Kevin, Speaking of paint blemish, my C5 is actually missing paint on the very tip of the front fender. The struts that hold the front fender to the forks is also missing paint in one or two spots. Nothing a can of black paint won't cure and again, based on what I read about the history of this bike, or rather the previous models, I am generally content on allowing such matters slide.
As for lack of support, yes, you are right, I have yet to try Watsonian directly. But as UK Classics illustrated, the dealer in the South of Ireland is as much a motorcycle dealer as I am a lap dancer. Certainly, the main man in charge knows the old bikes intimately, but his specialty is farm equipment and the original classic bikes. He couldn't even tell me where the oil filter went on this new C5 despite assuring me beforehand that he had been to Watsonian on several occassions to discuss and learn about these new bikes. It was thanks to both common sense and Mr Anderson at RE America that I even figured out what type of oil filter to use in the first place.
My only other choice was to go and buy the bike directly from the UK, which I have done in the past with several other bikes, but keep in mind, the Euro was nearly stronger than the British pound sterling back in January and alas, deposits weren't being taken by most of the dealerships I had contacted via Ireland.So I just put the downpayment on the bike at the only recognized dealership in the south of Ireland.
I had asked the owner of the dealership to allow me to see the motorcycle uncrated. I don't plan to buy a new bike often and this being my first time, I guess I just wanted to make it special. I saw everything that they did, and from the get go there were some headaches. The battery is an excellent example. For the most part, he did everything that I suspect any dealer would have done (bar be prepared for simple things like battery, registration, etc....) and I found myself riding the bike home on my old plates because the guy didn't even think to call and register the bike earlier in the day.
As I hinted at in a previous entry, just having the oil changed at five hundred miles (yes, five hundred because that is what he recommended I do) was drama. They didn't have the right oil and I found myself stranded in the middle of nowehere because I was waiting on the dealership to go into town and purchase the correct oil. I waitted six hours as oppose to the mere half an hour I had been quoted. Unfortunately if you factor in that the dealership is an hour and a half away.... well, as I said, its time to get an education in motorcycle maintenance because I have better things to do with my time.
In fact. I am thinking that anything major that needs to be done I will even just bring the bike to Watsonian directly from now. I'll take the ferry over and meet the people I have been reading about all of these years. To be perfectly honest with you, I have even played with the idea of opening up my own RE dealership, inject a bit of North American Customer Service skills into Eire at this point and show them how its suppose to be done.
As for having a fresh eye on this new and exciting product, I agree. I think being the first to own these bikes have been both an advantage yet with some obvious disadvantages.
As for the sound coming from the engine, Thank you leonard for that link. It may actually just be that what is the problem. The description sounds accurate though I notice that others experiencing this sound are doing so when the bike is not really at a high speed. I have yet to hear it at a low speed... or maybe I just haven't noticed it properly until now?!? I will try and record the sound in the next few days and put it up for everybody to hear. I do plan to change the silencer for the upswept one when it comes out specifically for this new model. However, that is something that may take a while and is something I had heard via my dealership...