Terminator2
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What a privilege to read such a trip share. Thank you seems inadequate. Happy for you guys 
Don't just tip the hat, tip the JAR!All thanks to Larry Igofar. “Tips hat”
Curiosity question- what was it that was being done incorrectly?...... oil changes… which I was soon to find out that I was NOT doing correctly… =)
Don't just tip the hat, tip the JAR!
Yeah, Larry is a gem. Glad you found him.
Stay away from the service centers at dealers -- they will wreck your bike without even riding it, and they won't even know they wrecked it.
Now, @cruzer1800 don't you think we need pictures? (You can start a new thread.)
One more thing:Hello Guys!
Happy Sunday Morning!
I watched Why We Ride last night for the first time with my lovely Bride.
Great Joy-Of-Motorcycling Movie. Which brings me to Larry.
Larry took my new-to-me ST1300 hostage several weeks ago.
I thought that it was in good shape.
I was wrong. So wrong...
He went over it with his usual obsessive fine tooth comb, which I very much appreciated.
There were literally thousands of dollars in needed adjustments and repairs.
I am an aircraft mechanic, etc. and I completely understand, respect and engage in extreme attention to detail in any of my repairs.
"Good Enough" is not Good Enough. I want my vehicles RIGHT.
Larry is ABSOLUTELY that man, also.
After he literally tore my bike apart and provided me with a wealth of Before photos (clearly bad, damaged, or out of adjustment items) and After (new parts perfectly installed or gloriously repaired to new function) photos, I am SOOO thankful that he is willing to help us!
And his place is relatively local to me!
I needed a new SMC, Clutch slave cylinder, Front wheel bearings, Throttle body syncing, Fork alignment, new brake pads all around, rear shock preload adjuster service, all caliper rebuilds, etc., etc., etc. Literally page after page of truly necessary maintenance work for continued safety and road worthiness.
For the clutch slave replacement, the Factory manual calls for the engine to be removed from the frame ($1700+ in typical dealer labor alone.)
Larry can do it with his special tools while the engine stays in position in the frame.
On my kitchen table is a coffee mug from GriotsGarage.com. It reminds me of Larry, The ST Whisperer.
On it is a quote from Sir Henry Royce, of Rolls-Royce fame:
"Strive for perfection in everything. Take the best that exists and make it better. If it doesn't exist, create it. Accept nothing nearly right or good enough."
That is Larry in every respect.
And he is a great guy, to boot!
As others have said, I think that it is VERY important to compensate him fairly for his care and expertise.
The Good Book says that "A workman is worthy of his hire."
If we all make sure to do that when visiting him and not try to take financial advantage of his good nature, I hope that he will be willing to continue to help us for many years to come.
*His work is like The Sistine Chapel of ST1300 Repair.*
Call me a VERY satisfied customer.
Ride safe!
Vince
Right on, Sadlsor!I would say that's unusual in the business.
"As-is, no warranty expressed or implied" is what is the norm.
Maybe a 30-day warranty, if the motor blows up...
You got a great twofer, and I bet you can tell the difference in your bike after you ransomed it from Larry.
My first contact with Larry was a blind email seeking advice on repairing/replacing my 05 tank following an "in garage" mishap leaving a deep golf ball size dent in the tank. He immediately sent a response and said, "Give me a call”. At that point I needed someone like Larry to talk me off the ledge, my near pristine ST had a big problem in my eyes. He wasted no time telling me "we are going to get this fixed, it will be fine". Being an OCD person that was just what I needed. I bought a nice tank on EBay and began to fret a little about making the swap. I reached out to Larry and he walked me through the entire procedure including parts I needed and pictures detailing everything I needed to know. The only hitch I had was getting the fuel level indicator working correctly after my installation, again Larry helped! !! Larry is very confident and rightfully so, but at no time did he ever get short or frustrated with my abilities or questions, he was calming, supportive and positive. Larry is one of those people that goes out of their way to help people. I wasted no time taking the bike on a “shake down” ride, seemed like everything was great, however as I pulled up to a red light the bike started creeping with the clutch in, not a good feeling. Once I got home I called Larry and explained what happened. His over the phone diagnosis tagged the Clutch Slave Cylinder as the culprit. I did not even know I had one (ha, ha, ha). This was a serious situation for me. I am not an accomplished bike mechanic and was uneasy about taking on the repair. Not once did Larry utter any doubts on me making the repair, only reinforcement and assuring me "we will get this fixed”. He sent me a detailed parts list as well as a few special tools I would need to order. Once I had the parts and tools I began work and with his guidance made the repair.
Larry then guided me through changing the clutch fluid, WOW !!, what a friend. But it wasn’t over ........ We adjusted the suspension and replaced the fluid in the preload adjuster. Then onto bleeding the brakes. I am amazed that this man who had never met me devoted so much of his time to me, INCREDIBLE ! He even picked melodious tunes on his guitar while talking me through the various maintenance issues. Never doubt his knowledge on the mechanics of the ST 1300, he's VERY GOOD.