Negative feedback - Engineering Solutions, Bexley

[the-chauffeur]

I'm really sorry it's come to this, but I'm posting a warning to anyone considering using Engineering Solutions in Bexley. 

If you're a reader of classic bike magazines, you may have seen their ads - they say they take on all sorts of engineering work.  It's fair to say Brian (the proprietor) will be happy to take it on, and talk about it at great length . . . it's the doing it and returning it that's a problem.  Particularly welding.

Those who've seen my other posts will know that I've spent more time waiting for bits to be worked on than I've spent working on my bikes.  Out of the last six months or so, Brian has kept me waiting for nearly five for what are really very simple jobs - welding on exhausts, thread repairs, minor headwork and so on.  But the most recent job has just about driven me up the wall.

Three months ago, I took a frame in to him with some ancillaries for some straightforward alterations - the lock stop had been pushed sideways and needed straightening, the shock absorber bushes needed pressing out of the swingarm, a couple of threads needed repairing, a couple of seat pans needed tack welding in a spots and the underside of a silencer needed some weld repairs.  Since that time, I've gone back in every couple of weeks or so and been told that it's happening - but each time, my pile of bits hasn't moved from where it was on the last visit. 

Four weeks ago I told him I had a deadline of two weeks and explained why.  Somewhat unsurprisingly, that deadline came and went, but only the frame went to his welder.  I was fuming this week when I went into the shop to see the pile had remained unmoved, only to be told Brian had gone on holiday for two weeks, and once again, nothing was going to happen until he'd returned.  I collected what I could and took it away and have since had all of the bits done overnight by more professional people.  I'm also pleased to say one of his helpers got the frame back for me, too.

This isn't the first time he's royally pissed me about - he had a set of silencers off me for at least 8 weeks and basically did nothing with them in that time.  But again, he kept telling me they were being worked on . . . and on . . . and on.  Eventually I had to take them off him and get someone else to do them.

Don't get me wrong - the engineering work he's done for me in the past has been good, although it has taken forever to get it done.  I've tried really hard to be patient - and some would say I've been too patient - but I'd prefer to give someone a fair go before getting bent out of shape.  At the same time, I don't want to come across as a ranting lunatic, but this last experience has just been a hop, skip and a jump too far for me.

If you've got all the time in the world, Engineering Solutions in Bexley may just be the place for you.  But if you want stuff done and returned to you while you're still young, save yourself a load of grief and aggravation and go somewhere else.

[UK Pete]

Thanks , i was thinking of using them at some stage as they are 5 mins up the road, but one thing i hate is slow service and bullshit so i wont be going there now,
Where are you taking your stuff now?
Pete

[the-chauffeur]

Pete

Kinda depends what I want doing. 

Folks I can rely on include Dale the polish in Dartford, and welding will now be going to Shaun - both in Victoria Business Park off Victoria Road.  I know you've got misgivings about R&G Finishers in Crayford, but I'm sticking with Mark for blasting/powdercoating for now.  Paint is from Andy at ART in Ashford; he can also do 2-pack on frames and he'll collect/deliver.  And vapour blasting always goes to Dave at TSR in Sevenoaks.

Things get more tricky with engine work.  Anything of a head/face milling nature would probably go to the place that makes injection moulds in the same business park as Brian.  Took them 20 minutes to flatten a cylinder head for me.  Rebores go to Slipstream Tuning in Sevenoaks - good, but pricey.  Sadly, it's downhill from there . . . I'm getting the same runaround with camshaft/rocker work from Phil Joy (Joy Engineering) that I was experiencing with Brian, which is both frustrating and depressing (there aren't many doing what he does).  Quality/product/knowledge is great; reliability is bad and getting steadily worse - and given that it's distance work, it's even more disconcerting than it would be if you knew you could pop round and take stuff back.

I try to do just about everything else myself; wheel building, wiring (electrics on the older ones I'm working on are very, very simple), and I find upholstery pretty straightforward.  Not tried anywhere for chroming yet - just tried to make the best of the bits I've got.  Quite fancy a go at plating at some point, but I want to get all of the bikes back together, running and oil tight before I start out on that little adventure. Having said that, I'll hold my hands up and say I'm all fingers and thumbs when it comes to setting points and valve clearances - I know I should be well beyond that by now, but I find both desperately frustrating, so I'll occasionally pay someone to do those last bits.

That's a start I guess . . .

[K2-K6]

I'd say that if you ran a business as they do, then if you got to twice the time you'd agreed and not been able to do anything then it would be time to tell the customer about it so they could make their own decision as to what path they followed. It's no good to any of the people involved to keep saying it'll be done and it's clearly not.

I've always liked poking about with the points etc to get them really well set up, also nice to build up a nice clean motor from parts as well.

[UK Pete]

Neil , is mark the guy at R & G ?
I will still use R & G for powder coating, but i will try and tell them it is of upmost importance to get it right, also not put the finished frame down on the concrete floor letting it get all scuffed up
SEP is well known as a first class engineering place, many people in the trade use them, i have used them and was really impressed

S.E.P. Kegworth - 39 Sideley Road
Kegworth, Derbyshire, DE74 2FJ
Telephone: 01509 673295
Fax: 01509 673244

I also hate points, and fit electronic ignition to replace them, just set it up once and its done, as for valve clearences i find sohc are easy , it my other bikes which are awkward having to remove the camshafts and re-shim is a pain in the arse

[the-chauffeur]

K2 - entirely agree; good engineers know their limits, better ones can also plan their workloads.  Shame about the few that seem to let their enthusiasm (?) run away with them.

Pete - yeah - Mark is at R&G.  I'd always thought he had a pretty decent level of attention to detail - case in point, he's rung me today to check I'm happy with the shade of silver I've chosen for the 'new' SL350 frame and whether I wanted the yoke pieces different colours (I do).  And he tries to do all the bike work himself, rather than leave it to his lads.  I'm sure if you tell him how important it is to hang the frame on a rack from the point at which it's powdercoated onwards, he'll be more than happy to do it. 

I've heard of SEP; wasn't there an article on them in a recent copy of CMM?  Fingers crossed I don't need anything much engineering-wise in the near future.

As far as the ignitions go, I'm going back to points on my CB450 from a modified (i.e. botched) Dyna unit - that's been an expensive and enormously frustrating exercise - and I'm putting Hondaman units on all of the bikes to take the load off the points and turn them into relays.  At least if HM's units go bad all I need to do is unplug them.  Agreed - valves on bikes like the 750 with screw adjusters are fairly simple, but not so much on the smaller SOHCs (350's) 'cos they've got eccentric adjusters.  They're also a PITA . . .

[hairygit]

I can vouch for S.E.P. and the work they do, although it was 7 or 8 years ago. They used to offer an exchange service for cb750 cranks, complete with rods attached so you didn't have to wait for your own to be sorted (hence the full name Service exchange parts) or you could have your own repaired. I tried both ways for both the bikes I had at the time (same price for both options) the exchange crank was perfect, and the one I had repaired (a cb650 that a mate borrowed and ran out of oil, spun the big end shell in 3 conrods! ) I was convinced it was scrap, but it came back looking like new, can't remember the exact timescale, but it was less than 2 weeks. Other people I have known have used them more recently, and nothing seems to have changed! :)So certainly worth a go in my opinion!

[kettle738]

I had exactly the same experience with Engineering Solutions Bexley.  I sent them an early Yamaha XS2 master cylinder for a re sleeve, it's unique to the first XS2s and almost impossible to find.....months went by with regular pleading phone calls......during one call (about four months in) he had the cheek to say 'you should have said you wanted a rush job'

In short I scoured ebay and eventually found a useable one in the US.  My very rare master cylinder is still at Engineering solutions and I guess will still be on the shelf when they fold.

For welding and frame repairs (anything metal really) go to Terry Mead in Pluckley, Tel 01233 840323 or   allyson.mead@live.co.uk

Terry is not only a very nice chap but also a high end bespoke frame builder, there isn't much he can't do with a welding or brazing torch.......and a quick turnaround too.

Mick..................kettle738   

 

[Oldbuthopeful]

I had my 550 head rebuilt by S.E.P. Kegworth earlier this year.  I took it down to them (from Stockport) and they gave me
a price for the work there and then  -  and stuck to it !  They were happy for me to source my own parts and had the head
shipped back to me within the promised timescale, all seriously well packed.

Highly recommended !

[lordmoonpie]

Same experience for me with Bexley - Brian was the guy who built all the wheel spacers for TV's Chop Shop car programme so I though the'd be good to build some rollers for me. He just stopped replying after a few calls/ queries so I eventually got a first class job done by Rob Mitchell in Leek who also advertises in Old Bike Mart next to Bexkey Engineering usually.

For powdercoat and blasting I've used redditch shotblasting for years now. They are fantastic in all of my dealing with them....

[JohnESB]

Hello all,
I have read your comments on Engineering solutions and have to agree, however earlier this year I brought the business from Brian so it is now under new management, and i have had to work very hard and very long hours to clear to back log of work, which took me nearly 7 months.

I have a completely different view to business and my customers, and will be honest about time frame and cost to the best of my ability.

I am a long standing Motorcyclist of around 35 years so know how important getting machining and parts back are.

I hope that some of you would be able to give me the chance to show you that things have changed.
However I will understand if it is once bitten twice shy.

Thanks for reading this if you have and all ride safe.

John Howick
MD engineering Solutions Bexley Ltd 

[Yoshi823]

I took a friend's XR250R into ES in Bexley to have a seized swing arm spindle removed. I was told £50 for this job but was advised not long after delivering it that it was going to be more like £100 because of the time involved. I had been told that it would need to be machined out by placing the frame, with engine & swing arm still in place, onto the flat bed of a milling machine for the spindle to be machined out.
In the end it was cut out using an air tool between the frame & swing arm where there is/was just enough space for the blade. I picked up the frame/engine with the seperated swing arm about a week later, my friend £100 lighter in her purse.
But I had no problems with the turnaround of this job. Maybe it was in the way of other jobs being done as it took up quite a bit of space in what was at the time a very busy workshop. Whenever I went in, all three times, the blokes in there were always busy with one job or another.

[UK Pete]

Ok guys, i have contacted john from bexley engineering, and booked in my k0 cylinder head and barrells to be resurfaced (skimmed)
i am giving this guy the chance to clear the bad name the previous owner had built up
I went down today and met john, he is a top bloke to talk to and is obviously a real biker himself, by the sounds of things he has had a rough ride trying to re-gain peoples confidence there are not many decent engineering firms round this area, bexley engineering solutions is just round the corner from me so it means alot to me to be able to pop round and hand deliver my parts and talk over the work with the man who is doing the job, i have every faith that john will do a good job and on time , and if so i will sing his praises when  reporting back in about a week or so time
Pete

[alanb]

Hi all. This is my first post on this forum. I thought I would put pen to paper,  as they say.  I am a new customer to Engineering Solutions and I must say that I am more than satisfied with the quality of work done,  to the agreed timescale and cost.  John has renovated my T140 cylinder head to "better than new".  The head was skimmed, exhaust ports repaired with new push over collars,  and new valves and guides were fitted. The head was blasted to give an "as new " finish. These repairs were not straightforward as the cylinder head was a push in exhaust type and the head was considerably warped and also suffered a bent valve.  I have already given Engineering Solutions more  work and will continue to use them as I live within the locality.

[UK Pete]

I picked up my head from bexley engineering solutions, the turn around was less than 1 week, and he honered the price he quoted even though it took 3 times longer than originaly thought, it was a bit of a tough job for them as my head was already skimmed and done badly out of level which presented some problems , the communication was great from these guys , as soon as they noticed the problems they contacted me gviving me the option to cancel the job or to proceed , i chose to proceed with the job and get it skimmed flat , this is all well and good but i now have to work out the increase in compression, so i can compensate with a thicker base gasket             Anyway to sum up bexley engineering i would say they are a friendly firm trying very hard to clear a bad reputation from previous owners , i will certainly use them again                                                                                                                                             pete