MEK, DHL, and the local hardware house can all go to hell.

[Noxx72]

My rather pricey MEK dirtcatcher arrived this morning, finally.

Rather a pink slip from the post office arrived advising me to go pick it up there. O happy day at last, I think, and run to the post office to pick it up, and back to complete the no hassle bolt-on install.

Heh.

Except the only wrench I have that will handle the axle nut, is at work, so it's back in the car, and over to Lowes to buy a big adjustable. And back to install it.

Except the installation notes that on bikes 97 and forward (mine is 2001) you may have to shim the lower mount (over the axle) with a washer or two to make it sit right. Washers this size I do not have......so it's in the car again and over to king bolt, where I buy three washers that are an exact match for the original, aaaaaaand back to put my damn fender.

Now I'm taking a smoke and bitch break because A) the washers I got weren't identical, the reason they seem to be is because counter-dork gave me four new washers, not three new ones and my original part, and the O.D. on the new ones is larger. by a lot.

and B) because apparently I'll to get a little tubing cutter and cut down the shim for lower shock mount to account for the thickness of the new fender mount, or drill out my expensive new fender an Nth to accomodate the bushing.

and C) after all that crap, having mocked the thing up I've realized that it's going to touch the tire on the left side, and I'll have to take something out of MEK's factory bend, which I don't know that I can do without dorking up the finish or the nice even lines, and I don' think I should have to do on a hundred euro piece of aluminum.

Sonnofabitch already. So after this smoke it's back to the bolt house to retrieve my damn factory washer, etc, etc. What a pain in the ass!@!

 

[Noxx72]

One other thing.... the item pictured on MEKs site is CHROME finished and the piece they sent me is brushed. Rat Bastards.

 

[one2dmax]

Stop and get some KY while you are at it.

Sean

 

[kaboom]

Yikes!!!!!:damn angry:

 

[gamorg02]

shitty nox. i do like the look of the dirtcatcher tho.. i'd love to see the finished result.

there was a chap over in the UK (the same guy that has the knee guards made up) working on making a cheaper version of the dirtcatcher, available for about $100....

 

[Buster Hymen]

One other thing.... the item pictured on MEKs site is CHROME finished and the piece they sent me is brushed. Rat Bastards.

That's BS! :damn angry: Did you contact them and tell them they ripped you off for your chrome piece?:gun shoot:

 

[RagingMain]

Dont forget to pick up your tampons on the way home from the bolt store.:tantrum:

Bikes all done, lets go for a ride.

 

[maleko89]

Dont forget to pick up your tampons on the way home from the bolt store.:tantrum:

Bikes all done, lets go for a ride.

Speaking of tampons, Fargo, did you get those jelly donuts I mailed you?

:rofl_200:

 

[RagingMain]

Speaking of tampons, Fargo, did you get those jelly donuts I mailed you?

:rofl_200:

I named them Mark and had my way with them.:whistlin:

 

[PATMAX]

Damn I thought I had cornered the market on days like yours! By the way, did you read the fine print on the MEK site? Chrome, one price, brushed another maybe? Anyway, I run a laser cut crud catcher on my bike. Yes I have the special washer, no I did not have to cut my catcher. If I could figure out the picture posting, I would send you a peak. Maybe I will go try again just for shits and giggles. Even if I don't figure it out, I will still be having a better day than you! :bang head: Love PATMAX.

 

[Noxx72]

Well after several hours of messing with the thing, it still "almost" works.

If I take the aluminum reinforcing bit off the rear under the carbon, it doesn't hit the side of the tire, but the carbon square still sits just a hair too close on both the top and right edge. Of course the aluminum piece I took out would prevent that, but then... etc, etc.

The whole thing is like that, it's almost right. the brace under the carbon isn't bent quite right and so doesn't sit perfectly, I know they had a little trouble with it in fab, because on of the holes is drilled twice . It's not like they don't have the tire dimensions, you provide them when ordering, and it's a bloody german tire to boot.

No answers to e-mail or phone calls either, their machine picks up, which is probably no matter since I don't speak German, but you got to keep on these people, one minute they're yanking you around on a parts order, the next they're invading Poland. G.D.

Sure I'm bitchy, but for $300 shouldn't you get a part that fits? It's like getting f***ed at the drive thru, they know you're not gonna ship the bastard back to germany so they don't give a damn. :bang head:

The real rub is, of course, that it does look really tits, and I just want to take it out for a spin with it on, but it won't.....quite.....go.

Bastards.

 

[RagingMain]

You are right, you should get what you pay good money for!!!

 

[Noxx72]

After a whole day of goofing with it, it pretty much comes down to this.

The carbon fiber bit "mostly" to blame. I say mostly because other small bits of slop, over drilled mounting holes, etc, contribute. Essentially however is the carbon fiber guy, someone jammed it together, drilled and bolted it to it's reinforcing stay, without much regard and the deal is when the two are assembled, the stay *cannot* lie flat against the main arm to be secured. IOW, for the carbon fiber piece to lay correctly on the stay, it needs to be readjusted and re-drilled, which would leave it full of ugly holes. I think not.

So ATM I have the main arm and the stay mounted up, which looks a little weird but should keep the mud down until either Mek replaces that piece of crap or I just have someone here fab me up a diamond plate piece to go over the tire and mount to the main arm instead.

What a day.

 

[Noxx72]

.....or I suppose I could use it for a license plate mount, but then I've been riding without plates for months now, why mess with a good thing?

 

[jedi-]

What's really needed here is some "special" bolts:eusa_dance:

 

[lankeeyankee]

That sucks you didnt get chrome,, did it specify chrome in the advertisement?

In all honesty I go through the same shit anytime I modify something or want to make something work thats not OEM.
So far the record last week was 6 trips to the hardware store in one day.. The guy in there said.,,. what are ya trying to get to work now?
Its part of it, thats why when its all done it looks so good. Most people dont realize the time and effort it takes to make a complete piece..
If you dont enjoy fucking with parts, going to the store 7 times in one day then leave everything you own stock such as Shit Stick he doesnt modify nothing on his bike

 

[UnclePhilthy]

Damn...just when I thought I had all this stuff figured out....from WAY out of left field comes..."Dirtcatcher".....

Could someone please post a link, or explain in simple terms to your resident FOG, just what WTF is a 'dirtcatcher'??? And what does it do? Like 113SS, I don't do too much in the way of 'body mods', but I want to be able to avoid this one at all costs!

Thanks,

Philthy

 

[KJShover]

Damn...just when I thought I had all this stuff figured out....from WAY out of left field comes..."Dirtcatcher".....

Could someone please post a link, or explain in simple terms to your resident FOG, just what WTF is a 'dirtcatcher'??? And what does it do? Like 113SS, I don't do too much in the way of 'body mods', but I want to be able to avoid this one at all costs!

Thanks,

Philthy

It is, for lack of a better term, a lower 1/4 rear fender. It's a trick way to replace your fender. here is a pic.

 

[gamorg02]

.....or I suppose I could use it for a license plate mount, but then I've been riding without plates for months now, why mess with a good thing?

Noxx...

correct me if i'm wrong, but they sell these in two sizes eh? one for 150 and one for 180... which one did you get?

 

[Noxx72]

Noxx...

correct me if i'm wrong, but they sell these in two sizes eh? one for 150 and one for 180... which one did you get?

The 150, since I'm running a 150 Metz