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Noticed British Customs offers some unique stuff (heads & cams in particular). Anyone dealt with them and how was it? Thanks.

I was wondering the same thing.

I'll keep an eye on this one.

From my old motor-head days, adding some cam lift should be effective bang-for-the-buck.

I checked out that British Customs website, thanks for the lead. I might just go ahead and ship my top-end to them for the cams and the head work.

I'll let you know.

Thanks.

IIRC from a thread I read on another forum, British Customs is owned by the same people that own South Bay Triumph. The physical address listed on the two websites is only 6 blocks from each other. I don't know why they'd open and additonal shop under another name. Seems kind of strange to me. Might just be for tax purposes.

Notice!!!
This is SouthBay Triumph new name. I heard they closed their doors due to so many lawsuits and have just changed to a new corporation and reopened. I heard they are being sued by lots of folks for damaging bikes, failing to deliver what is promised and just general thievery. But I just heard that, it may not be true, so don't sue me for mentioning it.
These guys are Matt Capri in a different suit.
Do some research before you buy from them. I have heard a lot of bad stuff about them.
This is the same guy that will tell you what a piece of turd the Wiseco kits are and that EVERY one of them leaks and blows up, so you need to buy his custom kit instead. Theirs are special custom (chevy vega I heard) pistons that are the best in the world and they use their kits in their highly successful racing programs and flat track bikes. Hmm, wonder where they hide them all? Basically anything that they don't make is junk and will blow up your bike if you put it on. Only their stuff works.
I've never seen one or heard of one that runs. I may be wrong though.

I would check into the D&D guys down in florida for cams.

Ahhh, I can feel the love.

To be fair I will add that I have never done business with them so the many tales of woe I have heard my not be accurate.
But I have personally spoken with Matt and he has given me his same line of bull on each occassion. He especially really hammers the fact about the junk Wiseco kits and all the problems Wiseco have. He says Wiseco will be out of business soon because their piston kits are such garbage.

EDIT: and let me also add, my local Triumph specialty machine shop did my heads for $100, BC wants $795.
Send yours to me and I'll get it done for $400, half the price!
And he'll also grind the cams for $200 instead of the $800 they want.

Just messin' with ya Pat.

Of course Matt Capri is obviously delusional if he thinks Wiseco makes a crummy product, or that they'll be out of business anytime soon. Wiseco has been in the piston business for over 60 years, and are world renowned for having a quality product.

Btw, I heard that D&D uses South Bay cams. Don't know if that's true or not, just something I heard.

Notice!!!
"This is SouthBay Triumph new name."

No its not. British Customs has been around for a couple of years.

"I heard they closed their doors due to so many lawsuits and have just changed to a new corporation and reopened."

Rediculous. And my son flies Messerschmitts

"I heard they are being sued by lots of folks for damaging bikes, failing to deliver what is promised and just general thievery. But I just heard that, it may not be true, so don't sue me for mentioning it."

Who did you hear all this stuff from? I think you CAN be sued for slander.

"These guys are Matt Capri in a different suit."

Should you be using someones name without their consent?

"Do some research before you buy from them. I have heard a lot of bad stuff about them."

I have heard a lot of stuff about them too. Mostly good.

"This is the same guy that will tell you what a piece of turd the Wiseco kits are and that EVERY one of them leaks and blows up, so you need to buy his custom kit instead. Theirs are special custom (chevy vega I heard) pistons that are the best in the world and they use their kits in their highly successful racing programs and flat track bikes. Hmm, wonder where they hide them all? Basically anything that they don't make is junk and will blow up your bike if you put it on. Only their stuff works.
I've never seen one or heard of one that runs. I may be wrong though."

They machine all their own parts and have a 100hp normally aspirated Thruxton sitting in their showroom, the showroom with the SouthBay Triumph sign in front of the building. Chevy Vega???

Just repeating what has been posted in other forums.
I said I haven't done any business with them.

More talk from other forum

Quote:

---

Who did you hear all this stuff from? I think you CAN be sued for slander.

---

That's pretty rich considering that South Bay throws some similar words of their own at Wiseco. But then you don't seem to concerned about Wiseco getting a bad name, right? Btw, slander is spoken, libel is written.

Since you seem to know something about British Customs and South Bay Triumph, are they owned by the same person(s)?

If British Customs has "been around for a couple of years", why should I trust their product over a manufacturer like Wiseco that's been in business since 1941? A company that makes high performance piston kits for just about anything out there with an engine in it.

I'm all for more facts and less rumor. If you know something, please share it with the rest of us. If there are dyno runs with the South Bay products, like their pistons and cams, please post them. Let consumers make an informed decision. I think I've seen enough dyno runs after big bore kit installations from a Wiseco install to know what I'd be getting. But I can honestly say I've never seen a dyno run from a South Bay/British Customs product.

For the rest of the gang. If you've had a South Bay Triumph/British Customs big bore kit installed, or any of their other performance products, please post to this thread about your experience.

Sal,
I've been nice (a rarity for sure) as I didn't want to get into a urinating match with someone from the same town, and as far as I know, an employee of the aformentioned company(s?).
I too have been waiting for over 2 years to see any actual data from these supposed monster kits. I have not heard of anyone with them either. Do research, and if you put the good remarks about them in one hand, the bad in the other, you will fall to one side quickly. Might even break your arm.
Data talk, bs walks.
I'll just leave it at that.

Now boys...play nice.

"That's pretty rich considering that South Bay throws some similar words of their own at Wiseco."

Maybe..but not on the WWW for the world to see.

" But then you don't seem to concerned about Wiseco getting a bad name, right? Btw, slander is spoken, libel is written."

I have a Wisco kit intalled. By SBT. Slander..libel..for the common folk like me it doesn't matter. If you have something to say I believe its best to say it to ones face. Things always have a way of working themselves out when two parties meet.

"Since you seem to know something about British Customs and South Bay Triumph, are they owned by the same person(s)?"

No. Matt Capri own SBT and someone else owns BC.


"If British Customs has "been around for a couple of years", why should I trust their product over a manufacturer like Wiseco that's been in business since 1941? A company that makes high performance piston kits for just about anything out there with an engine in it."

Whats wrong with a little competition? Ever hear of Keith Black,Donovan, JP? I agree..no one should bad mouth anothers product to better their own. Its numbers and seat of the pant performance that counts.

"I'm all for more facts and less rumor. If you know something, please share it with the rest of us. If there are dyno runs with the South Bay products, like their pistons and cams, please post them. Let consumers make an informed decision. I think I've seen enough dyno runs after big bore kit installations from a Wiseco install to know what I'd be getting. But I can honestly say I've never seen a dyno run from a South Bay/British Customs product."

SBT is having Dynoday on August 7th. If you can be there great. If I make it there I will make an effort to record the numbers and post it for you the best I can.(I'll even take some pictures for you)

"For the rest of the gang. If you've had a South Bay Triumph/British Customs big bore kit installed, or any of their other performance products, please post to this thread about your experience."

We all own Triumphs and I don't like being like the other bike owners...talking trash. Dinqua and SalMaglie..I judge people based on my own experience. Not on what others say. I don't think this forum is a place place to air dirty laundry.
I don't work for either business but I know both of them. They would be hurt to hear that their reputations are being tarnished by folks who are not their customers...on the WEB.
They have devoted their careers to Triumph motorcycles and to make them faster and more reliable. This is last time I post regarding this subject. Thank You

Too bad it's the last time, I'd like more info if it's out there, and you seem to be close enough to get it.

To me it doesn't matter if it's posted on a message board, or if it's one company bashing another over the phone to a potential customer. It's all the same. That's why I asked for anybody who has dealt with South Bay/British Customs to post to this thread. I want to hear about actual experiences.

Btw, I'd say the same things I've said here to "the face" of whoever is at South Bay Triumph and British Customs. In fact, I haven't said anything bad about either company, only that Wiseco doesn't deserved to get bad mouthed.

This forum IS a place to air "dirty laundry". From bad service at Triumph dealers, to aftermarket companies charging high prices without producing any data for their products. I want to hear the good and the bad and then make my own decision. Really in this day and age, a company like South Bay and British Customs should be active particpants on forums like this one if they expect to sell their product outside of their local market. It will go a long way toward establishing credibility and good customer relations. There are a couple of online mail order aftermarket providers that do just that. Brent from newspeedmaster.com is always popping in here to get feedback and ask for new ideas.

Believe it or not, I'm still open to South Bay/British Customs aftermarket performance parts, although I do think their big bore kit is overpriced compared to what Wiseco offers. However, I don't think I'd be spending $725 on a cam without any numbers to go by. I also can't take a trip out to California just to see for myself. That'd be at least a 2 day trip, more like 3. Add in hotels and gas, and I'd be spending $400 or more just to find out. Most of the people on this forum are in the same boat, and most are farther away than me.

On the D&D cams that Dinqua and SalMaglie have touched on, my Speedmaster came with these cams, along with the CRS carbs and decibel pipes, from...you guessed it, D&D cycles in Pensacola. Talking with the owner's son, the cams are supposedly their own grind, not someone elses. At one point, with the old forum, I had the lift / duration specs for those cams, they didn't sound too extreme, kind of like the "stage 1" cams listed on the South Bay website. When this new forum came along, I was unable to access the old profile (no surprise) and I lost those specs, when I called to ask for them, the Owner's son pulled a "proprietary information" routine on me, saying that if I made those numbers available, then everyone would want to copy'em. They seem like decent-enough cams, they don't rob too much of the lower end, although I also wouldn't consider going higher than the 16T front sprocket. And they do have a decent midrange going to top-end hit!

Geez, Louise! With all this back and forth spirited palaver, you'd think someone here had either thrown a compliment at the French (spit) or insulted Harley-Davidson (sputter cough) at a Hell's Angel meeting.

To be fair, I can see both sides of this. The web is a wonderful place, but unsubstantiated derogatory second hand information posted can possibly hurt somebody's business who may not deserve the dunning. On the other hand, providing information on this board that might help us make informed decisions or at least investigate before we buy is one of the reasons so many of us read the input here from others. We just have to be careful what we say is as accurate as we know it to be before we post it. Pat clearly (in my view) said the information he posted was not firsthand, but I now would certainly look further into things before I let these folks touch my bike.

JB, were some of your fellow employees on ESPN SportsCenter?? They're doing 50 states in 50 Days, they covered some kind of cardboard boat race, and a couple of guys in your aircraft bay making one of these. Looked pretty cool, and they did look like some fancy planes.

As far as I can surf, per the official Califonication website:

South Bay Triumph C1750485 9/12/1994
2101 Pacific Coast Hwy
Lomita CA 90717
Matthew A Capri agent for service of process

British Customs LLC 200423210133 8/18/2004
1802 Marshallfield Ln C
Redondo Beach CA 90278
Jason B Panther agent for service of process
(is Jason Panther the Jason at SBT?)

yet per British Customs' website:
British Customs
2785 Pacific Coast Highway # 105
Torrance, CA 90505

Also, South Bay Triumph is also the home of Matt Capri's Luftmeister, Inc. but
LUFTMEISTER, INC.
Number: C0952052 Date Filed: 2/5/1980 Status: suspended
Jurisdiction: California
Address
2725 SEABOARD LANE
LONG BEACH, CA 90805
Agent for Service of Process
MATTHEW A. CAPRI


AND

ARB SETTLES WITH SOUTH BAY TRIUMPH FOR $210,000.00

The Mobile Source Enforcement Section, ARB's Legal Office, and the Attorney General's Office negotiated a stipulated settlement agreement in the amount of $210,000.00 with South Bay Triumph. This closes the investigation that was ongoing for almost two years that alleges South Bay Triumph was removing emission equipment from new motorcycles before and after they were sold. South Bay Triumph will pay $50,000.00 to the Air Pollution Control Fund over a period of two years and will be on probation during this time. If South Bay Triumph fails to comply with this agreement, they are under a court order to pay the full $210,000.00.

Yous guys in Californiactionland have some stuff going on out there...

Mike:

I don't know much about the cardboard boat races, but our guys have competed in the past, so it wouldn't surprise me. AND ESPN is headquarter broadcasted from here in LIT, so it wouldn't surprise me for that reason either.

Thanks for the compliment on our fine French products. (Oooooo, that oughtta get Jango going again...)

No worries, the ESPN coverage with the fancy french name keyed me into your "lounge" post. Thought it very coincidental .

Is it just me or is the "Triumph" tank badge backwards on the tank of the bike on British Customs webpage? Sorta like the one on the America on our banner for this forum but this time it's on the right side of the tank.

Waiting for the trifecta...

Sorry mate, saw British Customs and straight away thought of the fine body of people who just charged me another £9 ($15 ish) for my chrome choke knob and chrome clutch cable doodad off Brent ....

It's not just you Greg. It's a mirror copy!

... And Heresay all of us, and heresay all of us....

OK, it seems like the SB dyno night has already happened.
Survey says......
Results?

Hey guys,
I was actually turned away by all this stuff a few months ago whne I shared my personal observations on the service, prices and performance and all this same stuff came up. This is what I have found-
I found him on my own and was instantly impressed by the way he carries himself. He didn't badmouth anybody to me. He has called me personnaly several times thru our relationship. The way I understand this lawsuit- He told me when we first met that he physically couldn't do the work because of the suit that has been mentioned. He had been investigated and was to be watched as a result of this finding. I heard this straight from him. I haven't seen any of the many other lawsuits you all have spoken of. They do have a guy that is doing install work that has done some work on my bike. I have bought a airbox and jet kit from them, 16ga steel box, all the brackets ,the breather and the filters. He charged me 125.00. I installed this kit. I have had the cams installed by his guy out of his shop. This cost 600.00 to buy and have them installed and then Matt had me personally at his side adjust the valves at his shop includeded in the price of the install. I guess I paid more, I bought them all breakfast, 27.00 or something. I have also had the billet maniflods insatlled at a cost of 125.00.
All this said, I have been around motors long enough that I can tell we have improved the performance of this bike. We are planning on installing SBT's 904 kit on and at that time he will dyno the bike because he wants to know how this stuff has responded with the Thunderbike pipes.
I won't get into the bashing because I have no reason that has been given to me personally to warrant that action. I will only say that after finding the help I have at SBT I have nothing but good to say about the company or the owner. If you all feel because he hasn't been around in this business long enough to warrant a place in this world of performance then that's up to you. I understand from him (here comes more bs) that he has been working with and racing and selling Triumph stuff for many years. He retired and has come back to play and push the new motors performance with what he brings from his past.
I also will say that I just rode the 5032.8 miles. we rode hard , not so hard ,hills and twisties. Through it all, quite frankly my bike outperformed my co-riders and my wildest dreams. (I expect more bs from what I now say) ,Matt personally called me during the trip just to check how the bike was. I had asked his opinion on whether I should go on this ride this soon after the cam work being done. He said no problem, he siad he would stand behind it and he checked with me. That was cool with me.
No, I have not had my bike dyno'd. I ride at least twice a week with this guy I kind-test mine to. He has A Harley with th 95 inch kit and cams.I can do everything he can and more. He is basically bummed by the performance we have acheived out this motor roughly half the size of his.
I have had fun and continue to do so. P--S on all the bashers, he has been a big help for me.
Vic

which airbox kit is $125?

Joker,
It was SBT's airbox that they sold to me at better than half price.
Vic