Picked her up from Baxter's yesterday......

Sidecar Flip

Living Legend
Joined
Jul 16, 2006
Messages
6,356
Location
20150 Mc Carty Rd. Deerfield, Michigan 49238
Somehow, my 'trip to the dealer' takes a bit of time, like 2 days each way. Oh well. Baxter's is my dealer from now on.

I picked the bike on Monday. I arrived in Marne, Iowa at Baxter's at around 10:30 am. I stayed in Grinnel, Iowa at the Pioneer Best Western. Grinnel is about 30 miles east of Des Moines or about 510 miles from where I live in Michigan. I guess the lousy part of going out there is the trip through the south end of Chicago on I80. People are rude and it's dirty and the road is just as rough as up here in Michigan. Just another reason for me to dislike Obama. Anyone who hails from that pit can't be much.

I had a good dinner at the steak house next door the the Best Western and spent a bit of time in the hot tub before retiring. After a nice Continental Breakfast, I headed out to Marne. I rolled into Marne and parked the trailer where Randy's crew could unload the 3 vintage bikes I brought along. Randy asked me if I would bring back 3 bikes and who am I to refuse, besides, I like vintage bikes. Had a '65 G80 Matchless in Concourse condition, a mid 60's Triumph 650 unit twin that someone tried to chop (and failed miserably) and a fairly ratty early 70's Norton Commando with the rare (and dangerous) fiberglass fuel tank.

I headed off to the shop. My R3 was inside hooked to a battery tender. It was all back together and clean and waxed, not at all looking like when I delivered it, unwashed and loaded with bugs from the Eureka Springs trip. I glanced at the tire to see if Gus had did too many burnouts...it was a little thinner but it's still serviceable.

Gus was working on a Black R3. he told me he had done 2 since he finished mine 3 weeks prior. The black had a blown head gasket. Triumph was warranting that too.

Gus rolled my R3 out, fired it and rode off. he returned in 5 minutes and parked it and told me to take it for a ride. He cautioned me that I would be very surprised. he had ridden the bike just under 100 miles in the weeks after he finished it but hadn't ridden it in about a week.

I got on the bike and fired it up. It was appreciably quieter than when I dropped it off, even at an idle. Revving it revealed no rattle, nothing, just the signature whirrrr.

I snicked it down to first. First surprise. I was used to a clunk. It always clunked, even when it was new. As it got worse, it developed a false neutral. That was all gone. A gentle tap down and it went right into 1st. I fed out the clutch, second surprise. The friction point was right off the lever end and the friction point was almost abrupt and there was NO.....NO slop in the TDU or the accompanying clunk. NOTHING.

I pulled out of the drive and headed north. I shifted up at 2500 rpm. It shifted crisply and positively. About a week ago, I had a chance to ride a newer Speed Triple. The shift and the throw as well as the selection was comparable to the Speed Triple and quite alien to what I was used to. No more Beemer airhead shifts.

I held it in second out of town, I cleared the town limits and rapped the throttle all the way and shifted into third at 6,000 rpm with a full power shift and a scream from the tire...something it never did before. The shift was very positive. I took it up to an indicated 110 and let off, got down to a sane 50 or so and rode out to I80 and turned around and went back to the shop.

I came back all smiles. It's a different bike entirely. When I got back, Gus saw that ****te smile on my face. This guy KNOWS how to do what is necessary and do it right.

I saw all the parts that were exchanged for upgraded parts. There are a lot. It even has upgraded clutch springs, lifter shaft. It had a new fuel sending unit, new ignition switch harness. Gus pressed the old TDU bearing off and put on a new one. I held the old one. It was rough...and ugly. New gears, springs, thrust washers...just a pile of stuff.

I could have had all the parts but I was asked not to post any pictures of them on any site. I was told that Triumph prefers that the parts replaced aren't made public property. I left the parts with Gus. It would be hard for me not to take pictures and Gus and Baxter's have treated me so well, I have no desire to compromise them in any way.

My work order says it all. It says in part............... Install all engine upgrades, N/C. I wasn't even charged for the oil change or the filter. I wasn't charged for new anti-freeze nor was I charged for Final drive lube and of course my overhead has been set to factory specs as well.

My R3 was out of warranty when I took it to Marne and it sounded like a bucket of bolts, it rattled so bad at 1300 rpm. When you rode it, your eyeballs vibrated from the final drive vibration. All that is gone. I asked Gus what he thought about longevity now that it's all rebuilt. He said with proper maintenance, the engine and drive train should outlast me.

I'm extremely impressed with Triumph for standing behind their product with an absolutely at no cost to me, warranty repair, I'm extremely impressed with the competence level and level of professionalism that Randy Baxter and his crew exhibit at Baxter's Triumph in Marne, Iowa. I'm especially impressed with Gus. This man knows his way around the R3 engine, bar none.

Again, I'd like to thank Tomo for his guidance. Without his help and the expertise of Baxter's Triumph, this could have had much less than desirable results.

I'm going to go out on a limb and say to any and all of you, if your bike exhibits and of the symptoms of what Triumph considers a 'condition' of warranty, paint can rattle (timing chain, lower sprocket, guides, tensioner), rubber shifter, false neutrals or TDU noise, don't hesitate to contact Baxter's Triumph in Marne, Iowa.

Baxter Cycle
400 Lincoln Street
Marne, Iowa
(712) 781-2351
www.baxtercycle.com
 
Congrats!!!!!!!! Glad you got her back. You got me hearing noises that probably are not even there, not to mention the bikes outside and under a cover, and not turned on at the moment. It's good to know that Triumph stands behind thier product. I'm really stoked for ya, I know it's been a long wait. Hopefully good weather is on the way and you can "re"-break her in.:cool::D
 
Great news!!!!! Sounds like you got a "new bike"!!!:D
Hope the riding is sweeter on the second "break in"!

mutt
 
Flip, glad to hear you're "back on the road again". Hope the "new" bike will continue to ride like a charm. Enjoy the ride, be safe.

Dennis

99 dtg Dubai
100 dtg Home
 
..cheers to you, Triumph, and a good dealer..all's well that ends well..and just in time for riding season for riders in the northern climes..:D
 
In the words of that old Tex Ritter song, "I am glad you are back in the saddle again." Baxter's has always impressed me with the dealings I have had with them. Somewhere that still has customer service. Something rare this day and time.
 
Different Cowboy

I just checked on line. It was Gene Autry who sang "Back in the Saddle Again." Probably isn't 12 people on this site who remember either one of them, but I know one of the other "Old Farts" would have corrected me.
 
I'm spilling the beans..............

In the words of that old Tex Ritter song, "I am glad you are back in the saddle again." Baxter's has always impressed me with the dealings I have had with them. Somewhere that still has customer service. Something rare this day and time.

+10 on that. I really like going out there. They treat me like family...I suspect they treat everyone like that. Randy and I went to lunch in Atlantic. He's a great person and a fountain of knowledge on British bikes. I smell a Norton P11A High Pipe Scrambler in my future, about a 66 or 67 vintage.:) I'd really like to buy his black Velocette Thruxton 500 side valve single...and I've inquired, but it's not for sale. besides, I don't think I can afford it in as much as he's asking 21 for the silver one and it's not all original.

It was Gene Autry. Kids today don't even know who Gene Autry was and probably care less.

I haven't really said anything publicly yet, but I will now. Baxter Triumph represents Flipmeisters Specialty Products, LLC as an authorized dealer. I'm very honored that Randy is impressed enough with my Flipmeisters Signature Products to offer them in his establishment to his retail customers. His standards are very high. Again, I'm honored for Randy to carry my products and I'm looking forward to a long relationship with Baxter Triumph.
 
Congrats Flip on the successful upgrade!! Sounds like a top notch dealer that pays attention to details. Unfortunately, 950 miles one way is farther than I care to go.

Triumph backed my repair - - even though the dealer took 4 attempts and nine months to get it fixed. For that, I give Triumph credit for standing behind their product.

Last week, I put 600 miles on my ride and am pleased to say I think my dealer finally got it right! In the last 20 miles, I finally mustered the courage to give it a full throttle takeoff up through 3rd hear. Tranny clicked in place - - and STAYED in gear!! Woo hoo! Hit 112 mph before running out of 3rd gear.

The ultimate solution ended up with a complete tranny replacement. Apparently, another rocket was scheduled for the upgrade kit when it got totalled in a crash. Dealer had his upgrade kit already in stock, so he used the tranny components for my bike instead.

For the first time in almost a year, I put my feet up on the pegs and enjoyed the ride. Man, it's good to be back in the saddle again. I know you feel the same about your ride also.

I did have to tighten the clutch cable about 1/2 turn. This made a big improvement in shift smoothness and ability to find neutral. I suspect it wasn't full disengaging before the adjustment.
 
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