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Negative feedback - Engineering Solutions, Bexley

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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

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