Don't buy from (NO) Fun Bike Center Lakeland, Florida

[cyberpilot10]

on Sept. 23, 2007 I took my 2007 Kawasaki BruteForce 750 to Fun Bike Center, Lakeland, Florida. My complaint was a metal to metal sound in the engine. I picked the bike up on Oct. 5, 2007. The service adviser told me "your so called engine noise is a bad belt" I had also complained about it leaking oil on my garage floor and the replaced the seal at the rear output shaft. I took the bike to my camp at River Ranch. Saturday I got up and pulled the belt housing off to find the belt had signs of wear on the sides but not even a fray. I put it back together, and checked the oil, to find that after replacing the seal they didn't put any oil back in it. I put 1 1/2 quarts of oil to fill it up. (only holds 2.3 quarts) I started it up and was ridding it. I noticed the 4wd light was on, but only the back tires were spinning. They had disconnected the front drive shaft. I assume looking for the oil leak at the output shaft. They never reconnected it. I rode the bike for 10 minutes "BANG" major engine failure. I dropped the bike off that sunday and didn't get it back till the 2nd week of December, 2007. (Broken Crank, 1 Rod, 1 Piston, and bent the other Rod) Man that was some Bad Belt........I picked the bike up from service and for sure no one there had the balls to even talk to me.... I took the bike to Lakeland Motorsports Park. After only 15 minutes it was spraying hot coolant on my left foot. I took it back again. (Very Upset) I am sure you can guess how that went.......  I picked it again a week later. I then took it home and put it on my bike lift, and checked it over before ridding it. What I found was crazy!!!!!! 2 bolts missing from the belt housing, HMF muffler clamp missing, Carb bowl drain tubes missing, All airbox vent tubes, drain tubes missing, and Oil Leak all over my garage floor   I have ridden for several miles and have put 3 quarts of oil in.........FRIENDS DON'T LET FRIENDS  GO TO    ( FUN BIKE CENTER ) LAKELAND, FLORIDA

[TRX450R_Racer]

WOW!!

[greenmachine]

I learned about them back in 1985 when they were in the little laundromat behind their big new store on Gary RD.
I had a CR250 that had a blown head gasket. They rebuilt the top end & head gasket, cost me $600 back then.
A month later i was finally able to ride it.
I was camping down near Lake Okeechobee, Clewiston area with my cousin & a bunch of friends. Everyone had dirtbikes then. Well 5-7 minutes into our first ride i look down & the thing is overheating & steaming out of the radiator.
 >:(Aother blown head gasket.
The same guys were running it then as they are now, Dean the tall parts guy & back then Mike was the lead mechanic.
The best they would do is give me a new head gasket but I had to pay the labor....30days later. I ended up buying a chiltons manual.
It is so funny that those guys are still there.
Dean reminds me of the bad highlander character from the original Highlander movie.

[cyberpilot10]

Update:  I took my Brute force back to fun bike center  (because Kawasaki said they would not pay another dealer to fix problems from lakelands repairs)
I dropped my ATV off Wednesday, Feb. 20th, 2008. I stopped by on Thursday Feb. 28th. They said still waiting for parts. I called today March 4th 2008. They said I might hear from them tomorrow!!!!!!!!     I would be willing to bet, my phone don't ring because of them tomorrow !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[cyberpilot10]

Next Update:

There was no suprise when I didn't here from (NO) Fun Bike Center on Wednesday March 5th 2008. I called on Thursday and talked to Mike Sapp, Service Manager. He asked me when I needed the ATV back. I about flipped!!!!!!!!!! I told him I needed it last week. His answer was I will get someone right on it.

After hanging up, I thought about my harsh answer and called him back, and told him I didn't really need it until Friday...     I called on Friday to see what time I could pick it up, and was told that they were still having problems with it not running right. Maybe I could pick it up on Saturday.

I went to pick it up on Saturday March 8th. After loading  it on the trailer, I really looked it over. I found that the Muffler clamp still wasn't replaced, and the carb float bowl vent lines where not installed. It sure would have made it better if Mike would have just told me about this at the time of delivery.  So I walked back to the service dept. and spoke to Mike again. He said they were still trying to find the exhaust clamp, and I didn't really need the float bowl vent lines. If he knew all of this, why wouldn't He just tell me at time of delivery.   My next question was, are you sure I don't need these vent line? The vent lines are there too allow fuel to drain out of the float bowl when the ATV is off camber. This keeps the engine from flooding out at crazy angles. Such as one tire down in a rut, leaning hard to one side. I don't know about you, but gas running out of the carbs directly onto a hot motor in the middle of a forest sounds pretty dangerous. I don't want to burn down anything, including me or my two young boys. What do you know, after that, Mike went in the back and walked out with the vent line in tacked with the check valve still in the end. How do you maintain yourself at that point, I had to go before I ended up at the Polk County Gray Bar Hotel..... How are these people still in business??? I can't just be me.....

[greenmachine]

Good ole Mike & Dean. Those are the same 2 guys who ripped me off 23yrs ago. It is sad that that place is that big & they still have morons running it.
It is even more sad to see that these goons are still doing what they do best!

Sorry for your luck man. You really need to get Kawasaki to step up. Good luck.

[bigscrub79]

I hear horrible things about them all the time. All I can tell you is to keep on calling Kawi and complaining. Something will get done eventually.

[cyberpilot10]

Next update:

I took my 750 brute force back again, 2 times and talked to Mike Sapp and Dave(general manager)... I told them both something didn't sound right in the engine. It sounded like Upper valve train rattle. Mike said that it did sound like the valve train and he would have it checked out. He did call me and let me know that they adjusted the valves and I could pick up the bike. (Still no exhaust clamp) Dean in parts said he was trying to locate one.....Yeah Right!!!!!!!
The Brute Force was still making a noise and Mike said that it was clutch rattle. Ok I guess some of it could be... Maybe time for a clutch kit..

[cyberpilot10]

Next Update:

My Brute Force 750   (WON'T START AGAIN) 

Man I don't want to go  back to Fun Bike Center again.......     I went down to Barneys again last week and pleaded with the manager.. He don't want to work on my bike....  I don't blame him, I wouldn't want to get in the middle of it either. He did tell me that Mike Sapp and the whole crew had been replaced in the Service Dept. at Fun Bike Center (Lakeland, FL). Maybe some new faces, with new attitudes is a good thing. I stopped by Fun Bike Center last week on Tuesday, Sept 2, 2008. I talked to a new service advisor, Leah Cantrell (pretty nice and cute) that always helps, also talked to Dave (General Manager) and Amari (Service Manager). I told them all about the bike and that I would like to bring it back and start over fresh. (No attitudes and No anger) I told Amari and Dave I would like to take all the plastics off before I brought it in. I just had it painted $1,600.00 I didn't want to take a chance on them scratching it. I would like to be the first to do that.... you know it will happen!!!!    Before I took it down to Fun Bike Center I checked the plugs (installed new ones), and cleaned the fuel system (tank, jets, float bowls, made sure choke wasn't stuck) While I had the carbs off, I looked down the intake while turning the engine over. Guess what?  while the intake valve was open the piston was on the way up and instead of sucking the fuel into the cumbustion chamber it is blowing it out......   Do you think that the noise that Mike Sapp, Dave , and Myself was hearing was a bad Clutch???    I dropped the bike off on Wednesday Sept 3, 2008. I talked to Dave(general manager) and Leah Cantrell (service advisor) I told her that I know that I didn't set and appointment. If she could put it in line and let me know when they could look at it.  Leah said that she would let me know. I called on Friday to see if she knew when they would look at the bike, she said that she would call me on Saturday and let me know.... (NO CALL ON SATURDAY) People if you are in the service business of any kind and you tell someone that you will call them (F ing  Call them) all you have to do is tell them the truth. hey we didn't get to it yet. Is that so hard??  I called on Tuesday Sept 9th and Amari (service manager) answered and said that a Tech was looking at it. I called today Sept. 10th, Leah said that she was waiting to hear from Kawasaki to authorize tear down time....  (The bike has NO Compression) 

[asmart82]

This is a horror story if I have EVER heard one.  Sorry to hear about your bad luck man 

[Clay]

You just need to take it to a shop that you have to pay.  Might give you a little more attention and get the job done right.  If they can't fix it after 5 trips, take it elsewhere.  Consider an established "mom and pop" shop.   

[mongo]

I don't take my bike/ATV to ANY dealer. They all employ idiots and work on a production line mentality.  Too many people working on it and things get forgotten.

Everyone, do yourself a favor.  After you buy a bike/ATV, find a good mechanic that works on them other than a dealer.  You might pay more, you might save a little, but either way these guys CARE about  your satisfaction because that is their livelyhood and word of mouth advertising is much better than a million dollar motor home or a big billboard.

You can find a good one at the tracks. Ask around. People will tell you the "good, the bad and the ugly".


PS: Leah is a hottie