Negative Holeshot Experience

[ZenMan]

I was on the phone last night with Dale Walker of Holeshot Performance and I have to say it wasn't a very pleasant experience. He was very rude, arrogant, and extremely interruptive. Every time I started to ask something he would drown me out.

I realize that everyone has their "bad hair days", but I also believe in polite, helpful service, especially when dealing with a new customer such as myself.

I had called him to ask what he knew about the new  '07 1250 Bandit. I was interested in purchasing one of his Comp 2 slip-ons for experimenting with my new bike when it arrives next month.

He argued with me that I wouldn't be able to install it, even though he didn't know what the new pipe dameter was. I said I could make my own elbow pipe to adapt it, and he got very sarcastic and told me "yeah, right, good luck wth that, buddy".

He also told me that my Suzuki dealer was "full of crap" and that there was no way that I could receive my new Bandit before he could get one. My dealer happens to be a very nice older couple I have dealt with over several excellent purchases, and they had ordered this bike months ago and therefore are at the top of the waiting list. But Mr. Walker insisted that they were "lying to me" and that he "would get one before I or anybody else would". There was no way Suzuki was going to send a new model to "some lousy little dealership" before sending him one.

By the way, I'm in my 50's and I'm not used to being talked to in such a disrespectful manner and tone.

I have no idea of the performance or quality of Holeshot Performance Products, but I certainly will never find out now. Customer service is at the top of my list when dealing with companies, and Dale Walker failed miserably in that department.

[LensWork]

This is highly surprising to me. In my dealings with Dale he has ALWAYS been very polite, professional & helpful.

In so far as him getting an '07 before anyone else, this I do not know. I do know that although some dealer may have ordered an '07 before another, it is not uncommon for manufacturers to fill orders for new items not by date which the order was received, but by relevance of who placed the order. If I have a limited number of something, I will do my best to spread it around, but my best customers are going to get the item 1st.

With regards to fitting an existing aftermarket accessory to a new bike, I would agree with Dale that this is not likely to be very easy, or effective. The '07 has a completely new motor, with fuel injection, catalytic converter, O2 sensors, etc. Certainly, a completely new design is in order for an exhaust system for the '07. These things take a lot of R&D & time. That is why I will likely wait until at least '08 to get a new Bandit.

[ZenMan]

What I posted are my honest impressions and I've quoted him as accurately as my memory serves me. I have absolutely no reason to smear Dale Walkers name for nothing, his attitude both angered and disappointed me.

I have gotten feedback from other boards that confirm my testamonial, by other folks who have reported the exact same experience with Mr. Walker on the phone.

I realize the differences in the new '07 model Bandit, and I've had years of experience racing motorcycles and building race bikes in my past. I was hoping we would be able to collaborate on this regardless of who received the bike first.

Unfortunately Mr. Walker's constant interruptions and arrogant, dismissive attitude towards me made any meaningful communication impossible.

However, the woman I spoke to earlier was very polite and helpful. I'm told she is Dale's wife, and she is an asset to his company. Kudos to Mrs. Walker.

[LensWork]

What I posted are my honest impressions and I've quoted him as accurately as my memory serves me. I have absolutely no reason to smear Dale Walkers name for nothing, his attitude both angered and disappointed me.

I was in no way implying that your account of the events were malicious or inaccurate. Just this is the 1st negative feedback that I ever seen, or personally experienced, with Dale or his products. I was just surprised. I guess everyone has their bad days.

[ZenMan]

What I posted are my honest impressions and I've quoted him as accurately as my memory serves me. I have absolutely no reason to smear Dale Walkers name for nothing, his attitude both angered and disappointed me.

I was in no way implying that your account of the events were malicious or inaccurate. Just this is the 1st negative feedback that I ever seen, or personally experienced, with Dale or his products. I was just surprised. I guess everyone has their bad days.

Of course. I'm happy to learn that he has his "good days" too. Unfortunately, I'm not the only one to experience one of his "bad" ones. http://11109.rapidforum.com/topic=103473337111

I've made my comments, I expect each individual to have their own opinion.

[theroamr]

Zenman, you should post this here at http://www.maximum-suzuki.com/ . Be careful, they are very pro Dale. Just be up front and honest as you were here. Post it in the Holeshot forum, Dale checks it regulary.

[MrBAMcClain]

Zenman, you should post this here at http://www.maximum-suzuki.com/ .

My sentiments exactly. This one is sure to get the blood boiling.

I'm just gonna get my popcorn and watch this drama unfold

BTW....I've dealt with Dale on many occasions and he was a nice guy by phone and email. Everybody has PMS I guess, huh...lol

[ZenMan]

Zenman, you should post this here at http://www.maximum-suzuki.com/ . Be careful, they are very pro Dale. Just be up front and honest as you were here. Post it in the Holeshot forum, Dale checks it regulary.

I'm not regisered there, and why should I? So I can get trashed and flamed on a board that Dale Walker practically owns?

I have no doubt that Mr. Walker will be informed of my post here, and we'll see what he has to say about it then.

Whatever comes of this, I've said my piece. I posted this as a complaint with the full knowledge that others have the perogative of agreeing or disagreeing, just as I have the perogative to voice my complaint where I so choose. Anyone who wants me to jump into the lion's den for the sake of their petty entertainment will be disappointed. Sorry.

[theroamr]

I dont think thats what we really want you to do. Your complaint seems genuine. I just wanted you to be aware of max suz as being a board that he watches more than most. Obviously you know that, so no worries. I myself would post it there being a valid complaint. You didnt seem to be on a mission to slander Dale, just stating the facts. But you are most likely right, he'll probably see this post soon enough and hopefully he will either explain what happened and maybe resolve your issue, or just tell you to go to hell. Or something in between perhaps. I personally would like to see the end result of this.

[PaulVS]

Obviously there's two sides to every story and while I won't argue that Dale may have indeed had a 'bad hair day'... my several dealings with him have been great.

When I read your post I had the thought that maybe Dale was trying to convince you to just wait a month or two for him to develop a new exhaust for the new Bandit 1250 instead of trying to hack on one of the older model exhausts.

He WILL be one of the first people in the country to get the new Bandit.. and probably also be one of the first companies to have a model-specific exhaust system for it.

Again... this may not be the case... but if someone told me they wanted to use an old product on a new bike... when the new one will be available in a few months... I might be a little short with them as well.

Just my $.02 worth.

[MrBAMcClain]

ZENMAN,

Take a chill pill man, nobody wants to see you get eaten alive anyway. At least put up a fight...lol

Seriously, go take a ride and calm your nerves

What's the word on your bike? Any potential pipe makers you've heard of?

[ZenMan]

It's not exactly rocket science. If he'd have given me a chance to explain my background instead of cutting me off every three words, he may have realized he was talking to a knowledgeable person, not the squid idiot he treated me as.

I was a professional auto technician for 28 years, an A.S.E. certified Master Mechanic with 9 certifications in everything from diagnostics and computer-controlled fuel injection to rebuilding truck transmissions and frame repair. I can arc, gas, MIG and TIG weld. On top of that I road-raced for 5 years with WERA and built and tuned my own race bikes. I've ported and polished 4-valve, 4-inline heads and tuned barrels full of carbs.

The reason I was calling him was to discuss possible approaches towards tuning the new Bandit to optimimum specs, being that he has more experience in building actual exhaust systems. I was willing to buy one of his Comp 2 slip-ons and use it as a base to start the tuning process, and I would have been happy to share knowledge and discovery with Dale as it went along, without any expectation of monetary benefit on my part.

Unfortunately I never got a chance to explain any of this, as he rudely interrupted me every time I opened my mouth. When I finally got five words in, "I'm getting one next month", he immediately became sarcastic and verbally abusive, going so far as to suggest that my dealer was "full of crap" and I was being lied to. I was then informed there was no way a nobody like me was going to get a new Bandit before he was, not in those exact words, but that was the obvious gist of it.

I thought I made all this perfectly clear, it had nothing to do with Mr. Walker trying to "save me from myself" or any such thing. Quite simply, he was a total ass.

Mr.Bam, I'm not upset. I originally posted this as a heads-up to anyone thinking of calling Mr. Walker on the phone. Obviously he has many supporters who defend him and that's fine. I'm satisfied with the knowledge that I'm not the only one who he has treated this way, so I don't feel it was me being difficult or being a "complainer". I can't think of what I could have said to deserve such treatment, as I said, I never got more than a few words the whole time.

My statement stands. If it was an isolated incident, fine. If Mr. Walker chooses to put the blame on me, that's fine too. I've explained myself as far as I feel like going with it. Suffice it to say I will not be dealing with Holeshot Performance in the future. What anyone else thinks or does is entirely up to them.

[DirtyDawg]

While his manners on the telephone may be lacking, it seems to me that Dale Walker is quite accomplished in the world of performance as it relates to Suzuki Bandits and is more than capable of "going it on his own". I can see how it may benefit you to share notes with him, but I'm not sure I see any benefit for him. I suspect Dale didn't see any either and is probably deluged with calls from guys wanting to pick his brain about this and that when it is all pretty much just a waste of his time. That may explain his abrasive attitude when the subject of a phone call infers that he could use your help to tune "the new Bandit to optimimum specs". And you certainly didn't make any indication here that you are any kind of guru that has made a name for yourself with respect to Bandit performance or design that would make him think "Now here is someone I should really listen to."

Perhaps you may have been better received had you mailed your proposal in written form and given him the chance to analyze it at a time more convenient to him. At the very least, it would have saved you the aggravation of his interruptions before you could give him a full explanation.

My one personal contact with Mr.Walker was cordial and informative, but I wasn't trying to match wits with him or get something for nothing. I bought his product and was very, very pleased with it.

There was a time on an online forum I frequent when some of his customers were grousing about the riveted-on logo that he was putting on his slip-ons (because they thought they were ugly) and he refused to leave them off. He explained that he had worked hard for the name recognition he had and felt he had a right to sell his product as he saw fit. I thought they were ugly too, but I agreed with him. Now I see he makes the slip-ons with the name engraved on the ends which is more pleasing to the eye and still retains his name recognition. So my point is that he is not inflexible.

I would also point out that I have never seen a post of his where he flamed someone about a private conversation they had. I'm sure he has had many opportunities where he found himself speaking with an ass, but I haven't seen him post about it.

Good luck with your endeavor to find the perfect exhaust for your new Bandit. Whatever it is, however, it won't sound any sweeter than a Holeshot nor perform any better for the price.

[ZenMan]

Look, it obviously doesn't matter how well I explain myself here, some Dale Walker supporter is going to come along and tell me why it is all my fault, because Dale Walker is such a perfect human being, it can't possibly be his.

I already stated that I didn't even have a chance to get more than 5 words in edgewise, there was no way he could have gotten any impression at all from me about where I was coming from. Others have reported the same experience with Mr. Walker, I posted a link to one source that illustrates this.

I never meant this to become a big argument or pissing contest between me and Dale Walker's friends and supporters, but apparently I should have known better and just kept my mouth shut. You don't know me. You weren't there. I posted nothing but the truth. The guy was a jerk. Believe it or not. Think whatever you want. I DON'T CARE.

I'm done with this.

[kedeg_97B12]

Dale Walker knocked up my daughter and sold my dog to a Korean grocer!

Actually I have talked to Dale many times and he has always been very tolerant of my stupid questions. Although sometimes he certainly can talk and talk! LOL. . Without his assistance, I would have completely given up on my tuning issues.

That sucks that he lost a customer(s). Reminds me of another tuner, Ivan's Performance in NY. A few have absolutely condemned him and others have nothing but praise for him. Weird.

Good for you for recounting the story without attacking him.

So what do you think you are going to do when you get your new bike? Any other avenues for custom exhaust?