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Is that where the customer always comes first?

With the constant leaking and topping up I'd have thought the oil change was continuous.. :-)

Well, me, actually..

Well who hasn't done that A useful bit of Dutch IIRC "Ik het kein geld" , ends the sales pitch and lets you get on with the tourist stuff. Andy

He was no stranger to those establishments either. His wife thought he was going to the Moto GP at Assen but he got no further that the brothels of Amsterdam..

A dream customer! The only better ones are at Miss Whiplash's House of Pain (So I've heard). Andy

He wasn’t a mate, just someone I knew (and didn’t like much). He did actually buy another Ducati (a 916 something or other) unbelievable or what?!

BMW are usually sensible. They think long term, but see below. Service costs are just supply and demand. I had a bloke in January want me to fly out to Antigua to fix a trailer. Basically prepared to pay anything because he'd been pulled in by European technology (US trailers still have square wheels and a bloke called Gummy sat on top with a shot gun) and when he'd broken it no one there had a clue. Even with airfare, hotel and £50 per hour travelling and £250 per on site I won't go. When he broke it again it'd be a warranty job. Supply was zero (at least in his mind I was the on

Had plenty of that when we were commuting now we just ride for pleasure 99.9% of the time so only tend to ride in the dry unless either we get caught out or really have to be somewhere.

I think we maybe overlooking the costs of running a business? Business rates, rent, insurance, running costs of a building etc, then there's the the cost of the staff, training, sickness, wages! No one wants to feel they're being ripped off, that goes for both the customers, employees or proprietors? To put things into perspective perhaps, I have just had my Honda car serviced by a Honda dealer, that was about twice the price of the NC'X's service.

It's all to do with what you are happy with and if you are happy then that'll do. If I could afford to, I'd take my bikes in all the time, I prefer riding to fixing and this point in time I don't like fixing at all, maybe when I retire things might be different.

And who better!

Shame you don't live nearer!

If Rocker had been able to keep his Crossrunner the services would have been way more expensive than his new 500 (obviously). And his Monkey will be half the cost of the 500.. My son has the best service package - get the old man to do it.

Speaking of a Jaguar service I had an X type for a while and had it serviced but the next week had the ride on lawnmower serviced and it cost more!

My G310R's last service was £200 including a brake fluid change, the recall work was also done, but there was no charge for that.

Aye, and you don’t get a Jaguar service for the price of a Fiesta either! High performance and high tech costs, both at the initial purchase and in the maintenance.

Subsequently found I could have got it for £500 over at Webbs but they were too far away at the time - SWMBO was very ill and I could not leave her. Lings are 5 minutes down the road. Have now found an independent who is cheaper and guarantees to do the job properly!

My NC X 360 Miles on the clock and I was the THIRD owner Now at a healthy 9500. By the way the most expensive part of a can of beer? The can It costs 3p Think your being over charged ?

I don’t think service intervals are a big consideration for the majority of buyers. It’s one service a year for most. Plenty of two year old bikes in dealers with 900 miles on them. Very nice Ducati 1100 Scrambler for sale near me, 320 miles. How can you part exchange a bike with 300 miles on it? Mind you, it’s going to need new timing belts next year..

My mates 2012 Tiger 800XR had a 24000 mile service earlier this year, the Triumph dealers cost was about £1200, as there is over a days labour to do it. He found an independent ex-Triumph mechanic who did it for just over half that, he does it to the book using all Triumph parts. My NC'X had it's 24,000 mile service shortly afterwards, just over £300 at the Honda dealers, quite a contrast?

I really don’t know. Calling Sir Fred, calling Sir Fred? NO! A bloke I knew (he’s dead now and I’m not sorry ) had a timing belt go on one of the really ‘posh’ sports models (a Foggarty something or other) at hardly any miles but 38 months. Ducati were very hardline about it and wouldn’t give him a penny towards the (substantial, needed a new head) bill.

Twins are pretty much car engine standard for servicing but I bet the dealer makes a meal of it. £700 at Lings for the 12000 mile valve check on Tigger.