First 16000 miles service costs!

[Guest jonty03]

Just realised that some of the elements in the bill don't add up! Some of the core service bits were actually a little cheaper - Oil filter £8.63, Dct filter £5.85, O ring £2.59, Air filter £26.84. Maybe there was an offer or something, anyway the grand total is correct.

[Scootabout 2,248]

Where did you service it? which part of London?

Dobles, Coulsdon. Not all that near to me, but I trust them more than most.

[Guest Southerner]

Dobles, Coulsdon. Not all that near to me, but I trust them more than most.

 

Very true Simon, agree with you there. I've bought a few bikes from them over the last 15 years or so and mostly used them for servicing and have built up a relationship with them.

 

However, their service department have told me a few odd and incorrect things in the past, most recently before I bought my NC earlier this year and was enquiring about service costs. First I was told that the valve inspection came round at 8000 miles, which of course it isn't on the 750. Subsequent to that I was told that the 16000 mile valve check was done at 2 year intervals, regardless of mileage, which again is incorrect.

 

If I see do 16000 miles on this bike, which I very much doubt, it'll be in four or five years time and that's when I'll let them, or another dealer, do it.  

 

But as you say Simon, I trust them more than most.

[roddy 845]

I suppose its like most things , you just need to shop around for a bit to see if you can get any better rates from other workshops? My opinion, I would get at least 3 quotes then get some idea of the average cost, it  varies so much as we can see on here with lots of folk having different prices to pay. I pay slightly over the odds but I know the mechanic is about the best there is.

[Guest EasyTiger]

12/9/14. Quotes for 16,000 mile service by Honda dealers on 2012 X DCT:

 

Fowlers, Bristol.                 £398.00               Service Desk. £298 + £100 more if valves need adjusting, as that's a two-hour job". Valves are in the 16,000 spec.

Thunder Road, Bridgend.  £370.65               Gavin - Valves included.

Thunder Road, Cwmbran. £350.39               Ryan - "As it's a four-hour job. Includes change of brake fluid, air filter, oil and clutch filters. Valves included."

Bransons, Yeovil.               £350.00               André - "Includes all fluids, filters, valve clearances."

Bransons, Gloucester.       £280.00               Colin  - (£250 for X including valves, £280 includes DCT clutch filter change, ).

[Guest victor9098]

Had my 24,000KM service today. Grand total came to €642 (or approx £505).

 

BUT... that included the fitting of Michelin Pilot Road 4's, so they were €340 (£268) of that total, and the other €302 (£238) was the actual service. They did check the valves as well as the other listed items.

[Guest EasyTiger]

 Just for comparison. Local independent near Weston Super Mare just off M5.

Out of warranty period, book stamped and full invoice.

16,000 service done to Honda specs. Prices include VAT.

 

Motul 10w30       £26.70 (I supplied the filter O ring/seals and clutch filter at Honda prices)

HiFlo 204               £4.50

Brake Fluid            £4.50

Coolant                £11.90  (Parts £47.60)

Brake Fluid changed, brakes serviced F&B, Rad removed, Coolant changed. K&N Air Filter cleaned.

Tappets adjusted (In - Tight, Ex - Loose). Plugs cleaned. Main and clutch oil filters replaced.

New rear tyre fitted -       I supplied an Angel GT.

Rear rack fitted -             I supplied an SW Moto so now I have a little used GIVI wingrack and plate going spare.

Labour                   £220.00

 

Total                      £267.60

 

Worth comparing with my post no.30 above. Note this labour bill includes removing a wheel and replacing a tyre plus fitting a topbox rack, neither of which are in the standard service.

Edited December 15, 2014 by EasyTiger

[nelmo 563]

I know I've compared this before, but three years servicing on my Audi A1 cost me £400 as part of the purchase package, it would have been less if I had financed it, but i paid for the car outright as the deal was much better overall. About Every 18k the service comes around, and I only pay for extras not included, so far just a wiper blade on the back for some pence over a tenner at the main dealer. It's the TDI, and I get between 55 and 70 mpg. Service costs are much cheaper on the Audi than my Honda, which is just coming up to 2 years old with just over 13K on it. Oh, and the Audi warranty last 3 years, not 2, although it is limited to 50k miles.

How much did the A1 cost? £20k? How much was your NC? £6k?

Does your A1 do 0-60 in 5 seconds?

Can you filter through a traffic jam in your A1?

QED

[lipsee 1,351]

I got robbed in that case. I was charged £550 for my 16,000.

Hey Ian ,where did you go? for my 8000 I went to Geoge Pech in (its grim up in ) Grimsby,,but its abit of a treck from Woodhall......its out of warranty now so the world my Lobster!!

[Slowboy 20,440]

How much did the A1 cost? £20k? How much was your NC? £6k?

Does your A1 do 0-60 in 5 seconds?

Can you filter through a traffic jam in your A1?

QED

No, it cost 17k (my NC with all the accessories cost about 7.5k) and carries four people, it can't filter, but has lovely heated seats and a great stereo, so at least I can chill out in the warm and dry ( remember that). Truth is they are both great vehicles, with different strengths and weaknesses. Any way, we don't get traffic jams in deepest dark devon....

Of course the real point of the comparison was running costs, which have worked out to be remarkably similar over two years.

Edited December 16, 2014 by slowboy

[Guest Southerner]

I have to agree with Slowboy - routine servicing costs would be fairly similar over a period of four years between my 750X and Beemer 5 Series. 

 

However, the 5 does no more than 20 mpg if I use it for my short commute, whereas the X does at least three times that......

 

On a steady run at 70-80 mph the 5 will possibly touch 33mpg, whereas the X will return about 80 mpg.

 

But as you say, each have their own strengths and weaknesses - I luv 'em both the same....      

[stordz 901]

An interesting post, I'm quite surprised at the range of prices quoted for the 16k service so the moral of the story seems to be shop around if at all possible. 

[Guest Cookie]

LOL!  Sorry I read all these posts.....so much to look forward to!!

[Guest Cookie]

LOL!!  As a new owner of 750x DCT sorry I read these posts!!  Getting my eyes opened on the costs entailed!!

[pointer2null 106]

Correct me if I'm wrong - but you don't need to use the dealer to service the bike during it's warrentee period. A dealer is always the most expensive place normally. Just ask their hourly rate. The service times are pretty fixed and probably even stated by Honda in the service manauals (need a copy of them if anyone knows where to get one).

 

I walked away from Fowlers Service (or fowlups as we often call them round brizzol) years ago and vowed I'd never go back. I've always done my own servicing (30,000 miles on the fazer with no bigger problem than a flat rear tyre attests that I'm doing it right). However, for the two year warrentee period I will use a local garage I used get my MOT's done at.

[Rocker66 34,437]

And if nobody uses dealers they will close and there will nowhere to buy new bikes and spares from.

[pointer2null 106]

More likely if nobody uses dealers they will drop their prices. If they go under, others will fill the space and sell spares etc.

Free market economy, market forces and all that.

[TheEnglishman 401]

And if nobody uses dealers they will close and there will nowhere to buy new bikes and spares from.

 

 

But there's a complete disconnect between the sales dept and the service dept.    While  I'll buy bikes from main dealers I won't be using any for servicing as I've just had too many bad experiences.  

 

Shame.

[Rocker66 34,437]

More likely if nobody uses dealers they will drop their prices. If they go under, others will fill the space and sell spares etc.

Free market economy, market forces and all that.

That's why there are far less dealers than there was a few years ago. If they drop there prices too much how are they going to cover their overheads which are increasing all the time. Checked your energy bills lately?

if there is very little or no profit who will want to come in and replace the dealers that have gone under.

The answer is to find a dealer that gives good service at a reasonable price and use them. Yes they are out there

[Rocker66 34,437]

But there's a complete disconnect between the sales dept and the service dept.    While  I'll buy bikes from main dealers I won't be using any for servicing as I've just had too many bad experiences.  

 

Shame.

Maybe for some of the large dealers all though it appears that those giving the biggest discounts on new bikes are amongst the dearest for servicing which seems to disprove your theory.

It certainly doesn't apply to smaller dealers who in my experience tend to be the ones that give better service

[pointer2null 106]

I can only speak regarding fowlers, and as far as they are concerned, I bought the bike from them but won't use their service dept as I found them to be lacking in skill (they failed on two attempts to fix the carbs on the fazer during it's warrentee - clogged jets). I won't use them for MOT as they started playing silly buggers and failed the Fazer they sold me for something that was the same when the bike was bought from them and on the previous MOT (The rubber throttle cable seal touches the front screen on full lock and the muppet failed it for that. It still does and has passed every MOT (all 8) since). So they have only themselves to blame for my lack of custom.

 

As for in general - my father (retired) was in the motor trade (service manager at the old Saab dealer in Bristol) before running his own garage for 25 years and his hourly rate was 20% or more below the dealers. Dealers work on the principle that they can over charge as people buying new vehicle believe they either must use the dealer or will get better service. The first was ruled illegal some years ago and the second is a myth.

 

There are almost certainly exceptions to this: good dealers and bad independants.

[Guest Scubalol]

"I declined their offer to change my brake fluid for £56.93"

 

According to Honda this is part of the 16000 mile service and not an extra, anyone know any different?

 

Suttons Mortocycles in Bromsgrove want £300 for the 16k service and Bransons in Gloucester want £200, no contest really.

 

Loz

[Guest chickenflaps]

"I declined their offer to change my brake fluid for £56.93"

 

According to Honda this is part of the 16000 mile service and not an extra, anyone know any different?

 

Suttons Mortocycles in Bromsgrove want £300 for the 16k service and Bransons in Gloucester want £200, no contest really.

 

Loz

I've not checked the book, but it was put to me as an offer along the lines of "would you like us to change your brake........" so  figured the old stuff will do me for a bit longer.  If the brakes had felt spongey i'd have had it done. Hygroscopic be damned!

[chris 357]

A pretty standard interval is two years, regardless of mileage (That's the NC700 schedule in Europe too). It's a good idea to try and keep fairly close to that interval - if only because it's not unknown for any water build up in the fluid to cause corrosion inside the cylinders. Then the next time you activate the piston fully to push fluid out the seals run over the corroded section and get damaged.

 

Nearly sixty quid is a bit rich though for what is going to be a few quid's worth of brake fluid and about 20 minutes' work.

[road runner 27]

I would say £60.00 is about right for the brake fluid change. Half hours work at £90.00/ hour plus fluid plus VAT.