Day 12. Whitehorse

Todays blog should have been started with the good news that 'Sydders' was well again, & back on the road. It should then have been filled with details of our departure from Whitehorse, and the splendid ride down to Watson Lake marking the return leg of the journey. Instead, we are still in Whitehorse with no clear indication of when we will be getting away! So you will forgive the lack of jocular prose, complete absence of photo's, and just let me vent.

My blog a couple of days ago reported a problem we encountered with 'Sydders' on our way to Whitehorse from Skagway. What appeared to me to be a quite minor oil leak, but linked to the engine not producing power past 3950rpm. This was I suspected, some sort of rev limiter to protect the engine. As we arrived too late on Saturday to see the service staff, we had to cool our heels for the remainder of the day, and all day Sunday. I was pretty convinced that rectification would be quite simple, as the problem had not been catastrophic. First thing this morning we rode the short distance through town to the dealer, arriving a little before 8:30am and opening time. One set of doors were open, so we made our way in and found the service reception desk.

The service manager was pleasant enough and listened to the problem as I outlined it. First of all he said he'd have to wait to see who came in - mechanic wise, then he told us he had servicings booked for the next couple of days!!! I resisted the temptation to remind him that this was something of an emergency, and went to wait patiently - well as patiently as I can manage - by the coffee machine. Several 'bods' came and went, getting the first cup of coffee for the day, but we sat quietly. After a fairly short time, the service manager directed a mechanic in our direction and we saw the first glimmer of hope for the last few days. Once again I explained the problem and the mechanic asked Wendy to ride the bike to the workshop door. He told us he would look at the bike immediately, then let us know the outcome. We headed back to the coffee machine, with a little more spring in our step and the prospect of being on our way fairly quickly............. All that was about to change!

The mechanic came out from the workshop and went to the parts counter, a pretty clear indication that something was needed to fix the problem. He and the parts 'guy' chatted, and consulted the computer screen but there was a lack of confidence in either of them. Then I thought I heard, "....we don't have...." from the parts guy. That made me pay attention. The mechanic went over to the service manager and was obviously explaining the situation to him. At this point I had to intervene and find out what the hell was going on - or not! It turns out that the leak was caused by a faulty oil pressure switch. It took the mechanic minutes to find the problem and given the spare part, would no doubt have taken minutes to rectify. However, not only did Yukon Honda not have the part, neither it seemed did Bombardier Recreational Products (BRP), manufacturer of the Spyder, Ski-Doo etc etc. Not only did they not have a part available, BRP customer service were closed on a Monday, and the problem was now dropped back in our lap. There was not the FAINTEST offer of assistance from the service manager, who basically stood there while our world collapsed in a heap at our feet. I had expected a,"let me see if..............", or,"let me try...........". But no, nothing, he just stood there while Wendy and I tried to come to grips with the problem. Thank you for fuck all Mr Matthew Johnson of Yukon Honda! All I can hope is that someone, somewhere does you a similar courtesy when you are in a corner!

Obviously the situation wasn't going to be sorted for us by this dealer, so we had to do things ourselves. I went back to the parts guy, who not only confirmed the nil stock situation, but the lack of customer service on a Monday! A stroke of corporate brilliance on BRP's part, who's have thought to do that, closed on a Monday following a weekend where folks generally get out on their machines, which occasionally have problems! Masterstroke, I'd never have considered that move!!!!! Now the only life line was tossed our way by the parts guy, why don't WE try (not them you understand, but we the stranded BRP customer) our local dealer to see if they can help. It seemed an obvious solution, one you thought a caring sharing service manager would have considered to help out a customer???????? Bitter me - ohhh, I haven't started yet folk!

Armed with this thin lifeline, we headed back to the hotel. The very hotel we were due to vacate at 11am. I explained our plight to the lady at the front desk who couldn't have been more helpful, or sympathetic of she tried. She quickly booked us back into our existing room. Then later she added another day for good measure - just in case! All I can say with hind sight is that she had an 'inside track' to events which were unfolding. So a great big thank you for your compassion and help to the Best Western Goldrush Inn, Whitehorse. Back in the room, I called the dealer in Red Deer Alberta where Wendy bought the bike last year. Here's another big shout out for Turple Bros of Red Deer. When we explained our plight, they couldn't do enough for us.

Although they had nil stock of the pressure switch themselves, they took a brand new machine off the floor and robbed the switch. Now making this unit unsellable!!! The switch was then dispatched DHL to Yukon Honda. While we waited for confirmation that the switch had been sent, Wendy spoke again with the ever helpful Mr Johnson, and offered a solution. Would he consider robbing a switch from a unit in stock so we could get on our way. They would then have a replacement switch arrive from Turle Bros and their unit would be saleable once more. No, not at all was his response. They had been 'stung' in the past and would not disable a new unit on a promise. I spoke with Brenda at Turple Bros, explained the situation and asked if she could possibly apply a little 'leverage', even confirm shipment. She did so, but the ever helpful and resourceful Mr Johnson would not budge. He would do nothing until he had the part in his clammy selfish hands!

Well folks, it looks like a lot of hard effort has been 'dumped' down the electrical toilet! I spent ages documenting further events of the day, including a visit to a delightful Mexican restaurant where we had dinner. For some inexplicable reason, all of this work appears to have been dumped. I guess it must have been down to me, so what the 'feck'!!!!!! Suffice to say that in my original draft, I appologised to Wendy for me acting like a complete arse! The combined effects of the day had so pissed me off, I was behaving like a real jerk. Once again Pickle, I publicly appologise for behaving like a prat! Not your fault, or 'Sydders', just the combined efforts of the arse Johnson & Co to really wind me up! It took several glasses of local 'brew' to allow me too relax sufficiently to say so!! To all those of you considering a BRP Spyder as a vehicle of choice, I still think it is a great machine - I love riding it. However, I'm a little pissed off that BRP provide a part time customer service, for my full time pay to purchase one of their machines!!!!! If they are happy to take $20k+ for a bike, they should provide proper customer service. This is shabby & cheap, get real!!!!

I'm sureI have missed half the stuff I wrote originally but it looks like I've 'shit canned' it somewhere 'out there'. Now I'm too tired to worry & doubt there are many people reading my thoughts, so bugger it, I'm off to bed. I hope tomorrow I am be able to 'educate' BRP to the error of their ways, & get them too stick a hot poker up the pompous arse of Mr Matthew Johnson. So enlightening him to the ways of proper customer service. Failing that, I'll just have to stick my boot up his ignorant arse!!!! I'm sure the original text was better thought out than this rushed replacement, so be it - I'm off to bed! I hope tomorrow brings better news, and I can cheerfully report on our continued progress southward and home. Nite nite all, and to my fellow bikers, keep the black stuff down.