Author Topic: Advanced Sport Touring? [Vendor Issues]  (Read 71754 times)

Online VirginiaJim

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Re: Advanced Sport Touring? [Vendor Issues]
« Reply #160 on: May 13, 2015, 07:58:33 PM »
Dave's not here..
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Offline CRocker

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Re: Advanced Sport Touring? [Vendor Issues]
« Reply #161 on: May 13, 2015, 09:21:15 PM »
'02 C-10

Offline Conniesaki

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Re: Advanced Sport Touring? [Vendor Issues]
« Reply #162 on: May 14, 2015, 04:25:15 PM »
+1
this guy has to change his business model or change business. Like flipping burgers. With Steve (or was it Dave...) from Kawasaki's hot line.

Anybody waiting for him to deliver their burger would probably starve to death.

Well ... unless the burger joint had a chat button.

Offline Gigantor

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Re: Advanced Sport Touring? [Vendor Issues]
« Reply #163 on: May 15, 2015, 05:45:06 AM »
I don't think AST needs the money, after numerous attempts to contact them about my
order, I ended up getting a refund through Paypal.

Clearly AST has other priorities


2014 Concours 14 ABS Metallic Spark Black
 Xpel Custom Bra kit, SOCALMOTOGEAR HID system, Philip Luggage Rack, Projekt D Radiator Guard, Carbon Fiber Rear Hugger, Mini Euro Sport Shield, Kaw Tour Seat, HF80/2 Horn, RG Frame Sliders, PR4

Offline blueverclear

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Re: Advanced Sport Touring? [Vendor Issues]
« Reply #164 on: May 18, 2015, 01:24:02 PM »
^^^^too many reliable no-frills no drama vendors to be %$#&ing around chasing orders down

Unfortunately, there aren't any other venders that could give me a 2.5" rise and 2.25" pullback on my handlebars for the $150 range. The closest one comparable was the lsl kit which is around $500 and not too attractive imho.

I wish there were companies that produce something comparable at even 150 - 200% of the price but the fact is there isn't. I'm not at all defending AST just giving facts/opinions of my experiences. I personally talked to Ryan about improving his customer service tactics because I totally agree that they are in need of much improvement but as far as the products he offers when you can reach him..... so far they are really great and some of which are just not offered by any other company.
Grant
08 Concours 14
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Sold: 07 ZX-14, 06 ZX10R, 05 FZ1, 05 R1, 03 Mean Streak, 00 Cbr 600 F4, 99 Roadstar, 99 Magna, 95 GSXR 750

Offline freebird6

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Re: Advanced Sport Touring? [Vendor Issues]
« Reply #165 on: May 19, 2015, 07:17:41 AM »
Ordered the under rack tail lamp that no else has. Ordered on wednesday, got here monday. I am ok with that
2008 Concours
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Offline jrad

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Re: Advanced Sport Touring? [Vendor Issues]
« Reply #166 on: July 16, 2015, 08:34:45 PM »
It'll take alot to get me to trust him. The while thing wriT the backrest ( ordered Feb 15, received June something) .  I have my eye on some risers, helmet locks, and a few other items.  I just can't bring myself to make a purchase because of the service I didn't receive.  I asked for a refund in week 5.  He never posted a reply, but was posting Facebook messages from his Daytona trip. Guess he couldn't afford my refund

Offline Grand Wazoo

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Re: Advanced Sport Touring? [Vendor Issues]
« Reply #167 on: July 23, 2015, 08:53:57 AM »
 :-[ *** ADVANCED SPORT TOURING (AST) – BEWARE!!! . . . I REPEAT – BEWARE!!! ***
If you are thinking about buying anything from this company, think twice, and if you still decide to go ahead anyway after reading my comments  below, then you really need get your head examined!

I bought a new Concours 14 in 2012 and then came across some of the accessories that Advanced Sport Touring offered. I thought it was great that someone who owned a Concours 14 was coming up with unique accessories to improve/personalize this motorcycle. I bought a few items back then with no issues. However, I made a deal with the owner (Ryan Niquette) for two items in early 2014. He shipped the main item (Adjustable Touring Pegs) and said that the other item ($50 grip covers) was temporarily out-of-stock. Subsequent follow-up emails by me were answered with an assortment of excuses (supplier problems, changing suppliers, incorrect items received, yada-yada-yada). The end-result was that I never received the other item and he stopped answering my emails. What a disgraceful way to do business!

Here’s the part where I should really get MY head examined:
Against my better judgment, on June 6th I placed a $325 order with AST for Passenger Peg Lowering Brackets and Passenger Mini Floorboards. I had looked around and couldn’t find any others that were an exact fit for my bike, so even though I knew better, I caved in and ordered them. Initially I received an order acknowledgment with no mention whatsoever of any backorder situation, so I expected to get them in a few days, and certainly within a week. After waiting several weeks and hearing/receiving nothing, I sent three (3) separate emails requesting a status update. I also checked the website and my order wasn’t even shown as being in existence. It wasn’t until after I had mentioned in my third email that I planned to contact PayPal that I finally received a response. This was on June 21st and I was given an apology, lame excuses for the delay (training new employees, waiting for items, yada-yada-yada) and this offer, “I'll throw in a free set of Helmet Locks for the trouble”. I was told that the order would ship on June 25th. Of course, not surprisingly it didn’t . . .

Having had enough of this nonsense, I finally contacted PayPal on July 7th and filed a dispute (> one month after order placement). Almost immediately I received an email from Ryan and he made some excuse that my other emails “were found in his SPAM bin”. I had sent those emails as responses to his original order acknowledgment email, so anybody who knows anything about SPAM filters would know that it is highly improbable that my emails would have ever gone into the originator’s SPAM bin. It was simply a load of crap, plus he had already acknowledged receiving my previous email on June 21st when I had threatened to contact PayPal. Lies . . .lies . . .lies!

As a result of my irritation over this whole matter, I was prompted to do a little research into Ryan Niquette’s Advanced Sport Touring company. Here’s a few things that I discovered that members/potential customers should know:

•   Check out Advanced Sport Touring’s rating with the Florida Better Business Bureau ( http://www.bbb.org/west-florida/business-reviews/motorcycle-part-suppliers/advanced-sport-touring-in-hudson-fl-90209893/complaints ).  AST has an “F” rating with the BBB (and that’s only because they don’t rate G-Z). I read about 20 of these complaints from the past year or so and almost every one of them was very similar to what I had experienced, even down to the same flimsy excuses. Also, almost all of the complaints mentioned the same thing; that he doesn’t ship orders and won’t answer emails or phone calls. Keep in mind how many more dissatisfied customers (like me) never thought to file a complaint with the BBB. I was amused to read that someone else was also offered free helmet locks “for the trouble”. It must be the standard ploy to try to appease irate customers.
•   If you look on EBAY and Amazon you will no longer find any products advertised from Advanced Sport Touring. Coincidence? I think not. My guess is that he was likely booted for the same types of nonsense that he has pulled with me and others. One C.O.G. member who complained to Amazon about his unfulfilled AST order mentioned that they had encouraged him to send in feedback about the seller. I think it’s safe to assume that Amazon probably had enough of him, as did EBAY.
•   If you look for Advanced Sport Touring’s page on Facebook you will find that it was taken down. It’s really not hard to figure out why . . .
•   I read many other postings on the C.O.G. forum from members complaining about the same exact experiences, so I quickly learned that I was far from alone. Here’s a sample: http://forum.cog-online.org/index.php/topic,52725.msg379196.html#msg379196 . On the topic of AST, one rather amusing comment made by a C.O.G. member jokingly said something like, “it seems that one out of every five people on this forum has an okay experience with them”.  That’s 20% okay . . .  with 80% regrettable!
•   I even had to laugh when I read comments between a few C.O.G. members indicating that maybe someone should go to his shop (it’s looks more like a storage unit) and check on his welfare.

Because I was jerked around by this guy (again), I have now educated myself as to what a ****-poor reputation AST has, especially with many of the Concours owners in this group (it kind of falls in that category, “you don’t s*** where you eat”).

I don’t know (or care) what this guy’s problem is, but he has proven himself to be a very unreliable, unscrupulous, and unethical “businessman”. However well-intentioned he may have started out,  his business model has been very poorly executed, to say the least! I would suspect that maybe he hasn’t been paying his suppliers, so therefore he can’t fill orders in a timely manner. If Advanced Sport Touring had done business reputably like 99% of the other companies out there, you would not be reading this, but Ryan Niquette fully earned this posting. Frankly, I will be surprised if the Advanced Sport Touring company is even around much longer, based on the way things seem to be going. It’s too bad, because it seemed like this guy has a modicum of talent.

Anyway, hopefully this information will prevent others from experiencing the same unnecessary and unappreciated aggravation that I did. However, if you still go ahead and purchase anything from Advanced Sport Touring, I wish you good luck (you’re going to need it!). Oh, and don’t forget to go get your head examined!

And yes, the last order that I will ever place with Advanced Sport Touring finally arrived on July 13th, FIVE (5) weeks after being placed and I’m quite sure only because I had involved PayPal! In keeping with AST’s fine tradition of disappointing its customers, the order did not include the aforementioned free helmet locks which were offered “for the trouble”. Just more of the same exemplary “customer service” from Ryan Niquette . . .

Offline mikeb2411

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Re: Advanced Sport Touring? [Vendor Issues]
« Reply #168 on: July 23, 2015, 09:10:38 AM »
:-[ *** ADVANCED SPORT TOURING (AST) – BEWARE!!! . . . I REPEAT – BEWARE!!! ***
If you are thinking about buying anything from this company, think twice, and if you still decide to go ahead anyway after reading my comments  below, then you really need get your head examined!

I bought a new Concours 14 in 2012 and then came across some of the accessories that Advanced Sport Touring offered. I thought it was great that someone who owned a Concours 14 was coming up with unique accessories to improve/personalize this motorcycle. I bought a few items back then with no issues. However, I made a deal with the owner (Ryan Niquette) for two items in early 2014. He shipped the main item (Adjustable Touring Pegs) and said that the other item ($50 grip covers) was temporarily out-of-stock. Subsequent follow-up emails by me were answered with an assortment of excuses (supplier problems, changing suppliers, incorrect items received, yada-yada-yada). The end-result was that I never received the other item and he stopped answering my emails. What a disgraceful way to do business!

Here’s the part where I should really get MY head examined:
Against my better judgment, on June 6th I placed a $325 order with AST for Passenger Peg Lowering Brackets and Passenger Mini Floorboards. I had looked around and couldn’t find any others that were an exact fit for my bike, so even though I knew better, I caved in and ordered them. Initially I received an order acknowledgment with no mention whatsoever of any backorder situation, so I expected to get them in a few days, and certainly within a week. After waiting several weeks and hearing/receiving nothing, I sent three (3) separate emails requesting a status update. I also checked the website and my order wasn’t even shown as being in existence. It wasn’t until after I had mentioned in my third email that I planned to contact PayPal that I finally received a response. This was on June 21st and I was given an apology, lame excuses for the delay (training new employees, waiting for items, yada-yada-yada) and this offer, “I'll throw in a free set of Helmet Locks for the trouble”. I was told that the order would ship on June 25th. Of course, not surprisingly it didn’t . . .

Having had enough of this nonsense, I finally contacted PayPal on July 7th and filed a dispute (> one month after order placement). Almost immediately I received an email from Ryan and he made some excuse that my other emails “were found in his SPAM bin”. I had sent those emails as responses to his original order acknowledgment email, so anybody who knows anything about SPAM filters would know that it is highly improbable that my emails would have ever gone into the originator’s SPAM bin. It was simply a load of crap, plus he had already acknowledged receiving my previous email on June 21st when I had threatened to contact PayPal. Lies . . .lies . . .lies!

As a result of my irritation over this whole matter, I was prompted to do a little research into Ryan Niquette’s Advanced Sport Touring company. Here’s a few things that I discovered that members/potential customers should know:

•   Check out Advanced Sport Touring’s rating with the Florida Better Business Bureau ( http://www.bbb.org/west-florida/business-reviews/motorcycle-part-suppliers/advanced-sport-touring-in-hudson-fl-90209893/complaints ).  AST has an “F” rating with the BBB (and that’s only because they don’t rate G-Z). I read about 20 of these complaints from the past year or so and almost every one of them was very similar to what I had experienced, even down to the same flimsy excuses. Also, almost all of the complaints mentioned the same thing; that he doesn’t ship orders and won’t answer emails or phone calls. Keep in mind how many more dissatisfied customers (like me) never thought to file a complaint with the BBB. I was amused to read that someone else was also offered free helmet locks “for the trouble”. It must be the standard ploy to try to appease irate customers.
•   If you look on EBAY and Amazon you will no longer find any products advertised from Advanced Sport Touring. Coincidence? I think not. My guess is that he was likely booted for the same types of nonsense that he has pulled with me and others. One C.O.G. member who complained to Amazon about his unfulfilled AST order mentioned that they had encouraged him to send in feedback about the seller. I think it’s safe to assume that Amazon probably had enough of him, as did EBAY.
•   If you look for Advanced Sport Touring’s page on Facebook you will find that it was taken down. It’s really not hard to figure out why . . .
•   I read many other postings on the C.O.G. forum from members complaining about the same exact experiences, so I quickly learned that I was far from alone. Here’s a sample: http://forum.cog-online.org/index.php/topic,52725.msg379196.html#msg379196 . On the topic of AST, one rather amusing comment made by a C.O.G. member jokingly said something like, “it seems that one out of every five people on this forum has an okay experience with them”.  That’s 20% okay . . .  with 80% regrettable!
•   I even had to laugh when I read comments between a few C.O.G. members indicating that maybe someone should go to his shop (it’s looks more like a storage unit) and check on his welfare.

Because I was jerked around by this guy (again), I have now educated myself as to what a ****-poor reputation AST has, especially with many of the Concours owners in this group (it kind of falls in that category, “you don’t s*** where you eat”).

I don’t know (or care) what this guy’s problem is, but he has proven himself to be a very unreliable, unscrupulous, and unethical “businessman”. However well-intentioned he may have started out,  his business model has been very poorly executed, to say the least! I would suspect that maybe he hasn’t been paying his suppliers, so therefore he can’t fill orders in a timely manner. If Advanced Sport Touring had done business reputably like 99% of the other companies out there, you would not be reading this, but Ryan Niquette fully earned this posting. Frankly, I will be surprised if the Advanced Sport Touring company is even around much longer, based on the way things seem to be going. It’s too bad, because it seemed like this guy has a modicum of talent.

Anyway, hopefully this information will prevent others from experiencing the same unnecessary and unappreciated aggravation that I did. However, if you still go ahead and purchase anything from Advanced Sport Touring, I wish you good luck (you’re going to need it!). Oh, and don’t forget to go get your head examined!

And yes, the last order that I will ever place with Advanced Sport Touring finally arrived on July 13th, FIVE (5) weeks after being placed and I’m quite sure only because I had involved PayPal! In keeping with AST’s fine tradition of disappointing its customers, the order did not include the aforementioned free helmet locks which were offered “for the trouble”. Just more of the same exemplary “customer service” from Ryan Niquette . . .

Haha...I received free Helmet Locks from him too ::)! My last order with him was for 3 items. I received one of those items and can't get him to respond to any emails or his "Chat" on his webpage for the other 2 items. I figure those items aren't going to arrive and I've written them off (they were small things so not too worried about it).

I did order my "Peg Lowering Kit" from him a few months back and received it BUT it had the wrong hardware (it came with the hardware for his Backrest Kit) and it DID NOT have the template needed for cutting the "relief" into the heat shield. I have tried to contact him in an attempt to have him send the template to me (he could email the template to me) but I can't seem to get his attention...pretty weak!

Mike
Ojai, CA
2016 Black Triumph Trophy SE

Offline mikeb2411

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Re: Advanced Sport Touring? [Vendor Issues]
« Reply #169 on: July 23, 2015, 09:13:23 AM »
BTW, his "Chat" feature on his webpage hasn't been working. Chat was the only way in the past that I could get him to respond but looks like that's gone too ???! Time to find someone else to buy our stuff from!
Mike
Ojai, CA
2016 Black Triumph Trophy SE

Offline Gigantor

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Re: Advanced Sport Touring? [Vendor Issues]
« Reply #170 on: July 23, 2015, 09:16:01 AM »
Obviously Ryan does not need the business, I find it hard to believe someone
with so many accessories for the C-14 does not know how to run a business.

What does Ryan really do for a living?


I had to file a complaint with Paypal also, and received a full refund


2014 Concours 14 ABS Metallic Spark Black
 Xpel Custom Bra kit, SOCALMOTOGEAR HID system, Philip Luggage Rack, Projekt D Radiator Guard, Carbon Fiber Rear Hugger, Mini Euro Sport Shield, Kaw Tour Seat, HF80/2 Horn, RG Frame Sliders, PR4

Offline mikeb2411

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Re: Advanced Sport Touring? [Vendor Issues]
« Reply #171 on: July 23, 2015, 09:42:14 AM »
What does Ryan really do for a living?

Kind of looks like he takes people's money for a living ???

I knew another guy like that in a totally different business...would take huge orders (when I say huge I mean LARGE money...$10k, $20k and more) and then leave people hanging. IF they were lucky they would get there stuff within 1 year of ordering (which should have taken 1 month) but that was rare. I've known of orders being 2+ years late and a lot that never were filled! It's so strange though...people knew of this guy and how he worked YET people kept coming. He's still in business despite the fact that he runs his business so poorly...can't figure it out!
Mike
Ojai, CA
2016 Black Triumph Trophy SE

Offline Grand Wazoo

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Re: Advanced Sport Touring? [Vendor Issues]
« Reply #172 on: July 23, 2015, 02:32:17 PM »
Simply put, this guy (Ryan Niquette) has steadily evolved into a bum. As I predicted in my previous email, it's surely only a matter of time until he pulls down that website. I mean, how many oblivious Concours owners are there left that have not heard the horror stories associated with AST? Selling specialty parts to a niche market is tricky enough, but systematically pissing off large groups of people who actually own these particular motorcycles is just plain STUPID! He's an idiot! :nuts:

Offline MAN OF BLUES

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Re: Advanced Sport Touring? [Vendor Issues]
« Reply #173 on: July 23, 2015, 03:23:12 PM »
hehehhe
a COG member just posted this picture of a bike he saw last weekend at a "bike night" in Fla somewhere...

here's where your money went.... to bling on his bike....


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Offline mikeb2411

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Re: Advanced Sport Touring? [Vendor Issues]
« Reply #174 on: July 23, 2015, 03:28:22 PM »
hehehhe
a COG member just posted this picture of a bike he saw last weekend at a "bike night" in Fla somewhere...

here's where your money went.... to bling on his bike....



OMG, that looks so bad! A "pimped out" Connie...NOOOO!!!!
Mike
Ojai, CA
2016 Black Triumph Trophy SE

Offline maxtog

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Re: Advanced Sport Touring? [Vendor Issues]
« Reply #175 on: July 23, 2015, 06:39:18 PM »
OMG, that looks so bad! A "pimped out" Connie...NOOOO!!!!

Ug, that poor 2011 C14
Shoodaben (was Guhl) Mountain Runner ECU flash, Canyon Cages front/rear, Helibars risers, Phil's wedges, Grip Puppies, Sargent World seat-low & heated & pod, Muzzy lowering links, Soupy's stand, Nautilus air horn, Admore lightbar, Ronnie's highway pegs, front running lights, all LED, helmet locks, RAM Xgrip, Sena SMH10, Throttle Tamer, MRA X-Creen, BearingUp Shifter, PR4-GT, Scorpion EXO-T1200,etc

Offline clogan

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Re: Advanced Sport Touring? [Vendor Issues]
« Reply #176 on: July 23, 2015, 07:29:59 PM »
I'm astounded: twelves pages of replies to a thread about a crappy vendor. 12 pages!
 Simply amazing.
2010 Neptune blue C14
2009 blue KLR
2013 DRZ400

Offline mikeb2411

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Re: Advanced Sport Touring? [Vendor Issues]
« Reply #177 on: July 23, 2015, 08:46:07 PM »
I'm astounded: twelves pages of replies to a thread about a crappy vendor. 12 pages!
 Simply amazing.

Kind of says "something"...doesn't it!
Mike
Ojai, CA
2016 Black Triumph Trophy SE

Offline Gigantor

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Re: Advanced Sport Touring? [Vendor Issues]
« Reply #178 on: July 24, 2015, 05:31:37 AM »
Nobody threw egg on the pannier yet? Ryan knows marketing, and that's all


2014 Concours 14 ABS Metallic Spark Black
 Xpel Custom Bra kit, SOCALMOTOGEAR HID system, Philip Luggage Rack, Projekt D Radiator Guard, Carbon Fiber Rear Hugger, Mini Euro Sport Shield, Kaw Tour Seat, HF80/2 Horn, RG Frame Sliders, PR4

Offline kwakrider

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Re: Advanced Sport Touring? [Vendor Issues]
« Reply #179 on: July 24, 2015, 07:02:24 AM »
Nobody threw egg on the pannier yet? Ryan knows marketing, and that's all

I'm surprised no one has taken "action" against this vendor...this side of the world the bikers would have stomped on him long ago...and hard!!  ;D