To answer your questions and take the flack Hi Everyone, My Name is Nigel Vause. I would like to say a big hello to all the dedicated and passionate bikers on this forum. I have just joined 3 minutes ago and for the very reason you are all very aware of. I have read this thread......I stand in front of you now to answer all these questions and slatings that you wish to throw at me. I have no fear of whats ahead. Im sure it will be very interesting and you lot will sniff a rat from 3 miles no doubt!!! I am the inventor of the single sided post lift. I owned a slab side gsxr750 C reg (same age as my eldest daughter) and still own the bike. I designed a lifting mechanism through simple evolution to pick the bike up from the side with both wheels in the air. Basically hook a bar in the chassis slot and yank backwards onto a tripod. GW Smith Fabrications was the small business I worked for in Elvington York and there are still some of the guys there who would be more than happy to confirm my invention. But just like any good British Invention, its chances of success are greatly diminished simply by the fact we live in the country. However, I continued to evolve the idea and foolishly made a few for race guys, many years ago. This meant my design was in the public domain and no patent would be issued. I have a patent number now on what I consider to be the most important thing about the lift. It wont drop your bike!!! I designed a system that auto locks your bike to the lift as it takes the weight of the bike. Anyway, years went past and life got in the way, I have 4 beautiful girls (my models at the Envy shows once they had grown a bit!) Whilst collecting some paint for a car I was painting around 7 years ago I became involved with what became Envy Motorbike Lift Ltd. I showed my design to someone who said he could bring the investors to the table and off it went. We got a small unit in York and I was making and evolving my bike lifter with every sale. I dealt personally with every customer and I made every lift. There is plenty more to tell but After working for these people for some time I became awae I being buliied into just making more and more but there was no infrastructure behind the business and the investment that was promised never seemed to happen. One day after a long spate of doing 16 hour days my Mrs rung me at work and said the mortgage had not been paid and in fact I had not been paid for 2 months. When I challenged those guys in the office it was funny but that was the day I was locked out of the business. The smarmy people sent me a text at ten thirty at night saying the locks had been changed and I no longer worked for the company. Unfortunately for them, and many customers, the other guys left when they knew what had happened and stayed loyal to me. They are still my friends to this day and were themselves sh*t on by these people. I have a back up of every single customer who ordered an Envy lift and I have updated many since meeting guys at shows. If anyone has bought an Envy lift on here then please contact me and I will update and re-vamp your envy lift to take the new lock system. FOC. I don’t have to offer this as it was not my doing and I am an honourable person. I am also a customer and yes it is my name on the product. So even though they have the money I am willing to put any issues right. Within weeks of my lock out I bumped into Steve Webster whom I used to work with at Rowntree Mackintosh in York many years earlier and told him what had happened. He agreed to help me and we went to meet Gary (Director and major investor) and he agreed to bank roll the business. De ja vu. But this time we agreed to some simple rules. We build the product to a specification and not a price, we use only British steels and components and we take care of any Envy customers as our own. We launched the 1jac in November last year. Yes its been copied many times now (bursig, constands warrior etc are all a copy of the much earlier Envy lift and made by sumomto in Shangsho province in China. See Alibaba for details. They still to this day buy my kits to work out how to lift models but unfortunately don’t seem to get that it’s the Engineering and materials that make it work correctly. I have never dropped a bike. And I made my first lift in 1985. I am just as passionate about this true product today and can finally say with my hand on heart that I have a team around me now who are helping make this a great British business. I have never run away to hide and will be only too happy to respond to anyone on this site who has genuinely been let down by Envy even though I am not legally obliged after being exonerated of any financial involvement in the business. 1Jac is a business with proper structure and our investor has used his own money to fund the whole thing, so we cant go bust or anything like that. Some of you may remember Steve Webster (one of the partners) he built his own engine with his Dad and then won the World Side car Championships for ten years before retiring. His Engineering is of the finest in the world and since his involvement the lift has had the finessing it deserved by real Engineers. I am here if anyone wishes to give me a slating or has any complaint or issue, but I will say this, I am proud of my invention and even though its taken 25 years to get here in its true intended state its here now. The copies are truly only cheap copies. Our lift was expensive but we have it down to 295 now without compromising any Engineering at all and it comes with a lifetime warranty. If you don’t believe the company you are buying from to be real or honest then please come and see us at 7 Whitehouse Street Leeds LS10 1AD. As for Chris or should I say FGH, he is certainly not a liar by nature and has been genuinely upset by the comments, but I have explained to Him that he true intent was only good and anyone wishing to meet him at the many upcoming events will very quickly realise what a good guy he really is. He works overtime at keeping customers happy and was doing the right thing by defending me in principal. Something we would probably all do if the truth be known. It was so easy to catch him out that itself shows he has never written an article on a bike forum ever. I really do appreciate your true feelings also. But I think sometimes feelings can change as the picture changes. I don’t ride a CBR1000RR I actually ride a K6 GSXR1000 but I do supply kits for every single fireblade ever made. And on occasions supply them to the copiers when they cant quite get theres to work. There is a very well Engineered reason why my lift wont drop your bike. I cant speak for the ones who made the copies of the old envy lift. No doubt they will try copy the 1jac. Thanks for reading the post. Im here if you wish to say anything to me. Kind regards Nigel Vause.
Its a funny old world we live in isn't it. Its liking watching all the human traits and feelings unfold in text. Opportunity, deceit, lies, regret, truth, honesty & passion. I personally don't have enough spare cash to buy one of these stands and to be honest a few pages back my heart went out to Martin and any other poor sod that got fleeced. I have to admit, that I appreciate the desperate desire of FGH to help a company back on its feet (just did it the wrong way). I also feel that Nigel did the right thing by telling his side in his words. At least now we can all make our minds up with all the info. Would be nice to see Martin taken care of though. stay chirpy people, were only here once!
ps: Steve Webster is a god! I still have Webster and Hewitts autograph from when i was a kid. When sidecars were on the track with a GP! 'back in the day" lol
If Martin placed an order and paid for an envy lift he will be taken care of. There are many old customers out there who can confirm this. Thanks though. Please just let Martin know as Im not a forum guy as such and not sure how to contact him directly.
As for Webbo he is a true Legend and its a pleasure working with him every day. Its a bit scary when he is driving the van though as he is just as quick but the eyesights going. Good job he has still retained his fast reaction times when things finally come into view. I get my adrenalin kick every morning!!! I have just text him and asked him to say Hi on the forum.
Nice to see your side of the storey Nigel, Looks like a few people have been shit on from a great hight, trouble is, shit sticks and it looks like you have to go above and beyond to put things right, by the sound of it, none of it your fault. Good luck. Still see Steve going into that Dutch ditch.
Martin when I was locked out of the business there were many orders to fulfil. I have fulfilled nearly everyone of them, however some people moved or changed contact details. I take full responsibility because I am an honourable man and my future depends on the fact that people trust our business. The guys who took your money but did not supply your lift must live with themselves, but I sleep very well at night knowing I am doing my best to get over the catrophy of being ripped off. I had my own money in the business and it had my initials in the name. If you have an old address or anything. I have 2 outstanding orders for Martins. Not a Martin Owen though, but Im sure we can find your details and order somehow. What bike did you order for?
Owen isn't my surname it is my boys name, it was for a 2005 model I was constantly phoning and was told that you were having problems with it catching the gear lever or the foot peg and they were in the process of re designing the bracket or arm, I was always promised calls back etc and never received them.
Wow, what a thread...! I have a question, as a business idea, an invention and a possible means to a millionaire why did you not patent the idea BEFORE you realised it? Now the market is flooded with cheaper ver? Made in England it may be but 90% of the UK don't give a toss, they want and will buy the cheaper product, most don't see quality etc? sad but true IMO.
I think we have all learnt quite a lot from this thread. I will be tempted next time I'm in Leeds. 2012 Fireblade keep one in stock.
Nigel....as your well aware these forums can be the start of either top notch recommendations or ruined reliability, Id like to take you up on the offer of sorting my "Envy" lift which was bought and eventually received (it took weeks of regular phone calls) after demos watched by myself at the NEC in 2011... the quality of the product left a lot to be desired "Poor welding" and a framework that doesn't sit square on all castors along with poorly mismatched pins and sockets which along with no form of instruction I eventually received it after literally WEEKS of broken promises..... I sympathise with your plight in what happened to "Envy" and the manner you claim the company eventually went down..... So if your man of your word Id be happy to take you up on a offer of updating if possible my lift..... and to show you no ill feeling quiet happy to cover costs of any parts that I see now you have modified..... Having posted many times on his brilliant informative forum ..I actually like the concept but could nt bring myself to say anything positive and leaving negative posts about this unit I received.....im all for supporting British engineering and realise your always going to be up against the cheaper products or copies made by others... So lets give you some credit in "Coming Out" so to speak and shedding some light on what happened.. I await your reply.....
Thank you Rob for your patience so to speak. I will promise you this, I have plenty of fellow bikers who bought the Envy lift and have looked after now. The upgrade allows the new LTL plate to fit and work correctly. I apologise to you and every single biker who bought the Envy lift and got the terrible customer service that quite rightly deserves talking about, and bringing this thread up has in itself given opportunity to make good a terrible experience. Parting with a fair chunk of your cash and then chasing on the phone for ever would certainly make me say plenty, and none good. I have a team now that are just what you need. Anyone looking on the 1jac website will see the many many testimonials. I do not have a single customer who has had anything but great customer care. Im also sure there were many Envy customers who received that also. Im an Engineer, but Im also an every day biker. I would never shit on people, thats who I am. If you simply send your lift to our Leeds workshop I will personally deal with it for you mate. When you get it back you will be able to fit all the kits we supply. I will supply you a free LTL kit too for your current bike.
And with regards to the Envy lifts quality I can only say this is what happens when salesmen run companies and pressure is applied to fabricators to produce at speed without the care for real quality. I can assure you when you receive it back you will be more than happy with the re-vamp.
Many thanks Nigel I almost chucked it out the other week when I heard the sound "SCRAP IRON" coming from the polish flatbed doing the rounds..... Looks like we are going to have some positive outcome...... Will resend during next week...... and Thanks again..... PS will be taking delivery of a new "BMW S1000rr" next week too..... but keep that to yourself !!
In answer to Arthurbikemad Being stupid and being a genius has not come as easy as you think. I once made a nose cone for a Spitfire. I spent all weekend making it from Aluminium. The guy fitted it to his plane and it was perfect. I was proud of it. He flew away to Norway where he keeps it. A week later my then boss asked how much I charged the guy for the job. "charge" I said, "I thought that was your job". The nose cone looked mint though mate.
Morning all, further to Nigel's posts here are my contact details if anyone has any questions or queries please don't hesitate to get in touch, just a bit more personable than posts Chris Hiles Tel: 0113 380 8979 E-mail:[email protected]
Just read through this thread. It reads like a modern epic. Tales of despair, deceit, (possible) redemption. This stuff should be a movie! All I can say is that we have some very good moderators here - well done And hopefully, if Nigel is true to his word, this whole story can have a Hollywood happy ending....
