Sierra ruined my weekend...or...Guess who can't count to 2?

[redryder]

Just absolutely incredible!!!! You'd think a big world reknown retailer like Sierra would be able to pay and attract talented people that could actually count past one.

 

A little history:

 

Been riding an RT for 30K miles, but the Mrs. doesn't like riding it much; just doesn't fit her comfortably. So, two months ago while I dropped into the local dealer to buy a new hat (really, that's the gospel truth) she saw a new LT on the floor and looked it over and said to me: "If you had one of these, I'd probably ride with you." Now you need to know that when we got married 27 years ago, she rode with me everywhere, but hasn't been on a bike with me for at least 22 years. Her riding with me again is very important to me. So, I shopped around and found a used LT that I was happy with in looks, maintenance, and price. I bought said LT and rode it home much to my wife's delight. We have ridden several evenings after she gets home from work and I'm not off flying somewhere.

 

The only thing we needed to make the bike perfect for our rides was headsets for the intercom system (factory installed, of course). I checked around and found that J&M were the best value and easily adaptable to my system and accordingly, called Sierra just to make sure they'd work. I was told they would. Only question now was which model did I want, or rather, how much did I want to spend? Made up my mind and ordered them online from the Sierra website May 2 or 3. A large cardboard box arrived via UPS last Tuesday and was waiting for me when I got home from my trip on Thursday night. I was eager to get the headsets installed so I opened the box right away to find an invoice billing me for 2 headsets, a credit card reciept charging me for 2 headsets, 2 brochures/flyers advertising even more crap from Sierra but ONLY 1 FARGIN' HEADSET!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! How can this be???????

 

Here's the rub. My work schedule has been very hectic (read crappy) for the last two months and weekends off are almost non-existant. While I have to work this Mother's day, I did manage to get today (Friday) and Saturday off. Our plan was to have a nice peaceful, romantic weekend to celebrate both Mother's day and a very special anniversary for the two of us. That would mean we'd leave the house when the good fairy got home from work, ride through Deal's Gap and on down toward Clayton, GA, find some cozy little place to spend the evening. Then, Saturday we'd ride to Dillard House, have something to eat, and ride home via Cherohala Parkway. But a ride like that just ain't a fun ride without being able to talk to one another. So, three weeks plans for a nice getaway are ruined because some dingdong/clown in a shipping warehouse can't remember if he/she put one or two items in a box. The responsible person sure does have a bright and successful career in airline management in front of them.

 

Thanks for letting me rant and vent!! It has been very thereputic for me. Rest assured, however, that this was my first AND LAST order I ever place with Sierra electronics. I can get a higher level of accuracy from the MacDonald's drive through.

[SageRider]

I understand your frustration.

On the other hand, mistakes do happen. I hope you are applying some of the blame and anger to yourself as it was you that did not, for such an apparently critical item, leave any time for Sierra Electronics or you to recover from any problems.

[W. Mazelin]

+1 from me. I had ONE problem (on my first/last order) with them, ONE. I won't do business with them either.

[Smoky]

I understand how you feel about being short shipped.

 

However, I don't understand how your ride, or your weekend of fun, is ruined because you can't talk over the intercom on your bike. My wife and I manage to communicate just fine on my RT without electronics. And a missing intercom isn't going to interfere with any fun off the bike.

 

It's just the intercom. It's not like the wheels fell off your bike!

[russell_bynum]

However, I don't understand how your ride, or your weekend of fun, is ruined because you can't talk over the intercom on your bike. My wife and I manage to communicate just fine on my RT without electronics. And a missing intercom isn't going to interfere with any fun off the bike.

 

It's just the intercom. It's not like the wheels fell off your bike!

 

+1

 

Couples have been having fantanstic times on motorcycles since long before intercoms were even invented.

 

Having one is very nice, and I totally understand that. But "ruined your weekend"? Come on, man.

 

Get on the bike and go have some fun. You've got a great bike, some of the best roads on the planet, and the love of your life snuggled up behind you. Not having an intercom is just a minor blemish on what is otherwise a perfect situation.

 

Go have fun.

[Agent_Orange]

Lighten up. Life is short.

Have a great ride this weekend.

[E30TECH]

I think the point to Greg's post got slighted a bit. From what I understand, Greg bought this bike to go on long trips with his wife so she would be more comfortable than riding on the RT. The intercom was going to add to the comfort zone.

 

I know Greg travelled pretty far to buy this particular bike.

 

I can understand his disappointment.

[russell_bynum]

I think the point to Greg's post got slighted a bit. From what I understand, Greg bought this bike to go on long trips with his wife so she would be more comfortable than riding on the RT. The intercom was going to add to the comfort zone.

 

I know Greg travelled pretty far to buy this particular bike.

 

I can understand his disappointment.

 

Dissapointment...sure. I totally understand being dissapointed.

 

But letting something like this 'ruin the weekend'? No way...Not with those incredible roads, one of the best-handling touring bikes out there, and his wife snuggled up behind him after 22 years of riding solo.

 

 

redryder: Have a great weekend!

[Tank]

I think the point to Greg's post got slighted a bit. From what I understand, Greg bought this bike to go on long trips with his wife so she would be more comfortable than riding on the RT. The intercom was going to add to the comfort zone.

 

I know Greg travelled pretty far to buy this particular bike.

 

I can understand his disappointment.

 

Dissapointment...sure. I totally understand being dissapointed.

 

But letting something like this 'ruin the weekend'? No way...Not with those incredible roads, one of the best-handling touring bikes out there, and his wife snuggled up behind him after 22 years of riding solo.

 

 

redryder: Have a great weekend!

 

 

 

 

 

+1.... Both of you together can make it happen, from a single guy waiting for a gal to ask to ride, and ride and ride

[wbrissette]

Dissapointment...sure. I totally understand being dissapointed.

 

But letting something like this 'ruin the weekend'? No way...

 

Exactly! I can remember riding with my girlfriend all over the place long before intercoms and we always had a great time. Now that my wife just bought her own bike there really isn't an intercom.

 

To put another spin on this, years ago (10 to be exact), my wife and I were going to Canada for Christmas. We decided that we didn't want a big wedding, and opted to get married on that trip instead. I called to find out what was needed before hand since we were both US citizens, and thought we had everything. We get to the government office and find out that my divorce decree from the US wasn't "valid", it had to be validated by the Canadian courts. So dejected we walked away and sat down at a coffee shop to figure out what to do. You know what? We decided that we were going to have a great time anyhow and not let this spoil the fun of what we had planned. We had a great time anyhow.

 

(for those wanting to know, we decided to go back to Winterlude in Ottawa in a few months, and it was during that break that my US divorce was "legalized" by the Canadian courts, so during our next trip we did end up getting married.)

 

Wayne

[UberXY]

To each his own, but as a guy with 3 daughters and a wife, one of the things I really enjoy about motorcycling is that it is the only quiet time I get.

[tallman]

Hope you have a good weekend trip.

Too bad you and local dealership didn't pick up a phone and call around to see if anyone had what you needed in stock.

With overnight shipping you'd be all set.

Pretty sure at least one dealership could've helped out.

Despite this, there are many ways to communicate on a motorcycle.

Surely two intelligent, caring, and motivated individuals can make lemonade out of lemons.

Best wishes.

[redryder]

Well, thanks guys for all the words of encouragement and support/advice.

 

My wife and I did go on the ride with a friends borrowed Chatterbox. It worked, at least until the battery went down. You are right about being able to ride without a good comm system. HOWEVER, the point of this is that my wife hasn't ridden since before my grandson's mother was born and she's finally ready to get back into the fray.

 

I have an Autocom on the RT and have gotten spoiled to it and want to have the same thing on the LT. This was to be a special weekend for us commemorating a special event in our marriage...and thus, I was expecting it to be perfect. If you bought a ticket on my airline and expected me to fly you from DTW to DEN and I dropped you off in MCI, chances are that you'd be not very happy either. If you expect me to take off, navigate (no GPS or RNAV on my equipment), avoid storms and land you safely at your chosen destination, shouldn't I have the right to expect that someone can count to 2? That was the whole deal in a nutshell. Had I been a normal person with a normal job I would have gotten the package on Tuesday, seen the mistake, and it could have been corrected in a timely manner. But when I travel and am gone from home 17-18 days a month now I don't have that luxury. I got home the day before our trip and EXPECTED to have two items I paid for waiting for me. It's 2 for crying out loud. It's not like I ordered 57 and they shortchanged me one.

 

We did go, the Chatterbox crapped out after 4 hours, but we made it just the same. Yes, it is possible, and I knew that the whole time. But, when you pay a premium price, you should expect a premium service.

 

Thanks again for letting me rant. It didn't help you much, but it was very therapeutic for me. The other headset should be here this week (assuming someone at Sierra can count to one) and we'll have everything ready for our Memorial weekend trip to Missouri.

[ShovelStrokeEd]

HEY! I like MCI. Nicest floors of any airport in the country and one of the only airports I don't have to hike a mile or so to get my baggage. An airport that was actually designed to get both people and airplanes in and out efficiently. Would that DEN had taken note.

[UberXY]

HEY! I like MCI. Nicest floors of any airport in the country and one of the only airports I don't have to hike a mile or so to get my baggage. An airport that was actually designed to get both people and airplanes in and out efficiently. Would that DEN had taken note.

 

Try RIC. I have never parked more than 100 yards from the baggage carousel.

[pbbeck]

Am I alone in thinking that an intercom is a surefire way to RUIN a ride!

[Tank]

Redryder, yer rite, Tis yourn rant, at least we got to go along for part of the ride... I for one am glad that you both had a great time.

[Bud]

Just absolutely incredible!!!! You'd think a big world reknown retailer like Sierra would be able to pay and attract talented people that could actually count past one.

 

pened the box right away to find an invoice billing me for 2 headsets, a credit card reciept charging me for 2 headsets, 2 brochures/flyers advertising even more crap from Sierra but ONLY 1 FARGIN' HEADSET!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! How can this be???????

 

Here's the rub. My work schedule has been very hectic (read crappy) for the last two months and weekends off are almost non-existant. While I have to work this Mother's day, I did manage to get today (Friday) and Saturday off. Our plan was to have a nice peaceful, romantic weekend to celebrate both Mother's day and a very special anniversary for the two of us. That would mean we'd leave the house when the good fairy got home from work, ride through Deal's Gap and on down toward Clayton, GA, find some cozy little place to spend the evening. Then, Saturday we'd ride to Dillard House, have something to eat, and ride home via Cherohala Parkway. But a ride like that just ain't a fun ride without being able to talk to one another. So, three weeks plans for a nice getaway are ruined because some dingdong/clown in a shipping warehouse can't remember if he/she put one or two items in a box. The responsible person sure does have a bright and successful career in airline management in front of them.

 

Thanks for letting me rant and vent!! It has been very thereputic for me. Rest assured, however, that this was my first AND LAST order I ever place with Sierra electronics. I can get a higher level of accuracy from the MacDonald's drive through.

 

 

Not where I live.

[Steve_Witmer]

To each his own, but as a guy with 3 daughters and a wife, one of the things I really enjoy about motorcycling is that it is the only quiet time I get.

 

Yep. It was a secret source of joy when I bought my most recent cell phone that it did not have a phono-plug output that would connect to the autocom. I used to tell my wife that she could call me in an emergency, but her version of an emergency . . .

 

Now I have blissful silence (or at least just the music from the iPod). I will have to plug her in to the Autocom when we go riding together next week.

[Stir]

However, I don't understand how your ride, or your weekend of fun, is ruined because you can't talk over the intercom on your bike. My wife and I manage to communicate just fine on my RT without electronics. And a missing intercom isn't going to interfere with any fun off the bike.

 

It's just the intercom. It's not like the wheels fell off your bike!

 

+1

 

Couples have been having fantanstic times on motorcycles since long before intercoms were even invented.

 

Having one is very nice, and I totally understand that. But "ruined your weekend"? Come on, man.

 

Get on the bike and go have some fun. You've got a great bike, some of the best roads on the planet, and the love of your life snuggled up behind you. Not having an intercom is just a minor blemish on what is otherwise a perfect situation.

 

Go have fun.

 

-1

Bounce, your wife is ATYPICAL. He is trying to increase the probability that his wife will ride with him. If she can't talk to him, then she may feel uncomfortable. It may have ruined the weekend for her thus ruining the weekend for him. It matters not if a million other couples ride without intercomms. The only couple that matters here is this one.

 

I know cause I've got the same deal.

[E30TECH]

However, I don't understand how your ride, or your weekend of fun, is ruined because you can't talk over the intercom on your bike. My wife and I manage to communicate just fine on my RT without electronics. And a missing intercom isn't going to interfere with any fun off the bike.

 

It's just the intercom. It's not like the wheels fell off your bike!

 

+1

 

Couples have been having fantanstic times on motorcycles since long before intercoms were even invented.

 

Having one is very nice, and I totally understand that. But "ruined your weekend"? Come on, man.

 

Get on the bike and go have some fun. You've got a great bike, some of the best roads on the planet, and the love of your life snuggled up behind you. Not having an intercom is just a minor blemish on what is otherwise a perfect situation.

 

Go have fun.

 

-1

Bounce, your wife is ATYPICAL. He is trying to increase the probability that his wife will ride with him. If she can't talk to him, then she may feel uncomfortable. It may have ruined the weekend for her thus ruining the weekend for him. It matters not if a million other couples ride without intercomms. The only couple that matters here is this one.

 

I know cause I've got the same deal.

 

+1

 

That was the point I was trying to get across

[RonStewart]

E30TECH and Stir know what they are talking about.

 

Last week, while on vacation in New Mexico, I rented an ElectraGlide and took the wife on a 325 mile day-ride. We borrowed an Autocom from randy and the headsets from E30TECH (hi Perry! the headsets are in the mail!) The point was to give her a wonderful riding experience so that she would consider riding with me for future vacations.

 

Bottom line: she is talking about how we can afford a comfy touring bike. I am not sure that she would have had such a positive experience without the intercom. We'll never know.

 

Intercom makes couples riding much nicer.

[russell_bynum]

Intercom makes couples riding much nicer.

 

Yes it does, and that fact is not lost on me. I believe I added an AutoCom to my RT before any other accessory except maybe the tankbag. And Stir...Lisa hasn't always been the knee-dragging hoon that we all know and love today. When I bought the RT in Feb of 2000, she wouldn't even sit on it with it parked in the garage. It took a long time before she was comfortable back there, and even longer before she even made noises about maybe wanting to get her own bike. Now that we're on 2 bikes, FRS is a top-priority accessory for her. I absolutely understand the value there.

 

I'm just saying...everything else was about as perfect as it'll ever be, and this wasn't that big of a deal. There are definitely some things that would ruin a ride like that. A crash. The wheels falling off the bike as we're riding it down the road. Global Thermonuclear war breaking out in the middle of the ride. Etc. I can certainly understand being frustrated, given the shortage of free time, and a premium paid to ensure he had what he needed, but lack of an intercom is a "well, damn" situation, not a "ruined the weekend" situation.

 

That theory was proven when, after 4 hours, their borrowed Chatterbox died...and they continued to have a good time anyway.

 

If everything has to be "perfect" (whatever that is) for you and your riding partner to enjoy the ride, then you are destined for lots of dissapointment. AutoCom headset extension leads fall off, or accidentally get melted on exchaust headers. GPS batteries die. iPod's go haywire and stop responding to commands. Sometimes it rains. Sometimes you miss the turn. Hotels lose your reservations. Etc. Roll with it and focus on what's important: you're together, on a motorcycle, together.

[E30TECH]

she is talking about how we can afford a comfy touring bike.

 

[redryder]

//quote//If everything has to be "perfect" (whatever that is) for you and your riding partner to enjoy the ride, then you are destined for lots of dissapointment. AutoCom headset extension leads fall off, or accidentally get melted on exchaust headers. GPS batteries die. iPod's go haywire and stop responding to commands. Sometimes it rains. Sometimes you miss the turn. Hotels lose your reservations. Etc. Roll with it and focus on what's important: you're together, on a motorcycle, together.

//end quote//

 

After 2 weeks, I finally got my second headset from Sierra. Now that I have it I'm ready to get them installed into the helmets. Now, Russell, can you fill me in on this GPS and iPod thing?

 

Actually, I think most got my point. My free time used to be readily available, but now it is at a premium. I had planned a weekend and while it certainly wasn't "ruined", it certainly wasn't what I had hoped for; and there really wasn't any excuse for it.

 

We're all ready now and the rides should be more enjoyable (my appologies to those who don't want to hear their pillions). Above all, thanks again for letting me rant. It was either that or stand in the middle of the highway launching stale marshmallows with my wrist rocket.

[russell_bynum]

It was either that or stand in the middle of the highway launching stale marshmallows with my wrist rocket.

 

 

Sounds like a fun way to kill some time.

[Agent_Orange]

Just between you and me, any landing that I can walk, or crawl away from is a good one. And I don't care if it is even in the same state.

But then again............

[redryder]

Just between you and me, any landing that I can walk, or crawl away from is a good one. And I don't care if it is even in the same state.

But then again............

 

Actually, your standards are much higher than mine. My personal ethic is any landing that I'm thrown clear of is sufficient for me.

 

And for all those that gave their favorite airports, I'm shocked and awed that no one mentioned ORF. It has a BMW motorcycle proudly displayed right next to our gate compliments of Chesapeke BMW. You guys are slippin'.

[russell_bynum]

Just between you and me, any landing that I can walk, or crawl away from is a good one. And I don't care if it is even in the same state.

But then again............

 

Any landing you can walk away from is a good landing. If they can use the airplane again, it was a great landing.