Beware! - Wemoto pattern parts
 

Hi All,
I'm sure all the learned brethren on our site already know the pitfalls of using pattern parts, but for those who are not read on........................
The dust seals on my front forks had started to really distort (K3 naked) I'm guessing water had seeped underneath and the metal inside the dust seal had started to rust and distort. (By the way the marks on the old seal are the distortion and rust, NOT me destroying it while prising it out of the well) =;
Anyhoos, I spent all day yesterday changing the seals (I know I'm slow, but the calipers, pins and pads also received a good pre-winter de gunge and grease) and when I fitted the Wemoto seals I thought they weren't seating in the well above the oil seals very well. This was confirmed when I first touched the brakes and both dust seals popped out of their wells and slid up the forks :(
I have now ordered OEM parts from George White in Swindon at twice the price. :rolleyes:

Re: Beware! - Wemoto pattern parts
 

Indeed, good tip never t buy any for the rest of us, but as you have them, whats the matter with a bit of superglue?!!? :rolleyes:

Re: Beware! - Wemoto pattern parts
 

I fitted some pattern dust seals from wemoto onto my curvy and had absolutely no problem with them at all

Re: Beware! - Wemoto pattern parts
 

Not sure if your good news will give any confidence to pointy owners :smt017

Re: Beware! - Wemoto pattern parts
 

No, maybe not but not all pattern parts are rubbish

Re: Beware! - Wemoto pattern parts
 

FWIW fork seals are one of the things I always go OE rather than aftermarket as IME they last longer.

Druid

Re: Beware! - Wemoto pattern parts
 

I've found Wemoto to have very good customer service, I'd suggest you phone them and give them a chance to make good rather than simply suggesting all parts from them are of inferior quality.


Jambo

Re: Beware! - Wemoto pattern parts
 

Wemoto fan me.....

Re: Beware! - Wemoto pattern parts
 

never had a problem with wemoto. Have had a lot of parts from them over the last year or so. Their customer service is brilliant. My example is

I dismantled Suzy in March to rebuild, about a year before I'd bought a whole load of kit from them including a Hagon shock. Put the lot under the bed as nobody had the time to do a big bike job. When YC offered the shock up to the bike in March it was plainly the wrong one. I rang wemoto up and said ''I know this is a long shot but....''

The answer was '' sure we can swap it for you, even though you've had it nearly a year, its still in the box never used and its obvious the wrong part was in the wrong box from Hagon, we'll order one from them and it'll go straight to your house, exchange them on the doorstep with the courier and the wrong un will come to us to sort out''

Can't fault that at all. brilliant:-)

Re: Beware! - Wemoto pattern parts
 

It does seem to be one of those unwritten rules that pattern fork seals tend to be a bit less good than OEM. No idea why.. But there's nothing wrong with most Wemoto stuff to be fair to them. I really, really wish I'd known about their gasket set 6 months ago before I spent more on half as many parts.

Re: Beware! - Wemoto pattern parts
 

They have cocked up an order for me before... was only a set of SRAD dust seals but was a major PITA... fair play to them though they got the proper ones to me the next day.

Re: Beware! - Wemoto pattern parts
 

OE fork manufacturers buy things like seals in from a variety of suppliers who make these kinds of things, they don't just have one source. The chances are the seals you buy as pattern parts are made by the same people who supply the likes of Showa, Kayaba etc. I've fitted some dirt cheap ones in the past when I've been a bit skint, and they've lasted years. I've fitted OE ones and they've lasted a few months - half the time it's down to worn and pitted forks, and grotty weather leaving crap on the stanchions.

I know from being a Bickers rep in the past that Vesrah are about the biggest supplier of OE parts to Japanese factories. Their range is huge and goes from inlet/exhaust valves to fork seals. They also make Nissin brake pads, Tokico brake pads and Sumitomo brake pads. If you buy a genuine gasket or control cable you're probably buying something made by Vesrah.

If I'm buying pattern parts I try to buy Vesrah because I know I'm getting the same thing they'd supply the factories with but at half the cost in most cases. I've never been disappointed with anything of theirs I've bought in the past.

Re: Beware! - Wemoto pattern parts
 

Top bunch of guys at wemoto. I use them for all of my race spares. So far I have used wheel bearings, carrier bearings, seals, gaskets and a few other bits n bobs. Nowt gone wrong with em. And thats all on a pointy. Suggest you ring them and I'm sure they will be more than glad to help.

Re: Beware! - Wemoto pattern parts
 

There is a difference between pattern and OE.

As you say though OEM are the same as OE but in a different box. If you know who makes the OE ones then buy them as they'll be exactly the same quality but far cheaper.

Druid

Re: Beware! - Wemoto pattern parts
 

Hi ya Jambo,
It seems my experience changes with each telling :rolleyes:
I only stated that the seals supplied for my K3 naked were not of merchantable quality. I never said or suggested that all Wemoto parts were inferior :shock:
If you and others have had good experiences with Wemoto then it is only right that you be allowed to state it. By the same measure, I believe that I should be allowed the same facility and not be barracked for doing so.
I contacted Wemoto on Monday (in office hours) and they apologised and offered me a refund.
Oh and my photos show quite clearly that OEM and pattern (for the K3 naked) are NOT the same part made by someone different.

Re: Beware! - Wemoto pattern parts
 

I've bought the same OE part from a Kawasaki dealer at different times and had 3 different looking items. Each one did the job as well as the other, but none of them were identical to look at. All depends on what supplier they used at the time.

Re: Beware! - Wemoto pattern parts
 

+ 1

I have never had any problems with Wemoto to date.

+ 1, it is down to the supplier at the time.