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Post by jefflem on Aug 5, 2015 16:48:41 GMT -5
Hello Everyone,
I am new to this forum and this is my first post. I have a problem that I have not read about before. I recently purchased an Ice Bear Magnum 2010 300cc trike from Craigs List with less than 1000 miles, (I know).It cost me $1400, seemed to be in fair condition and ran well. I am fairly mechanical and was able to fix most of the problems on the trike. I noticed that the chain was loose, with excessive play, also I could hear a rattling noise. I read on the internet that tightening the chain on a Trike was a bit tricky, unlike a two wheeler (many bolts to be removed correct alignment etc). I was able to find a local repair shop that sold Ice Bear scooters, so I took it there. I had bought parts from them before, when I was working on it, and they seemed honest. I took the scooter to them on June 26th. About a week later they called me and said that they had tightened the chain, but the mechanic noticed that there was excessive lateral movement on the rear gear box drive shaft where the chain connects to. They asked me if they could disassemble the gear box to see what the problem was. I said OK. After a couple days they informed me that one of the gears was bad, that they would have to special order it. After two weeks of not hearing from them, I gave them a call, the service writer said that they could not find the needed part. I asked if my Trike was disassembled, and he said it was. I asked him what the plan was now, and he said that they had a machine shop, and that the mechanic could make the needed piece and it should be a temporary fix, so I told him to go ahead. After another week of not hearing from them, I called the service writer and told him that I would be at the shop in less than one hour and to make sure that he would be there, he said he would be. After I arrived at the shop I did not see the service writer, I asked around and no one said that they had seen him. But the mechanic that was working on my bike was there. The rear end of the trike was in pieces. I talked to him, he told me that was able to fabricate the part and that it would be ready by the end of the week. He would call me when it was ready. Gentlemen, that was a week ago and still no call. To be honest, now I do not even want the trike. The problem is that I have spent over $1600 on it and and I now believe that the bike is in worse condition that when I brought it in. PS They have my CC card # on file, but in the past they have always called me before billing. I do not want to pay an outrageous bill if they ever call. Help, what am I to do, Jeff
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Post by scooter on Aug 5, 2015 17:27:30 GMT -5
First of all, don't get aggravated with the bike. Ask him what the name of the part is and any specs on the part, then tell us what you need and maybe one of us can help you locate the part, okay?
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Post by jefflem on Aug 5, 2015 20:27:16 GMT -5
Thanks Scooter,
I will call tomorrow and see if I can get the pertinent information. And if he can give it to me, I'll let you know.
Jeff
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Post by spandi on Aug 5, 2015 22:28:13 GMT -5
First of all, don't get aggravated with the bike. Ask him what the name of the part is and any specs on the part, then tell us what you need and maybe one of us can help you locate the part, okay? Scooter, he should find out the name the INDUSTRY calls it. (It will be much easier to find then.)  |
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Post by scooter on Aug 5, 2015 22:45:14 GMT -5
First of all, don't get aggravated with the bike. Ask him what the name of the part is and any specs on the part, then tell us what you need and maybe one of us can help you locate the part, okay? Scooter, he should find out the name the INDUSTRY calls it. (It will be much easier to find then.) Agreed. If the mechanic doesn't know what it is called, maybe he could post a picture of the part or at least describe it well enough that we can figure it out. |
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Post by cyborg on Aug 5, 2015 23:19:30 GMT -5
And I'll add if they try and stiff you with an outrageous bill just dispute it with the card,,,I'm sure Jim from rapid repair will chime in here,,or if not contact him he is a icebear dealer,,,he'll sort it out
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Post by RapidJim on Aug 6, 2015 8:27:53 GMT -5
Hmmmmmmm.
First off, the 2010 Magnum was the first generation 300cc trike. Reverse was in the rear diff and was operated by a cable on the left side of the handle bar and was a straight axle design Some lateral movement (side to side) is expected in that type of rear diff, without being there I can not say what that mechanic is calling excessive. On that rear diff, lateral movement can be adjusted by tightening the castle nut on the hub. The first generation rear diffs were not known to have lateral movement issues. The problem with that type of rear diff stemmed from consumers not being fully stopped when going from forward to reverse or reverse to forward, that would strip the gears in the rear diff and the trike would not move at all. Another issue, was that consumers did not pay attention the the adjustment of the cable, this caused improper gear mess and again would strip the gears and the trike would not move.
I would have asked, if after they adjusted the chain if there was any noise coming from the rear diff on a test drive?
That type of rear diff has not been used since 2010, in 2011 Ice bear went to an independent rear axle assembly and then in 2012 went back to a straight axle design with forward neutral and reverse in the transmission instead of the rear diff. Parts for the 2010 can be hard to come by and if available, they have to be ordered from China, via Ice Bear, thru an authorized Ice Bear dealer.
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Post by jefflem on Aug 6, 2015 19:46:58 GMT -5
Thanks for all the help guys. I called the repair shop at 12pm today and the service writer told me that he would check about the progress and call me back, (he said that he was with a customer). He called 1/2 hour later and told me it would be ready in two hours. A woman called me back about 3pm, said that it was ready. I asked her what the price was, she said that she did not know, but would find out and call me back in 5 min. They have not called back. BTW this is not the first time that they have told me the Trike was ready, but it was not. What do you guys think is going on? I will call again tomorrow and let you know what I can find out. PS They have had the trike for six weeks now.
Thanks, Jeff
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Post by shantyhag on Aug 7, 2015 19:56:30 GMT -5
Six weeks sucks, but listening to what Jim said about parts availability... if they did manage to fabricate a part for you and got it running well, then it sounds like you got a working trike for a song. Wish you'd had it all summer, I know, but it's got 1000 miles and if it works it could last for years.
Here's hoping your understandable frustration is soon replaced with fun.
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Post by jefflem on Aug 7, 2015 21:11:58 GMT -5
Update:
I picked up the bike today. The charge was $374.50. As far as I can ascertain, the mechanic added two custom made spacers to the rear diff. The service writer told me that this would be only a temporary fix. He then asked me if I was going to ride it home or trailer it. I asked the mechanic if was safe to ride. He said it was. I asked him how long the temporary fix would last. He said that he couldn't tell me, but it may last six weeks or six years. Anyone wan't to buy a trike?
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Post by RapidJim on Aug 10, 2015 9:06:26 GMT -5
Update: I picked up the bike today. The charge was $374.50. As far as I can ascertain, the mechanic added two custom made spacers to the rear diff. The service writer told me that this would be only a temporary fix. He then asked me if I was going to ride it home or trailer it. I asked the mechanic if was safe to ride. He said it was. I asked him how long the temporary fix would last. He said that he couldn't tell me, but it may last six weeks or six years. Anyone wan't to buy a trike? All I can say is something does not sound right here, In your original post your said " They asked me if they could disassemble the gear box to see what the problem was. I said OK. After a couple days they informed me that one of the gears was bad, that they would have to special order it." Then you said that the fix was: " the mechanic added two custom made spacers to the rear diff." This follows what I said "On that rear diff, lateral movement can be adjusted by tightening the castle nut on the hub" I would almost bet that they added washers under the hubs to take up the slack. This procedure has been used by many and works well, but at $374.50?  ?? |
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Post by jefflem on Aug 11, 2015 20:01:19 GMT -5
Yes Jim, In fact the mechanic showed me one, as he had misplaced one and had to make a duplicate, which he later found. The part seemed very light, like it was made out of aluminum, Maybe 1 and 1/2 " diameter, and about 3/8" wide with a 1" inside diameter, I'm just guessing, as I don't have the part.
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Post by cyborg on Aug 11, 2015 22:12:36 GMT -5
Probably was aluminum,,,easy to make by hand,,,if that " cured" the problem ,, pull them and have them remade in tool steel by a machinist,,,they will last a lifetime
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Post by dollartwentyfive on Aug 16, 2015 17:09:58 GMT -5
my first impression of side play in a tranny shaft would be that the tranny has been disassembled before and someone forgot to put the shims back in, or they weren't installed at all.
as far as you not wanting the bike (or trike) anymore, that isn't the shops problem.
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Post by jefflem on Aug 16, 2015 20:15:26 GMT -5
No, you are right about me not wanting the bike anymore isn't the shops fault. But after they had the trike for six weeks, telling me the problem was an internal one, promising me to order the part to fix it, then saying that they could not find the part. Then putting shims-spacers on the tranny saying that it was a temporary fix. Having the Service Writer calling it a (lost cause) and asking me if I want to trailer it home and charging me $375 IS. Oh, the service writer told me that he was giving me a break in the price of 10 hours labor, by charging me half price.
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