What questions to ask???

[jamesrhull]

So, I appreciate all of the responses to my earlier post. I have pretty well narrowed down my choices to Motor Trike, Hannigan and CSC. There are installers for each close to home. I am now moving to the installer visit stage of my research and I want to make sure I cover every base. So, from all of you out there much more experienced than I, what questions should I be asking and what should I be looking for as I visit these shops. <br />
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The Motor Trike shop is a few blocks from my house. It is a small building and he really doesn't keep turn key bikes on hand. I understand he has been doing installs for about 5 years as an authorized Motor Trike dealer.<br />
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The Hannigan shop is a location for Lone Star Trikes. I understand they are pretty well known installers, but I don't know anything about the shop as of yet. Their web site doesn't give much information.<br />
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The CSC shop is a Honda dealer. I have not been there yet, but I think they keep some turn key trikes on hand.<br />
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So what would you ask and what would you look for to give you an idea of whether this is a good installer or not.

I know that I want to get the names of a couple of people that have had installs done there. What else?

[tfdeputydawg]

Know you product - Then see if the installer does!
Ask to see the shop area-Clean or a junk yard?
Normal length of time to order, receive, install the conversion?
Most important-negotiate the cost! The days of quoting MSRP as the "price" are over for the time being! How bad does that installer want your business?

[Jimsjinx]

I agree with the Deputy, if you are gonna drop that knid of money! I would really lean towards the MotorTrike place a block away. How convienient could that be?!! You would also be in a pretty solid spot, if the dealer KNEW you lived a block away! JMHO jimsjinx

[Big_Steve]

Hopefully Bazooka will chime in, since he's an installer/dealer. <br />
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I guess I'd ask to meet the mechanic who does the install. I'd ask him about a rake, just to gauge whether he knows what he's talking about, or just giving you a line to upgrade. If he gave me a detailed explanation as to why a rake is desirable (at least on a big trike) I'd be more comfortable then with a short answer saying it makes steering easier. I would then look him straight in the eyes and ask how many kits he himself has installed. It's tough for a lot of folks to lie, hopefully he is one of them.<br />
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If you're buying the bike itself used, I'd ask if it's "their" bike. Meaning did they do the service for the previous owner. "Yes? Oh, great! Can I please see a service print out?"<br />
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There is some disagreement here about new bike warranties following a trike transformation.

Better get that C-L-E-A-R right off the bat. If they say the bike warranty is NOT voided by a kit, I'd ask to get it in writing. I bought my trike used from a Honda dealer. In chatting, they told me that new bike warranties are voided by a trike. Others here say they have had warranty service by the bike manuf. So I don't know what to think. But if the dealer says yes to the warranty, look him in the eyes (again) and ask if that warranty is good at another dealer. Heck, call a dealer in another town this afternoon and tell them you have their brand bike triked with 2000 miles. Ask if you can bring it in for engine or front end warranty service. That ought to tell you.

[kj5ix]

I can agree on some of these points, but certainly not all.<br />
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<img src="images/misc/quote_icon.png" alt="Quote" /> Originally Posted by <strong>tfdeputydawg</strong>
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<div class="message">Know you product - Then see if the installer does! <b><font color="Red">Yes an important point</font></b><br />
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Ask to see the shop area-Clean or a junk yard? <b><font color="red">Visiting the shop is good to see the work area, but weather it is Clean or not normally has NO bearing on the ability of the installer other than to sweep a floor. Don't come by my shop and expect to see every thing neat and tidy, that only means that there is nothing going on, and I am bored. My Chinese Machine Shop is a semi organized junk yard by some standards.</font></b><br />
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Normal length of time to order, receive, install the conversion? <b><font color="red"> It only takes about 3 to 5 minutes to Order the Kit. The rest is totally up to the manufacture, there is Zero, nothing, Nada that a dealer/installer can do to speed up that process. As it is stated in another thread " It is what it is"</font></b><br />
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Most important-negotiate the cost! The days of quoting MSRP as the "price" are over for the time being! How bad does that installer want your business?<b><font color="red">Not True, and True: Not True on MSRP of the kit, the manufacture has a set price, and that is it!

Period, end of discussion. You diviate from that price, and you wont be a Dealer for that manufacture long. True in 2 cases that I know of, maybe a third dealer that I have talked to, but certainly not the norm in the majority of the dealers. Discounts/Cost Breaks, are offered on the dealers side of the fence, Ie: some accessories, and installation labor.</font></b></div>

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</div>Location to an installer is of course important, the condition of the shop on visiting I think is not. If you do visit a shop that is busy as in working on a Trike conversion, make your visit short and to the point, remember while you are disturbing the guy while he is working he will have to back up and re-trace his steps to get back to where he was when you came in. Do you want him doing that while working on your bike,,,,,,,??? The best advice I can give ya is Don't disturb the guy on the lift. Waite for a break. ( we take them often )

[Boscoporp]

I would ask them for a list of satisfied customers that they have installed before. AND then I would call them and ask them the questions!

[Chumbly]

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<img src="images/misc/quote_icon.png" alt="Quote" /> Originally Posted by <strong>Boscoporp</strong>
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<div class="message">I would ask them for a list of satisfied customers that they have installed before. AND then I would call them and ask them the questions!</div>

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</div> I'd just ask for a list of "customers"... I'd wanna talk to the "unsatisfied" ones as well.<img src="images/smilies/wink.gif" border="0" alt="" title="Wink" class="inlineimg" /> Chumbly-<img src="images/smilies/grin.gif" border="0" alt="" title="big grin" class="inlineimg" />

[tfdeputydawg]

You probably won't have much luck getting unsatisfied customer names! However, when chatting w/the happy ones, ask them for references to anyone they know that may have had problems.
Just remember, you can not satisfy everyone all the time. A very few disgruntled customers does not a bad installer make. Key in on the real reason for the problem. It may not be the installers fault at all.

[jamesrhull]

I have really narrowed things down to one of two installers. It will either be a Motor Trike Adventure or a Hannigan kit. Past customers of both are very satisfied with their work and have been very open and honest with me. The kit and install prices are within $50 of each other on the same bike. The features are about the same. It really is boiling down to one installer being 10 blocks from my house versus the other being an hour away. It is not every time that one is blessed with such good choices so close to home.

[kj5ix]

MT and a short walk home when ya drop it off,,, Can't get much better than that...

[tfdeputydawg]

HAVE YOU TESTED BOTH to your satisfaction?
Then I agree w/George. A short walk to/from has to be a big +