So we needed a bearing, a wee little one, to finish the rebuild of Gman's Aprilia. I'd had the engine removed, and the gearbox opened up so as to find out what a niggly noise was all about. Turns out the previous owner, among other stuff he screwed up, had replaced the first gear back to front!!! Now, it can / did work in this position, but the "fingers" tended to slip at low revs, causing the box to rattle, like. Anyway, we sorted it.
But, during stripping, unnoticed by me and / or the mechanic, a small, 8x12x8 needle bearing got damaged.
Phone Aprilia South Africa. Huh, like they care. No stock. Can't import as they are going through a restructuring / takeover / some crap.
Email to Australia. AUS@35.00 excl. postage
Email the UK 8.80 pounds - excl. delivery
So I go online, Yellow pages - Bearings. I call about 20 places. Nothing. One even checked and said no one imports that size. Call another 10- go to Timken.co.za - call them. They refer me to one of their agents. i call them. They have in stock - how many do I want!!!
I collected two yesterday morning, across town - Total cost, for the two, including VAT (look it up) ZAR20.00!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! About 1.2 pounds UK, or Aus$1.3!!!!
So, by Wed next week, the bike will be done. In 12 days time GMan gets his licence, and he's on the road!
Salagatle!
4 comments:
"In 12 days time GMan gets his licence, and he's on the road!"
mind he takes care now..!
You did not count the R60 in phone calls ?????
HaHAHA
He's been told, warned and taught. I've even shown him the consequences when I had the misfortune of having to stop and assist at a high speed motorcycle accident scene....
As for the phone calls, the company paid for that, so it still only cost me ZAR20.00......
Salagatle!
I had the same thing with Bosch...they wanted to charge me R750 for a new vaccuum motor that had burned a bearing. A few calls, found the bearing supplier literally around the corner from home, needed two but bought four bearings (just in case I broke one or it happened again) all for the princely sum of R20!! Fuck the corporations...bastards...
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