Leaderboard

* Larryblag stands up and salutes *

So a few weeks ago I posted re radiator paint flaking off and was offered great advice - so primer and top coat purchased it's off with the old radiator to fix it. Now, an admission. My valves have never been checked. Like ever. I know I should have etc but after looking at posts etc and following the old 'if it isn't broken......' I hadn't got round to it. 37K miles. From new. Now I'd callled 'Mr Honda' and he'd said £180 including VAT. So take off £36 for vat = £144 divided by 2.5 hours = £57.60 per hour labour. So, a 2.5 hour job or thereabouts at around £60 an hour. No

Thankyou crofty, i just had same problem 200 miles from home ..good battery good fuses dead everything ...was that same connector . Without you there would be no saying what i might of took apart..and worse a garage bill and inconvenience of breakdown cover . THANKYOU>

Is that where the customer always comes first?

I've just seen a 3 year old NC750S with only 600 miles on the clock. It was still serviced every year though!! Bargain for someone.

Blimey! Going for the Marty Feldman look but failing thank goodness.

Has it got the latest version of the software? Even if you've had it in to the dealers it might be worth checking the version installed as they often don't automatically install the latest version especially if the customer isn't complaining of any issues that might possibly be software related. Sometimes even if the customer does complain some dealers have been known to assume the software is up to date and that the problem is something else and embark a series of often expensive part swaps. In true forum fashion I'm going to wander off topic. Back in 2005 a friend bo

I've got one, after doing a lot of research. In fact they don't have a problem*. They are a great bike, but I would say they often get bought by middle-aged wannabe bikers who hope to rekindle their fading manhood by cruising with their missus across Europe but find the boxers a bit heavy/powerful/big/intimidating/expensive. Honestly, provided you can live with the shit engine sound (a 360-degree parallel twin, thus even firing intervals like the boxers), it's actually a cracking bike and exudes great design and build quality (much better than the NC in those regards, but £3 gran

I tried one of those too. Very sensitive RBW throttle made it difficult in traffic, nice engine though. Looked great in the red/white/blue colour scheme. Kelly didn't like the looks and the oversized plastic cover over the filler cap dug in her thigh. Of the styling she said from the front it "looked like it had a broken neck". That ended any potential sale for them unfortunately.

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

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

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.

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.

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!

Was looking around two New Interceptors that friends have just bought this weekend, I was impressed with the overall quality, they both said the gearshift was the best they have used in a long time, and for the money they were bargain's, Didn't know of the 3000 mile valve check but they are screw & nut adjusters like the NC so should be an easy job.

I'm the third owner of my X and it had about 800 miles when I bought it! It's got a more respectable 30k now 😊

Today I got around to watching the Missenden Flyer's latest longer test of the Enfield Interceptor. It's a bike I really fancy, but unless I wasn't listening correctly, he says it needs the valves checking every 3,000 mikes! Yes 3,000. And oil changes (fully synthetic) at the same time. This makes the bike seem a bit less of a bargain now. What do you think?

Both. I also use it anywhere moisture could cause problems, stop light switches, that sort of thing. This time of year I spray it all over the place (except brake discs, obviously!).

I'm going to be honest here, boys. I have always (well, for the last 27 years or so) used Contect 'Duck Oil' for cleaning and protecting electrical connections. Issued by the AA to their patrolmen, for exactly that purpose, it's cheap and it works.

Got started this morning doing the checks, checked the main fuse, fine. continued down the line to the ignition switch and disconnected the connection below the ignition switch to get a reading, no reading on looking further the female part of the connection was so corroded it turned to dust when I gave it a good poke, ah that's not so good. I disconnected the battery and stripped the connection fitting a new 6.3mm connector that I had in the garage. connected the battery back up turned the ignition switch and eureka it works. I have to say a big thank you to everyone who has helped me trouble

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.