[dhtahoe]

Town has no (I repeat NO) insider information. He is not associated with Karpiel at all. He is nothing but a mouth given the opportunity to feel important by peddling rumors and lies and he's going to be damn lucky if he's not slapped with a lawsuit in the next 90 days.

And I was the liar. But it turned out EXACTLY how I called it. He was right I did have NO inside information. It was all from the IRS, city of Reno, and his landlord. Who at the time was MY landlord. He told me that Jan was getting locked out the next day and the next day the sheriff came and locked him out. Watched it from across the parking lot. Then went home that night an told EVERYONE on RM that he had been locked out. NEVER was slapped with the lawsuit BTW. Anyway glad somebody else didn't get taken. I fell pretty good about what I did because it was a professional matter. Not a personal matter like Bad Monkey claimed. Funny but now him and Jan are getting into the steel furniture business together. After being ripped off just like the rest of us. I learned after I gave him the benifit of the doubt the first time. I'll give it to Jan he knows just what to say to make you fell sorry for him.

 

[Dexter D]

Holy **** I thought it was just my DV that had gone lost and then needed to be dremeled, realigned, etc. etc. etc.

 

[dropmachine]

It's been awhile since "monday" and still no Karpiel website. He must have meant to say "a week from Monday" that makes more sense

Two weeks.

 

[ILikeFood]

I've been riding & racing my Army going into 5 seaons now (sh*t maybe 6). From what I understand (and from the looks of it) my front triangle was welded by Ventanna, and its a work of art.

My bike was delivered early; I remember begging them to hand deliver it to me for the Deer Valley Norba way back when. They had 13 bikes to finish, but added mine to the queue. Sure enough they handed it to me the first day of practice. My first swingarm was pretty rickety, and given that I rushed them I was sort-of understanding. I talked to Jan at the race, and he said he'd give me a new one. Which he did, no charge, when I returned it to them later that season.

About a week after getting back the new swingarm (which has fantastic alignment, better than a few M1's I've seen) I found my BB was loose. I had ridden about 3 full days of DH on it when I noticed it. I took it apart, and almost cried when I saw all the drive side threads were stripped. I called Karpiel, explained what happened, told them it was "their fault" since they had reassembled the whole thing and not torqued it right (dubious at best.) They told me to send it in, and the'd fix it. They reamed out the BB shell and pressed in a steel insert. No charge.

So when I hear about the poor folks that have had a horrible time with Jan, I just don't get it. He's taken fantastic care of me. When I hear about ****e welds and poor alignment, again I'm sort of wondering. There are several ancient (older than mine) Karpiels kicking around a Deer Valley all the time. My friends have all been through 2-3 frames while I've been on my one.

I have to say, the Army is an amazing bike, and while it may not be the "best" race or freeride bike it is great none the less. I think the Army is ahead of its time in so many ways: 9", adjustable rate/head angle, 10.5 pounds w/shock. 10 days at Whistler on an Army is pretty much as close to 70 virgins in heaven I'll ever get...

-f00d

 

[punkassean]

^ It doesn't surprise me that Jan took care of a few people here and there but as things got worse (closer to the end) there are more and more accounts of people getting SHAFTED. What's not to understand???

 

[zedro]

wow, talk about bringing a thread from the dead, kinda funny reading that first post.

Karps are so great you cant buy them anymore.....

 

[sam_little]

10 days at Whistler on an Army is pretty much as close to 70 virgins in heaven I'll ever get...

-f00d

... and I thought most mormons got 70 virgins on earth.

 

[Jm_]

I've been riding & racing my Army going into 5 seaons now (sh*t maybe 6). From what I understand (and from the looks of it) my front triangle was welded by Ventanna, and its a work of art.

Did they make an army in 2000?

 

[ILikeFood]

... and I thought most mormons got 70 virgins on earth.

Bah I wouldn't know, not being from around these parts...

-f00d

 

[ILikeFood]

Did they make an army in 2000?

Yeah, I'm looking back through my pix and it was 2001 that I got mine, so I'm going on 5 seasons.

It was 2000 when Bender tried to drop the wall at Deer Valley on an Army. They were probably around for awhile before that, I think in the first Down they show Bender on a 9-11 (the original name of the Armaggedon, coincidences eh?) It's pretty easy to find 1999 links with the Army mentioned, but 1998 seems dry.

-f00d

 

[Brian HCM#1]

I believe it was around 1999-2000 when they first came out.

 

[Jm_]

means I'm beginning to show my age when I don't think 5 years ago was a long time...

 

[Thrillkil]

I'm working on getting him deported for non payment of past wages, tax fraud, mail fraud. If you are going to pull this kind of crap you better have a green card. Still owes me about 1500 and Karl Rogne about 8k. Not to mention the silly amount he owes Ventana. A few people will make sure he NEVER sells another bike EVER.

If Jan Karpiel were to be deported (I assumed he was already in Poland), would there be anything to stop someone from making their own copy of one of his frames? I was interested in having a Disco built on the cheap to race at mammoth.

 

[BadMonkey]

What are you guys doing still talking about this? It’s been a YEAR. And I’m Hoffa now? I sell bike parts? I sell furniture? I sell porn? Sorry. I don’t sell anything. I’m not Jan Karpiel. I’m not in business with Jan Karpiel. I haven’t seen the guy in months, though I know he has not been deported and does, in fact, have a green card. His website says that his trademark and his designs are protected. I guess that means you can’t rip them off.

In regard to some of these other recent posts, when I knew Karpiel, he never took deposits on bikes he didn’t intend on delivering. From what I hear, the bikes that were ordered back then have slowly begun to reach their owners. He’s sticking around just to see those obligations through, when most people would have just declared it over and rid themselves of the debt legally.

There was nothing evil in the way that Karpiel did business. There was no conspiracy to take people’s money. Everyone who knew Karpiel well in 2004 knew this. Sometimes, businesses go through hard times, and they generally all have outstanding debts at the moment they close their doors. It’s not personal. It’s not a plot. It’s not a crime. It’s just the way the world works.

If Karpiel really told Town that he intended to take everyone’s money, then why didn’t Town post a warning before Karpiel’s doors actually closed? If Town was really in the parking lot when Karpiel’s doors were closed, then why does Kent Ferris say (in this thread) that he was sitting right next to him at Northstar? Why do other people say they saw him there? I’ve got nothing against people who spread the truth about anything. I’ve got a big problem with people who rewrite history and leave out all facts.

This site has become a huge rumor mill. It’s an angry paparazzi billboard where anything goes and no lie is too huge. Maybe it’s amusing at first, but it can’t be taken seriously. If you like Karpiel bikes, then you should ride and enjoy them. If you don’t like them, you should buy something else. If you want a cheap one, buy it used. If you think you’ve been cheated, contact Jan Karpiel directly and work it out. There are many people who can help you do this. Town is not one of them. This doesn’t have to be Days of Our Lives.

 

[binary visions]

This doesn’t have to be Days of Our Lives.

...yet here you are, bumping the thread back up again, and making a big dramatic post.

 

[Jeremy R]

This doesn’t have to be Days of Our Lives.

Remember that time Marlana was possessed by that demon.
Yeah.
That was awesome.

 

[MVRIDER]

contact Jan Karpiel directly and work it out...

LMAO!!! I think that's most people's main hang up!!!...would you like to elude as to how this can be done?

 

[schweino1]

hey bad monkey? did you shipped the right seatpost to the guy yet? or ypu sacamed him for good?

 

[meatboot]

Talk about the undead thread.

 

[binary visions]

hey bad monkey? did you shipped the right seatpost to the guy yet? or ypu sacamed him for good?

No, that was my bad - a case of mistaken identity. The guy who posted about the bad seller said "BadMonkey '<seller's name>'". I took that to mean that BadMonkey was <name> and it was his issue. What the guy meant was that <name> was a bad monkey. I already apologized in the other thread for jumping to conclusions :

 

[dhtahoe]

No, that was my bad - a case of mistaken identity. The guy who posted about the bad seller said "BadMonkey '<seller's name>'". I took that to mean that BadMonkey was <name> and it was his issue. What the guy meant was that <name> was a bad monkey. I already apologized in the other thread for jumping to conclusions :

Yeah Trey is cool that's why I HAD to correct ya on that one.

 

[binary visions]

Yeah Trey is cool that's why I HAD to correct ya on that one.

Actually, it was the "bad seller" that brought it to my attention (who apparently got the whole issue resolved and it didn't sound like it was his fault).