SBT is the largest engine and pwc crank rebuilder in the world. A company that does that kind of volume will have some defective products and failures.
Plenty of customer sbt 'horror' stories are out there.
They started out as a crank rebuilding company and hold several patents for their equipment and procedures to rebuild/realign and true oem cranks. We have sold at least 100 cranks this year with only a few problems.
We carry lots of their products and are happy with most of them. We have asked them to make little changes and they are eager to improve anything brought to their attention.
I'd buy their crank and a top end kit from somewhere else and put it together yourself.
This is good advice. Their engines are designed for average couch riders, not high performance, high compression freestyle abuse. Get a sbt crank and use prox or wiseco pistons.
One of our guys was breaking in a SBT motor, and the crank went out after 10 minutes of idling on the hose. They told him that they wont cover the '1 year' warranty.
SBT = Stuff Breaks Today.
For quality, you can't beat OEM.
Yea, that seems like BS, I thought it was a no fault one year warranty.
This sounds like total BS to me also. We have never had a problem getting defective sbt product covered under warranty including obvious customer abuse. They seem to be genuinely concerned with making things right and fixing problems as they arise.
For quality, you can't beat oem for some parts, but already there are superior a/m new and refurb. products in motor mounts, coils, pumps, impellers, etc.
How much price escalation in oem parts will wel bear before you seek a/m alternatives?
Especially in light of yamaha/kawi inevitably or already pulling out of standup market and oem parts supplies dwindling.
We should all be supportive of a/m products to ensure the continued growth and viability of freeride.