Do not get scammed

[Stein.S]

Edit:
After some pressure I did get the cylinders. What should have been a month from ordering to delivery became 4 years from promised delivery to the month I got them. Have to say it good to have them, because I did not get my money back when I asked. The cylinders looks good to me, and I heard from others that they are wery well produced, and of good quality.
Tip from me for others that will take a chance of buying, is not to pay before you know the cyliders are produced and finished. And also pay with a payment method that secure your money if you dont get cylinders as promised.
also I see a company in Belgium selling them, so if you buy there it costs a bit more, but you can be more sure to get cylinders delivered days after ordering.
Also competition distributing makes cylinders now, at about the same price as from the other producer. Only 74ci now, but they say that the other edirions are coming soon.

Hi. I would like to warn about paying in advance if you are looking for buying new cylinders for your Harley J.

I paid 3550$ for cylinders, piston and exhaust valves in December 2021.

Cylinders were promised sent to me in Norway within a month. After that it’s been hundreds of emails and phone calls.

I have been promised the cylinders probably 100 times now.

In late summer 2023 I got 2000$ of the deposit back, with a promise that the cylinders would soon be ready to send, and that the 2000$ I got back then should be transferred to the seller when the cylinders were ready to ship.

Autumn 2024: I was contacted by the producer/seller again. This time the cylinders were “ready for machining”, but I had to pay the 2000$ so the seller could pay the machine shop. I was unsure whether I would ever see my money or the cylinders, but I made a choice and paid the 2000$. The cylinders were promised finished and sent within weeks.

They were not sent, and I got new explanations and excuses.

This summer I asked for my money back. I was promised a refund within a week. More promises, but no money.

A “Japanese customer” was supposed to pay a deposit for two sets of cylinders, and I was told that when that money came in, I would get my refund. That never happened either.

One month ago I told the seller/producer that this has gone on long enough, and that people should be warned.


My advice: Do not pay in advance for newly produced cylinders for your J.

If anyone wants more information, send me a PM.


Regards, Stein-S

[droptopford]

Too late now, but Paypal Goods and Services plan is one way to go. I think there's a 2.9 percent charge that is (usually) negotiated between buyer and seller. Once the deal starts going south, you can pull the plug, get your money back and the seller can suck it.

[DEEBS47Chief1991]

I had a sidecar wheel built in the Ukraine (before the war) and after months of B.S. excuses I pulled my Paypal payment. The seller then made a hasty effort to build and ship the wheel. When it arrived here I examined the product and promptly re-paid him through Paypal and prevented myself from getting ripped off.

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[micmac]

I'm sorry that happened to you. I know how the promise game goes myself. I have had promises of something from a well known vendor for some time now. I'm done with them. Our hobby has taken on a dark side in the past decade. It NEVER was like that before.

[chuckthebeatertruck]

Our hobby has taken on a dark side in the past decade. It NEVER was like that before.

Indeed it has.

I blame COD going away. Until right about 2000, I NEVER paid for parts until the UPS driver showed up and I handed over the check. I can't recall even doing private parts purchases where I sent the check before the parts arrived and were inspected. That all changed as fleabay took over and electronic payments became very simple. We suddenly went from a community where everyone was one or two phone calls away from knowing everyone else to a community where we are all more anonymous.

Second big thing was a lot of "builders" getting into the business in the early 2000s -- many of whom had no clue how to run a business. Many wanted to start making parts and advertised or even did start offering parts. But, they were enthusiasts who opened shops, not parts suppliers and manufacturers. Most under estimated the challenges of stocking and supplying parts at scale. A huge percentage of those shops have failed in the past five years or changed hands.


It still sucks and makes you angry when all you want to do is buy the thing you agreed to buy!

[exeric]

Indeed it has.

I blame COD going away. Until right about 2000, I NEVER paid for parts until the UPS driver showed up and I handed over the check. I can't recall even doing private parts purchases where I sent the check before the parts arrived and were inspected. That all changed as fleabay took over and electronic payments became very simple.

That is a spot on observation, Steve. I lived in a little house right in downtown Orlando and I recall getting VL fenders from Carson Little, and Indian 4 fenders from Dave Leitner left on my front porch by UPS because I left an envelope with cash, moolah, just laying there for the driver/deliverer. That says a lot about how nice Orlando was, and how obliging UPS was. C.O.D. was a very good system of exchange but went out with the dial phone, and Amazon (my wife's favorite).

In regards to service work, there is no substitute to finding a vendor in driving distance to you; but in the case of Stein.S, he is an honorable man who trusted a person (in our hobby) who should have been trust-worthy. I used to make Henderson, and Excelsior parts and if I owed someone parts, it tormented me until I could deliver them, and I always kept it on a payment upon receipt basis because I cannot live with guilt (not that kind of guilt. I only got screwed once and there were signs I should have seen. Other-wise, our hobby is full of honorable, and trustworthy enthusiasts.

[chuckthebeatertruck]

Indeed, I don’t think anyone is setting out to screw over anyone.

instead, I think that as we get further away from the hands on original knowledge that created the parts, the more people are learning that simple reverse engineering doesn't cut it. If you’re not prepared, the capital needed can climb fast.

For example, cylinders are tricky. While many post war cast iron cylinders can practically be finished while still hot from casting and not distort or wear oddly, the same is not true for most prewar cylinders. If you don’t let the cylinders age naturally or heat cycle them before machining, they often “twist” and often wear fast. If you just wait say a year, the cylinders will machine beautifully and wear very, very well. Cast iron needs heat cycling to get rid of casting stress. Postwar designs are simplified and have slightly different iron compositions to take this into account to boost productivity.

if you don’t know that and work with younger foundry men, your sample cylinders may prove challenging.

not too many guys can tie up thousands for a year waiting for castings to age.

anyways, it’s a theory.

that said, I wanted to get some rare guzzi single race cams. Can’t get any but I can get specs. Turns out I can have lobes made and ground for $35/ea in A2. What started as an expensive quest wound up in me discovering $70 and some welding will sort it. 3d printing in metal can solve just about any manifold challenge. The modern world is getting pretty amazing with certain technologies.

our hobby has a bright future in that almost any obscure part will be able to be made. . .but that old understanding of the material and how it behaves is what will be priceless.