650Central Rant

[PHeller]

So hire some dudes at $8 an hour to take basic orders. I for one would love the job. Have MMM be "tech support".

BTW he did get back to me yesterday, but I already place the order somewhere else.

I just bought the bike and needed the maintenance parts quickly.

Posted via Mobile

 

[blackbetty]

So hire some dudes at $8 an hour to take basic orders. I for one would love the job. Have MMM be "tech support".

BTW he did get back to me yesterday, but I already place the order somewhere else.

I just bought the bike and needed the maintenance parts quickly.

Posted via Mobile

Hahaha maybe the $7.50 "handling" fee is that girl's salary?

 

[spokes73]

I called and MMM answered my call. When I told him that I was looking for Stainless Steel brake lines for a TX650, he started asking where the brake light switch was located. I said it a mechanical electrical switch & was part of the front the brake handle. He said, no it is a hydraulic switch on the brake line. I said the 73 TX did not have a hydraulic switch. He could not get that thru his head. We went round and round for a few minute with him trying to convince me that I had a hydraulic switch somewhere on the line. I've owned the bike for 10 years, rebuilt the brakes when I got the bike, had to clean the electrical contacts in the switch last summer, so I know what I'm talking about. I've also been thru a divorce & I know when someone is not listening, so I gave up - thanked him for his time & hung up. From everything I have heard about him he is a knowledgable guy, but he sure does not know the 265 series brakes.

For those of you that have dealt with him does his transmitter/receiver often lock on transmit only?

 

[kopcicle]

For those of you that have dealt with him does his transmitter/receiver often lock on transmit only?

no

~kop

 

[bluebikerblan]

... From everything I have heard about him he is a knowledgable guy,but he sure does nothe 265 series brakest know.

Well he's got some company on this one....I didn't know there is a "265 series" XS 650 either? Blue

 

[kopcicle]

447 , 533,& 256 refer to the different crankshafts (numbers on connecting rods actually )
far better to identify by year or better yet prefix as S(or S650) TX , XS1 ,XS2 ,2F0 ,5V4 ,447 ,3G0 , 4N9 , 4M4

jus sayin ;D

~kop

did I miss any other than the OW's ?

 

[spokes73]

FYI

YEAR MODEL VIN (starting #) MODEL CODE
1970 XS-1 S650-000101 256
1971 XS-1B S650-007101 256
1972 XS-2 S650-100101 306
1973 TX S650-200101 366

1974 TX-A 447-000101 447
1975 B 447-100101 447
1976 C 447-200101 584

1977 D 447-700101 1T3
1978 E 2F0-000101 2F0
1978 SE 2F0-14241 2M0
1979 F 2F0-020101 2F0
1979 SF 2F0-150101 2M0
1979 2F 2F0-250101 3N0
1980 G 3G0-000101
1980 SG 2F0-200101
1981 H 4N9-000101
1981 SH 4M4-000101
1982 SJ 5V4-000101
1983 SK 5V4-100101

I can see that technically I was wrong about the 256. I call it the 256 series, because a lot of the parts from 70 to 73 are the same and use the same P/N even though the prefixed model year changes. I should have used the 366 code for my TX.

 

[kopcicle]

.. Then I would have asked for the numbers on the rods , just to be sure ;-)

~kop

 

[Tomterrific]

Michael also has Vintage Brake to deal with. I bet he is swamped with race brake work at the begining of the season.

 

[jbbishop2]

I just received a pair of shocks for my street tracker, ordered on Friday from 650Central. I had sent an email to say I wanted to order them, but I also noted that at the top of the home page he says emails get answered as time permits. So I called, early in the morning, because I'm not smart enough to notice that the hours are 12-5. Left a message, got a call back in an hour from Karina(?), she took the information and said Mike would call me back about them. Mike called at noon, took the time to talk over the shocks and what I'd need, tried to keep me from ordering something I wouldn't be happy with, and completed my order, shipped that day. I have no complaints about the service. He was a very nice and knowledgeable guy.

He also apologized for not getting to my email and explained that the time spent fulfilling paid orders has not allowed him to go through the emails.

The order came with $16.10 total shipping and handling, all explained up front.

I'm going to call back and order some brake parts in a couple of weeks. I've ordered from Mikes and been happy with their service, too. I think it's pretty fortunate that we have these suppliers for our favorite 30+-year-old bikes.

Posted via Mobile

 

[member3480]

I have always called and got a very nice lady who has handled everything for me and my last parts got here before others who are closer. Adding people is not the answer because business now a days goes up and down and you have very good weeks and very bad months and people is not the answer. I think everyone got a little burned and behind because of the business transaction in FL. and everyone found out the hard way that they shipped parts to other vendors and when people couldn't get parts nor could they and i think everyone is just getting back into the swing of things.When you are dealing with 25 year old bikes you got to SUCK IT UP and deal and wait on parts . Walk into any dealership and ask for a part 2 week wait because everyone got smart and just don't sit on $100,000 worth of parts anymore because they look good but don't move everyday and i give credit to these guys for sticking there necks out to try and stock and handle these parts that WE ALL NEED. So i would just sit down give another call and get the parts you need. Very good guy with tons of information and most of the time you have to hang up on him because he never stops talking and to me HIS CUSTOMERS COME FIRST.

 

[rustynail99]

yea... i think the OP is the only one that has ever had a problem with mike and 650central... oh well, cant please everyone i suppose... and yes missing out on a $100 dollar sale is no good, but most of us (i have given about $700 to MMM) have spent much more with him and he has been great when i was making a $7 order and when i was making a $500 order. You should really give a guy a break, no one is perfect and things come up. and if you think mikesxs is better i sent an email to him and it took 2 weeks to get back to me and there was no way to call. that happened twice. not knockin him either just sayin.

so moral of the story- do what you want, but try not to rant based on one bad experience, especially without trying to get ahold of him through all possible methods....

 

[Renegade600]

Yup....called a couple of weeks back, spoke to a very friendly woman, and got my parts in a few days...with M&M's to eat....LOL
Tom