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In February 2008, I ordered a bicycle engine kit from this seller via their website revolutioncycles.us. I paid with PayPal. The amount was close to $300. I carefully examined the pictures and description of the kit before ordering. In about 10 days, I received a large box, very poorly taped and had holes in it. All the nuts and bolts were bouncing around loose in the box and many washers and nuts and bolts were missing. I did not receive the gearbox that was in the site picture and description. Instead, I received a much cheaper and prone to failure gearbox. I also didn't receive the proper motor mount as pictured. And part of the sprocket kit was missing, making it impossible to install and get a bike running. There were no parts lists or assembly instructions or other documentation whatsoever. I also received the wrong crank pedal assembly, which is required to clear the engine. The left twist grip was broken. I could figure out how most parts would be installed on my bike, but there were a few parts I had no idea about.
I emailed the seller about all the problems. He asked $50 more to send me just the correct motor mount if I returned the wrong one. He refused to send me the rest of the parts missing. He refused to answer my questions on the unidentifiable parts. He cursed me repeatedly.
I filed a complaint with PayPal. They dropped the complaint immediately and said they won't cover anything not purchased from their eBay site. That's new to me. I thought they covered ANYTHING purchased with PayPal funds. Their terms of service say nothing about this but in private emails, they will tell you this. Nothing you can do with such a monopoly that has 150 million account holders and isn't regulated by anyone.
I next contacted Don Grube, who supplies a large portion of the bicycle engine kits imported into the USA from China. His site is grubeeinc.com. On his site, he prominently displays all kinds of bicycle engine kits including those with the parts that I was supposed to get. He also lists 2 different USA main distributors and one USA parts supplier. Barsanco.com is one supplier in Michigan. Emails to them were unanswered. I sent an email to Dennis Foster, the supposed parts supplier in Oklahoma. He said he had no idea where to get parts for the 4 cycle kits and only "did this as a sideline" and that he didn't want to be bothered with it. So the bottom line is, the biggest distributor of bike engines and parts in the world could not tell me where to find the parts I need for the exact same products shown on his site.
As you can see, so far it's a dead end.
Next, I contacted Bird Dog Distributing at http://www.birddogdistributing.com/. They are the ones who supply and dropship bike engine kits for Bryan Semones, who I bought from. I gave them my order information and they said they had no record of it and it meant that he shipped to me directly and by the description of my kit, they said he sold me a premium kit and sent me a much lower priced, lower quality kit that others don't sell but there were still old stock left. Actually, I have concluded that Semones just gathered various parts that were lying around his yard and threw them in a box. He knew that once I received it, there was nothing I could do to fight back and that the money was in his pocket to stay.
After all my checking around, I found Youtube videos of Semones driving to a convenience store buying rolling papers for marijuana. You can find other documented complaints against Semones on the forum motoredbikes.com.
It has now been about 3 months, and I've had a very hard time finding the parts I need because most dealers out there carry very little stock or sell mostly the old, cheaper 2 cycle engine kits. I found one dealer that probably sells the parts I need, but the pictures on their site are poor quality and you can't even tell if it's the right part or not. No problem, I emailed them to confirm. Guess what, 3 months and no replies. The site that never replied was bicycle-engines.com. And guess what again. They are owned by Bird Dog Distributing.
If you are one of the many people who want to motorize a bike to save gas, beware. There are many fly by night dealers out there who will take your money and run. They know another sucker will come along shortly. There are a handful of honest, reputable dealers, but they carry limited stock and parts inventory and some don't bother to reply to email inquiries. They expect you to just order blindly something can cost several hundred dollars. Not a good way of doing business, but it's the norm for the bike engine industry.
Semones was easy to find on Google maps. I have a birdseye view of his RV sitting in the driveway of a crack house.
He now lives in chico ca 352 e 20th street you will find the waste of a human there
I was upset with many sellers online until I found these guys who answer the phone, emails and have great products, prices and parts...
www.gasbike.net/bicycle-motors-2-stroke.html
www.gasbike.net/bicycle-motors-only-mo.html
www.gasbike.net/bike-motors-parts.html
So it's not all bad out there but I would stay away form any ebay or 1 or 2 page websites as I found out.
Live & Learn I guess...
Jeff
Daytona Beach, FL.
Allen, I'll do even better. Here's a direct link to the Quik Mart. Finding Semones exact location would be virtually impossible on google maps unless you lived there and could drive around and find it.
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=4477+E.+5th+st, tucson, +arizona&sll=29.68208, -96.904874&sspn=0.029231, 0.077248&g=4477+E.+5th+st, tucson, +arizona&ie=UTF8&ll=32.234639, -110.901232&spn=0, 359.972534&z=16&iwloc=addr&layer=c&cbll=32.228843, -110.897138&panoid=ZD-QN0Rtf4L5X7a0hXIQXQ&cbp=12, 357.[protected], , 0, 5
It looks like ebay's new policy of not allowing sellers to leave negative feedback to buyers put Semones out of business. He figured out that he couldn't retaliate anymore. It all started with the first complaint on this board and spread around the world. That's what happens these days when a greedy ### tries to rip people off. Thanks complaintsboard.com.
My understanding is he has been deported back to Mexico, Ebay has banned him, and he is out of business...He will be back.
People, its not that hard to out smart a pot head...lol
I used he's video on youtube to find him here in Tucson. In his video http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=0CyQD61kJag he goes to the Quick Mart at 4477 E. 5th st 85711 tucson, arizona
He lives in that motorhome most likley just a few blocks from the quick mart.
If you use google street view you will find him, just match street view with his video.
I think he will start to run now lol
Bryan Semones and Revolutioncycles is well known in the Motorized Bicycle community for ripping off customers.
We all need to get together and shut this thief down before he rips off another person.
It's time to get the authority involved and put him out of business, he needs to be in jail.
I don't know about any other customers out there, but I couldn't imagine referring to my customers as he does, and it kind of p****s me off to hear that he refers to people in that manner.
There, I've added my 2 cents worth...I'm sure there will be others to follow.
I have to agree with the orig complaint, and recommend everyone avoid this guy. When I posted a few of my engines on ebay, I received some extremely rude, nasty, and threatening emails directly from Bryan. I've since been receiving his ebay newsletters to keep an eye on what is out there in the motorized bicycling world (I try to watch everything).
My last purchase was for supposedly chromed steel throttle handle...I received extremely cheap plastic grips that were cracked before I received them. There was no reply back to me when I inquired about replacements. This was over a year ago.
I think this guy is one of the biggest reasons why people are leery about doing business online.
Here is the latest email newsletter that I received from Bryan and RevolutionCycles...
Revolution Cycles Needs your HELP!
eBays new policy of caveat venditor (seller beware) defies and denies nature... Caveat emptor (buyer beware) Its latin ...and really really old...
eBay's new policy is communist, fascist...and stupid...People are leaving negative feedback for anything they can think of and it is completely unfair. If you have not left positive feedback for your purchase please do!... I need 80 in 30 days or i will close my account and start all over again with much higher prices.
Here are the facts
eBay is a pain in the ###
Motorized bicycles are a pain in the ###
Motorized Bicycle customers are a pain in the ###
When I asked "china" if it was possible for a seller of chinese motorized bicycles to have a good reputation the answer was simply ... "No"
WAR IS NOT FUN
-=Bryan
I have been working with Bryan for over 1.5 years. He is passionate about his business, and has been honest, forth right and supportive. His knowledge has been extremely helpfull, and represents his products well. I have bought 1000's of $$$ worth of the competitors product, only to find out how poor quality they were, and non-existent service and support.I will continue to do business with Bryan because he is commited to his product, and delivers what he sells.
PD
Michigan
I have asked this jerk for details about one of his kits (thru his web site)
not only did't get an answer, but he insulted me in an e-mail and proceeded to ban my IP !
very poor way to run a business
no people skills at all
Has anyone ever seen Semones' youtube video of himself trucking down to the convenience store on his funny little bike and buying rolling papers for his pot and even bragging in his profile about his drug use? Not many professional business people would do something like that. But still, he knows ebay buyers are generally dumb and will fork over hundreds of $$$, so there's an endless stream of suckers to keep him going.
Semones, you're a bald-faced liar, just like everyone but you says. You said we had contact over the phone. We never ONCE had any phone contact. I simply purchased the kit from your site and paid immediately via Paypal, a HUGE mistake. Yes, your ebay rating is "fairly" good but you behave completely different with ebay buyers because you know they have a lot of recourse if something goes wrong. You use the non-ebay buyers as your expendable, throwaway customers, abusing and cursing them and laughing at them. You know damn well the kit I bought was the 4-stroke kit. You sent me the gearbox from a JL HOOT kit, which is a 2-CYCLE KIT! You kept the good gearbox to sell to someone later at a huge profit since I paid for it and didn't get it and you kept it. Besides the gearbox, you also sent me the wrong crank, nuts and bolts were missing, the dummy throttle was busted and you didn't even send me all of the sprocket kit. Also, the motor mount was supposed to be the adjustable one, not the one piece one as pictured. I called Birddog Distributing and they confirmed you sent me the JL Hoot gearbox and they told me you probably rummaged thru the original box and kept the good parts and sent me crap. You say I tried to get a refund from Paypal and keep the goods? DAMN LIAR! You never offered to allow me to return anything except the motor mount and even wanted me to send you more money for the correct one! And you've admitted right here on the complaints board that if a customer gets screwed and becomes irate, it hurts your feelings so much that you refuse to help them. Any seller with ethics would put that aside and make sure the customer got what they paid for. Several months later, I have a total crap kit I bought from you that won't run. The gearbox failed after less than a mile. Even the damn petcock didn't fit the gas tank right. Told you about it but you had a smart ### remark. You know as soon as a buyer buys from your site instead of ebay, you're gonna have a very profitable day because Paypal does nothing and supports thieves like you.
Brian Semones puede sorber la mierda del asno de mi perro. él es un ### quién es enojado porque él no tiene ningún pene para usar. Mire su espalda, mis primos le buscan. No pinche bueno.
oh, shoot...there's certified and copy versions of 4-strokes, too, guess which one the OP was about?
sorry for totally forgetting to adress the main article, i get excited when i see a chance to speak up.
i'm going to vote "neutral" and just generalize.
let's keep this simple...
avoid those little "smokey-bandits" like the plague and you won't have to deal with fiascos like this to begin with. not one of those engines that have been sold in the last couple years are here legally, & are oversized (48cc is the lefal federal limit) as most are 70cc...oh, btw, there is NO SUCH THING as an "80cc" version at all, ever, that's a blatant lie.
i believe that motorvatin' a bicycle is a marvelous solution for many people, but i also am one of very few who strongly advocate fair-trade relations thru epa-certification, as both an economically and environmentally friendly cause. i also usually find myself alone when it comes to standardising safety and chassis specifications. these guys will tell you to strap a carpy 2-stroke timebomb to a walmart special and you'll be an instant commuter...bah!
if you're serious about helping yourself, the economy, the environment, the country...seek out a reputable american company who offers EPA/CARB-*certified* engines.
ps-prepare yourselves for some of the nastiest flame ya's ever saw, some people in this business really really don't like me ;)
I will never buy from any company on the web. I believe James story.
http://www.motoredbikes.com/showthread.php?t=6529&highlight=black+hat
http://www.motoredbikes.com/showthread.php?t=10695
dont ever get anything from Bryan Semones
here are some links to prove this guy is the worst
and everyone knows the husband and wife thing (post) is you rev boy cas all thos things thats said is all the things you lack
Bryan Semones is a wast of a human all the things that James Reed said about rev boy is true sponds like my story but mine was more and my rimes were used with no axles missing stuff ...let me tell you...this guy was your best freind then i sent paypal dude when i get to your home town u better hope u dont live in that trailer you white trash i will beat you ontill you dont move ... keep looking for me
funny how your bike is missing iam sure u will be ripping more folks off for your crack habit. my bike stuff didnt get here for over 2 weeks the i waited 1 more week for my gearbox the guy jemery bicycle-engines.com but you have to call him jemery said he wants to drop you rev boy cas you are such a scamer
My wife and I have been in business together a longtime in the Martin, TN area. We run across people who think since they are the customer that they retailer should bow down to them. To an extent we try to but often they think we should provide more to them than what they purchase. My brother and I have done business with both Bryan and Bird Dog. We have done far more business with Bryan. He has been extremely helpful from a support standpoint. He has always taken our call and been patient with our questions. He has also called us back on his dime. I bought the same kit that the customer in this article is talking about. I agree, it is not as reliable as the Grubee but it was specifically what I asked for. I don't know if the writer in this article knows this or not, but I have gotten kits from other suppliers in the original boxing and they are not in the greatest conditions many times which is probably due to their harsh journey to the US from China. I could easily see how someone could get the perception of it being used or thrown together from spare parts. Bryan has a 98.3% positive feedback rating with ebay. With the number of sales he pushes, I'm sure a mistake will be made every now and then. Mistakes are something everyone is guilty of. Good business people can often still make a customer happy. I don't see Bryan not trying to fix a mistake. He has done exchanges for my brother and I and really took a loss to make sure we were taken care of and satisfied. Sometimes the mistakes were even on our behalf. Based on his e-bay rating there appears to be many more people satisfied with Bryan than disatisfied. While I believe in the motto that the customer is always right, I also don't believe in honoring dishonesty or giving in to exaggerated customer expectations. So if you specify something and expect something else of higher value, please let me know immediately who is doing business in that fashion.
Thanks.
James Reed
Hello my name is Bryan Semones of revolutioncycles.us This customer bought and paid for one product and expected another He did not buy it on eBay and paid for what was described to him over the phone. He paid for the STARFIRE, HOOT FIRE, SKYFIRE, 4 stroke bicycle engine kit costing $300. Somehow he expected to receive the SKYHAWK II engine kit which retails for close to $400. I offered to exchange the kit for a skyhawk II at a discount and was replied to with threats. This is a much more common mistake than you might think and i do my best to present the product in a way that is easy to understand. After realizing his mistake this customer was instantly rude, saw my solution as a scam to get more out of him and attempted to keep the product and get his money back. I let paypal handle these types of rude, unreasonable and insatiable people and will offer no more communications...As it should be... As my good customers know, had he been genteel, i would have done everything i could to make sure he was satisfied. Rude and indignant folks may discover... I AINT AFEARED OF YOU OR YER ENTERNET
-=Bryan Semones esquire