Cheap eBay mods = absolute disaster

[LordShaftesbu...]

I'm posting this despite knowing that a lot of the replies will be of the "That's what you get for buying cheap tat" and "Serves you right for wanting tasteless chav bling" variety, the reason being that some people might find it interesting and at the very least it will get it off my chest.

About 6 weeks ago I went on eBay to buy some aftermarket bits and pieces for the Street Triple. Seeing as how the forks and a few other parts are already gold, I thought I'd stick with that colour.

First of all I bought a radiator cover:
https://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=310277655198&ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT

It looked quite nice when it arrived so I fitted it. Less than one month later, this is what it looks like:
https://www.bikechatforums.com/files/img_5611__large_.jpg
As you can see, the supposed aluminium anodizing has almost completely faded. So right now I'm asking for my money back, but I don't hold out much hope.


I also ordered a set of gold levers. I made a thread about this earlier so I will just post a link to it:
https://www.bikechatforums.com/viewtopic.php?t=219554&start=0&postdays=0&postorder=asc&highlight=

I complained to the seller and they said they knew of the problem and would send me some new levers that will not fade, but my expectations are not high.


I also ordered a set of crash posts and swingarm bobbins. I was told they were shipped over a month ago, but never arrived. The seller is not responding so I have had to open an eBay dispute to try to get my money back.


So far, so terrible. But the worst was yet to come. The brake lever I ordered turned out to be incorrectly machined. There is a hole that the brake pushrod seats into, but in the new lever it must not have been quite deep enough. This was where the combination of shoddy parts and my mechanical incompetency resulted in true disaster. Despite it being a very tight fit when I installed the lever, I decided to persevere anyway, because I'm a total bellend. This resulted in the front brakes being ever so slightly on, although I didn't realise it.

The next day I was riding to work, going about 60, when the bike started slowing down for no apparent reason. This lasted about a second, then suddenly I was no longer on the bike, I was sliding down the road.

I ground to a halt and managed to drag myself onto the verge. I knew my knee was hurt but it wasn't until I looked at it and saw bone that I realised how badly. The woman who'd been in the car behind came to help, and mentioned that she had seen smoke coming out of the bike just before I'd crashed. Presumably this was from the front brakes.

So as well as a pile of worthless eBay crap, I also have a severely scraped bike and the prospect of 2 months in a leg brace due to a broken kneecap. My helmet, boots and gloves are in the bin.

FUCKING SHIT BOLLOCKS

Here's a few more pictures:

https://www.bikechatforums.com/files/img_5595__large_.jpg
https://www.bikechatforums.com/files/img_5593__large_.jpg
https://www.bikechatforums.com/files/img_5592__large_.jpg
https://www.bikechatforums.com/files/img_5600__large_.jpg
https://www.bikechatforums.com/files/spm_a0057__large_.jpg
https://www.bikechatforums.com/files/img_5607__large_.jpg

[Pete.]

[Poseidon]

I'm not one for the compensation culture either, but in this case it is just. I've ranted in another thread about how e-bay has become a haven for "businesses" selling cheap crap and it's about time the sellers are the ones paying for it!

Like Pete said, don't touch the bike. Get it inspected to prove the lever caused the problem and start down the road of taking the seller to the cleaners!

EDIT:
Just looking at the e-bay listing for the brake levers, they're shipped direct from hong-kong... Not sure where you would stand regarding blame as I'd hazard a guess at the parts not conforming to british standards. Maybe worth having a chat with someone like trading standards, or even watchdog. You could get old sour-face anne fighting your corner!
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1977 Honda CG125
2002 Ducati Monster S4 (currently restoring)

[Pete.]

Aah, I see you bought the levers direct from Hong Kong. That puts the mockers on any idea of claiming
____________________
a.k.a 'Geri'

132.9mph off and walked away. Gear is good, gear is good, gear is very very good

[LordShaftesbu...]

Thanks for the advice guys, unfortunately I had already removed the brake lever because I wanted to work out what had happened. Plus the fact they came from China made me think I didn't have a chance at getting compensation.

I have fully comp insurance and a guy from 4th Dimension came to pick the bike up this morning to take it away for repair (all the way to London, surprisingly).

A small piece of good news:

[tatters]

Even if they were a UK outfit l would expect them to just say you fitted them incorrectly, l too have brough cheap pattern levers in the past which have turned out to not fit correctly which l,ve had to bin hopefully you will have some luck going after the seller.
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Past:NRG50,AF1125(x2),NSR125RR,ZZR250,CX500,VFR400,KR1S,ZZR600(x2),CB400N,YZF1000(x2),KH125,Z200,FX400R,CBR954RR(x2)GPZ500S,GT550,VFR750F(x2),RD350N,XR650R,CBR600F,CB250,KDX250,YZF750R,CRM250,400EXC,KLR650,TTR600RE,DR350S,R100GSPD,RGV250,VMAX1200,DL650,KZ750 Present:G650XC,C12,CRF450X,1190ADV

[chrisjpartrid...]

I've always been a fan of cheap eBay stuff myself (to a point) and stories like this certainly make you stop and think.

[Acemastr]

I just bought a Beowulf exhaust, quality seems fantastic and has a lifetime guarantee.

Sorry to hear about the levers! i had £35 ones on my last bike, has opened my eyes to how dangerous they can be!
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2017 KTM 350 XC-F - 2014 Yamaha R6 - 2005 Yamaha YZ125
2016 Toyota Tacoma Limited

[LordShaftesbu...]

I forgot to mention the gold wheels I bought on ebay:

https://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=260761663273&ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT
https://i.ebayimg.com/05/!CEd9CHg!mk~$(KGrHqYOKpME0UnDvv+)BNS!rhTmS!~~_12.JPG


When they arrived, they were the wrong bloody colour!

https://www.bikechatforums.com/files/img_5539.jpg

So I've sent them back asking for a refund. I could've asked for the right colour but I can't be bothered any more. This whole thing's just been a complete failure from beginnig to end.

[DrDonnyBrago]

Damn you are one unlucky sod.

Utterly shocking about the brake levers!

Was that the first time you had ridden with them?

[LordShaftesbu...]

[Pete.]

[Livefast123]

Bloody Ebay, it's good for certain things but for safety related stuff I definatly wouldn't go there now Such a blatent waste of your kneecap and bike. I hope you repair both quickly.

They can sell good looking tat into the country knowing full well that it doesn't fit properly etc and get away with it . Arhhhhh. I would alert trading standards to see if they've had problems before and because Ebay is a UK site they may be able to take them off?

I hate to be the first to point it out but wouldn't all that money spent on tat have been better spent on some proper trousers
____________________
Current ride - Yamaha MT-07

[LordShaftesbu...]

The worst part is I have armoured trousers, I just couldn't be bothered wearing them that morning cos it was "only a 10 minute ride into work" ...

[andys675]

bet you wish you had bought the triumph levers now, i know they're £150 but......

mate of mine had the same sort of problem with a pattern brake lever on his fireblade, the actuating heel of the lever that went against the master cylinder piston was slightly smaller, ok every day but on a track day he got some heat into the brakes and the lever came back to the bar! so got a genuine new lever and the problem went

[Ingah]

This is part of the reason i bought my last pattern brake lever from a Honda dealership, as you know it's not likely to be dangerous tat. That and it was £6 or so i think.

I do hope you are able to chase compensation as it's about the only thing short of the feeble arm of justice that incentivises companies to play a straight game. Worth a few phone calls to some ambulance chasers imo, as you'd hope that by selling in UK, it'll make them able to be held to account by UK law.

GWS
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-- Ingah

[Nope.]

Sorry to hear about your off. Thats really harsh. Your original post stopped me buying some, and for this, I thank you.

I hope your recovery is quick and reasonably painless and that your bike is repaired ASAP.
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Former: Derbi GP1 50, Sachs XTC 125, Suzuki GSXR 400 GK73A, Kawasaki ZX7R, Suzuki DR250, Yamaha RD350
Current: 2011 Yamaha XT660Z Ténéré, 2003 Yamaha YZR-R1 5PW (In Build), 2009 Kawasaki ZZR1400

[Chriss]

Unlucky mate. You just made my mind up, I'm going for Pazzo levers rather than Chinese copies.

Btw, your tax is due soon.
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TheShaggyDA: I've got 3 or 4 pairs that predate my wife, so at least 11.5 years old.

[0ddball]

I don't think it's particularly the levers at fault, well i suppose it is as this wouldn't have happened without them, but plenty of people fit the cheap pazzo knockoffs with no problem.

It was mainly down to the man on the end of the spanner. Someone with a bit more savvy would have drilled the hole to the right depth or just not used the lever at all.

Not having a pop at the OP as he's already kicking himself enough.
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ZXR750L

[LordShaftesbu...]

[Blue_SV650S]

Gutted for you about the damage to the bike and knee. :'(

Not the same disaster story (result) as you, but I too have had 'cheap' eBay leavers that needed modification to get to fit.

I am not sure how they get them wrong ... it is one thing being made of poor quality material, another thing for some of the dimensions to be out!?!?
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The purpose of life is to fight maturity.

[tatters]

[LordShaftesbu...]

I know, according the eBay listing they use a CNC machine, and presumably they use the dimensions from the stock part to program it with, so what the hell?

[anthony_r6]

Sorry to hear you came off. Your knee looks nasty man, hope you make a full recovery. I bought a brake lever from ebay, which didn't fit. I couldn't even be bothered returning it. Piece of crap.

You have the same helmet as me. How did that hold up to your fall? (I see the scratches, but what did you feel, if anything, any kind of head-pain afterwards?)
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Ted : "Maybe he's agoraphobic."
Dougal : "Jack scared of fighting? I don't think so, Ted."

[LordShaftesbu...]

The helmet did an excellent job. As you can see from the photo, I smacked my face off the road, causing the visor to ping off. I hardly realised it had happened; at no point was their any pain at all, I never felt stunned, even the glasses I was wearing are completely unaltered. Quite amazig really.