first service cost

[Guest barryw333]

Btw this is from another dealer, I'm going to take this price to my dealer and see if they will match it, bike is in for a recall this weekend so will ask when I pick it back up on Tuesday

[PoppetM 16,835]

You are kidding me... First service at 600.?!

I will only have it three weeks if my commute is anything to go by before it has to go back..... That's really disappointing!

[Tex 36,817]

You are kidding me... First service at 600.?!

I will only have it three weeks if my commute is anything to go by before it has to go back..... That's really disappointing!

Yes, as I said earlier, cars no longer have a 'first' service but bikes (and scooters) still do. After the first one is out of the way though it becomes an annual event or every 8,000 miles (whichever is the sooner). You will probably need to book your first service when you pick the bike up (or even before) as bike workshops tend to be busier in the summer months.

600 miles is 'suggested' but you can probably let it go up to 800 or so if you can't manage to get it done on time. You'll be fine!

[PoppetM 16,835]

Yes, as I said earlier, cars no longer have a 'first' service but bikes (and scooters) still do. After the first one is out of the way though it becomes an annual event or every 8,000 miles (whichever is the sooner). You will probably need to book your first service when you pick the bike up (or even before) as bike workshops tend to be busier in the summer months.

600 miles is 'suggested' but you can probably let it go up to 800 or so if you can't manage to get it done on time. You'll be fine!

Better tell them I will be back in a few weeks then!

[Guest barryw333]

I picked my bike up two weeks ago and booked a service today for next weekend, I think it's shocking that it had a pre delivery inspection and then three weeks later I am supposed to fork out for another inspection as well as oil and filters, dont mind paying for oil and filters but another inspection.......my arse

Edited July 15, 2016 by barryw333

[Andy m 23,513]

The first service thing is a con. The modern engines are no different to cars but rather than just stick a ton on the price of the bike they insist on this whole debacle. There are no fleet customers who'd refuse to buy, only a shed load of weekend warriors who'll have palpitations at the thought their new toy isn't getting special treatment. The dealers favourite of course is the bloke who treats baby to matching leathers and new tyres and shocks at the 600.

Negotiate the price when buying and book it the day you pick up has always been my plan. I don't care if they just park it up for the day so long as they stamp the warranty book and loan me something to ride.

Andy

[Rocker66 34,436]

If you think we have it bad now just consider this. With my copy of Classic Motorcycle Mechanics which I received this morning they included a reprint of Motorcycle dated 31 July 1976. it included a road test on a Yamaha RD 250C. 

The major service intervals were scheduled every 1000 miles. The Warranty was 6 months or 4000 miles.

I appreciate that this was a two stroke but even so

[Guest Dledgy]

Hi.just had my 600 mile service done today, free labour my dct was a bit dearer than manual £69 ,hunts honda ,next service 12 months from today

[danyboy 18]

After the first 1000 km ( 650 miles), the bike had his first service, and I had to pay 145 euro (nearly 130 pound). The dealer told me that it is better for the bike to do the service every 6000 km instead of every 12000 km. I'm thinking about doing it myself, garanty or not.

[Andy m 23,513]

More frequent oil changes mean longer running with low pressure while it primes, stressing drain plug threads more etc. If the old oil isn't worn you are doing more harm than good. Your dealer is an oil salesman, I'm sure he'd reccomend 50 Km intervals if he thought he'd get away with it.

 

If you can prove you are qualified and use genuine Honda parts you have a good chance of fighting a warranty claim. A book full of service stamps doesn't mean they won't find a different excuse to reject a claim.

 

You pay your money and make your choice. I'm doing annual oil changes (6-7000 miles) at home.

 

Andy

[danyboy 18]

I agree with you for 200% Andy. The word 'warranty' is often  a big disullision. 

[Rocker66 34,436]

Never had a warranty claim refused. The only problem I ever had was with Yamaha who fixed my XS750 but only after I had to get heavy with them. This is the reason I would never buy a new Yamaha again

[Mikdent 4,070]

31 minutes ago, Rocker66 said:

but only after I had to get heavy with them.

 

Bully. 

[Rocker66 34,436]

Both the dealer and I had to struggle to get anything done about the list of problems with this bike. Biggest load of rubbish I have ever owned and they called it the Japanese answer to BMW. That was in the days when BMW meant quality

[outrunner 4,457]

I could tell you a very loooooong story about faulty Yamaha bikes which was eventually resolved, but I have never bought another from this maker. I did, however, test ride a Tracer when they first came out, but the salesman was a bit of a dick so I gave it a miss.

 

Andy.

[embee 7,288]

16 hours ago, Rocker66 said:

Both the dealer and I had to struggle to get anything done about the list of problems with this bike. Biggest load of rubbish I have ever owned and they called it the Japanese answer to BMW. That was in the days when BMW meant quality

Indeed, quality. My R90S only ever had the alternator rotor winding break, the gear selector spring break, four or five rear crank oil seals leak, gearbox bearings needing replacing, worn out rocker shafts and bearings, faulty voltage regulator, .......................... but the paint and plating of nuts and bolts was superb. All the usual faults were well known at the time. At least mine never broke up the cam followers or dropped an exhaust valve head.

 

Only kidding, I always looked on it like a well engineered "British" bike, just typical problems for the era.

Edited January 18, 2017 by embee

[Tex 36,817]

A friend used to piss off his BMW dealer by referring to his 90S as 'My German Bonneville'.. 

[Guest Mac750]

With new cars you can get them serviced at Monty's Motors down the road at half the dealership prices as long as Monty is vat registered , he uses factory original parts and is a trained, competent person to work on a motor car. He can then stamp your book and Vauxford will honour your warranty.

I asked this question regarding motorcycles, could I apply the same  criteria and get Honda parts fitted by Smuggers motorcycle services who are half dealership prices, just like you can with a new car ? . I was told no apparently no such agreement is in place with regard to Motorcycles. Which is a little unfair as Smuggers is a nice local guy, an ex factory trained bike tech trying to offer a good service at a good price. So the major manufacturers and dealerships have us by the short and curlies. If you find an excellent dealership all well and good, but if you don't you are stuck with them or go it alone and void your warranty.  

Very annoying.

[Rocker66 34,436]

I understand wanting to save money but if everybody just bought their new bike from a dealer then never returned we would soon have no dealers to buy new bikes from. If your local dealer is not good just travel to one who is. Many owners including several on here travel to my local dealer despite having others nearer them

[Guest bonekicker]

Mac this very same issue as come up several times--and is a very important one--the opinion was that if the garage is vat registered and genuine parts are fitted it's perfectly ok--and I can recall a member contacted Honda and they said the very same--- so have a look around on previous posts--let us know what you deside to do.

[Rick 236]

I have often wondered why bikes need the first service these days, it used to be to clean out the bits of rubbish left by the crap machining of parts, and  no paper oil filters  in the old days, but I'm pretty sure you could eat you lunch off an engine part made at Honda. As it's been mentioned, it's all about the dealer making a living, there is not a lot of profit from the bike sale. You could take a gamble on not requiring any warranty work and do all your own servicing, the savings after the first four years would cover a major repair! but do you want piece of mind?

[Tex 36,817]

My daughter has a MINI Cooper (horrible thing, but she loves it) first service was at 24 months. All the subsequent services are at the same interval (there is a 'mileage'  part to it too, but she never gets close to that).

 

My last 'work' van (Renault Traffic) had service intervals of 18 months/18,000 miles and it's first service was done at 18k. 

 

But, of course, cars and vans aren't motorcycles. They're built to be used.

[Andy m 23,513]

The first service thing is a sales charge, there is no reason a modern engine like the NC needs it. The only difference is that the dealer fits forks etc. not just giving it a clean like a car dealer. Given their often poor attention to detail, seeing what falls off at 600 miles isn't such a bad idea.

 

I've had a couple of fights with dealers as when I order the bike I ask for the first service to be booked a week after pick-up. I can't see why my new bike should be of no use after 600 miles because they don't have anyone free to drop the oil. Appleyards when they were in Leeds didn't like me asking for my money back, but I wasn't keeping a bike I couldn't ride. They took it away for two hours and stamped the service book. They managed to line up the paint mark I'd put on the drain plug with micron accuracy. Probably used the same teleporter they had for getting spark plugs out of V-Stroms without taking the tank off. Can't beat a good dealer (it's illegal).

 

As they run out of trained technicians (modern yoof all want to go to university so they can work in call centres) I think they may drop the 600 service.

 

Andy

 

[ChrisCB 6,671]

Prior to 2003 automobile owners in the EU region risk nullifying their vehicle warranty when the vehicles were serviced or repaired in workshops not belonging to the vehicle manufacturer or its dealers. This barrier was broken in October 2003, when the European Commission passed a law allowing vehicle owners the freedom of having their servicing and repairs done at their chosen workshop.

According to the UK Department of Business Education & Skills, the empowerment created by this law provides competition in the automobile industry as vehicle owners now have the opportunity to repair and service their vehicle at alternative workshops to the automobile manufacturers. BER provides automobile users the flexibility and benefit to reduce the amount spent on servicing, thereby providing consumers more choice and better value for money.

 

Copied from Wiki

 

Your average hatchback is cheap as chips to service, the brand I deal with has 20,000m or 2 year inspection with the possibility of an interim oil change. If you get to 20k the service on average would be £169 the oil change £59 but most get to 20k with no interim oil change. Since block exemption service costs have tumbled as dealers try to retain the service work.

 

However some owners decide to go to an independent to save money, if they then make a claim under warranty proof of the service is asked for, so long as the they have used the correct parts and oil spec it is rarely a problem to process the claim.

 

Common sense comes into play though, if you've had an oil change out of the dealership network and you claim for a wheel bearing that has not influenced the failure of the bearing.

 

If you have the bike (or car) on a PCP deal it's not yours, you are renting it and the lease company insist the servicing is carried out by a dealer.

 

On my main bike, because of the mileage I do it is always dealer serviced within warranty which is why I take out a service plan, however in the past I have serviced my own bikes, apart from the first service and never had a problem with warranty claims, these have been few and far between with Honda, a fuel pump 97 Africa Twin, a dash trim that melted on a Varadero and a shock absorber on my second Varadero two weeks before the warranty ran out.

 

One other comment, the new CB500 early models had a valve clearance check at 600miles and owners moaned like crazy about this due to the cost so what did Honda do? the next run of CB500 had the top end modified and the interval is now 16,000 miles however the cost of the bike went up by £150.

Edited January 21, 2017 by Chris750
Added a bit

[Guest Mac750]

The reason I don't want to use my local dealership is that I don't trust them as far as I can throw them. I don't like the attitude once the bike is sold but more importantly I would like to put my business with a small independent who is trying to offer a really good and caring service at a reasonable cost. He is someone I have used for many years on occasion and has a very good local reputation.

I also have a small independent business and would like to think I give my customers a much better service than the big boys.

 I care not one jot if a large dealership that offers an expensive or poor service goes belly up. If they cannot compete then they need to change the business model.

But at the moment we are held to ransome by the manufacturer and his dealer franchise. We now have the technology to order online through a broker or direct from the importer. ( I remember dealers refusing to service Grey imports from the EU.)

The only down side of buying direct is not being able to test ride, but I am sure that could be sorted if a broker or importer wants our custom. This would break the complacency and arrogance such as I experienced and we could then place our servicing to whomever we wished, customer loyalty has to be earned not expected because the franchise holds a product a prospective customer has a brand loyalty for. 

 

Now to praise a dealership, I have found a dealership 79 miles away who has been most helpful even though he didn't sell me my Honda . He is looking at my future custom with him. If I have to use main dealer services he will get my business until the manufacturer warranty has expired and then if I am in the market for a new bike I will give him a chance to offer me a good deal when the time comes. Car dealerships now have to work harder to satisfy customers both in sales and service as you can take your car to a service garage of your choice. I cannot see why we are beholden to a motorcycle maindealer because he holds a particular franchise.

I will search to see the past posts on here regarding this subject and I will contact Honda UK and enquire if ike a car you can take the serving of your machine elsewhere to a business you trust and what the warranty impact would be.

I will post on here what I find after contacting Honda UK.