Are the parts people just getting older and grumpier?

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worntorn said:
In the future I can just use their online ordering setup.
Glen
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All's well that ends well. You won't need to buy a parts book when you can use their website. There are certain people I deal with that I wouldn't cross. The people that cut my hair. The people that prepare and serve my food. And the people that pick and ship the parts for my bikes.

BTW, your build thread on the Vincent was one of the best.
 
mike996 said:
"maybe Ella was on the rag that day... maybe she was constipated, or maybe a box of pistons fell off the shelf on to her head right before you called... but that's what they are... excuses."

I think perhaps the point that you are less an Old Britts fan than many of us could have been made without the insulting personal comments...
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I think perhaps you have the right to think that those comments were insulting. I think perhaps your local Sunday school teacher might agree with you.
 
Robb2014 said:
worntorn said:
Yesterday I tried to order some parts from Old Britts. I had a long list of little bits including Dave Comeau's clutch pushrod seals, one each for Commando and Dommie. I see...d of the day, I need the parts!

Happily, the Venhill lady in the UK was cheery as could be. She was completely tolerant and helpful with my lack of knowledge regarding their products.

Glen
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Glen,

It seems you've angered a few here for the unforgivable sin of speaking ill of OB. I'll agree that both Ella and Fred are normally very pleasant and helpful, but I've also seen each of them get a little testy at times for no good reason. Excuses can be made that maybe you didn't do enough homework before you called... maybe Ella was on the rag that day... maybe she was constipated, or maybe a box of pistons fell off the shelf on to her head right before you called... but that's what they are... excuses. If you have a mail order/phone in business you owe it to your customers to treat them in a polite manner every single time they call, even if they don't own a parts catalog and even if they didn't search the exploded diagram on your website properly before they made the call. If you had made this complaint about Mitch Klempf I would have thought I'd stepped into an alternate universe, as he is a guy who could be going through a bad IRS audit and a divorce at the precise time you called and would still treat you with patience and respect. However, I have to admit, hearing this about OB doesn't shock me. I still like them and will still order from them, but I don't like the idea that once in a blue moon I might get treated with less respect than I myself would give them were the roles reversed. I'll put my flak jacket on now and wait for the fall out from friends and fans of OB.
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The fuck kind of comments are those?
 
swooshdave said:
Robb2014 said:
worntorn said:
Yesterday I tried to order some parts from Old Britts. I had a long list of little bits including Dave Comeau's clutch pushrod seals, one each for Commando and Dommie. I see...d of the day, I need the parts!

Happily, the Venhill lady in the UK was cheery as could be. She was completely tolerant and helpful with my lack of knowledge regarding their products.

Glen
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Glen,

It seems you've angered a few here for the unforgivable sin of speaking ill of OB. I'll agree that both Ella and Fred are normally very pleasant and helpful, but I've alsostill like them and will still order from them, but I don't like the idea that once in a blue moon I might get treated with less respect than I myself would give them were the roles reversed. I'll put my flak jacket on now and wait for the fall out from friends and fans of OB.
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The fuck kind of comments are those?
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Did you mean "What the fuck kind of comments are those?" Maybe you should try reading them again. Pretty self explanatory.
 
I see a lock in the near future. Just in case it is helpful for further discourse here is the text from the First Amendment:

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, or to behave like dickheads on public forums, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances
 
rvich said:
I see a lock in the near future. Just in case it is helpful for further discourse here is the text from the First Amendment:

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, or to behave like dickheads on public forums, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances
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Well for those of you who missed the point of my post, that was a pretty rude comment that the woman in question made to Worntorn. He's a customer and deserves better than that. If the woman in question is nice and helpful the majority of the time, which she seems to be, that is all well and good, but it's wrong for a business owner to ever jump down the throat of a customer for no good reason. If anyone doesn't share my opinion on this, they certainly have that right, and if anyone thinks I'm a "dickhead" for saying this, then they certainly have the right to think that also.
 
I'll join the others that have had nothing but excellent service from OldBritts using their comprehensive and easy to use web site and on those occasions I needed some personal input from Ella.
I assume that if it isn't on their web site they don't sell it.
Lets all understand it is only Ella and her husband running a very small business out of what may only be a shop and warehouse in their back yard.
That such a small operation can offer such a comprehensive service of parts both factory and custom OldBritts along with development of their own electric start conversion is very impressive. Included on the site are also their own how-too articles with great advice we use for no cost.
Their great easy to use on-line ordering system saves me the time of chatting with sales people and saves them from having to flounder along on the phone with some folks like ourselves that would be better off using their site. I appreciate the clarity of the on-line ordering which allows me to see exactly what I've ordered before I push the send button. On top of that I appreciate their 10% discount for returning customers.
 
I should not have started this thread, it seems we are all getting a bit old and grumpy, not just the parts suppliers! :mrgreen:

I probably took Ella's statement the wrong way and definitely did not understand that no online listing meant no part.
It wasn't a big deal, and it was actually the lady at Walridge who got more bent out of shape, I think they are victims of their own success.
Some of these small businesses are growing so fast that the owners and staff can't keep up. I read somewhere that in the UK, the business of classic motorcycle restoration is now larger than the business of new motorcycle sales!

So I guess I should cut these people some slack.

After a good thrash on the 650SS I feel much better!
I synchronized the carbs with drill bits then set the idle mxiture by the book, one pot at a time. It has a rock steady idle at 600 rpm with twin Amals. I'm going to see if I can make a video clip of the nice idle just to energize the " twin Amals or single Mikuni" thread.
Should be able to keep that one going for at least six more pages! :mrgreen:

Glen
 
I've never dealt with Old Britts, but I agree with your initial comments regarding Molnar, he is simply the most obnoxious little scrote you could ever come across. I couldn't care less how good his stuff is, the man's an asshole.
In the UK I get great service from RGM, Mick Hemmings, LPW, TMS and most others I have had dealings with. It's your money, spend it where you want , not where others tell you.
sam
 
Basically you guys across the wrong side of the pond are spoilt. Here in the UK we expect to be treated like sh*t and we are only here to keep the supplier in business. Once you accept that then everything's fine.
RGM and Hemmings are good here but never buy from a man with a beard... :D
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I tend to think the first sentence applies to the second sentence, not to everybody else in the field in England. If it does, tell me, and I will put my Andover Norton boys right.

That said, there are customers that are plain annoying, and there are even retail customers- and dealers!- I (Norton Motors GmbH/Germany) and we (Andover Norton) have, after bitter experiences, finally declined to continue dealing with. The second sentence comes to mind yet again lately............

Also, with the innumerable aftermarket improvements for Nortons- some good, some bad, some totally pointless- one can not demand from any dealer to stock them all. In fact, for some of them brought up in initial talks with Andover Norton's new buyer Simon, a Commando rider since the 1980s, I gave him reasons why these parts were off limits as far as Andover Norton is concerned, they belonging to the second and third category.

Ella and Fred will have good reasons, commercial or technical, not to stock a certain item. This discretion I think customers have to allow their dealers. I get asked frequently for parts/accessories that, from 35 years of riding and racing Nortons, I see as solutions to non-existing problems, and decline to sell what I consider at best as unneccessary, at worst as dangerous.

Joe Seifert/Andover Norton & Norton Motors GmbH
 
The very first impression of relationships with other people is supposed to start with the suckling action at a breast that you can not earn just enjoy as a gift of life of pleasant sensation though your jaws into the upper neck skull junction, [brain stem] when this wears out from old injury and work or hobby tensions then it chokes down the brain stem where most the CNS filters are so stuff gets though that magnifies chemical , mechanical and psychological imputes-stresses-emphasis and shuts down higher reasoning centers for more a spinal animal reaction. Point being both buyers and sellers are aging so its more testing to interrelate and mis read each others real state of mind and intent. There are caveman simple ways to help restore the filters and higher centers back on line more often than not. Neuroscience says about 90% of the brain is to filter out BS not inciting it.
 
ZFD wrote;
If it does, tell me, and I will put my Andover Norton boys right.
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Joe, I use Andover Norton's online ordering facility fairly often as well as Mick / Angela Hemmings.
Regarding A/N, I have had emails answered very politely and helpfully and including when I ring to give my payment details and when I I've had cause to telephone for advice about three times over the years, and your staff (usually Nick Hopkins) has been extremely polite , courteous and helpful. :wink:
 
BillT said:
This story reminds me of a parable:

An old man is tending his orchard on the side of a road. As he's working, a traveler passes and stops to ask a question:

"Old man, what can you tell me about the town up ahead? What are the people like?"

Old Man replies, "What were the people like were you came from?"

Traveler says, "They were a sorry lot: petty, selfish and nosy. I couldn't wait to get away from them."

Old man replies, "I'm sorry to say you'll find the same in the town up ahead."

Muttering, the traveler trudges ahead.

A short while later, another traveler passes and stops.

"Pardon me, grandfather. Can you tell me what the people are like in the town just ahead?"

Old man replies,"What were the people like where you came from, my boy?"

Traveler replies,"They were wonderful: generous, caring, and helpful. I hope my travels bring me back there someday."

Old man replies, "I'm happy to say you'll find the same here!"

Moral: You get what you give
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Amen!
 
hobot said:
Duh DynoDaves seal is not exactly a china sourced mass produced item and is not really a world wide supplied Norton part and has no Norton part number to carry any more than Comstocks variety of special reed valves are. Dyno's seal is only like a decade old. Ella and Fred know their Nortons just can't carry every new specialty item so guess how the inquirer sounded to them. Waldridge is pretty good to go out their way to source a one in a row part form special limited sources over seas if need be but must expect delay and extra cost. This post will allow me to tease em on next order asking for a pair of Comeau's seals and Landownes forks and Comstock EFI to go with the chopper forks, which they might actually have on hand.
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My CCRS part is now out for only 23 years. Sold over 5000. On my website...parts counter shows "Dealer and wholesale inquiries accepted" . Old Brit choose not to sell them. Yet Ella gave to me a good kudo for the the format of my tech article website, and soon after their tech article website was born. Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.
Then like RGM ... I offered my CCRS to them many years ago and got such a rude reception I dropped the conversation. (how many like their CCRS?) I was under the impression that they sold their own design not mine. I do know that RGM and Norvil on ocassion do share parts and RGM could possibly sell mine but are NOT sourced directly from me.
Dealers that sell them make money, maybe not enough? But the price went unchanged for almost 20 years. Now my price is up ONLY due to mailing cost and my profit is down. I have aways thought some don't want to sell my seal because they would rather make more money selling clutch packs.(SIC)
In a few months I will retire from my punch a clock day job to run my own part time repair shop to service LOCAL customers... most are friends. However I don't really want to compete by "selling parts". How many times I've wasted $20-$40 of time on the phone ... to make $5 ?
 
Alrighty then Dave there's still ten's of thousands more to make and sell seals for. Did you do a design or production change about 1.3 decades ago? Before I got on lists and forums, the world wide vendors were my hand holders til they'd soon answer OH HI Easy Money. There was one in England that was both hard to understand and sounded too bothered to bother so don't bother calling no more. Btw is there an expected life time on your O ring element replacement ?
 
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