Hey guys, been a long time. I wanted to post this and get your feedback for a couple of reasons. I trust you guys, mostly
AND you don't know the person I'm dealing with so I think you'll be more impartial.
I'm posting this because i want to make sure I'm not crazy and that I'm approaching a certain situation correctly. So bear with me for a sec and I'll lay out the whole story.
Firstly, this is not meant to speak ill of anyone. I personally think they guy I'm dealing with is a great person and I don't want him to be screwed just as I don't want to be screwed.
This all started in May when we bought a bike for my wife. It's a cool little '71 Honda CB100. The perfect size for my wife as her first bike. We bought this from a guy I know who runs a small business on the side selling vintage bikes. At the onset of this, I explained that I needed it to run well. It needed to be at least mostly reliable as she is still a little nervous and having it strand her somewhere would not be a great introduction into the world of motorcycles.
He assured me it would run like a top when he was done working on it, but he needed a few parts from overseas, etc. No problem. I was willing to wait a couple months. I paid him half down and agreed to pay the other half once it was finished. He had a rough idea of what it would cost him to get it running and i agreed to pay somewhere in that neighborhood when it was finished. Again, I trust the guy.
Three months later he drops it off. I pay him the rest of the money, a bit more than I thought it would be, but totally worth it for a fun little bike. It starts on the first kick and is a lot of fun to ride...for two blocks. I pulled up to a stop sign, pulled the brake and POP, the cable broke. It's an old bike, the cable was new, we have no idea why it happened, but I understand shit happens.
He brought me a cable a couple of weeks later and put it on. At this point I had taken the bike maybe 3 miles, with just a rear brake, downtown one night to a bar. I wanted to make sure it was running well. On the way back I had some pretty significant electrical issues. When he brought the cable, he checked out the bike and after a lot of fidgeting decided to take it home for a few days to mess with the electrical bits.
A week or two later it comes back. He leaves it by my garage. Doesn't stay to see if it runs as he has an appointment he's late for. No biggie. They did a lot of work on the electrical system including a new rectifier and a few adjustments on the timing, etc. Now, I should mention he has not charged me any additional money for the electrical work. I assume for two reasons, 1) he's a good guy, 2) he promised me I was buying a WORKING bike and wants to honor the deal.
I try the bike that night. Ride it 5 or 6 blocks down queen anne hill and it dies. I spend an hour trying to get it to start. It's leaking fuel every time I attempt to kick it over, but to no avail. I leave it, walk back up the hill and come back an hour later. After another half hour, it starts and I limp it back to the house.
The next day I spend an hour trying to get it to start. It takes a lot of constant idle screw adjustments, futzing about with the throttle etc. I does start eventually. I ride it one block and it dies. I attempt to start it again, get it going...sort of, put it in gear and it chugs 2 feet before dying. AGAIN. It will not start again.
I should say that I understand a vintage bike is going to be quirky. It's going to require a little love and messing with occasionally. I'm not an idiot. This thing is nearly 40. It's going to be particular, but it should at least get me more than a block at a time before refusing to start. Since I know the guy,
At this point, I'm done. The bike has never worked properly. I feel I've been very patient and understanding with it at this point, I just want my money back and to get my wife a bike she can be confident on.
He refuses. He's of the opinion I paid him the money, he delivered me the bike and therefore it's my problem, even though it has never run correctly as he first promised.
Now in my opinion, and Sarah's as a lawyer, I could be a dick here. I could remind him I bought a WORKING bike on his word and have never had that. It did not break AFTER I bought it. It has never worked properly. I could easily take him to court and win on this basis, but I don't want to screw him over, as I said earlier.
I'm supposed to talk with him tonight. I want to ask about the money he feels he's spent trying to get it to work. I'd like to come to an understanding and maybe meet him halfway on that figure. Or, if he feels it took him a rather insignificant amount, say $300, I'd be fine paying him that out of a refund and part as friends.
So, after all this I ask you: Do you think this is a logical approach to the problem or am I in the wrong here? I honestly can't believe someone would take the "you touched it last" approach to this and say it's my problem especially such a nice guy. What do you guys think?
