[Blazes Boylan]

I don't follow the guy but he has all my sympathy.  I recently had some custom work done myself, which I'm mostly delighted with, but it was only because I was lucky enough to stumble on someone both highly skilled and able to quickly grasp what it was I was after, better in fact than I did.  I like to think I know what I'm doing, or at least know what I want, but that's not always the case.  (I've built quite a few nice things myself but only after taking a lot of wrong turns and starting over again.)  If someone you're about to hire says, "I don't think you're going to like that.  How about doing it this way?" he probably knows what he's talking about and can be trusted to turn your vague ideas into something you're happy with.  If I'd wound up somewhere else it could have easily turned into an expensive disaster.

[zimmemr]

How about... more money than sense?

Yep, that works.

[fireypete]

Has anyone here paid a qualified mechanic at a shop to do work, and find it's not up to standard? Paid to much? Felt ripped off? Then by the reasoning of many here you're a fool. People go to specialists in all aspects of life and trust.those.people. As such you're a fool       . Nope, if I was going to hang shit on someone here, it's the dodgy shop. Perhaps people are.jelous, as TMF has a successful YouTube channel and good sponsors, and others have zip.

[Hoiho]

Has anyone here paid a qualified mechanic at a shop to do work, and find it's not up to standard? Paid to much? Felt ripped off? Then by the reasoning of many here you're a fool. People go to specialists in all aspects of life and trust.those.people. As such you're a fool       . Nope, if I was going to hang shit on someone here, it's the dodgy shop. Perhaps people are.jelous, as TMF has a successful YouTube channel and good sponsors, and others have zip.

Being a YT influencer is a high risk occupation.

[Bibbage]

I follow Andy (TMF) on YouTube and enjoy watching his videos.  He’s been properly shafted by the dealer, ok he may have taken his eye off the ball during the work, but he trusted the  guy.  It’s a warning for all of us who may be considering having mods done professionally. 

[Toontje]

I only discovered his channel when researching Interceptors and I found his interceptor content quite useful. Out of interest what don’t you like about him?

Not sure. Probably just a matter of style. I see him like the English Yammie Noob (no offence meant). I prefer more modest people, if you like. Not a big fan of YouTubers who like to show off how many bikes they have, money they have, STUFF they have (have you seen how many jackets and helmets TMF owns? Or how many bikes Yammie gives away?).
I'm more a The Workshop and Paul Brodie-type of person. Skilled, modest, with an aim to educate. Hope that makes sense.

[Blazingatom]

From the few royal enfield dealers I have been to this is the largest area they can improve on, but saying that I didn't have a very good experience of park Lane bmw either, they kept trying to sell me a bike I didn't want spec wise.

[greentrumpet]

TMF strikes me as a genuine sort of bloke. He trusted these guys who gave him a verbal estimate which has no legal force. Sadly it's pay up or you get embroiled in a world of legal pain with the possibility of never seeing the bike again.

In 2019 there weren't many RE dealers about and, on the strength of TMF saying "The Bike Den" were decent I ordered my Interceptor from them, the transaction was one cock-up or omission after another and I resolved they would never see me or the bike again. I had them down as incompetent, not crooks, but as they had TMF's bike up for sale on their site and seeing what they charged for what they subbed out I think he's lucky to have got the bike back.

[renfieldman347]

Hello. First post here. Been ‘lurking’ for a while and have been tempted out of hiding by this ‘TMF / Bike Den’ thread. Not surprised by TMF’s experience. Here’s mine from about 3 years ago.

The Bike Den is about 6 miles from where I live and I first came across them when they were called The Motorbike Man. As I owned a 2017 RE Classic 500 (bought from RE dealer in Cambridge about 50 miles from me) thought it convenient to have local dealer. Called in to Bike Den for chat about servicing etc. Sales guy all over me like a rash until I asked about servicing. Second guy didn’t get off his chair but spoke / shouted across the showroom to me. Price quoted for annual service was more than double the quote from Cambridge dealer. All very unprofessional. Instincts said ‘walk away’. I did and am pleased I did. Traded the Classic for Interceptor 650 last year at Cambridge dealer.  Great people to deal with.

[whippers]

The thing I thought was weird was that he was treated so badly when they knew he had a large platform to broadcast from. I would have expected much better treatment than average.

[Blazes Boylan]

Scumbags like that are generally shortsighted.  Doing right by the customer is so uncharacteristic they can't bring themselves to do it even when it's in their best interests.

[Yinzer]

We have a truly evil dealer in the US also.
EuroCycle of Las Vegas is infested with con men & thieves.

Fortunately, I paid using AmEx.
When they tried to rip me off, my credit card company send some guys with ball bats.

[Ruddigger]

Eurocycle is a pretty big dealership, what did they do to you?

As for the TMF story, I can’t understand why he needed a custom shop at all. There wasn’t anything particularly special he wanted done except for the paint. He could bought all those parts himself and gotten a lot of content out of installations. And saved himself about 6500 pounds. 

[Yinzer]

Eurocycle is a pretty big dealership, what did they do to you?

Bait & switch. (sophisticated con involving speedometer tampering & wrecked bike vin# switching)
Then they refused to return my $6K payment.
I'm glad I live so far away or I would be in jail now.
Avoid the entire dealership like the plague. You have been warned.

BBB rating
https://www.bbb.org/us/nv/las-vegas/profile/motorcycle-dealers/freedom-euro-cycle-1086-90032610/complaints

Yelp review
https://www.yelp.com/biz/euro-cycle-las-vegas-las-vegas

[Ruddigger]

Bait & switch. (sophisticated con involving speedometer tampering & wrecked bike vin# switching)
Then they refused to return my $6K payment.

Wow, that’s incredible.