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What has been your experience with Odes, Mike Smith or the Comrade?

No joke about the oil change. Mike Smith himself said that. The dealer changed spark plugs(several heat ranges), adjusted the valves, changed the switch, injection computer, fuel pump,. injector, plug wire, we moved the battery ground, and other stuff, but nothing helped. The lack of factory help is a big no-no. Just try to find a phone number to call someone. And if you find one, don't cross your fingers waiting for them to answer. They are a small company with a big mouth.

When an engine backfires through the intake or exhaust, the FIRST things I would check is compression. I would expect it to be low due to possible intake and/or exhaust valve not seating or the valve timing has skipped a tooth on the timing belt. A second possibility is ignition timing - firing before the intake valve has closed. Changing your own oil voids your warranty? They're looking for a scapegoat for their ineptness.

Well, let me tell you my experience. I bought a new Odes Comrade. All was fine for about the first 10 hours, then I noticed it was popping back through the intake. Took it to the dealer twice for that. Then, it left me in the woods, I had to call someone to come get me. Took it to the dealer. He found that the battery ground, was attached against a plastic battery box, and was reliant to the bolt to go to the frame. The mechanic moved it to another location. I went back to the woods. It was still popping back through the intake. After I was through hunting, a week later, I carried it back to the dealer and told him no hurry, but when I picked it up, I wanted it fixed. A month later, he called and said he had done all he could do. He said the factory could offer no help, and that there was not any way to go into the computer and adjust the fuel mixture. He had changed the fuel pump, injector, the electronics and tried several heat ranges of spark plugs. He called to other dealerships, and in the end, they told him, that engine just did that, and there was nothing that could be done with that. I picked it up and emailed Odes, telling them what was going on, and I wanted my money back. Mike Smith first, tried to tell me that I had voided the warranty by changing my own oil. He finally said he would send a factory mechanic, with a fully stocked truck, tools and instruments, to repair the unit. 10 days later, a man showed up in an old car with a back pack of tools and a cardboard box full of parts. He worked on it several hours, and said it was fixed. They told me he had put the 3rd fuel pump and injector on it, replaced the electronic brain again, put a new key switch in it, and changed the spark plug. When I got there, it was worst than it had ever been. I would start and die., start and die, and on the third time, it would stay running. It did this every time it had set up for several hours. Oncfe it was running, it was pooping back through the intake, plus, it was now back firing through the muffler. I began to demand my money back or I was going to file lemon law. This unit also had headlights that would not adjust right, It pulled to the right, plus, it was delivered to me with almost 30 psi air in the back right hand tire. I did not notice the tire, until it was extremely worn, I was told it was ready to go, when I picked it up. Who would have thought they had not checked the tire air pressure. Odes would not replace the tire, and I had to pay for it. Odes would do nothing about the front end pulling so bad, and the mechanic could not adjust it out of it. It took a lot it?of emails and arguing, but Mike Smith finally agreed to refund the invoice amount, and my dealer had already said he would refund every cent I had spent. Well, Mike Smith drug his feet, made excuses, but finally did send the money to the dealer, who gave it to me. BUT, the dealer then reneged on his statement to refund every penny I had spent. He would not refund even 1 cent of the mark up. First he claimed that he thought Odes was going to refund it, then, he explained that Odes had not paid for 1 minute of the labor, that his mechanic had put into it. I told him that was between him and the dealer, but no consumer anywhere, was every expected to pay for warranty repairs. I tried to negotiate with the man, but he would not budge. Monday, if he has not contacted me with something, I am filing in Small Claims Court. There is not one competent business man out there, who would expect the manufacturer to refund the dealer markup. That does not even make good nonsense. Does anyone want to buy a rear factory tire, for the Comrade, with about 2 miles on it? I do not recommend Odes or Mike Smith, to anyone. If they would have manned up and replaced the unit with another, or just refunded my money with out a fight, or if they had competent service people to help you, I would not feel this way. Heck, when trying to find out what specific engine oil to use, one of them told me to use GL5, which is 90 weight rear end lube. I can't make this stuff up.