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Post by headcase on Mar 18, 2011 22:59:01 GMT -5
Pete - I see valid points from both sides. I run the back half of a small local place that makes a good amount of specialized / niche items for almost anything that burns gasoline, and can relate firsthand what it's like dealing with the genital public. You get customers that know their stuff and accept that what you offer requires thought and a bit of skill to install and use, and they'll work with you and understand that there will be issues occasionally. Then there are the other people who expect perfection and will tear you to shreds publicly with the first minor snafu. There will be problems to fix, and that's just a fact. How the company deals with those problems says a lot. People start businesses to make a profit first and foremost, and if they don't take care of their customers, they won't be in business long. There are times when the only choice we have is to use Chinese made debris here and there because the good stuff is no longer available. And catch hell for it from customers too. We fix it when we can, and let them know when we can't. Maybe similar situations with Mike's too, who knows? Sidenote....I ordered the ignition conversion last night, or tried to. The site wouldn't accept my card. Trying again tonight. Is Pamco yours, or are you just a die hard fan?
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pamcopete
Full Member
'78/E, '81/H, '82 XJ550, '74 CB750, '81 CB750, '73 CB450
Posts: 167
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Post by pamcopete on Mar 19, 2011 17:29:59 GMT -5
headcase, PAMCO = Peter Alexander McLean Company. That's me. I designed all the parts of the product, including the plate, rotor, PC board and the circuit design. The world is so jaded now that I have had people ask if it was a knockoff that I buy in China. I ask "A knock off of what? A PAMCO?" The product is entirely made here in Rock Hill, SC. A genuine Made in the USA product. Try my site, www.yamahaxs650.com . I accept PayPal and through them, I also accept credit cards. Free shipping too. Traveling the world as Mike did in search of parts for an out of production motorcycle was not easy. Motorcycle parts are only available from companies that make....motorcycle parts, and they are more interested in making 100,000 parts for Honda than they are in cranking out 1,000 parts for some obsolete bike, so there were times when Mike didn't get what he ordered, or it arrived late or not at all. I can also tell you that Mike paid his bills. Mike paid all his suppliers up front, prior to delivery, and that in many cases was the only reason he got their attention to produce parts for an obscure motorcycle. Who do you know that would do that? Do you think that you can just go on line and find a manufacturer of motorcycle parts, order up a couple of hundred pieces and pay in thirty days? No, no, no. It don't work that way. Cash talks, and that's how Mike got a lot of the parts that we just take for granted. When it came to ignition coils, Mike would send me the factory sample and then send a sample from the production run when it finally arrived for testing. There was one shipment of 1,000 coils and Mike sent me 4 sample coils. All 4 of the coils were defective, although the pre production sample tested fine. I instructed Mike on how to test the rest of the 1,000 coils and he discovered that 400 of them were also defective. The manufacturer was really upset, but he agreed that the coils were defective and he exchanged the entire order of 1,000 coils for new ones without the defect. (Mike still had to pay the shipping from Taiwan) Not a single coil was sold from the bad batch. I was also involved in Mikes decision to scrap all of the remaining 1,000 rotors after he had received some complaints and I had tested 2 as having excessive runout in the slip rings. Mike paid $50 each for these rotors and they are still sitting in a warehouse, so I know from personal experience that Mike LaLonde would discontinue any part that he sold if it was proven to be defective. Mike was subject to numerous pot shots from people who, for whatever reason, just wanted to take a shot at him, especially people who claimed to never buy from him and yet somehow knew exactly what was wrong with his products. his business, his customer relations, his lineage, whatever. It was all fair game. Obviously, Mike did not take these people seriously. Who would?
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Post by headcase on Mar 20, 2011 14:34:47 GMT -5
Just to clarify, it was Mike's site that wouldn't take the order. Maybe it has to do with being in transition, who knows. The stories are endless about things that go on behind the scenes of a biz. It's just one thing after another. Some are funny, others make you rip hair out (if there's any left). Thanks for the details, sounds like you have a good thing going. I use Pertronix conversions on a couple of the cars and the boat, thought maybe your setup might be based on that. I've been feeling the tickle to crunch up a simple, no-frills fuel injection setup for the bike with the same things in mind - few parts and made right here. But....that's for another thread I suppose. Annywayyys. Apologies and thanks again to both you and Griz, I didn't mean to start a poopstorm.
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Post by XS Rod on Mar 20, 2011 18:52:34 GMT -5
yea... but I'm still on the post about the ex... is it now Mike and the ex? Set me straight here... Oh... and what kop said... yea...
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Post by headcase on Mar 20, 2011 22:35:22 GMT -5
Rod - If you're referring to my comment about my ex, I refuse to wish that kind of curse on any man I do not know. I would say that I wouldn't wish her on my worst enemy either, but then again she IS my worst enemy, and she has to live with herself everyday. Irony is so ironic sometimes, isn't it? And how did we get so off-thread so fast?
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kopcicle
Full Member
"don't crush that dwarf , hand me the pliers "
Posts: 150
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Post by kopcicle on Mar 23, 2011 6:09:33 GMT -5
yea... but I'm still on the post about the ex... is it now Mike and the ex? Set me straight here... Oh... and what kop said... yea... ..what he said ~kop
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Post by yamahalover on Mar 23, 2011 23:30:25 GMT -5
mikes xs blows, I'm done waiting for answers to my questions WTF who's running that place anyway? ?? probably a bunch of ol country hicks.
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kopcicle
Full Member
"don't crush that dwarf , hand me the pliers "
Posts: 150
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Post by kopcicle on Mar 25, 2011 5:21:50 GMT -5
Should two posts be considered a significant base of information to determine what the third post might be ?
~kop
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Post by headcase on Mar 25, 2011 20:17:09 GMT -5
Over the weekend the site worked like usual, except it refused to take my payment several times. I received an email apologizing for the snafu and that it's back up and running. Order placed and awaiting the UPS dude. I'm gonna assume it happened because they're still getting things settled in at the new place.
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Post by geoff1408 on Jun 19, 2011 2:15:21 GMT -5
Ordered a heap of parts from mikesxs - 7 days from Florida to Perth West Australia, it took longer to get from the east coast of Australia to the west coast, ordering more as we speak
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mitchp
Full Member
keep it on one wheel
Posts: 56
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Post by mitchp on Jul 4, 2011 0:23:26 GMT -5
Hey 5 Twins, i know what you are talking about. At a shop here in Ohio, I viewed a set of Brembo calipers new for a super cheap price. They were nicely done conterfits made in India. Mitch
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Post by teflon97239 on Jul 6, 2011 14:28:02 GMT -5
I need to order just a few tiny parts that I can't find anywhere else. Problem is, looking at Mike's website, it seems I have to be here to sign for the package when it arrives. True? I'm hoping it can just be left in my mailbox or on my doormat. Don't see a number to call. Can anyone here answer this one? Thanks!
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Post by XS Rod on Jul 6, 2011 18:16:12 GMT -5
I never signed in the past... That would be a sure fire way to kill the business.
Hey, I gotta say not cool on the use of the term "ol country hick".
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Post by wideload on Jul 6, 2011 19:19:15 GMT -5
Problem is, looking at Mike's website, it seems I have to be here to sign for the package when it arrives. True? I'm hoping it can just be left in my mailbox or on my doormat. I never signed for my packages from Mikesxs, but I live in a building with lots of harmless old people like me. I think there is some discretion left to the UPS driver - if your address is in a rough area the delivery guy might want to get a signature. Could you have it delivered to your work address, or a friendly stay-at-home neighbor?
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