Working in automotive for years, I saw my fair share of warranty items, on
factory defects, parts that failed, and poor assembly. But among the list of
defects, stupid was not listed among them. Just as it was believed there is no
cure for stupid, there may be a secret remedy, that allows the consumer to
further his mission in life. And to place the blame on someone else. This
miracle cure is found in California, under the Lemon Law, and here are a few
examples I know of first hand. The wound may heal, but the scar remains. All
three cases are based on motorcycles less than two years old and still under
full factory warranty.
Lesson 1 had about 10,000 miles on it and showed customer care. But his
complaint was the engine died sometimes under full throttle. After being in the
shop for the required 30 days during the warranty period, he requested a new
bike to replace his defective one. He liked the bike, just thought it to be a
lemon. I had tested the bike for 500 miles, and could duplicate the problem
easily, it wasn’t a defect, but the traction control kicking in. The bike was
doing what it was told to do, momentarily disabling power to the rear wheel when
it sensed slippage, and a simple disabling by using the prompts on the dash
could have solved it. Sadly his new bike will do the same thing....why couldn’t
the service department have advised him of this? Confirmed by National Service
Manager for the brand...
Lesson 2 was the same style bike, that had been ridden hard and had over
24,000 miles on it. The complaint was of an oil leak that could not be fixed.
Again I was able to confirm it, and when checked by the factory, a sealing ring
was missing from the drain plug. I had stopped by the local dealer who knew the
bike, and said the old owner did all his own maintenance, and knew what he was
doing. The only thing he had done was abuse the bike, it was the definition of
ridden hard and put away wet, been careless in his maintenance, and got use of a
free ride for 24,000 miles, then his money back. I put 1500 more miles on it,
never a drop of oil leaked, in fact I was offered a deal to buy it and
considered it, but it would have been bike number 5, and we are slimming down,
the number of bikes at least. And by the way, again confirmed by the
factory.
Lesson 3 is on a brand new, current year bike, with only 100 miles on it.
It seems the customer overbought, and the boss, his wife was against it. Cost
too much, too much bike, not her OK, but whatever the reason, the bike had to
go. So he consistently complained the tire pressure monitors showed low
pressures, then would change after riding. He was afraid to ride the bike, a
safety concern, and so it sat for a few months at the dealer until his 30 days
were up, and it was bought back. He was rid of the bike, his wife happy, at
least for the moment, and he had possibly scammed the factory. Truth is TPM’s
read static pressures, which will change as you ride, same as in your car. It
wasn’t a product failure, but a successful unloading of a bike not wanted, with
some assistance from his dealer. Any sales force and service tech knows this,
it is even in the owners manual. Again after 500 miles it showed no problems
except for working normal, all tires stayed within recommended pressures, and
the bike was returned, and so was is cash. It seems there is a cure for stupid,
and when it occurs, it makes it that much harder to believe the next guy with a
real concern. I blame the owners for not taking the time to check out their
purchase before they make it, the dealer for not being informed or informing the
customer, and the service department for missing the obvious problems. I just
ride them, I don’t fix them, perhaps justice really is blind, but in California,
in these three cases, there was a cure for stupid.
Now there is nothing like riding a new bike out of the dealership, a thrill
and exciting as you get to know it and put on the miles. But many a promise or
schedule has to be followed, how to break it in, when to service it, and how to
maintain it. Yet many neglect to listen, then neglect to follow, and blame
someone else. Stupid hurts, a self inflicted wound, and soon bitterness, then
hatred, then disbelief set in, and you miss out on the ride you were looking
forward to. Even worse is having to wait, for you aren’t riding while waiting,
and that is where you want to be. WIP?WOP, work in process/waiting on parts.
Prayer is like that too, we love when God says yes immediately, “isn’t God
great?” we say. We get upset when he says “no,” but I have learned that a
better yes is coming. But when he says wait, we get upset. Why? How long?
Didn’t he hear my prayers? And some quit praying, because the genie in the lamp
they thought God to be wasn’t. And they return to their old ways, blaming
God.
Why pray if you don’t want an answer? And what if God doesn’t answer
immediately, is he not listening? When God promised Abraham and Sarah children
they were past child bearing years. Almost 90, maybe only Malcolm Smith born to
an 83 year old father could relate to when Isaac was born. But what of
A&S’s waiting? They had heard the promise, knew it was of God, from God,
why wasn’t she pregnant yet? Interestingly enough Abraham believed the promise,
for 25 years until Isaac arrived. He didn’t disbelieve because of an instant
fatherhood bestowed upon him, he knew God, trusted God, and had faith in God to
fulfill his promise. He believed God to be honest and trustworthy, and true to
his character. Not Abraham’s, but God’s own character. He was part of the
promise God made, which would extend to Jesus, and stood fast that he would
fulfill it. The basis of his faith was he trusted God to be who God said he
was, and wasn’t looking for a way out of the promise. He knew when the time was
right, God would answer. Do we pray the same way? Do we listen for God’s
answer, and try to negotiate it when we don’t like it? Have you given up on
Jesus, because he didn’t respond as you wanted? We live in a world where seeing
is believing, despite the words of I heard it Through the Grapevine telling us
to “believe half of what you see, and none of what you hear.”They need proof and
need it now...their way or the highway. Which may explain the traffic jams of
today.
To have a relationship with God it takes faith, for without it, it is
impossible to please God. But soon that grows to obedience, as we get closer to
him, and want to be like him. But when we trust, just because he is God, and
are led by his spirit, we see the things of God on his timetable. And get to
enjoy the trip along the way. So why believe in prayer? Because Jesus said it
is the secret of life, a conversation with God in heaven. And he encourages us
to listen, he didn’t say “he who has a mouth let him speak,” but did say “he who
has an ear let him hear?” Do you listen after praying? Why ask if you don’t
want an answer? And when in the spirit, the answer can be wait, and you go on
with life. The proof of prayer does not come from me, that is only a
demonstration of what I believe, it comes from God. Believing is seeing....and
so the whole burden of truth rests on Jesus, either he is who he said he is, and
is trustworthy, or he is just a fraud, misleading us. When it is us who are not
having the faith to believe, for he knows who he is, and his character proves
it.
So maybe there is a cure for stupid when it comes to warranties. You can
fool the state, fool the factory, but your true problem will show up
eventually. Your sin will find you out, and you will be exposed. But God has
provided a cure for it spiritually, called repentance, followed by forgiveness.
As if it never happened...so while you may think you can fool people, a fool is
born every minute, the time of your birth may confirm you in the club. Jesus is
ready to forgive all, by a simple stepping out in faith, by praying to him, and
listening for his answer. In each case above the buy back could have, and to me
should have been avoided. Read your owner’s manual, ask the service manager.
But ask. Doing your own thing, your own maintenance, like a doctor lawyer, it
is a fool who has himself as his client. It is not the court’s fault you
disobeyed and did it wrong. And finally, be sure in your decisions. What a
lousy marriage your wife tells you what to do, or ride. If it was only
motorcycles, but when it extends to all things, you both have a problem. So ask
God, listen to what he says, follow the spirit, and enjoy the ride. I never met
any of the owners, but already have a dim view of them. Would you trust their
judgment based on their performance? Would you fly an airplane with them
piloting? Yet many do, having more faith than they do in God.
Simply put, the cure for stupid is salvation. It is found in the person of
Jesus Christ. Just a little faith can keep you riding and out of the shop. His
love surpasses any laws, even Lemon Laws. His forgiveness everlasting. Abraham
believed because he knew and trusted God. If your basis of trust is not of God,
there is a Lemon Law just waiting in your life to happen when you die. Jesus
Christ is not on trial, we are. He has given us the answers....do you believe?
Do you trust? Stupid hurts.....only Jesus saves.
love with compassion,
Mike
matthew25biker.blogspot.com