Perpetual Paint Problems

[jrt]

I can get a free jacket or some other item in exchange.

Maybe it's a heated jacket? With gloves?

sorry...

They really should take care of it, but IMHO, a silver engine case looks way better.

 

 

cheers,

Jason

[Guest Jaap]

Jason, you mean a heated jacked because MGNA leaves you out in the cold? In that case it should be waterproof too. In Holland the saying is "leaving one outside in the rain"

I'd never go for such an incentive. You can't even call it that. It's a bloody shame. But for what I've heard of MGNA it doesn't surprise me.

[Guest IanJ]

Yeah, the tech at Moto International mentioned that as well, that MGNA were considering offering a $500 (so I heard, amount may be wrong) accessories credit for people who don't care about the appearance of the paint, but want to be compensated anyway. I wouldn't ever pick that option, I have to say. And, as I understand it, the new final drive casing is supposed to have the wrinkle paint on it, not the smooth paint. "We'll see."

[al_roethlisberger]

I wonder if the replacement "wrinkle" paint will be any more durable, and/or be the same look/feel?? I guess we'll see.

 

hrmm, well let us know how it goes.

 

al

[RichMaund]

I have to say I would take all the accessories they offer you and then sell them on EBay. My large bead blast booth with beads came to about $200 at Harbor Freight. (A large discount tool store.) You could clean off the rear drive and alot more with a bit of labor on your part. The bare sand castings stay nice looking for quite some time and can be touched up with a brass bristle brush and WD40.

 

Another route to take would be to contact the folks at "Turtle Tough" in Pennsylvania and send them your components for recoating in either poweder coat or hi-temp Kal Gard Gun Coat. They know their business! They did the iron cylinders on my Ural three years ago in black gun coat and they haven't rusted yet!

 

The only good solution I see to the wrinkle black paint is to remove it.

[Guest Jeff Kelland]

I really do keep toying with the idea of silver parts, and if I go that route I may as well see what I can get out of MG. Rich, its good to see someone else who knows the wd40 and brush trick, I use a stainless brush, if anybody else tries this don't use a regular steel brush, it'll leave some steel inbedded in the aluminum and then it gets rusty looking, Jeff

[RichMaund]

Good point Jeff! I learned THAT lesson on my old BMW 25 years ago!

 

I prefer the brass brushes. They're softer than aluminum and won't mark the castings.

 

Kal Gard offers the Gun Coat in silver/gray as well. The stuff looks great.

[Guest Jeff Kelland]

UPDATE: My Dealer called me today! He says MG is aware of the problem and they are currently working on a solution, whether to recall the bikes with flaking paint or to offer some reimbursement in accessories or a rebate. He told me that he had documented my problem and sent them the VIN and mileage so when they figure out what they're going to do I'll be covered. It seems to me that at least the dealer cares about me as a customer. I also told him that I had heard of the paint coming off transmissions and final drives also, as they were apparantly only aware of the engine paint failing. He told me they would probably know something in a month or so, I'll keep checking and post what I find out. ride safe.

[motowfo]

I just got my bike back after having it sit in shop (well sort of) at my dealer for 3 months. Dealer (in knoxville, TN, but I won't use any names) asked that I bring the bike in (180 mile trip for me) so they could verify my engine paint was flaking. I trailered the bike in January to them (it so pained me to see my bike on a trialer) and was told that MG would provide a fix or replacing the engine block and as soon as parts arrived ("could take up to a month") they would swap everything out and I would be on my merry way.

 

Many phone calls later, I determined that the engine had been removed from my bike in anticipation of the arriving case... Many more phone calls later I called MGNA who told me parts were in... 2 more phone calls later I determined that MGNA did not know what they were talking about... the cases received were for 2001 not 2002 (my year) LeMans. Several more phone calls later my dealer said they would be glad to put the bike back together so I could at least ride it while I awaited parts... Another 360mile round trip and I picked up my bike only to find missing/different side cover screw, oxidation on the clutch lever adjustment, oxidation of the throttle bodies (which had already been replace once) and strange white paint or other foreign matter on a large black clamp on driver side of the engine. Gee, did they store my bike outside?? Well yes... Did they lose some screws? well yes... is the engine any better after 3 months of waiting? well no. Am I a happy camper that now after 12 months of ownership of my 2002 LeMans it has spent a total of 4 months in the shop (1 month for the throttle bodies, 3 months oxidizing outside waiting for engine cases)? Well NO!

 

Thank goodness I have another dependable bike to ride like my 69 R60 so at least I can get out during our 12 month riding season...

 

Will MGNA get there "shtuph" together and resolve this issue? Do I really want to take my bike back to a dealer who obviously has too much service work to allow for bikes to be stored indoors? I'm beginning to regret my decision to trade in my ST4 (a reallly nice bike) for the LeMans (a bike that I absolutely love to ride!!)...

 

Okay, I'm frustrated and need to vent... Where is the cry for class action??

 

Rick Mathis

Franklin, TN

[al_roethlisberger]

Not to defend MG Italia or MGNA, but I think quite a few of us are simply victims of the "early adopter" blues... both in Quality Control, and valuation. I pretty much violated my rule of "never buying the first year anything" by getting the 2002 LeMans, and well... here we are

 

But I don't regret it. I'm just working through the issues as they come along, and once everything is remedied(either by myself or through MG) the bike will be as good as any of the prior or following V11 Sport varieties IMHO. And since I don't plan to sell the bike any time soon, the fact that you can get a new LeMans for thousands less only irks me a little... ok, well more than a little

 

But to put it in perspective in my own mind, I had to do a bunch of work on my old FJ to get it just how I wanted it as well, and for me that's part of the fun.

 

 

However, MG should definitely address the issues with the "first year" LeMans, but then again anything based on the original Sport should have been well sorted out... and I think most of those issues had. It's just the new stuff like the "fuzzy black" engine paint, and a few others that have thrown us for a loop. In fact, the issues specific to the 2002 models represent a relatively short list, but the problem is that MG isn't taking the "high road" and making things right, and that's disappointing.

 

Bottom line, I am still very interested to hear what MG will officially and finally do about the paint issue, and if the new 2003 black paint will prove more durable. If it doesn't, I think I would pursue a labor and paint credit of some sort to have repainting the cases outsourced to an outfit such as Rich Maund suggests.

 

For those working this warrantee issue, please keep us in the loop!

 

And I agree, if MG doesn't come through, we should organize some sort of pressure on MG to make good.

 

al

[Guest Buck]

And I agree, if MG doesn't come through, we should organize some sort of pressure on MG to make good.

The pressure you are looking for can be properly applied by your local Attorney General. If that isn't enough there are plenty of good Attorneys out there who will take a strong potential lemon law case on a contingency.

 

I'm not advocating beating up on MGNA, but I will be doing exactly that if they don't cooperate soon with the Attorney General.

[al_roethlisberger]

...you know, a thought........

 

 

If we setup an online petition that let owners that are experiencing this problem "sign", identify the type of bike, and location... it might be a useful tool to send the results to MG North America, MG Italia, and Aprilia with an enclosed letter.

 

I think it might make more of an impression if a few hundred disappointed owners had one voice, instead of only piece-meal through the dealers. A list of hundreds of "signatures" might get their attention??

 

We'd have to publicize the petition/online-letter in various forums/lists to get a good sample as well.

 

Just a thought if it comes to that.

al

[Guest Jaap]

If you want I can make an online query on V11's and their problems. (Just a form to fill out and the results show up in an Excel spreadsheet.)

I think this will make more of an impact than just a bunch of names. These guys want percentages not numbers.

I just need some help with figuring out what questions to ask. Anybody?

[biesel]

Hi Japp,

yes please!

 

I got that bubble problem on a 2002/03 too.

There was no problem not long ago, but after riding on german "Autobahns" with approx. 140 km/h for hours, my engine also has the first bubbles - SHIT!!!

 

 

:finger:

[Guest Jaap]

I know, Reini has told me. My thoughts are with you... So, you don't have the new paint already?