The Right Thing To Do........

[Guest KitCarson]

Hi All: Sometimes it takes meeting some good people to make a final decision on what to do about a given situation. I have been out to a Meet and Eat in my Backyard and met some really great people. I have listened to a lot of opinions and had a lot of discussion about Yamaha and my bike Crickett.

I have been doing this and saying this.....most likely coming to a decision myself. Bottom line is Yes I like the Venture Motorcycle, put all its good points on one side......put its bad ones on the other side......it comes out a winner, please forgive me......I have struggled to come to this decision myself.

All of you know some about this Clutch Basket Chirp, some of you know exactly what it is as you have it......and are also tired of the Screech........I suppose that is the correct term to use.....A screech with a built in Crickett.

So this evening when I get back from taking Miss Brown Eyes on her Sunday Afternoon ride....I am going to compose a letter directly to Yamaha......this coming week I will follow up ahead of time and after it with several important phone calls. I am going to listen to the opinions I also agree with. I like the Venture.....I like the people who ride them......I think it would be wrong of me to walk away from this issue.......one or two of them think I have the intelligence and determination to fight the good fight.......I will have to talk to myself and make myself behave a bit.........but we are going to try.

I need your help......all of you........if you have this situation or know of it......or can add your voice to this , I really could use your help. I only ask that we all put our opinions about where the Venture is going.....how they may change it.. ON HOLD IN LETTERS TO YAMAHA. and above all do not say anything bad about any dealer......we know they are bad.......just that we should not say this. I am going to ask Yamaha to assign me a Dealer.....to work with me......to get this issue resolved and try to do this in a nice and friendly and intelligent manner. It may take awhile......okay.......I have the time. My latest word from my new dealer relationship was that they would change my clutch basket one time.....let me ride it..if I liked the sound, that would be fine, if I did not, they would re-install the original basket. I do not accept this at this point, I want it properly taken care of. If it takes half a dozen baskets.....several drive shafts and a couple universals to accomplish this.....this is the goal. I wish to bypass the dealerships at this point.....go right on up the ladder, and let Yamaha get involved and resolve this.

I will state in my letter to them......you in management need to become aware of our situation.....our opinions on this......we like Yamaha products and some of us can be great field reps for your products.....you need to be aware of our serious intent of this issue. I am sure they are aware of this site already.....I am not sure how much attention management pays to it....but I will bring it to their attention.

 

I wish to stress......do not run down the dealers....lets be nice....if an answer cannot be obtained from one source , we will bypass them, and go to the next one in the line. Who knows we might actually win a battle or two, and it can only help all of us who have this situation. I know that sometimes on this forum......there are a lot more visitors than members....people looking for information.....this is how I found it. So people are watching.

 

I am done with changing my mind.....saying stupid things....flitting around like a mosquito.........I am going to hang in there and fight the good fight.......after meeting some of the people involved in all this this weekend, I think I owe it to them , and myself.

 

Respectfully

 

Kit

 

 

See I can be serious as can be when I want to be.....I have finally got my own mind wrapped around this situation, wish me luck...help me if you can.

[Yama Mama]

I like the way you are thinking. I wish you loads of luck and I hope you get Cricket fixed the way you want her.

Good Luck.

Peggy

[hipshot]

now you're sounding like the man i thought you were, by reading ALL of your post, and enjoying your tenacity!!!!

if anyone can get the "noises issue" resolved, these super people on this site

 

"CAN DO" it!!!

(ever seen that phrase before)?

stole it from the sea bees!

lol

just jt

[Mariner Fan]

Man, I have the exact same bike as you. Same year, same model. I haven't owned it long enough to even understand what the chirp is. I do hear a gear whine but I assume this isn't what you are talking about.

 

Who knows, maybe I'm lucky, or maybe it hasn't showed up yet.

 

Be glad to help out anyway I can Kit.

 

Bob

[Orrin]

Kit, Does this mean........NO HARLEY? Inquiring minds want to know.

 

Please tell me what information I can help with. I would suggest that e-mails do not work. however, if you would like me to write a letter to Yamaha corporate, I will. I suggest that registered mail, return receipt required gets ATTENTION. We need to find the names of people who are decision makers and those are the ones who get the job done.

at YAMAHA

[cbmel]

If things don't work out the civil, letter-writing way, you may even consider talking to a lawyer about it.

 

Of course, I realize that that leaves a "bad taste" in your mouth.

 

Darn tigers!

[juggler]

is to ride the bike you like the best.

 

People come in here all the time asking why I should by a RSV. I tell them why I bought mine, but then I always leave this advice. Ride them all and buy the one you like.

 

Best of luck in finding the one you like.

 

 

[Guest KitCarson]

Kit, Does this mean........NO HARLEY? Inquiring minds want to know.

 

Please tell me what information I can help with. I would suggest that e-mails do not work. however, if you would like me to write a letter to Yamaha corporate, I will. I suggest that registered mail, return receipt required gets ATTENTION. We need to find the names of people who are decision makers and those are the ones who get the job done.

at YAMAHA

Hi Orin: Yes I have the letter composed....I had four or five people read it......got a little help with sentence layout and so forth. I know what I want to say , but hey I do not have a college degree, so I went and got some help in some things. I will take your advice and send it registered mail so I will get a response.

 

No no Harley(I need a sad face smilie!!) at least not right away.....I am getting attached to Crickett and the people she brings me in contact with.

 

That is just the whole thing....you know.......The Venture is a great motorcycle.......no none of them are perfect, and yes we can discuss things till we believe it ourselves. Or think we do anyway. And the Venture is actually a better machine than the Harley...especially that V-4 motor.......I would miss that motor!! And it looks just a nice as a Harley with a much more economical price for the normal hard working person.

I was noticing the seat on the Harley Ultra just the other day , when I was testing the dealer for price numbers.....they are just plain cheap.....and not real comfortable......the venture has nice pillow top seats...dark black color.....not faded imitation leather.......shoot they might be vinyl....

 

No no Harley -it took a lot of indecision.....this and that.......think I will stick with the Venture and the V-4. Take Care Kit

[Guest KitCarson]

If things don't work out the civil, letter-writing way, you may even consider talking to a lawyer about it.

 

Of course, I realize that that leaves a "bad taste" in your mouth.

 

Darn tigers!

Hi Mel: I would hesitate to go that route.....not because I find lawyers untasteful!!:rotf:. I just like to use common sense and try to let folks resolve things. I think they will, if one is persistent enough. If I get to the point I need one......I will pen the tigers up and give you a call..... sometimes some things are just plain fun!! Kit

[Squeeze]

Hi,

 

the best Outcome i have ever made about Complaining Letters was when i send them direct to the CEO of the Company, 'personally' titled and registered.

 

Of Course this was B2B, i was sending Letters to the CEO's of Mercedes-Benz and MAN, of Course both are to Truck Units.

 

The Letters were well written, just stating all the Facts at First, then on the End, mostly on bottom of second or third Page, what i think they should do better in the Future fro their Customers. For me, it worked great, because at least the CEO want's to keep their Brand clean.

 

They hand it over to their Subalternes, which are the Directors of Sales or Service, and they make them clear that they except nothing less then no more Letters in the Inbox ....

[cbmel]

Seriusly, Kit, you're doing it the right way. Be civil, explain that you almost went "Harley" on them but like the bike too much to give it up, but that they need to make it right. Offering a 5 year warranty is a great sales feature, but only if it has some meaning. And if it doesn't, a lot of current and/or future owners will discover it through this group.

 

If you want another set of eyes to look over the letter, shoot me a PM. Just make sure the cages for those tigers are solid and secure!

[Midrsv]

Kit,

 

Good luck to you. You will be rewarded with a great bike once you get it resolved. I had an '04 RSV that had a bit of a chirp, or whine, or whatever you call it. It was annoying between 45 and 60. I lived with it for a year or so and then after reading about the "I" basket here I asked my dealer to order one for me under warranty. A great dealer by the way. Anyway, Yamaha asked him to ride the bike and confirm the noise. They did and ordered the basket right away. It only took about a week to get it. This was back in the June time frame. They put the basket in and it probably solved 70% of the problem. The rest I could live with.

 

Now, after crashing the '04, I have a new '07 with about 600 miles on it now and so far I hear no chirping or whining at all. I have no idea what type of basket it has but it is quiet.

 

That is my experiene, your mileage may vary.

 

Dennis

[Older...]

Hi All: Sometimes it takes meeting some good people to make a final decision on what to do about a given situation. I have been out to a Meet and Eat in my Backyard and met some really great people...

 

Mr. KitCarson,

Did anyone else at this meet and eat drive your Cricket and verify that your screech, chirp, squeel is indeed among the worst they've ever heard?

 

I'm glad to hear you've decided to stick it out and resolve your bike's problem via Yamaha.

 

I'm not yet a Venture or RSTD owner so I can't claim to have true empathy, but be assured you have my utmost respect.

 

And because of all the great people here, the Venture is still tops on our list if we decide to go full boat, and the Tour Deluxe is a close second if we decide we don't need all the bells and whistles.

 

The wife and I are monitoring this forum now as if we can't live without it. Maybe we can't...

[Guest KitCarson]

Mr. KitCarson,

Did anyone else at this meet and eat drive your Cricket and verify that your screech, chirp, squeel is indeed among the worst they've ever heard?

 

I'm glad to hear you've decided to stick it out and resolve your bike's problem via Yamaha.

 

I'm not yet a Venture or RSTD owner so I can't claim to have true empathy, but be assured you have my utmost respect.

 

And because of all the great people here, the Venture is still tops on our list if we decide to go full boat, and the Tour Deluxe is a close second if we decide we don't need all the bells and whistles.

 

The wife and I are monitoring this forum now as if we can't live without it. Maybe we can't...

The worst they have ever heard is the wrong wording....correctly would be Crickett is not the worst heard.....but worse than many.....I am going to be very careful with this thing......try my best to keep it correct and true. There are a lot of people just like yourselves that follow this type of things......a lot of people whom are not members browse as guests.......yes it has been brought to Yamaha's attention that they need to perk up their ears and listen . . I think.....the best advice I can give anyone about this whole issue.......is go test drive about 6 or 7 Ventures.......pick one that is quiet.....then you will not have the issue......some Ventures are quiet....not all have this issue......some sound like a motorcycle should sound.........I personally have not ridden an 2008 model........the comfort of the venture......cannot be equaled.......good bike........we learn as we do....test drive them.......pick one that is quiet and then have a laugh at us who have it........ Kit