CLOSED! GROUP BUY: TechSpec Gripster Tank Grips for Tenere T7!!!

[BellissiMoto]

Hello everyone!

 

Now that everyone has got their TechSpec items, it seems some folks weren't happy with the way one of the panels was fitting.  The Left Rear panel didn't line up too great, so here is the official word from TechSpec...

 

They modified/updated the Left, Rear Panel, to make it fit much better.  They will start sending replacements to everyone this Friday.

 

Some of you wondered why the access holes holes were rather small, and not as large as the actual opening. 

 

As for the holes being bigger, here's what they had to say:

 

They liked the bigger holes also, but that pattern is more complex and drastically slows down their process with chamfering that inside radius, which would mean higher cost, and they are still not keen on the little tabs and the leg on the lower panel because it's more vulnerable to lifting

 

Their idea is that the more surface area they can cover with the grip material the better.

 

They also said if anyone wants a refund they would take care of you.  Based on their customer service alone, and they way they handled the situation, I know I'll be keep them on my bike 

 

- Paul

[Idarex]

No complaints here.  Just finished the IDBDR and these made a huge difference for me.  I'm happy with them.  Thx again for getting this buy done Paul.  -EP

[BellissiMoto]

Just wanted to let everyone know, TechSpec has started to ship the modified/updated Left Rear Panel, to everyone to make it fit much better.

 

When you receive it, please give me feedback as to how it fits compared to the original.

 

TechSpec cares about your feedback, and actually took them off their website until they receive feedback on the new panel.

 

They want to ensure customer satisfaction before they make them available again.

 

Now THAT's service!!!

 

Thank you TechSpec!!!

[REDHORSECA]

I got my two revised rear panel pieces in the mail today.

 

They arrived in a small brown cardboard envelope.

[DT675]

On 8/10/2020 at 10:37 PM, UtahJack said:

I haven't decided if I am going to install the third piece yet.

I wasn't happy with the smaller holes, can't get the screws out and one of them is required to have lock-tight applied, and I felt it just made a place to collect dirt and water. So I enlarged the holes.

I think I’ll be doing the same.  It looks like you cut AND chamfered yours? Can you let me know how you did this? Thanks! 
 

I have Techspec on a other bikes and like their products. 

[UtahJack]

@DT675

It was really easy, drew the pattern I wanted on the back, cut it out easily with scissors. Tampered the edge with a Dremel and a sanding wheel, the whole job took just a few minutes.

[BellissiMoto]

Hi everyone!  

 

By now, I believe you should have all got the revised rear pads by TechSpec.

 

What do you think?  Comments, feedback, suggestions? 

 

I have several more customers wanting the Tenere set, and TechSpec wants your feedback before they make them available again.

 

I'd love to here what everyone has to say!

 

Please let me know

[mattgif]

28 minutes ago, BellissiMoto said:

By now, I believe you should have all got the revised rear pads by TechSpec.

I haven't received anything yet, FYI. Did they provide tracking #s?

[roy826]

I believe mine arrives today according to my USPS daily digest email I receive. 
 

I will post back later on about the new pad fitment. 

[BellissiMoto]

4 minutes ago, mattgif said:

I haven't received anything yet, FYI. Did they provide tracking #s?

They started shipping last Friday, But I believe some went out early this week also.  I'd say you should have them pretty soon

 

 

[roy826]

Ok I got mine in and on just now. It’s an improvement but I did have to tweak that left side some to hit the key hole and not overlap onto the bottom screw cut out. No big deal the key hole didn’t need to be centered it never was an issue. The right side went on no issues. 
 

Old ones just peeled right off no glue residual at all. They’ll stick again if I decide to go back to them. Dust had collected behind the hole overlaps. 

Edited August 28, 2020 by roy826

[MGG]

4 hours ago, roy826 said:

Ok I got mine in and on just now. It’s an improvement but I did have to tweak that left side some to hit the key hole and not overlap onto the bottom screw cut out. No big deal the key hole didn’t need to be centered it never was an issue. The right side went on no issues. 
 

Old ones just peeled right off no glue residual at all. They’ll stick again if I decide to go back to them. Dust had collected behind the hole overlaps. 

What's going on with that 3rd piece ? ... is that the new design ? ... (shorter from the bottom) ... it looks half baked.

... if this is not looking good I might as well put skateboard grip tape ... and cancel my order.

 

I was expecting a full size 3rd piece ... and all of them corrected to bigger holes

Edited August 28, 2020 by MGG
typo

[roy826]

39 minutes ago, MGG said:

What's going on with that 3rd piece ? ... is that the new design ? ... (shorter from the bottom) ... it looks half baked.

... if this is not looking good I might as well put skateboard grip tape ... and cancel my order.

 

I was expecting a full size 3rd piece ... and all of them corrected to bigger holes

That’s it they chopped off the bottom portions near the bolt holes on the 3rd pieces. Doesn’t matter to me not much different than the before pieces. Not like those rear ward pieces did anything to begin with. Most won’t even use them. 

[MGG]

3 minutes ago, roy826 said:

That’s it they chopped off the bottom portions near the bolt holes on the 3rd pieces. Doesn’t matter to me not much different than the before pieces. Not like those rear ward pieces did anything to begin with. Most won’t even use them. 

... but the previous 3rd piece at least looked the part and made everything fit together ... the new "chopped off" one is out of place ... this is still expensive for a sheet of rubber with glue.

[Tazmool]

First Off, Thank you BellissiMoto for organizing the group buy.

TechSpec?  What the heck are you guys doing? 
Do you not have a T7 to actually pattern the product on? 

It seems to me, that TS is using T7 Owners to develop their product, at T7 owners expense!?! 

When I received the parts, and did a trial fit on my bike, I was hugely dissapointed at the half-assed product.....
I was going to toss them in the garbage, but then I figured, you know what, some other memeber may appreciate these for exactly what they will have into them.....Nothing..... (ie. I gave them away for free, and even paid shipping for them, .. because it would be wrong to charge anything for what I was sent....) 

  

Again it seems that TS did not have a bike to try these on?   Or they just dont' care to develop these themselves?  

IF, this was a product trial, this should have been made clear by Tech Spec, and the product should have been FREE! with clear-cut communication, that these are some kind of pre-production "guess" at what the pads should sort of be? 
Or were these made for a different bike?  and TS was hoping they would fit the T7?!?   

I was especially irked, as shipping to Canada was $35usd, plus the cost of the product, plus import fees/duties...  
I paid about $200cnd for an unfinished product...!!!
Now, Tech Spec has made another half-baked effort....     does this work for you guys?  no?  ok...   hold my beer while I try a random cut on this again......  does this work?     

What is this?!?  their development cycle? 

 

I think what TechSpec pulled here is very dishonest.

 

Tazmool

[UtahJack]

First off thank you BellissiMoto for putting this together.

 

I got mine didn't even take them out of the package. The two forward pieces work fine once you modify them, which is really easy.

 

I just don't see the need for the third piece, the location and the recess of that portion of the panel renders the use of a grip pad pointless.  I have tried to put myself into a position that would utilize the grip pad in that location, in order to have my legs that far back I would have to be descending an extremely steep hill, and at that point I am pretty much locked into position with the pegs and not really utilizing the grip pads. Truthfully unless you have Ape like arms like me you would be hard pressed to even get that far back.

 

Having the forward grip pads and my PivotPegs really have made control in the standing position much improved.

 

I will admit that I plan on changing to Yamaha's version when they become available in the US.

I probably will wait until these show signs of wear, which judging by how soft the rubber is will not take long.

 

Well that's my two cents, which is about what my opinion is worth.

[MGG]

I am also glad that Paul at @BellissiMoto is putting all this effort to get needed products to us. 

And I also like having stuff that some people don't know they even exist. And at some level I understand the struggle to develop these products, and I am happy to contribute when I can. 

 

Now since I am in Canada it pains me to see the price on these when shipping and customs are factored in. Makes me lose the will to get new stuff.

 

The only reason why I liked the 3rd piece is for the looks, and it better be the first design.

 

What I really need is the TC pieces 1, 2 and possibly even an extra piece on the lower tank section similar to R&G. https://www.rg-racing.com/browsebike/Yamaha/Tenere_700/2019/EZRG934/#

 

 

Do you think there will be a 3rd design ? ... really soon ?... (cause I am tired of waiting on this one)

[johnnygolucky]

On 8/27/2020 at 8:51 PM, Tazmool said:

First Off, Thank you BellissiMoto for organizing the group buy.

TechSpec?  What the heck are you guys doing? 
Do you not have a T7 to actually pattern the product on? 
 

I think what TechSpec pulled here is very dishonest.

 

Tazmool

I couldn't agree with you more.

It seems that they're just guessing on how it should fit and expect the customer to cut them to make them work. I got the replacement two pieces in the mail on Friday and they're even worse. If you line up the hole, you cant get the bottom bolt out.  And just the lines dont even match up on other pieces. Shift one way and it doesn't line up with the ridges or other lines top or bottom. Move the other way and the bolts are in the way. I thought perhaps I got a bad mis cut batch but apparently not. If I'm paying for a peel and stick kit, I expect it to be just that. Not some "trial run now take the time and find some tools to make it work". I would have just bought the Yamaha version when it comes to the States. 

Edited August 30, 2020 by johnnygolucky

[BellissiMoto]

Hello everyone...

 

Now that many have had a chance to provide feedback, I'd like to weigh in on the subject.

 

First off, I feel honored to provide these new parts and group buys for everyone, as many of the brands we have and sell here at BellissiMoto are new to a lot of people.  It's nice to be able to offer high quality products to a new genre of motorcycles and their enthusiasts.

 

As an owner of a Tenere 700 and enthusiast myself, I was excited to see TechSpec came out with a kit for our bike.

 

I actually found out about this kit from a another forum members' post about it, so I immediately called my contacts at TechSpec and they confirmed they had a kit due out in a few days.  I worked with them to get special pricing for all of us, and thus, the Group Buy happened.

 

Like many of you, I echo your comments.  General consensus is some of the panels don't line up as good as they could, the key hole is off, and bolt holes in general should be enlarged...and I agree with all of that.

 

They didn't use us as a test case for this kit.  They did have a development bike that the kit was based on, and in no way were we used for development - but as it stood, the kit didn't fit as expected.

 

I passed those comments to TechSpec, and they immediately took another look.  They had to get another bike in to confirm the pattern.

 

They agreed that the pattern was off in certain places, but as far as the bolt holes are concerned, they were of the mindset that more surface area was more valuable than the the *potential* for contamination on the backside, so the smaller holes and more surface area would likely stay the same, as I mentioned in my previous posts.

 

The other concern was that if they widened the holes like @UtahJack did, they felt like the ends could be subject to lifting, and the enlarged holes would cost more time and effort in chamfering those edges, and the cost of the kit would go up.

 

Having said all that, they took swift action, and did two things.

 

1)  They said if anyone is not happy with their kit, they would provide a full refund.

 

2)  They made a revision and sent it to everyone for free.

 

I understand not everyone is happy with the revised panels (me included) and because of this feedback they are having a meeting this Wednesday to discuss.

 

I'm not sure what the outcome of that discussion will be, but I have to admire them for caring about the product they put out and customers' satisfaction.  I hope that is not lost on everyone.

 

In the meantime, I'll be making my own pattern and sending it to TechSpec if they decide to re-do the Tenere kit completely.

 

I'll keep everyone informed, and please know TechSpec is reading these comments, so please be respectful.

 

Again, they said they would provide a full refund if that's what a customer ultimately decides, but it's not everyday a company goes to this length to satisfy their customers, so when TechSpec even mentioned they are having a 3rd meeting about it, I'm inclined to see what they come up with before making that decision 

 

- Paul

 

 

 

 

 

 

[MGG]

Any News ? ... 

They could also propose the same grips with small rubber caps to cover bolts holes so that there is no water accumulation. 

 

At the end of the day ... I would like to have something like this ... 

Any chance that this can happen quickly ?

 

... or should I cancel my order and make it myself ?

 

Edited September 7, 2020 by MGG
Typo

[BellissiMoto]

13 hours ago, MGG said:

Any News ? ... 

The could also propose the same grips with small rubber caps to coder bolts holes so that there is no water accumulation. 

 

At the end of the day ... I would like to have something like this ... 

Any chance that this can happen quickly ?

 

... or should I cancel my order and make it myself ?

 

 

I'd love to say yes, but honestly, it's not up to me if they will re-make the entire pattern or not.  If you'd like to cancel your order, I completely understand, and it's no problem at all.

 

I've been advocating heavily on everyone's behalf, and I'm even going to make a pattern myself and send it to them since they might not have a bike readily available.

 

I know they are in deep discussions about it, but ultimately, I'm not TechSpec, and I don't have any authority to make those decisions for them.  I'm sure there are several factors that go into decisions like this, so it might not happen overnight. 

 

What you pictured above though, or something like it, is what most people want, but please take into consideration an 8 piece kit, with all those intricate chamfered edges, will most likely add cost to the product.

 

Consider TechSpec's current 6 piece kit (fit notwithstanding) , at the Group Buy price of $65, and even at full Retail of $79.95 is a much better value than the 4 piece Yamaha kit that cost over $100 by the time you get it here from Europe (for North America customers).

 

Again, TechSpec acted pretty quick, came up with a revised rear panel, and offered a full refund to anyone who is not happy and would like to return their kit.  To me, that speaks volumes about a company.

 

Let us see what they ultimately decide to do , but again, if a customer is not currently satisfied and doesn't want to wait (and I completely understand because I'm a customer also), they are entitled to a full refund.

 

 

- Paul

 

 

 

 

[MghtyThor69]

First off , Thanks to Paul for all you do to help us out on these forums !! 

I installed my kit today and like most wasn't really happy with the left rear piece especially around the lock and the replacements wasn't any better. 

I had to use a Tusk grip cutter to enlarge the holes in the front panels and they were not cut straight as well.

I used all the original kit on the bike (the right rear original fits great) , except on the left rear I used the replacement and had to trim it off from the bottom because it covered the bolt hole. Couple minutes with a dremel and it looks OK...

 I hope TECH SPEC redesigns them, would have been awesome kit for the T7 with a few tweaks. All being said I will leave them on because I want them on the bike and use them when riding. Plus my new boots were scuffing the plastic panel. 

 You got to give it to Tech Spec, I appreciate the customer service and the offer for the refund but they are staying on for now. I don't want my money back, MAYBE a revised panels at a discount for all who bought the first set??

 

[beater_bimmer]

How do I go about returning mine for a refund? I haven't tried installing but after reading the reviews, I'd prefer to return.

[DT675]

Well my input is this- I installed the top 2 pieces each side and the revised pieces on the bottom. Overall I found the alignment to be ok but the too small of holes are just absolutely 100% unacceptable. Their not just too small but radically too small. So I decided to try to cut them out and re- contour them. It didn’t go all that well. I’m glad for the group buy opportunity, I’m glad for the grip they did provide but overall I think I wish I didn’t cut them and choose to get a refund. 

[BellissiMoto]

On 9/4/2020 at 9:38 PM, beater_bimmer said:

How do I go about returning mine for a refund? I haven't tried installing but after reading the reviews, I'd prefer to return.

 

On 9/4/2020 at 9:44 PM, DT675 said:

Well my input is this- I installed the top 2 pieces each side and the revised pieces on the bottom. Overall I found the alignment to be ok but the too small of holes are just absolutely 100% unacceptable. Their not just too small but radically too small. So I decided to try to cut them out and re- contour them. It didn’t go all that well. I’m glad for the group buy opportunity, I’m glad for the grip they did provide but overall I think I wish I didn’t cut them and choose to get a refund. 

Please PM me for a refund.