EMGO Quality

WTF!!!! Am I the only one who has issues with EMGO parts quality???
I recently ordered two ingnition capacitors/condensers from a quetionable source. I should have asked first but I didn't.......I received two EMGO condensers that may work well but they are 1/4 inch too large to fit in the cover. Oh well, I'm an idiot so I threw them away and ordered two more from Domi.......and guess what......They were the same EMGO condensers that are too large to fit in the cover.
I also ordered a set of pipes from Domi (expecting to pay more for better quality). In 500 miles they are a dark blue!!! My 76 Bonniville has 2000 miles on the pipes and they are a very light yellow at worst.....Unfortunatly I do not know what brand they are.
In any event, is there a better source for parts than the crap that EMGO sells?.......Jerry

Jerry,

Where are you living, could not see it on your details. but exhaust headers bluing is a factor of your engine, rather than the type or quality of the chrome.
If the pipes are dark blue, you are running too hot, retarded ignition, or weak mixture. Don't keep running like that. Or did you idle the engine for along time, this can bring on the bluing as well. You maybe able to polish the blue off.
As regard Emgo, I have used some of that product, it may not be the best, but some is okay, I bought a cheap kick start lever, and it is okay, great for the price.
Mufflers are another story though, my 850 chewed them up every 1500 km or so, they are weak just past were they join the header pipes. I got some stainless mufflers that are absolute sex, and are very thin at the join to avoid contact with standard bend kickstarters.

Cheers Richard

I've dealt with Domi, if you call and ask them, they usually will tell you if it's second hand quality or not, but they do have some cheap stuff. The quality dealers will usually be better, Walridge is one of my favorites, RGM, Hemmings, Burtons Bits, and in the US, Old Britts, British Bike connection, Fair Spares, Rabers, couple others. Sometimes you just have to suck up and call and ask, if they will tell you, be very specific about everything. So far I've been pretty lucky. I had an Emgo coil fail after a year from loose connections inside, came from MAP in FL, but I fixed it. No warranty, but it was only $26.

Dave
69S

I appreciate your responses......I'm just frustrated with the poor quality/fit of the parts I have been getting from on-line sources for both motorcycles and cars. Steadfast, for example, it seems they charge the highest prices for the cheapest stuff, and the high shipping charges (both ways when you return it) make it easier to just throw it away and order another one from somewhere else.
It's the same for british cars, especially chrome parts. You are better off to find a used one, have it replated, and be done with.
With regard to the pipes.....it does seem like it's too retarded, but I've timed it every way I can think of and it's right on the money. My gut tells me to advance it......In fact, I'm going to try that tomorrow.....Thanks......Jerry

EMGO doesn't manufacture what they sell and being unable to control the manufacturing itself they are at the mercy of their suppliers.
However when they sell something they need to do what they can to verify the quality, but often that can't be done visually so something like a condenser's internals they have to take manufacturers word they are well made or at least data from the manufacturer to support their quality claim.

I've had decent luck with EMGO parts but sure some quality could be better.
I do really like the piston/ring sets that came in EMGO box but had the JCC stamp which is very good Taiwan manufacturer.
I'd worry if they were Indian made but problem with EMGO is they sell everything under their name so you can't guess quality by true source.

Pretty sure EMGO isn't known for their hight quality parts. Sounds like you went cheap and then are complaining. :roll:

Not too happy with kickstart lever I bought. But it was $69 so.......

"You get what you pay for" is the truth, but obviously one many people fool themselves into hoping it does not apply to their own purchases.

I have seen the Chinese "Roadster silencers" at a wholesaler and commented on his nerve to sell such, let us put it nicely- I used a very different term- "substandard" merchandise. He said he knew they were c**p, but certain English dealers were buying them like mad.

A big part of why I feel a Commando is a real man's motorcycle is being able to take the loss on parts hits and still keep going to try and try again. The absolute worse headers I an a bunch of others brought last decade were the top of the line most expensive Victory produce, one side impossible to fit w/o destructive grinding of header flange and brass exht ring, blued very fast but not flaking chrome off or cracked yet as others reported around the world. Finally after some years got Wes to help me put a kink in RH header so it didn't rub and cook the points cover contents. I've had new condensers that fit perfect be dead beats right out the box, for infantile frustration fits - till just dug old ones out the trash and ran perfect first try after. Sparkplugs too - especially Champions. Moral of the story is price and name are not grantee's of satisfaction but better luck to get refund or replacement that may or may not work out as hoped. We've recently had a post alerting about rear brake shoes coming un-glued, wonder what brand that was or is. Personal reports in public is our best defense, meager as that is.

Don't even get me going on non copper head gaskets, after a very short run tested them and my manhood sense of blood lust to control.

Emgo is OK quality for a lot of the stuff. For example, turn signals are only about $14 apiece as opposed to the more than $40 for Lucas, and seem to be of equal quality, only lacking the 'Lucas' mark. I think the point is it would be great to be able to inspect something before buying. I have Wassell rotors and Emgo stators on both of my Nortons, and see no difference in quality between them and Lucas. In fact, I think the Wassell rotors are a little better.
I feel lucky to live 20 minutes from Wes Scott. I can go there, inspect the parts and compare Andover/Lucas/Smiths to Emgo/Wassell, or browse through his used parts (which he normally sells for 1/2 of what new costs). He's also got a constantly-rotating stock of customers' bikes, so there are usually 2 or 3 Commandos there to inspect things like how cables were routed and such.
If you don't live near a parts supplier, I guess the only recourse is to buy online, but I wouldn't just purchase blindly unless I knew exactly what I was getting.
95% of the parts I needed for my Roadster were gotten through Wes, but the Ranger restoration was much more challenging. While I still got items primarily through Wes, Tony at DomiRacer, Mike at Waldridge, and Steve Surbey at AMC Classic Spares were invaluable. When ordering stuff, most of these guys will either speak to you on the phone or correspond by email. I found out, for example, that the silencers Mike sells for the Ranger do not have the removable baffles as the originals did, but his pipes are faithful, high-quality replicas. Tony still has a couple sets of Toga silencers, but admitted that one of his pipes is not a perfect fit. Therefore, I got the pipes from Waldridge and the Silencers from Domi. AMC Classic spares is a great source for Matchless stuff, which is everything on a P-11 except the motor. He was the source for a front axle, steering damper, and headstock races, among other parts.

BTW, Emgo now sells copies of Doherty levers that are pretty nice, and even have the O> logo stamped on the clutch lever clamp. You might not know this if you couldn't inspect before buying.

Blue pipes, as others have said, is more a symptom of engine running than of chrome quality. Pipes turn blue due to heat, usually from running too lean. A really good metal polish should get most of the blue out.

BillT... in my humble opinion, everything you said is true, except the bit about the turn signals. The EMGOS that I have bought, while they "APPEAR" to be of equal quality as the Lucas, sadly, they are not nearly as good. And you, like me living in humid old Florida will soon find them to be all pitted and nasty. I have original 37 yr old turn signals that look better than EMGO year old replacements. Don

At the end of the day if I pay for crap I expect it, but when I pay twice as much for the same crap (Steadfast) I avoid doing business with them again. I know what a "functional equivalent" is and I am prepared to deal with the fit issues that follow. I don't know if indeed the condenser cover is required or not but it has been my experience over the past 50 years of dealing with English cars/bikes that there are few, if any, superfluous components that do not have at least some purpose. To me its like ordering a tire for a Norton and being sent a tire that meets all the requirements except that it is 18". I'm sure the condensers are functional equivalents and the fact that they don't fit is not worth mentioning. I would expect that from Steadfast but I'm disappointed that it happened from Domi who I have relied on for many years as the "experts". And that's all I have to say about that.......Jerry

Buying aftermarket parts is like a box of chocolate...

Hey wait...this isn't chocolate no wonder it tastes like sh!#!

I learned the hard & expensive way a when I got back into Nortons after many years. At first I bought a lot of stuff from "the Internet" guys and while some was good a lot of it was crap. The Emgo kickstart lever I got " on line " because it was cheaper was a total piece of crapp, the inside was missing 1/2 of the splines so no matter how tight you got the bolt the thing wobbled & fell off!! The metal was so soft it got dented by being bumped with a wrench.. I payed the price for a real one from Andover & the differance is night & day! I learned to buy things from Old Britts, RGM, Norvil, etc etc but once in a while I still get stuff from the on line guys if I know it's going to be ok. Steadfast & the others do have good stuff but I think to keep the prices down they all sell a lot of the less expensive stuff & that can tend to be junk. The cheaper mufflers allways break, it took me a while but now I just want to buy something once so I do not try for the cheap way out, you do have to pay for good quality.

Sometimes even I forget one the best lessons from my father, "You buy a cheap part several times, a good part once." If its cheap, it probable is.