KTM Customer Service Department
1119 Milan Ave
Amherst, Ohio 44001
November 17, 2004
We purchased a 2004 KTM 125 from Decker Cycle Canfield Ohio back in Nov 2003. The only reason we chose Decker Cycle is because they approached my son and asked that he join their race team. We put $2500.00 down on the bike and made arrangements for payments on the balance. Decker Cycle representative Mark Best allowed us to take the bike right after Christmas before paying the balance. We raced at Summit indoor in January. We went back for the second round in February, race team manager Chuck Freeze said the bike did not sound right and suggested he did not race it and took it back to the shop to check. We were told nearly 2 months later that the air box was warped and that KTM requested it be sent back to them for checking. Deckers said that KTM warranted the problem out of customer goodwill. Supposedly the air box was warped and let dirt in the motor. He told us that the factory rebuilt the motor. After numerous phone calls we finally requested the bike be returned to us by April 25. It seized again on the first moto. The bike was again returned to Deckers for service. We complained that the bike was a lemon and had been hearing of other bikes of the same model experiencing the same seized crank problem. The lack of customer service or any contact from Decker Cycle led me to contact Todd Jones KTM customer service rep around May 1st to request help in getting repairs completed. He assured me he had talked to Todd Decker and that repairs would be completed that week and that Todd would call when completed. Decker called within two days and told me that the crank had been pressed too tightly from factory and that he had ordered parts and was pressing it in himself. When questioned why the bike came back to us the first time with a 250-air box cover on it, he explained that it came back from your factory that way. Is this passing the buck or did the factory really fix it? I would like to have the original air box cover back. My son is going to run qualifiers for Lorettas and will need it if he runs stock class and if we decide to sell the bike it needs to be the correct one.
We never heard from Deckers or your customer service rep again until we filed in Mahoning County court to have our down payment refunded. Keep in mind since we picked up the bike in Dec 2003 it had three weekends of use. The court decided on October 29th that we ‘failed to put forth a case upon which relief can be granted’ and that we have the right to appeal. Decker and his attorney stated in court that the bike repairs were complete and the bike was ready to ride. Todd Decker said the second incident with the bike seizing might have been due to him not tightening a bolt. Rather than have them deliver it, I decided to show up at Decker Cycle unexpectedly to complete paying the balance and take the bike with me. While waiting outside I noticed Todd Decker working on the cycle. I went in the shop to find him bleeding the clutch and adding fluid. He refused to start the bike stating since it had been sitting since May that the gas could be bad. I never stated that I was in a hurry. The court was told the bike was ready to go. Especially since it had been in their shop since May for servicing. Come to find out when I got the bike home the kicker had been removed and had the bolt and washer still in place. This leads us to believe that either the bike has been ridden or parts were removed. We bump started the bike and discovered that the clutch does not work properly either. I feel this is about unethical as a dryer cleaner wearing a customers clothes or in my business, an insurance agent that accepts premium and doesn’t write the policy. My husband worked at Harding Park Cycle and this would have been inexcusable with their standards. We called Decker Cycle as soon as we discovered the kicker missing and were told ‘ take me back to court. I’ll send the kicker in the mail’. Now it’s been 5 days, still no kicker. We’re still wondering if the bolt is tightened yet either??
We thought long and hard before buying a KTM. We only made the decision based on the prospect of having race team support. My son has always ridden a Kawasaki and we would have purchased another one had we not been mislead by Deckers. Their constant lies and lack of any customer service has affected our opinion of KTM. He blamed the air box cover on KTM and didn’t seem to think it was a problem for it to be a 250. I would like records of the repairs that were done when the KTM factory worked on bike. We have our doubts it ever got out of Decker’s shop. We have never been supplied with any repair records. Is this how you expect your venders to treat customers? We purchased a brand new bike and it should be brand new. He rode the thing 3 times for a total of about 45 minuets running time. My son no longer trusts the bike. He’s afraid it will seize while jumping and he’ll be injured. He finished first in his super mini class this year in the CRA. Because of the consistent problems with the KTM and Decker Cycle, he ran a KX 100 in schoolboy class and came in second overall. I am very disappointed in your company. More importantly being in customer service myself, someone should have contacted us to follow up on my original complaint. Your customer service department never did. I still feel the bike is a lemon. I feel Deckers ‘race team’ tricked us into buying it by promising none existent support. He told the judge ‘we don’t really have a race team, its just family and friends’. I hate to think what category we fall in there. He did nothing but insult me when we spoke in June. Only after faxing my intentions of court action did he return any of my calls. He stated that ‘fixing the bike was last on his priority list because he didn’t think we were going to finish paying for it’. During the last 5 months he never once inquired about further payments. I took him over $2000.00 in cash on Nov 11. Which is the same money we had at the onset of this mess.
Looking over Ohio’s Lemon law, which includes motorcycles, we can answer yes to 4 out of five of the questions. We’re tired of being misled. We’re tired of being put off. My son missed an entire racing season that he should have been on a 125. Our plan is to give KTM 3 days to contact us with some kind of apology or resolution. I personally would like to see the bike purchased back by Decker Cycle or KTM. We still feel it is a lemon and that the consistent problems will continue. After that we will re-file in civil court with an attorney. I have a complaint form for the attorney general filled out and depending on your company’s response, we may share this ordeal with the channel 3,5 & 8.
KTM
1119 Milan Ave
Amherst, Ohio 44001
KTM
1119 Milan Ave
Amherst, Ohio 44001
December 2, 2004
Todd Jones
Customer Service,
Lets see this should be letter number 5. Just wanted to let you know that Decker Cycle has still not supplied us with any repair records or the kicker that he stole off of our 125 KTM. I am so happy that your company follows up on complaints against your venders. Every letter that I have to write gives me another experience to share with other racers and their families and friends. Keep up the good work.
March 2005
Well we finally got kicker a couple weeks later. Seems they must have misplaced the original kicker because they sent new one. I still haven't heard from AG's office. We're still requesting repair orders. Thanks for letting me vent. Everybodys experience is going to be different. My greatest disappointment was having to answer my son when he asked, 'why did Todd lie in court about not having a race team, wasn't he under oath?
The Husaberg group os a tight one! :hello1:
