Actually, I'm not really a new user- I've been on this board several times over the years, but spend most of my time over at advrider.com and the various airhead forums. I also put out a blog over at www.GearheadGrrrl.com .
Back to the trials and tribulations of custom building sidecars, and for that matter custom building anything. The sidecar market is a small one, and that small volume is split between a half dozen or so manufacturers and importers just in America. So small a market that I doubt any manufacturer is selling more than a few hundred sidecars a year, with the exception of Ural. With these low volumes some manufacturers and importers like Velorex and Texas sidecar go with a basic model or two... Which simplifies inventory and speeds production. Most manufacturers custom build to a degree, some to the point where there is no standard model and every sidecar is a one off and long delays in production are to be expected. I believe you mentioned 48 orders ahead of yours... That translates into over a hundred thousand dollars of inventory just to build those 48, never mind stocking parts to build any other combination of options and custom parts the next customers may order. As you can see, there's no way a small business can maintain that kind of inventory, nor keep enough staff to deal with the avalanche of orders that come every spring and then dries up in the fall. There is also frequently a need to engineer custom requests and find parts vendors- Even if they've done it before, sometimes parts sources disappear and they have to find new ones or substitute a different one. I've worked most of my life in the trucking business and it was the same way- even though my employer bought hundreds of trucks a year, even a fairly standard truck took 6 months from order to delivery and something custom like a step van with a diesel engine often took a year or two- In fact many times Ford, Freightliner, etc. would build a special model for us and it took a couple years to engineer it, get all the DOT and EPA certifications, procure all the parts, assemble the chassis, and have the body installed.
Actually, we're fortunate that Motorvation can build a sidecar and mounting hardware for many motorcycles without our having to leave the motorcycle there- Some of the other manufacturers require that you leave the bike there for them to work with. In fact, Motorvation can build a sidecar and ship it to you, with no need to actually travel to their shop, and with their excellent instructions they're easy to install. BTW, have you had a chance to visit their shop yet? I'd highly recommend it!
And no, I'm not a "shill" for Motorvation, just a happy owner of a Spyder and Formula II who has no financial interest whatsoever in the business. And while I've been waiting going on a year for a new seat, when I've seriously needed repair parts they've promptly supplied them or directed me to a vendor for them... Can't complain about that! Both of my Motorvation sidecars are over 20 years old, and one has over 100,000 miles on it... What's a years wait, when your sidecar is going to give over 20 years of riding satisfaction!
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"Actually, we're fortunate that Motorvation can build a sidecar and mounting hardware for many motorcycles without our having to leave the motorcycle there- Some of the other manufacturers require that you leave the bike there for them to work with. In fact, Motorvation can build a sidecar and ship it to you, with no need to actually travel to their shop, and with their excellent instructions they're easy to install. BTW, have you had a chance to visit their shop yet? I'd highly recommend it!
And no, I'm not a "shill" for Motorvation, just a happy owner of a Spyder and Formula II who has no financial interest whatsoever in the business."
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We just wanted to be a Happy Owner also. 32 not 48. Never asked to justify inventory vs production costs. Just agreed to pay an amount for a product over an estimated given amount of time, with some expectations of discussion over delay. Just sayin'.
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Gearheadgrrrl,,
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Date registered 7/29/2013 12:55 PM
Last logon 12/2/2014 1:31 AM
Total posts 2
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MY CONCERNS ARE WITH Motorvation engineering.... out
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Even with the sidecars, I've only ridden about 30 miles since it turned cold three weeks ago. It's winter, the time when we catch up on repairs and building new stuff up north here, which means Motorvation is getting' caught up and come spring your sidecar will be ready to go!
......... Can I cite your visit recommendation? ...................
............. a delayed sidecar delivery in the middle of winter in Indiana ain't worth losing sleep over.
Aug 05 2014 ain't the middle of winter. ............... Next communication expected from Motorvation Engineering. Let it go unless you represent Motorvation Engineering.....
🙂 I for one go out of my way to not shop at places that want to do today's work day after tomorrow. I do not beg people to take my money.
Crilly - 12/2/2014 10:49 AM
🙂 I for one go out of my way to not shop at places that want to do today's work day after tomorrow. I do not beg people to take my money.
Moonlite, you and your son missed out on the opportunity to acquire one of the best sidecars made. I stopped by Motorvation today to say hello and check on some parts for mounting a used Formula. They had the subframe I wanted for a BMW airhead, but it looked like one of the tabs was set up for an airhead with crash guards, and mine doesn't have them. None the less, they offered to let me take it home and test fit it before I pay for it, and if needed they'd move the tab. How many shops will let you take a several hundred dollar part home to test fit it before you've paid for it? Looks like I'll need a subframe with that mounting tab moved, but I've already got two of the subframes on other airheads so I'll just take one of them with me to Florida where the bike I'm mounting it to is and see exactly which subframe variant is needed before I order one. Also checked on frame clamps, struts, and other mounting hardware... They've got a pretty full stock in case I need to order any to mount the Formula to the airhead in Florida.
I noted several sidecars being built, and one was shipped out while I was there and another was crated and will be shipping out tomorrow. Parts orders were being filled, and while we were checking out which subframe I needed, Motorvation's lead tech Gary pulled out a whole 3 ring binder full of data and pictures on mounts they'd done on BMW airheads, including my own 20 years ago! In fact they actually have records on most of the sidecars and trailers they've built since the 1970s, and can use to records to help find the right replacement part even if the sidecar is on the other side of the world. How many custom manufacturers can still locate and supply parts for stuff they built in the 1970s? How many are still in business? That's what's outstanding about Motorvation- Even though I haven't bought a sidecar from them in 20 years, they still give me the same great service. And they do this for everyone- I've seen them spend half an hour on the phone helping someone who's bought one of their sidecars 2nd, 3rd, or xxx hand, even though they didn't make a cent on the deal. Compare that to companies now that refuse to support anything over a couple years old and charge for just advice.
So while a couple of you are whining about a couple months delay in getting your new sidecars, Motorvation's been taking good care of the rest of their customers for decades... Sounds like Motorvation's been keeping most all their customers satisfied, 'cept for a couple chronic complainers!
try telling the widow they are stealing $5300 from how good they are, evidently being a newbie to the world of s/c's you have never heard of the REPUTABLE s/c manufacture's or dealers's, of which there are more than 1or2 located in the U.S,Canada, and even Europe for that matter.
contrary to what you believe, building and installing s/c's isn't rocket science, I have bought more than a few in 40yrs of sidecaring.
let's see, if they take a 50% deposit on placing the order, and they sell just 10 and don't make delivery for a year or close to it, that gives them $40,000-$50,000 of SOMEONE ELSE'S money to use to run their business for a year, not counting what they steal from widows,not bad being able to run your business on other peoples money.
you used major truck manufacture's in your less then honest assessment of what it happen's in the manufacturing world, I don't know where you get your info but it is so far off base I shouldn't even respond, but being the chronic complainer that I am(try checking my stats on here and any other m/c or s/c forums) I just had to respond being I was in the SPECIALIZED TRUCKING BUSINESS FOR 35YRS, when I say specialized I am talking heavy haul and oil patch work, where ALMOST ALL ARE SPECIAL ORDERED due to the special equipment used. I purchased over 24 pieces of specialized equipment in that time period, not one ever took more than 120 days, and I'm talkin' about equipment that has over 5,000 part's and can weigh over 100,000 lbs and cost upwards of $150,000, not 200 lbs of fiberglass and 1 wheel and maybe 150 lbs of lite weight tubing
to all the members of this forum where I have never seen a in' match so devoid of fact's by a OBVIOUS employee of motorvation. I APOLIGIZE FOR HAVING TO SET THE RECORD STRAIGHT, look at my post count and previous posting's, I am not now or ever been a trouble maker. now back to your regular programming while I take advantage of the ignore function this outstanding forum offers, maybe she went back to where she came from----------JO MOMMA
P.S. I GONNA TAKE A POLL ON SOME OTHER FORUMS, EXPLAIN THE SITUATION AND GET OPINIONS ON WHAT OTHER CONSUMERS THINK. I WILL POST THE RESULTS
and thank's to 96gfleez again
Moonlite, get off your high horse and quit lying.
First off, I have never been an employee of Motorvation or any other sidecar manufacturer, and have the tax records to prove it. Neither do I have any financial interest in any sidecar manufacturer, most of which are classic "mom and pop" family owned small businesses.
Second, under probate law, Motorvation has no obligation to give a cash refund for a sidecar that has already been built as ordered by the decedent. Unless a will provides otherwise, the decedent's property goes first to the spouse(s). Thus unless a will said otherwise, the widow had every right to claim the sidecar and remove it from Motorvation's premises, which she has failed to do. Motorvation tried to accommodate her, but she would settle only for cash... Does that say something of the widow? And if the widow had any legal claim to a refund, she could have easily gone to court and gotten a judgement against Motorvation... Which she has failed to do, which says something of the weakness of the widows case. Instead, the widow stalks Motorvation about the internet ruining their good name at every turn, hoping to blackmail Motorvation out of some cash.
Finally, sure, some of the truck manufacturers can supply a heavy spec chassis in a couple months, and some stupid people even try to put on a heavy bed on and pass them off as proper oil field trucks. But if you want a classic rig up truck with dual steering axles, planetary drive axles in the back, a 5 by 4 transmission with power tower, etc. you'll most likely be waiting longer. And if you want a mobile lab like Schlumburger puts on the back of their oilfield trucks or a frac pump, figure months and even years longer to get that built, installed, and delivered. It's that way in every field of custom building- for example a retired cabinet maker I know in southwest Florida tells me the shop he retired from is now booked over a year out. It's a fact of business that you can't afford to keep a huge inventory of rarely ordered parts around and a skilled workforce standing by just so they can instantly build whatever a customer orders on a whim.
And BTW, I'm not exactly a "newbie" hacker... Only been riding hacks for 20 years and over 100,000 miles, mostly with the Motorvation Spyder I bought 21 years ago by my side!
I have been emailed by a few people privately wanting me to weigh in on this, I am choosing not to other then to say that GearHeadGrrl is active on other boards, has been around sidecars for quite a while, and in general I have found to be a person of integrity who's experiences with Motovation have been different, I see no need nor reason for any personal attacks. Full disclosure I do need to disclose that she has also purchased items from my company.
Jay G
DMC sidecars
www.dmcsidecars.com
866-638-1793
I just have to weigh in on this topic. I have done business with Mary at Motorvation. She is honest and hard working - but don't expect fast service. They have other people to take care of beside you.
I bought a used Formula and delivered it to their factory for installation on a K1100 BMW which they picked up for me at the dealer in Sioux City, IA. I didn't have to deliver it to them. I don't think I remember having to pay anything extra for the service. It did take more time than I expected and so I called Mary and asked what the delay was. The answer was "The color of your sidecar body matched my Harley (Mary's bike) so we built you a new body and are painting to match your BMW." I have had to have various parts since - as I still have the rig that they put together for me. I have been treated well by the folks at Motorvation. They don't respond to emails but if you call bring your lunch because Mary loves to visit.
I'm am not sure I have addressed the issue that seems to be the point of pain here but I think there is a lot of "Jumping to Conclusions" going on here. Don't go on line a bad mouth someone unless you have all your facts. You may be subject to libel by the victim.
