This isn't a warranty issue, it's a manufacturer defect issue. The consumer was sold a product which does not meet the expected specifications, and due to this the manufacturer defect there is a safety concern.
Michelin stands to lose a lot of goodwill over the way that they are handling the situation. In the first place, I agree that the recalled tires should be replaced by like kind. Michelin sells the 2CT at a premium over the standard power and asks the consumer to pay that premium in exchange for a superior tire. Replacing the 2CT with a standard tire because of a defect in the 2CT would be a bait-and-switch.
Regardless, the dealer issue is clear cut. You want to fly the michelin banner, you deal with the burdens of being a michelin dealer. Part of that is handling recalls. If my car has a recall, do I bring it back to where it was originally purchased to handle the recall? No, I find the nearest authorized dealer and they handle my recall free of charge and with a smile on their face thanking me for bringing my vehicle in promptly and saving the marque the possibility of expensive an expensive lawsuit. Your michelin dealers better do the same, otherwise maybe they shouldn't be authorized to sell michelin tires.
Just my opinion, I don't have any tires that fall under the recall but I am following this pretty closely. I bought michelin in the past rather than cheaper tires because of their reputation for providing the best tire, and part of that means standing behind their product. If they fail to do that here, perhaps it's time to find someone who will...
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Originally Posted by Karaya One  Peter will have to swap it. I'm stopping at his shop in the morning to talk to him about it. He will be compensated.
I'll be at GMD, South Shore, Parkway, GBM, Performance Factor, Bike Works, Sky Cycle and Wagner Motorsports Weds. to go through all this with those shops.
I have replacement tires coming in Friday. Michelin is sending dealers forms to submit to recoup the cost incurred of mounting / balancing. I will be sending out replacement tires for free this week to my shops.
Motorace will have new tires out in the shops by Friday / Monday to deal with this. HOWEVER - not all shops here buy Michelin from me. Cycles 128, Riverside, Performance Cycle, Great Bay, etc buy from Parts Unlimited. They will have to deal with PU. And I'm not aware of how proactive they will be with those shops.
What I do know is that a few shops are asking the riders who bought them on the 'net to deal with the 'net companies. They don't feel obligated to warranty the product for you since you didn't buy it from them. They weren't good enough for the sale, so why should they rush to service it? This is up to them. We have no control over how they run their business.
As always, PM me if you have any questions. I'll be happy to answer as best as I can.
Dave |