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When to stop using Honda Main Dealer for services


Steve Blackdog

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Steve Blackdog

My bike is coming up to six years old and is due for another service. I am thinking that the time has come to let my local independent bike service place do the next service. 

 

As the bike bike is well out of warranty, I can’t really see any downside. 

 

Any views?

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Rev Ken

It makes sense to me so long as they know what they are doing. (I have a 5 year old BMW and use my local independent garage)

Edited by Rev Ken
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Andy m

Do you trust the main dealer? Can you do your own? Do you know an independent you trust?

 

You will take the most care. A good independent is usually interested in his or her job and reputation. The dealer may employ such a person but will also include a risk of unsupervised juniors and clock watchers. Dealers usually charge more, but check you might be surprised. Independents can use copy parts while the risk of such at dealers is reduced (but not zero when out of warranty, the unscrupulous dealer will fit Sum-Yung-Gi and charge for Honda). 

 

Personally my bikes never see the dealer after the first service unless there is a warranty claim. On the Enfield I have done every oil change myself including the first one (dealers mechabic was on maternity leave) , it only went back to the dealer for a claim on the TPS. I risk claims being rejected , but you hear of so many rejected claims anyway I see little risk in ripping up the warranty at 600 miles. Warranty is just a way to get you to pay stupid money for often poor dealer service. DIY means the oil gets changed without dragging myself to their place, mucking about waiting or with courtesy bikes.

 

The old boy took the the Lee-Kee back to the dealer I got the Bullet from for its first service. They offered him a ride on the Himalaya and enquired if I had the Bullet. The chance to pitch for new business is part of the plan.

 

You pay your money and make your choice.

 

Andy

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DaveM59

There is a balance between any cost you may incur should a fault develop and warranty is void, against the cost of several dealer services to keep the warranty. One probably balances out the other and sod's law dictates any fault will only occur after the warranty expires anyway. If I were to buy another brand new bike, I might have the 600 mile service done and get any small issues fixed then never go back and DIY if everything seemed to be still fine when the next service was due. I certainly wouldn't keep dealer servicing after 2 years.

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Not everyone has the skills, tools or inclination to service their own bikes. Especially things like ABS brakes. Not every independent has the necessary software for every make either. 

 

Jobs need classification into ‘difficulty’ levels. If you’re confident (and capable) of doing some of them then you don’t need any advice. Some jobs on modern bikes may be best left to those with the appropriate skill set and tools. :) 

 

 

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Steve Blackdog

Thanks guys. My mind is made up. Sapphire it is then

 

https://www.sapphiremotorcycles.com/

 

they live and breathe bikes, and I am sure they would be straight forward with me. 

 

Also it saves another 40 minutes each way!

 

cheers

 

steve

 

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Steve, Sapphire sound great. A proper, well established family business. I’m sure they will look after you well. :) 

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Rev Ken
7 hours ago, Tex said:

Not everyone has the skills, tools or inclination to service their own bikes. Especially things like ABS brakes. Not every independent has the necessary software for every make either. 

 

Jobs need classification into ‘difficulty’ levels. If you’re confident (and capable) of doing some of them then you don’t need any advice. Some jobs on modern bikes may be best left to those with the appropriate skill set and tools. :) 

 

 

I classify jobs by the number of skinned knuckles I can expect.....:blush:

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Rocker66

Surely there is no definitive answer to this question because as Tex said people have different abilities and inclination so it’s down to the individual who services their bikes.

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suffolk58

When I had BMWs my local independent guy did a magnificent job looking after my bikes.

A while ago I used a local guy to fit a new chain for me and he failed to give the bolts holding the rear sprocket enough torque. One came loose on the way home and made contact with the swinging arm!

You could always move to West Sussex Steve, I hear there is an excellent independent there. :)

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TheEnglishman

Mine's never seen a Main Dealer, other than for warranty work.  

 

What's stopping you buying a decent Halfords tool chest and spending an evening watching YouTube HOWTOs. 

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Rocker66
52 minutes ago, TheEnglishman said:

Mine's never seen a Main Dealer, other than for warranty work.  

 

What's stopping you buying a decent Halfords tool chest and spending an evening watching YouTube HOWTOs. 

Some of us buy bikes because we love riding them but that doesn’t mean we want to service  them. Personally I get no pleasure in working on the bike so just stick to the usual checks such as tyre pressures chain tension and so on . I enjoy watching TV but that doesn’t mean I expect to have to fix it if it goes wrong. Each to their own.

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TheEnglishman

Both views are equally valid.  

 

Which is what the OP asked for...

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DaveM59

Having at least a basic knowledge of a vehicle, any vehicle, or for that matter any piece of engineering you own, gives you an empathy with it, an understanding of what you do to it has what effect. You may not feel the urge to repair it but you might know why it had gone wrong and not just that something is broken.

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Rocker66
5 minutes ago, DaveM59 said:

Having at least a basic knowledge of a vehicle, any vehicle, or for that matter any piece of engineering you own, gives you an empathy with it, an understanding of what you do to it has what effect. You may not feel the urge to repair it but you might know why it had gone wrong and not just that something is broken.

Had plenty of that with my old Brit bikes really don’t need it these days.

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Mark8arker

Have main dealer service in case hand it back. Bought my bike on a PCP. Because commute in all weather i do a  mini service my self.  Strip clean brake callipers + Hand brake caliper and chain tension. Change chain and sprokets when needed.   Once its out of warranty. I will use a Mobile mechanici  have know for some years. Picks the bike up from my house and brings it back. And he is still cheaper than the main dealer.  

 

Finding someone you trust at the right price is the hardest part. 

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Steve Blackdog
45 minutes ago, TheEnglishman said:

Both views are equally valid.  

 

Which is what the OP asked for...

I did indeed!

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Steve Blackdog
3 hours ago, suffolk58 said:

When I had BMWs my local independent guy did a magnificent job looking after my bikes.

A while ago I used a local guy to fit a new chain for me and he failed to give the bolts holding the rear sprocket enough torque. One came loose on the way home and made contact with the swinging arm!

You could always move to West Sussex Steve, I hear there is an excellent independent there. :)

In view of the fact it was cold and wet here yesterday whilst you had July weather, that sounds a damned sensible thing!

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Some stuff I do myself, other bits I hand over to mechanic.  Find someone you trust and can afford.  Simple as that.  

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Rev Ken

For those of us brought up on old Brit bikes a good working knowledge of mechanics and a half decent set of tools was necessary and soon acquired if you wanted to keep your bike on the road and get from A to B, especially if they were a long distance apart. However nowadays bikes are far more reliable and if anything goes wrong often require a computer and special tools. Even servicing sometimes requires a computer, and personally don't feel an urge to crawl around on my garage floor, especially when I have to get up again! :oldfart:My independent garage is one I trust and has high standards but they can't 'zero' the service warning on the dash, so have to ignore it as I'm not paying £50 or more to get a franchised BMW garage to press a few computer buttons.:BangHead:

 

By the way Haynes manuals do offer some help as they show 'how to' and categorise servicing and repairs by a series of spanners, one being the simplest and four requiring a lot more expertise. Personally I categorise tasks on my bike by the number of skinned knuckles I get.....:ph34r:

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coopers12345

I had the 600 mile and the 1st proper service done at main dealer just in case anything did go that needed doing under warranty, after that I did my own. It's a coin toss as there's very little that should go wrong inside 2 years that would justify the extra service cost, but I paid for the peace of mind. Other than a faulty body/engine/gearbox/suspension part which they shouldn't reject as it was clearly defective at the point of manufacture what are you likely to find going inside 2 years that's expensive to fix?

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Steve Blackdog

If you do your own servicing, do you put anything in the service booklet?

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Guest bornagain
3 minutes ago, Steve Blackdog said:

If you do your own servicing, do you put anything in the service booklet?

 

I just log it all in fuelly notes, part numbers and all.
Helps for re-ordering parts etc

 

Mines a keeper, so will be pretty much worthless when I'm done and as Andy says above I'm sure I take more care than a dealer can economically afford to.
Major stuff I would consider a mechanic.

 

Neil.

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Steve Blackdog

You’ve got me thinking that I should get the spanner’s out an maintain it myself.  As a six year old bike, it has very little value as a trade in, and much more value to me, so I will hang onto this one. 

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