Help with HEL brake line

We use apexbrakes.com for all of our bikes. Great service and quality products. He has the specs for many bikes and does custom lines.

I thought I would wrap this up in case anyone comes across the thread later on...  So basically I tried to place an order on the HEL website for a brake line earlier this year, but was unable to complete the order because the US page wouldn't provide shipping options.  I reached out to @HELperformance and quickly received a reply asking to send the issue to a tech at an email address.  From that address I also received a reply that they were looking into it, and got a couple more replies over the next few days that the issue was deeper than they thought and they were still working on it.  And then nothing, no further replies for a couple months, but then mid-July I noticed the site WAS working correctly and I was able to place my order and make a payment.  I got an email that my order was placed, and by the next day the website showed my order number was confirmed.  Hoorah?

After a couple weeks of nothing happening I tried reaching out on twitter again.  Nothing.  A week later I sent a message to the email address I had used before.  Again nothing.  Over the next few weeks I tried twitter again, sent a message using the form on their web site, and called and left messages at their phone number.  Absolute dead silence.  Finally last week I gave up.  Since I paid through paypal I filed a request for refund through them, and today I was notified that it went through.  So at least there's that.

Now I've missed two seasons of riding, plus had to drive my SUV through some of the highest gas prices the world has seen.  Next week I'll start going through the previous replies here to find another vendor to purchase from so I can get this taken care of over the cold months (yeah I should have done that last year!).  I'm annoyed because I have always heard great things about the quality of HEL products and customer service, so this just feels like a slap in the face to have them take my money and then refuse to even acknowledge my attempts to contact them.  Hopefully I'll have better luck with the next vendor...

Well, if you decide to make your own line, be careful of the fitting you choose. If the store have it in stock, that much better. Don't make the same mistake I made. Remember, COVID is not over yet (Who would've guessed??).

Long story short, I decided to make my own line because the one I bought was just a tiny bit (like 1/2 - inch) short for my liking. And since I contaminated(?) the line with brake fluid, I decided to make my own. I had to order something for my car so went through Summit Racing (but it's not their fault) and placed an order for whatever parts I needed. Hey, one stop shopping. Got it done in one place. What could be better.

Straight banjo fitting I wanted (this one. www.summitracing.com/parts/GDR-5092-03CH ) was on back order. I placed the order on 7/30 and estimated shipping date was 8/24. Kinda long, but not bad. I could be working on something else so no problem. But I got an email on 8/22 saying that it will be delayed until 9/15. OK......................Email said I don't have to do anything if I still want the order, but have an option to cancel it. Damn it. I need that part. So decided to wait.  Well, this time, I didn't get any email so wanted to check the status on that back order part. Now it say it will ship out on 10/09 (now the web page say 10/10).

Right now, I'm just hoping that I get that part before next year.

I may get the part from other place and keep this one just to see where it ends. Just wanted to share my experience.

See that's the thing that annoyed me.  I would have understood if parts were on backorder.  Hell I ordered a server for work last November and it finally arrived last month.  That's just the way things are going right now.  However I don't appreciate being ignored because if that's the way a company treats their customers for a typical order then what could I possibly expect if something did go wrong?

Well good luck to us both.  Let me know if you find anyone who comes through.

Give Michael Mercury Morse a call at Vintage Brake in California.
12-5 m-th
209-533-4346
www.vintagebrake.com/index.html

I bought a universal(AN-3 female ends) stainless braided line from him. I gave him the length of the hose.
I then told him the style of banjo ends I needed. You just screw the ends on.
That was 6 years ago. Still going strong.
 

I can also vouch for Vintage Brake. He has provided parts for me on numerous occasions. A bit slow at times, but ain't we all! 

I'm a little late to this Party, but do you have any Harley / Aftermarket / Chopper Builders / Biker Shops /  kind of places around?
All the Harleys use 10mm banjo's. These place sell all types of degree banjo ends. Then most have brake lines with fittings on them to just screw together. And they sell the hose's in every length by 1" increments IE: 12", 14", 20" ,22", 30" etc. At least around me they do. Myself! I go to a nationally know business called "classic tube" for classic cars. Owned by a Lady syndicated on TV and Radio called  "The Car Coach" Lauren Fix is her name. She and her husband own this Business. They have a SEMA both every year at Vegas. They made my custom lines for my Z--Rod,  hot rod That I just so happened to sell!
Sorry to babble on. That's just me.

View new post below...

Not to hijack the thread/post, and for that fact, I should start my own thread (but I won't. I don't want to crowd the forum with this kind of useless post).

As mentioned before, My order went from back-order date 8/24 to 9/15 then 10/09. As of previous post, if you visited the site, it had a date of 10/10. Just few days ago, I checked the same web page and had the delivery date of 10/12. Now, it's 10/14. My fear has come to real life. I may have to wait until end of the year to receive this part.

I'm currently looking for other place to get the same part. I'm just going to NOT cancel the order and see where this is going to take me. We all can use a spare parts anyway. So this will be my last post regarding the banjo fitting I'm waiting on. But let this be the warning for everyone who has something on back-order. And no. I didn't receive any type of notification of extended shipping time.

Everyone tells me I live on paradise. Some paradise this. Can't get anything nowadays without waiting or selling your Kidney.......................

 

 
Straight banjo fitting I wanted (this one. www.summitracing.com/parts/GDR-5092-03CH ) was on back order. I placed the order on 7/30 and estimated shipping date was 8/24. Kinda long, but not bad. I could be working on something else so no problem. But I got an email on 8/22 saying that it will be delayed until 9/15. OK......................Email said I don't have to do anything if I still want the order, but have an option to cancel it. Damn it. I need that part. So decided to wait.  Well, this time, I didn't get any email so wanted to check the status on that back order part. Now it say it will ship out on 10/09 (now the web page say 10/10).
 

hold on--checking something
www.partzilla.com/product/aftermarket/33TW-GOODRIDGE-P5092-03CH

The fitting I found on Partzilla is for Goodridge's Buildaline segment.
You choose the hose length and you thread on the AN banjo fitting to the hose ends.

The one you are waiting for is a compression fitting banjo.
My mistake.

screenshot-   www.goodridge.co.uk/collections/goodridge-buildaline-products

Shdwdrgn wrote:
I thought I would wrap this up in case anyone comes across the thread later on...  So basically I tried to place an order on the HEL website for a brake line earlier this year, but was unable to complete the order because the US page wouldn't provide shipping options.  I reached out to @HELperformance and quickly received a reply asking to send the issue to a tech at an email address.  From that address I also received a reply that they were looking into it, and got a couple more replies over the next few days that the issue was deeper than they thought and they were still working on it.  And then nothing, no further replies for a couple months, but then mid-July I noticed the site WAS working correctly and I was able to place my order and make a payment.  I got an email that my order was placed, and by the next day the website showed my order number was confirmed.  Hoorah?

After a couple weeks of nothing happening I tried reaching out on twitter again.  Nothing.  A week later I sent a message to the email address I had used before.  Again nothing.  Over the next few weeks I tried twitter again, sent a message using the form on their web site, and called and left messages at their phone number.  Absolute dead silence.  Finally last week I gave up.  Since I paid through paypal I filed a request for refund through them, and today I was notified that it went through.  So at least there's that.

Now I've missed two seasons of riding, plus had to drive my SUV through some of the highest gas prices the world has seen.  Next week I'll start going through the previous replies here to find another vendor to purchase from so I can get this taken care of over the cold months (yeah I should have done that last year!).  I'm annoyed because I have always heard great things about the quality of HEL products and customer service, so this just feels like a slap in the face to have them take my money and then refuse to even acknowledge my attempts to contact them.  Hopefully I'll have better luck with the next vendor... 

Spoke with Curtis in Kansas at the following phone number noted previously (913) 730-7500, and alerted him to the communication problems expressed.
I also texted the link to this forum subject at the same number for him to review.

If still are interested in HEL brake lines, Curtis is available to help out.

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