MPS 500 AF welds exposed

[MICK]

Instead this site has made it clear they support only ONE shop..

Incorrect. This site supports EVERY builder, and offers every builder the oppertunity to post their latest information.

It still does.

I dont own a S/H, or a TTM... and never will.

I prefer the TTM, due to their commitment to quality. Yes, delivery has been slow, but Mike hasent received a free ride on that issue, nor has it been swept under the rug. He is working on speeding up delivery dates to better satisfy his customers..... Thats how its supposed to work.

Exactly how does this site support MPS or Service Honda? By support I mean how does it not bag on their craftsmanship continually?

I don't believe Mike needs rode hard about his delivery times. Building bikes isn't Mike's bread and butter. And a guy should expect to wait longer for the fine attention to detail TTM provides. Frank's thread sounded like a simple breakdown in communication between the two of them to me...nothing more. Curtainly something that can be easily corrected. What's Mike going to do to speed up fabrication? For the quality of his bikes I hope NOTHING. After all a Service Honda is put together with assembly like production. TTM bikes are special because of the time invested on each bike.

[AlisoBob]

Exactly how does this site support MPS or Service Honda? By support I mean how does it not bag on their craftsmanship continually?

Any of the bike builders have an open forum here... to either promote their products, make announcements, or answer questions.

When MPS post's photos of their "work" on eBay (draped in shop towels), or S/H refuses to answer simple, direct questions... and instead deflects them like a crooked politician.... the forum isnt being used as intended.

AJ is producing 2009 Model year bikes. He was asked to post photos of the current production quality. He refuses to do so.

By not doing so, its simple deductive reasoning that everything in Indiana is Status Quo.

Many members here, not just me, find this unacceptable.

Thats bagging?

As far as quality, Mike at TTM builds every piece, does every weld, and is in 100% control of the finished product.

Again , this question was given to AJ, without a response. I've seen bikes from S/H that look great ( I'm assuming these are 100% AJ fabbed bikes).

I have also seen bikes that are a little rough in the fit and finish dept.... (Was AJ at a trade show that week, or on vacation?)

Anyone who wants a TTM,( or is going the home made route) KNOWS whos building it.

Anyone who wants a S/H, ASSUMES AJ is building it.

AJ could clear up all the confusion in a single post, and has access to do so at any time.

I would love to be able to add S/H to the approved list, all it would take is a little spit and polish on his end.


...... case closed.

[teemtrubble]

Take a knee...

Fuck stick...

Dumbass...

I've been gone for a couple of days WOW!

To answer your question Mick I'm finished with all the new Tooling, Jigs and Fixtures and Machinery dedicated to building conversions.

The owner of the last frame conversion I did is a member known here as "agent". He is welcome to tell you guy's how long his frame took. Up until this time I didn't want to tell everyone because some of my customers have still been waiting patiently which I greatly appreciate.

I have a couple frames I'm shipping today and Monday

[AlisoBob]

To answer your question Mick I'm finished with all the new Tooling, Jigs and Fixtures and Machinery dedicated to building conversions.

WOW! A simple answer, to a simple question.

How refreshing....

[MICK]

WOW! A simple answer, to a simple question.

How refreshing....

Indeed it is

And MPS will continue covering their welds with towels and Service Honda will continue fabrication as per...this much is understood. So I see no need to continue to put their work down. We don't continually put down FMF / Pro Circuit for charging us premium prices for pipes that crack and silencers that break at the welds or for not improving their products for 15 years. And MPS stands a chance of having a much bigger impact on our sport than either FMF or PC, so why not appreciate their business? I'd much rather see six MPS builds on the trail than one stinkin' four stroke.

[teamdns]

I'd much rather see six MPS builds on the trail than one stinkin' four stroke.

so would i, but with some of the crappy welds out there, why would a 4 stroke owner even consider a conversion purchase. so why do some of our own allow this crap then.

[AlisoBob]

We don't continually put down FMF / Pro Circuit for charging us premium prices for pipes that crack and silencers that break at the welds or for not improving their products for 15 years.

FMF has taken its fair share of lumps on this site. Both for their products, and business practices.

[teemtrubble]

Here's one for FMF!

[100hp honda]

not sure whos this is but its a fairly new bike. something funky is going on down by the footpeg . the weld by the motor mount looks good from what i can see. its impossible to make a conclusion on all the other welds because they arent visible.

[AlisoBob]

.... something funky is going on down by the footpeg

All the parts index together

[CR500 4 Ever]

not sure whos this is but its a fairly new bike. something funky is going on down by the footpeg . the weld by the motor mount looks good from what i can see. its impossible to make a conclusion on all the other welds because they arent visible.

That looks terrible, it's like the tube was reduced in height to facilitate removal of the gear shifter. I think I remember somone on here not being able to figure out how to remove the gear shift lever on their S.H. ( you just hold it up and turn out the screw) so they may have had the frame modifyied. I know mine is nothing like this.

[AlisoBob]

.... they may have had the frame modifyied. I know mine is nothing like this.

That bike is 100% stock S/H.

Are you starting to see the big picture???

[teamdns]

I know mine is nothing like this.

[trgracing]

not sure whos this is but its a fairly new bike. something funky is going on down by the footpeg . the weld by the motor mount looks good from what i can see. its impossible to make a conclusion on all the other welds because they arent visible.

That looks terrible, it's like the tube was reduced in height to facilitate removal of the gear shifter. I think I remember somone on here not being able to figure out how to remove the gear shift lever on their S.H. ( you just hold it up and turn out the screw) so they may have had the frame modifyied. I know mine is nothing like this.

why is there a load of weld under the gear shifter? or the need to do this? and by the looks the frame tubing is bigger than stock? that looks ugly...... sorry. i may be wrong. open to suggestions why it is like that?

[AlisoBob]

[
why is there a load of weld under the gear shifter? or the need to do this?

http://www.bannedcr500riders.com/board/ ... c&start=59

[100hp honda]

why is there a load of weld under the gear shifter? open to suggestions why it is like that?

219-932-3588 ask for AJ

[Balaclava]

On my 02 450 conversion, i paid my welder to basically do all the work for me, he made his own mounts and i helped him extend the y section while i was there...i paid him him 200$ and he did just as good if not a better job then that mps bike. I personally think that ebay bike looks fine because it looks exactly like my first build...

[JBaze]

I don't understand why simply asking for a better quality of workman ship at premium prices causes such a stink. If a potential 500 or 500af rider who is on the fence about buying one of these sees the quality of workmanship of some of these and finds out it's a bike that retails for 9K+, he will not buy it because it looks like shit. This whole thing isn't questioning the structural stability of the welds, it is questioning the saleability of the bike. Wether strong or not I can't see the quality of welds like that atracting new riders. Builing these is not rocket science, but if owned a company that produced products with welds that looked like that, strong or not, the guy that welded that would be kicking a tin can down the road wondering what happend. Bottom line is we need companies to keep producing the parts and frames but we need to hold those companies responsible for making a worth while and quality product.
If MPS was only charging a few hundred to do the work I would expect it to look like that, but for what they charge, I would expect alot better looking job. I'm not saying it isn't strong, it just doesn't look like $1700 worth of work to me.

[Red958]

I'm glad I just ride my SH instead of looking at it's welds (which BTW look just fine) all day.

[Red958]

Who is MPS anyway ?

[Travis]

Who is MPS anyway ?

They guy who sells conversions on ebay.

[m178]

I got to looking at my 05 450 and some of the welds from factory are not what I would call pretty. I bought the bike from my racing partner just to do the conversion.

[HrcRacing]

I gotta' say that I'm more interested in if the weld holds up than I am how pretty it is. AJ layed down some nice welds on my '04 but, quite frankly, I couldn't give a fuck if they were butt ugly as long as they held up.

[AlisoBob]

I couldn't give a fuck if they were butt ugly as long as they held up.

Says the man with the plated pipe....

[m178]

I wouldn't think that a good strong weld that look's decent would be to much to ask from a pro.