A short little story.....

dannygraves · Post by **dannygraves** » March 31st, 2008, 3:11 pm

teemtrubble wrote:Oh I forgot one thing FMF did say if I wanted one of their pipes to call Service Honda!

Post by **AlisoBob** » March 31st, 2008, 4:02 pm

teemtrubble wrote:Oh I forgot one thing FMF did say if I wanted one of their pipes to call Service Honda!

If you did, they would prolly' ship the wrong one anyways....

Service Honda "Parts Dept Training Seminar"

Exnav · Post by **Exnav** » March 31st, 2008, 4:10 pm

teemtrubble wrote:Oh I forgot one thing FMF did say if I wanted one of their pipes to call Service Honda!

So let me get this straight.....FMF is loyal to Service Honda and won't sell you, but at the same time are showing loyalty to a distributor that shows no loyalty to FMF while selling PC too.

teemtrubble · Post by **teemtrubble** » March 31st, 2008, 4:39 pm

Yep... you got it Exnav!

I think SH pushs FMF harder than PC...

The manufacturers are watching this thread take my word on it so tell them how you feel fella's!

Tell people on the boards about this thread have them write in if I need to pay for other tooling set ups what ever I'm sure PC will help me with that.

pimp559 · Post by **pimp559** » March 31st, 2008, 5:10 pm

teemtrubble wrote:Oh I forgot one thing FMF did say if I wanted one of their pipes to call Service Honda!

Well, here is my 2cents. My wife and I are the owners of our own corporation. When we do buisness with anyone it is always by contract or no service. I would bet anything that SH has a contract with FMF that only allows FMF to sell AF pipes to SH (copyrights). So if FMF goes and sells there pipes to another vendor then SH has all rights to sue them in court and would win hands down if FMF didn't abide by there contract. It's plain and simple, FMF's hands are tied. Why else do you think you don't see new AF pipes on ebay and every where else for sale new? PC probably doesn't have the same binding contract. I think both pipe companies have great pipes, but this is a specialty pipe and you must keep that in mind before you kick FMF under the bus. I ordered my new FMF from SH last wednesday, can't wait to drop this rusty/cracked PC for my new Burly.

Post by **AlisoBob** » March 31st, 2008, 5:32 pm

If FMF ( as the manufacturer) is being leveraged by S/H ( as the distributor).... FMF needs a new lawyer...

FMF's New Company Logo

teemtrubble · Post by **teemtrubble** » March 31st, 2008, 6:01 pm

I thought FMF only made the Gnarly now for the CR500's

I am also the owner of several corporations in the manufacturing industry one of which has been in business for 50 years this past December so I know maybe a thing or two about a thing or two...but a far cry from everything.

As for copyrights that's like Honda saying they have a copyright to the OEM pipe! That's not the case...

What they said was "They (FMF) need to be sensitive to Service Honda's needs they are a good customer" then I replied so I'll buy the minumun 25 pipes and pay for tooling and set up the guy helping me said he would talk to the owner again and call me back...Not with a price mind you with a yes or no... I said that mainly to see what type of response I would get that was a week ago tomorrow....

I tried calling again today...

pimp559 · Post by **pimp559** » March 31st, 2008, 6:05 pm

I'm sure FMF has already talked to there lawyer. I'm sure when they signed the contract they didn't realize how big the market would grow for this pipe. You can't forget SH was the pioneer in the AF buisness either. You can bet your ass FMF would sell to other vendors if they legally could. They've gotta know its not good making a monopoly out of SH.

Exnav · Post by **Exnav** » March 31st, 2008, 6:52 pm

teemtrubble wrote:
What they said was "They (FMF) need to be sensitive to Service Honda's needs they are a good customer"

This statement tells me that they are under no obligation to limit their distribution of the pipe, outside of any intellectual property issues that SH might have claim to.

Being "sensitive to" and being under contractual obligation are two totally different scenarios.

I work with a motorcycle warehouse distributor that builds aftermarket V-Twin engines. The company that I represent was asked to give this builder some time in the market using our products before we went into other engine builders of the same type to sell our product. We never were asked to sign a contract of exclusivity, nor would we have, but I did heed their wishes and we have not approached another engine builder to date and that is about to change.

Exclusives are almost never given in the parts side of the business that I am involved in.

pimp559 · Post by **pimp559** » March 31st, 2008, 7:38 pm

Keep in mind also SH may have some kind of rights over the "AF" name which is what the pipe is probably referred to by FMF. I'm just guessing this all could be a scinario.

Until I see other vendors selling the AF pipe, I think I'm incline to believe this though.

redridermv · Post by **redridermv** » March 31st, 2008, 8:20 pm

Just my 2 cents... When I ordered my SH AFX they just asked me for my pipe preference PC or FMF and did not care one way or the other.
I went with PC as that is the only pipe I have ever ran on all of my 2 strokes other than a Bassani way back in the day on my 185s 3 wheeler punched out to a 205.

ou812 · Post by **ou812** » March 31st, 2008, 8:32 pm

Ya know what, forget FMF, there are tons of pipe builders out there. FMF is a outdated old out of touch company, all the better SH has a deal with then. They are the past!.

Man knock on some doors of the small guy's who want your business and who will work with you and build a modern pipe that will pull from the bottm to the top way better then a FMF. I know because I have one that was custom built for one of my bikes. I won't post any builders here was FMF and others don't need those details but if you don't know them, PM me.

Post by **AlisoBob** » March 31st, 2008, 9:01 pm

pimp559 wrote:You can't forget SH was the pioneer in the AF buisness either.

100% untrue.

The name escapes me now, Shanman knows....

teemtrubble · Post by **teemtrubble** » March 31st, 2008, 9:05 pm

Micky Kessler? I don't know why that name popped into my head but....

Post by **AlisoBob** » March 31st, 2008, 9:07 pm

pimp559 wrote:Keep in mind also SH may have some kind of rights over the "AF" name

This has been debated more than prayer in school.

S/H has NEVER demonstrated any legal rights to the term A/F, even after countless requests to do so.

A search on here has never revealed any trademark / service mark on record.

http://www.uspto.gov/main/trademarks.htm

britincali · Post by **britincali** » March 31st, 2008, 9:12 pm

Im calling it AF trademark or not, fuk em.

teemtrubble · Post by **teemtrubble** » March 31st, 2008, 9:15 pm

I don't want my conversions to be mistaken for someone else's bike's so I don't call them "AF's"

teem trubble works CR500

Post by **AlisoBob** » March 31st, 2008, 9:23 pm

TT W.O.R.K.$.

Will

Outperform

Regardless

of

Kind

or

$

teemtrubble · Post by **teemtrubble** » March 31st, 2008, 9:35 pm

Hahaha...

You better save me some of those meds your taking!

pimp559 · Post by **pimp559** » April 1st, 2008, 8:57 am

IT will be interesting to see if FMF responds any further with TT. I think it would be great for every beer can owner if more places sold this sought after bolt on pipe. The price would have to come down. I think if someone came out with a new pipe made out of this new space age high heat plastic that was clear it would be sweet. Night rides would be off the hook!!

teemtrubble · Post by **teemtrubble** » April 28th, 2008, 3:33 pm

Tried calling back again today the guy helping me said he'd try to get back to me in a couple of days....

teemtrubble · Post by **teemtrubble** » April 30th, 2008, 2:58 pm

Finally heard back from Joey Martinez at FMF very cool cat went to bat for me with the owner and he said "I don't want to jepordize our relationship with SH so we won't be able to do business with teem trubble and if teem trubble needs a pipe to call SH" Do you guy's believe that communist bullshit!

Anyway's, mention you read this thread when you guys call me to order a PC pipe or silencer and get 10% off SH's retail price on pipes and silencers and that includes the pipes that bolt on their bikes!

Post by **AlisoBob** » April 30th, 2008, 3:20 pm

Scared companies often behave in irrational ways....

I would say you got um' worried Mike!

teemtrubble · Post by **teemtrubble** » April 30th, 2008, 3:34 pm

I thought that before but, didn't believe it...

Now I'm gonna

lewisclan · Post by **lewisclan** » April 30th, 2008, 3:54 pm

Yep thats BS

BannedCR500Riders.com

A short little story.....