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Hi Guys
Just wanted you to be able to follow along with what is going on there. Also what they are saying about what you guys have suggested
Hello again Bob,
Was wondering if I could hit you up for (another) favor?
Could you please pass the following info along to the group for me? I would sign up for an account, but I know that in the long run I won't be able to keep up with it and will end up doing more harm than good when I disappear from the forum, whereas I will always be checking my email. Anyway, here's the scoop.
* * *
1. The color match on Rockford's yellow bike was tragic. Talked to our painter and found out that we had originally matched the color ourselves using a cowl borrowed from a bike. Within a few months, the main toner we used in our formula was no longer available in the state of California due to VOC contents. We get this a lot unfortunately.
From there we went with the PPG computer which uses a totally different mix and different set of toners of course. As you can see in the attached pic, the starting point in the toners is radically different and the PPG requires a lot more additional toners to get it close. The empty can from our old mix is on the right, the new base toner is on the left. Sorry, it's a crappy cell phone picture. We will be making our own match again since we have that bike here.
Honestly, once Rockford sent us a picture showing how "off" it was, we should have sent a call tag to pick up the parts so he wouldn't have had to pay a dime for return shipping. Why the person he talked to didn't do this is unknown to me. Maybe they were afraid to try and get it authorized... maybe they were lazy... I'm afraid I just don't know. But it wasn't right.
2. The bags rubbing on wider tires. We're looking at this as well and are either going to have a wider bracket available or an adjustable one. Will know more in a couple weeks and will offer it at no charge to anyone that needs it.
3. Weather stripping. I've talked to a few people about this and we currently don't have a 100% solution. We have gone through multiple vendors for weather stripping and apparently they're all prone to a bit of shrinkage. The most we have seen has been about 1/4" though and not the 1" that is being reported here.
Our shop foreman is meeting with all of our assemblers to let them know of the issue. They will be trimming the stripping a little longer (and squeezing it in) and will be taking extra precaution to assure it is fully set on the mounting lip. This should help minimize the problem. Our purchasing person will be speaking with our vendors about potential solutions or other materials.
If anyone needs new weather stripping, just give us a call. By the way, the seam should be located near the hinge where it is least likely to create a leak problem and is least noticeable as well. Just thought I'd mention it.
4. Locks and door adjustment. R&D will be looking into this as well.
5. Shape at the back end. Vince (our lead designer) will be checking into this as well. We'll have to see how much difference there is and if it is like that in the mold or if it's happening in the paint prep work. We've got a set going through prep now, but it will be a little bit while we setup a color match for the bike... can't use the one we have on file!
OK, thanks for your time. Just wanted to update folks and let everyone know we're looking into this.
Ok Guys This is it so far. They really seem to care about quality and taking care of us. They have been following the threads. So they have all your info. I will keep you posted.
Bob
Just wanted you to be able to follow along with what is going on there. Also what they are saying about what you guys have suggested
Hello again Bob,
Was wondering if I could hit you up for (another) favor?
Could you please pass the following info along to the group for me? I would sign up for an account, but I know that in the long run I won't be able to keep up with it and will end up doing more harm than good when I disappear from the forum, whereas I will always be checking my email. Anyway, here's the scoop.
* * *
1. The color match on Rockford's yellow bike was tragic. Talked to our painter and found out that we had originally matched the color ourselves using a cowl borrowed from a bike. Within a few months, the main toner we used in our formula was no longer available in the state of California due to VOC contents. We get this a lot unfortunately.
From there we went with the PPG computer which uses a totally different mix and different set of toners of course. As you can see in the attached pic, the starting point in the toners is radically different and the PPG requires a lot more additional toners to get it close. The empty can from our old mix is on the right, the new base toner is on the left. Sorry, it's a crappy cell phone picture. We will be making our own match again since we have that bike here.
Honestly, once Rockford sent us a picture showing how "off" it was, we should have sent a call tag to pick up the parts so he wouldn't have had to pay a dime for return shipping. Why the person he talked to didn't do this is unknown to me. Maybe they were afraid to try and get it authorized... maybe they were lazy... I'm afraid I just don't know. But it wasn't right.
2. The bags rubbing on wider tires. We're looking at this as well and are either going to have a wider bracket available or an adjustable one. Will know more in a couple weeks and will offer it at no charge to anyone that needs it.
3. Weather stripping. I've talked to a few people about this and we currently don't have a 100% solution. We have gone through multiple vendors for weather stripping and apparently they're all prone to a bit of shrinkage. The most we have seen has been about 1/4" though and not the 1" that is being reported here.
Our shop foreman is meeting with all of our assemblers to let them know of the issue. They will be trimming the stripping a little longer (and squeezing it in) and will be taking extra precaution to assure it is fully set on the mounting lip. This should help minimize the problem. Our purchasing person will be speaking with our vendors about potential solutions or other materials.
If anyone needs new weather stripping, just give us a call. By the way, the seam should be located near the hinge where it is least likely to create a leak problem and is least noticeable as well. Just thought I'd mention it.
4. Locks and door adjustment. R&D will be looking into this as well.
5. Shape at the back end. Vince (our lead designer) will be checking into this as well. We'll have to see how much difference there is and if it is like that in the mold or if it's happening in the paint prep work. We've got a set going through prep now, but it will be a little bit while we setup a color match for the bike... can't use the one we have on file!
OK, thanks for your time. Just wanted to update folks and let everyone know we're looking into this.
Ok Guys This is it so far. They really seem to care about quality and taking care of us. They have been following the threads. So they have all your info. I will keep you posted.
Bob
