Randy's Cycle Service & Restoration: Help - mechanical, technical, restoration

*Why do we charge a fee? On a daily basis, we receive numerous calls & emails asking for

vintage bike information. Answering these questions accurately and with research can be

time consuming. We feel it's unfair to paying customers to have their work interrupted or

delayed due to these calls or emails. Our Help Service allows us the means to compensate

for the extra labor required to complete shop jobs so Randy can provide the help & expertise

the public is seeking. Some of the questions we are asked:

"How do I install an oil filter in an oil-in-frame Triumph?"

"What bike do I have?"

"What is the engine I have in my bike?"

"Did a 1972 Honda XL125 come with a luggage rack? Where can I find the rack?"

"I want to buy a 1946 Harley. What should I look for & how much should I spend?"

"The lights on my bike are flickering. How do I fix this?"

"What the color code for my bike?"

"Should I buy this bike I found on Ebay?"

"How much should I sell my bike for?"

"What kind of oil am I suppose to use in my bike?"

How to Use this Service

Call or email the shop during our normal business hours of Tuesday through Friday from

10AM -to 6PM and Saturday 10AM to 4PM Eastern Time: (540) 854-0689 / info@rcycle.com

When you call or email, please provide:

1. Your full name, mailing address, email address & a call back phone number. US phone

numbers only. If you are overseas, we provide this service via email - same rates apply.

2. Year, make & model of your motorcycle

3. Vehicle identification number (VIN)

4. Brief description of the issue or problem. Pictures are helpful and welcome.

5. Current, valid credit card number & expiration date. Our PayPal is info@rcycle.com.

(Do not send a PayPay payment without first following steps 1 - 4 via email.)

6. What time should Randy call you between 10 am to 6 pm Eastern Time Tues - Friday?

Sorry, call backs on Saturday, Sunday or Monday

What if Randy can't help me?

You will be notified immediately & there will no charge.

Rates for Phone or Email time

15 minutes = $25 US

30 minutes = $45 US

60 minutes = $90 US

No refund for unused time

Revitalize the Spirit & Beauty of your Classic Bike

Have a question about vintage bikes?

Need to talk to a mechanic about a problem, repair, or to get a second opinion?

Need help finding parts for your vintage bike?*

Not interested in spending hours researching or lots of $$ trying to figure it out?

For a small fee, we offer Randy Creel's 25+ years of expert mechanical experience & vintage bike knowledge personally tailored to your needs.

*We only locate & provide parts for bikes we service or restore. Otherwise, please purchase Help service.

What happens

After you provide the above information & when the payment is

confirmed, you will receive an email confirming your request for 15 or 30

minutes (or more) of technical help time & our Terms & Conditions.

You must reply to the email with your agreement, understanding, and

acceptance of the Terms & Conditions prior to the call.

Randy will call you at the appointed time. The clock will start the

moment the phone is answered either by a person or voice mail.

Terms & Conditions - you understand, agree to, and accept the following:

a. You are paying for Randy's time to responding to your question.

b. Our advice will only be as good as your description of the problem.

c. We offer no guarantee Randy's advice will fix your problem. Randy not

being able to fix an issue does not entitle you to a refund of the fee, which covers time spent answering your question. That said, we always endeavor to make our technical solutions as comprehensive and accurate as possible to ensure value for money and the best chance of problem resolution.

d. Disclaimer - When remotely diagnosing difficult technical problems there is always some scope for misinterpretation or error based on us not physically being able to assess the problem for ourselves. Hence our advice is based on your own description of the problem and is provided in good faith and to the best of our ability.

e. Injury or death - You understand and agree that Randy's Cycle Service & Restoration will not be held responsible for injury or death resulting in your acting on the advice given nor any damage to your equipment resulting either directly or indirectly from acting on advice given.

f. You are over 18 years of age.

Privacy

Your privacy is something we take very seriously. We never supply personal details including e-mail addresses to any third party companies. Your mailing address & e-mail address is solely used to contact you for this transaction & to verify credit card or PayPal information.

What makes Randy an "expert"? He has over 25 years of automotive repair and technology experience, is an ASE certified Master Automobile Technician with 10 certifications, and licensed Virginia Motor Vehicle Safety Inspector. Randy was formally trained on and serviced Saab, BMW, Volvo, and Mercedes vehicles. Since his early teenage years and throughout his automotive career, he has repaired and restored motorcycles as a hobby. His love of motorcycles became his livelihood in 2001, when he opened Randy's Cycle Service. Randy's extensive knowledge not only comes from hands-on experience & formal training, but his prodigious reading & absorption of motorcycle & mechanical manuals, magazines & internet forums. He has a near photographic memory that allows for an immense retention of information. Plus, he taught automotive technology for several semesters at a local college which honed his ability to explain complex mechanical issues clearly & succinctly.

Customer Testimonals

From Larry in Texas, September 2011 (repeat caller)

I am completely satisfied with the tech-help advice and pointers that I received.

From Bill in Montana, June 2011

My Kawasaki dealer tried to find the carbureator part and couldn't. Then he tried to make do with a Yamaha part for each carb, but they fell out. I've tried doing a Google search for the part number, tried Bike Bandit, eBay turned up nothing. Nothing else my dealer has tried is working, and it's looking like my alternative is to throw away the bike! As a last resort, I decided to contact some of the places listed for parts in the Vintage Japanese Motorcycle Club magazine which is how I found you. (We located the part for the customer & shipped next day.) Thanks for your email, as I was planning to write you to tell you that I got the parts on TUESDAY! Incredibly good service! And THANK YOU! I just got a call from my Kawasaki dealer/repair shop, and while I haven't been able to get the bike myself yet, they say that those "magic plugs" have done the trick! So, I just wanted to let you know the good news for me, and to thank you and Randy again for your help. And while I'm at it, I especially want to commend you again on your fast and conscientious service. You guys really "saved my bacon", as the expression goes. I was going to face a very difficult time ever using the bike again without those parts.

From Terris in Maine, April 2011

I found your web site and thought if I could talk to someone that worked on older cycles that they would know where to find the information I needed should they have not come across the issue before.

You folks definitely put my mind at ease. Randy not only found out the answer to my question but explained what I need to look out for when installing the proper parts. And why they may of failed in the first place.

I was treated with respect and courteousness. Thanks a million for not treating me as if I was stupid. That really made my day too.

I called two dealers in my area and even after one of them called Yamaha itself, neither could answer my questions.

From Larry in Texas, February 2011

1. How did you discover or hear about our Technical Help service?

While visiting your website, I noticed that telephone consultation was an offered service.

2. How would you describe the quality & usefulness of the advice & information you were provided regarding your vintage motorcycle?

I am certain that Randy's tips and suggestions for implementing the restoration of my particular bike, along with his recommendations of suppliers for various parts and material will prove invaluable. There is nothing like having a list of resources that are time proven by someone like Randy through his many restoration projects.

3. Do you feel Randy was professional & courteous?

Absolutely! Randy keenly articulates answers to questions put to him in a clear, concise, manner. There’s no doubt left in your mind as to what was meant; if you need clarification, you can ask in real time, further cementing you understanding.

4. Do you feel our Tech Help Line is a valuable, time saving resource for the vintage motorcycle enthusiast?

I believe that anyone who is preparing an outlay of time and money for a quality restoration should invest in solid research, not just by Internet, but by talking to someone like Randy who has such a depth of knowledge in this area.

5. Would you recommend our Tech Help Line to a fellow vintage bike owner that was in need of professional advice?

Without hesitation.

From Bob in Las Vegas, December 2010

1. Do you feel you received quality, correct advice that will help you fix your vintage motorcycle? Yes

2. Do you feel Randy was professional & courteous? Very professional!

3. Do you feel our Tech Help Line is a valuable, time saving resource for the vintage motorcycle enthusiast?

Yes it was very valuable .

4. Would you recommend our Tech Help Line to a fellow vintage bike owner? Yes I would.

Rate$

Why we charge for service

Randy's credentials

Customer Testimonials

Terms & Conditions

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"Help" Service

Website created and managed by Ursulina Creel. Comments? Send to info@rcycle.com

This page was last updated on: February 22, 2012

Website, photographs & video content are the property of Randy's Cycle Service & Restoration & may not be used for any reason without prior, written permission.