small horror story

[fallout]

So a few days ago my proggresive springs arrive and I'm all excited.  I have to make it threw a few more 12 hour shifts to get the time to wrench on my bike though.  Yesterday I get off work, get some sleep then head over to my friends house for what should be an easy job.  Figured an hour maybe a bit longer and then I'd get to strut around town glide'n on some springs.

We pop the handle bars and undue the left fork cap.  Take out the spacers and old springs.  Pop the new one in and button it up.  We go to do the right fork and its takes a pretty good amount of torque to break free, but after it breaks free... well something doesn't feel right.  It still feels like its torqued on but we saw it/felt it move.  Again.  Something is diffinetly not right.

How can this be.  This is a 2004 I bought from the dealership in June with 0 miles and have put about 4,400 miles on.  These caps have never been off.

We fight with the cap all the way off and sure enough there is not a thread left on it except maybe the first row or two starting at the top most part of the cap.  And the top 3 or 4 threads in the fork itself look all but smooth becuase of all the stripped aluminum from the cap embedded in them. :x I couldn't have possible stripped the threads by removing
the cap, it would have had to strip going on... right?

I called two dealerships and asked them if they do anything with the forks when they get bikes (ie: put the oil in) or if they come from the factory that way.  They both replied that they come to them that way and the don't touch the forks.

I took the cap to one dealership this morning and showed it to him.  He asked if I tried putting it on with an Impact wrench (I don't own anything close to one of those).  I explained the story and told him I just took it off with the 19mm wrench from my tool bag and it has never been taken off before.  

He goes into back for a bit and comes out and says that it can't be replaced under warranty becuase "I" took it off.  He also thought that more than likely if I had brought the bike into them and they took it off it still might not have been covered under the warranty... WTF.   If the dealership doesn't mess with them and I have only ever removed it, it HAD to come from the factory that way... correct?


So its $30 buck to order a new one and if I want it soon its $30 more for next day.  Well I'm not going to spend $60 to get one so I have to wait 5 to 7 maybe more business days!!!!  :x

So instead of an easy 1 hour project my bike is laid up for a more than a week waiting on a part and I spent the better part of today dropping the front forks, buying a cheap-o propane hand torch and heating the top fork to soften up the aliminum stripped in side and trying to work it out with a pick.  I just dread the next time I have to take the cap off that fork hoping like hell I got enough cleaned out not to mess up the good cap.

:x   :x   :x

[davipu]

call Troy over at Tigard Motorcycle Recycle and tell him that Dave (the guy on the 02 gs) said to quit being lazy and mail one out.  it shouldn't be more than 15 bucks shipped and will be about the same amount of time.  (I know they have them in stock)  1 (503) 233-4686

[fallout]

Thanks for the info dav, but I have allready ordered a new one from the local dealer and don't want them to get a bad taste for me incase I have a problem down the road.  Wish I had posted before I ordered one though.  50 percent off would have been sweet.

[scratch]

Do you still have the stripped cap? Send a letter to Suzuki, that will hopefully get you reimbursed.

[natedawg120]

yeah, if it came that way you should write Suzuki about it and they should make it right.

[scottpA_GS]

yea contact Suzuki, anyone know how to write in Japanese.


I know that there may be USA Suzuki contacts but has anyone got any results from writing to them?

[natedawg120]

There is a Suzuki USA and I am almost sure they would help, esp if the forks come preassembled from the factory.