2 months ago
You get what you pay for, which in my case was poor customer service and a solid used starter bike with a mediocre service history.
When buying the bike, they had two identical used bikes available, so I said I wanted the one in better shape. The one they showed me was in decent shape, so I thought nothing of it then. Later on I returned to the shop and saw the other one, which was hands down in better shape.
I also needed a helmet, so I tried on a number at the shop. They basically all had tinted visors, so I asked if I could get a clear visor for riding at night. They said I could get one online no problem. The helmet was also larger (XL) than what I needed (M). Again, they said no problem. Except this was false. First, visors are brand-specific, and the Amazon-special helmet they sold me at 100% markup had zero customer service. (The Amazon product did came with a clear visor, but apparently Kona Scooters didn't keep it -- I asked.) So no clear visor for me unless I bought a new helmet. Additionally, riding with a too-large helmet is incredibly noisy in the wind (due to wind cavitation in the excess open space around your head) and can be unsafe in a crash.
Despite my so-so initial experience with their customer service, the bike served me well. Over the next several months, three more problems materialized:
1) The rear turn signals were aftermarket and basically useless, as they were incredibly dim (read: invisible during the daytime) and incompatible with the bike's electrical system (only half of the "flowing" LEDs ever lit up). The fact that Kona Scooters rented this out to unsuspected tourists before selling it to me is a negligent disregard for safety if you ask me (docking a star for that). As one might expect, the lights were not DOT-compliant, so I had to replace them to pass safety. (The other bike, which they did not show or sell me, had the OEM lights.)
2) The chain adjusting bolt on the left side was not extended fully (which is pretty easy for a trained eye to spot). This meant that, as the chain pulled on the rear axle, the axle was able to gradually work its way out of alignment. Before long the rear wheel was crooked. I took it into Kona Scooters and asked if that was a problem. One guy wheeled it into the shop, struggled for a minute or so to get it on the stand before asking for help and eventually getting it onto the stand (I can do this by myself in 10 seconds now). They looked at it, didn't seem to think it was a problem, and said I could schedule a time for them to fix it. I declined and fixed it myself later in 10 minutes. The fact that they didn't just fix this on the spot, given it was their obvious oversight, astounds me.
3) The shifter started sticking. A neighbor suggested I change the oil. When I did, it was BLACK as tar (see pic). Sure, I was approaching the number of miles for a change, but this stuff looked like it hadn't been changed in a LONG time.
To top it all off, I've counted at least three missing bolts and another three cross-threaded ones. The right passenger pedal was also stuck, missing a spring and bearing, and apparently a replacement that looked like it was designed to go on the left side of the bike. I know it was a rental, but for a year-old bike, that's still kinda impressive -- and not in a good way.
So if you want to go the cheap route and embark on an Easter egg hunt for shoddy repair jobs, choose Kona Scooters. Otherwise, save yourself the hassle and go to Kiser (best customer service I've ever had on the island).
