978cb 750 f Honda. I felt that Cycle X would help me with my motorcycle problem. All of these below problems started when I shipped my head up to Cycle x near the end of summer2011.
Ken, the proprietor of Cycle X was to replace all valves, valve retainers, valve keepers, springs, and valve guides. Ken had a race kit that he quoted me a price of $700.00. Two months later when I got the money together the price was $900.00 for parts which included the head gasket kit.
At the end of 6 weeks I paid a total of $1,200.00, which included all the parts. Cycle X had the head for 5 to 6 weeks and Ken told me it would take to 2 weeks, this was my first payment to Ken and this also included the cost of shipping and insurance to and from.
When my head was shipped back to me I could not get one of the spark plug in one of the outside spark plug hole. Normally to install a spark plug one can finger install it with a piece of hose slipped over the spark plug. A ratchet and a socket were needed to put the spark plug back in position and I had to force it back into the hole. In explanation: This problem occurred from sandblasting, and when I talked to Ken he said his new employees might not have listened properly and to his requirements and orders in regards to sand blasting parts.
I had one very weak spark plug tread on the inside left side before the head was sent to Cycle X.
All the threads were weakened from improper sand blasting and Ken then said, it would be a bummer to have to pull the motor and the head again. I asked Ken to install four Heli coils in the spark plug holes as they are aluminum and easily stripped when torqued into the head and this is a way of protecting the spark plug holes. I then shipped the head back to Ken and paid $240.00 including shipping and insurance to and from. I waited another 3 weeks before I received this shipment back. I then had to order 2 special sealants from Cycle X as they did not ship the necessary supplies to do the job.
I installed head.
I called ken and told him that the valve retainers were bottoming out on the valve cover. Ken told me I had to pull the motor and head, because of defective valve retainers and send it to him. I shipped it back paid for shipping and insurance again.
I removed motor and head after Kens 2nd Parts company sent mismatched or sent defective valve train parts that failed. The reason that head had to be pulled was because the valve keepers were sinking into the valve retainers which caused the valve retainers to come up so high that it bottomed out against the valve cover. When I looked inside I could a half moon marks where valve retainers were hitting the valve covers which was occurring on 4 or 5 valve retainers.
Ken said to bring the head up to the shop and we made special arrangements and he would fix it while I waited. Ken said that he would put on the head and put a base gasket on the motor. Due to the delays of getting the defective head fixed it caused the base gasket to shift and start leaking oil from the delays.) I started to drive in the middle of the night to arrive at the shop when it opened in the morning as arranged by Ken. When I arrived I was told ken was microwaving some thing and it spilled on to his face and he was at the emergency room for treatment. I was told to leave the head and motor. I did that and drove home with out it. It cost my $85.00 for gas.
I told matt to take his time as it was getting cold and then they ended up having it all winter. I began to wonder what was happening as I did not hear from Ken during all this time. When I finally called he said that an ex-worker had tossed out all his customers’ numbers, and he would have to now tear down my motor and inspect it and give me a price.The delay of all winter long caused me to have to remove my bike out of my friends shop. I had to go 400 miles and pay $90.00 and for gas.
I received a call from Ken and he said the original piston rings were no longer available any where and if a problem occurred when putting on the cylinder the possibility of cracking a piston ring was very real. At that point Ken suggested that the motor should to be rebuilt and every thing would be fresh. At that time I agreed to go for it. I picked up the motor and that was another $85.00 in gas. I paid $2,300.00 and Ken gave me 3 oil filters at that time. I spent $185.00 for oil for 8 oil changes as I was told to do this by Ken because this new rebuilt motor has metal in the oil. 8 oil changes were done with metal in oil filter housing.
Now the motor seemed to have a primary chain noise that wined like an alternator.
I called Ken about the problem and he told me drop off the whole bike. When I picked the bike up at his shop a few weeks later he told me that the bushing at or near the clutch or kick starter near the primary chain was chattering. He had to pull the motor again and split the cases and repair the bushing. Ken gave me $100.00 for gas for that trip.
I called Ken to ask him about the carburetors because when I picked up the bike Ken commented that the motor was running too lean, (No shims for metering rods or bigger jets were offered to me at that time) then Ken referred me to Matt who was an employee in his shop about the carburetors, and Matt told me to use 40 thousand shims on metering rods. I followed instructions. On May 23, a few days later I called Ken about the motor now running too rich, Ken said I should lower the metering rods as 40 thousand shims on rods was too big. Ken also wanted me to install 4 main jets two sizes bigger and I did so and the bike ran good.
I raised the metering rods and re-jetted two times, adjusted valves, adjusted the cam chain, set points, set timing, and synchronized the carburetors.
I took the bike out and broke down. The valve adjuster broke when riding the bike,I broke down. I was 200 miles away and had to tow the bike back home at a cost of $200. I lifted the valve cover and found a broken valve adjuster bolt and removed that piece.
I called a few days later about the clutch slipping and Ken said to adjust the clutch rod on bike not the cable. I found that the clutch cable was not tied to the frame and was burnt and close to the exhaust header outlet near the head and this happened when the motor was installed by Cycle X. I replaced the new cable that was just installed with another Honda clutch cable. The clutch is ok now and that cost me another $26.00.
The valve retainers in the head failed for the (second time) and almost dropped a valve again. From the bore scope photos that I took it appears that the retainers were different colored on some valves. It looked to me like I had been given used valve retainers or mismatched as they were very different colored, as one was very dark and the one was very light.
I spoke to Ken on the 23rd of May and he’s going to pick up my bike this Saturday and this was on a holiday week end and Ken also said its his sons birthday and I tell him its ok, stay with your son and pick it up the Sunday 27th. Ken wanted me to call Roxy on Friday to give him directions and my address and his secretary asked if Sunday is ok to pick it up the bike and I said yes, you bet, it’s OK. When Ken came to my home it was hot and he was having truck trouble and he lost the AC in his truck. When he got to my place, I took him out to lunch to rest and cool off and I paid for it as I knew how he felt. I had very little money. I offer to pick up the bike after the repair as I know he is busy and does not want to bring it all the way back to me again. I, again pick it up the bike 5 weeks later. When I pick up the bike Ken pays for the gas and a gives me a little extra money for parts.
While I was there at the cycle X I started the bike and now there is a new an internal noise when cold and goes away when hot, and ken said his wife was in a car accident and had to be in court very fast so he took off, I probably should have left the bike but took the bike home because I wanted to ride it before winter.
I tried to reach Ken for a couple of days and he was not available. I then I talked to his helper Matt and asked why is oil coming out around the head on both sides? Matt tells me that the oil leak around the head is assembly lube and it is very thick and will go away, and I was told to run the bike.
The days are very hot and I did not drive it during the day and only took it out in the early morning and at night because of the heat. A few days later on one 95 degree day I make a call to Ken because I am worried about high oil temps. I put on 20 miles and the oil temp was 200f, head was 247 f. I have an infrared heat gun with laser and was checking it as it bothered me and I was worried.
I called Ken for an adapter plate to install a stock Honda oil filter to be able to install an oil cooler and after 2 days Ken could not find the adapter plate I wanted to use and offered me a used oil cooler from one of his own bikes. A week later one was sent to me, spin on filer and an adapter plate and hose.
When I receive the oil cooler kit on July 3rd, he sent with it a fuel line non-pressure hose. I did not notice that it was non-pressure. I installed it. I took the bike out for a ride on the 4th and the hose blew. I went off the road and was very lucky I did not get hurt. Now the handle bars wobble above 50 MPH when you hold the handle bars lightly. I believe it ruined the triple tree bearings. I tried to correct this problem and installed a different rim and tire and the same thing happened.
I called Ken on July 12th telling him about the oil leak problem and he said, and he claimed that he told me to put on a oil cooler at an earlier time and that I was twisting around the story’s on oil temperature and that I caused the o rings to fail in the head from a over heating issue and for me to get lost he’s not doing anything for me. Ken accused me of letting my oil temperature rise to 247f and I told him my head temperature got up to 247f not my oil. Ken told me, that I did not want to do any thing he told me to do. He said, he told me to re-jet and put an oil cooler on and that I let the oil temperature rise to 247f and I had caused the o rings fail in the head from an over hearing issue and for me to get lost and he is not doing any thing for me.” I did every thing he told me to do from the beginning. I followed all of his advice and again did a lot of sweating and work on my bike.
I had spent a lot of money and I love my bike. I ask you, does that sound reasonable that I would ignore any of his advice after all the work and traveling and money I had spent.?
I can’t believe this has happened after driving over 3,000 miles up to his shop, which is about 5 times or so and me doing everything that was needed like the re-jetting and that now he blames it on me for not doing what he said. The trips up north cost allot in gas and lost days off.
I have probably talked to Ken over 20 times and went out of my way to co-operate and help by driving my motor up there 4 to 5 times. It is an 11 hour drive each time. The motor parts were shipped up there 3 times.
All this is going on for about 1 year. I am still in debt for over $3,000.00 for these dealing with Cycle X and it will be a real hardship trying to pay for this and I have lost all the way around. If I counted the labor hours spent on this bike it would be enormous. Someone less qualified mechanically and less determined would have given on this bike and Cycle X much earlier.
I leave you with this thought. I paid $1,200 to have the head worked on and to have a race valve train kit and valve guides put in. The nightmare began. Then the improper sand blasting happened. The defective valve train has caused me to have a rebuild because of discontinued piston rings and due to the delays in fixing my defective head it caused the base gasket to shift. I spent over $4,000.00 and have a bike that leaks oil all over me and has a noise and could blow up at any minute.
I was in kens shop, he works very hard. I believed what was said to me by Ken and others. I believe Ken knows a lot and cares. He buys the right tools to be used in the shop which is very important.
I have analyzed his company's actions as a former shop manager. The reason for the trouble with my bike was he just had too much on his plate. Ken had two interviews by motor bike magazines and was interviewed by the Discovery Channel and had gone to race events during the repairs that were on going with my bike.
He is very, very busy. It’ is very hard at first to recognize when a shop gets too busy for the work load. It is difficult to find good help with commitment, integrity, responsibility and ethics. This is even more so now, especially after 9/11. In my opinion he can’t find enough good experienced help at his location near the U.P. of Michigan.
