Rip off cost of service.

Originally Posted by yorkie_chris

Just for once I'll defend the dealer network and say they can't all be useless. SV650racer on here seems to be pretty decent.
Lol! Beat me to post

Main argument I see for main dealers exorbitant rates is the "big overheads" of running a dealership. Local place here seems to use workshop fees to run fancy halogen lighting in showroom, that really should not be the customers problem. Not that I'm a businessman, but a bigger place should be cheaper to run than a small one.

Beer in the post

Main dealers have to keep minimum standards required to trade under a franchise by the manufacturer, plus in reality a nice showroom is a nice place for the customer to be and wait for a service to be done. We run ours on a shoestring but try and keep it smart and clean and well laid out.

Trouble is round Bookham rent is crazy high but its a good spot to be in so we take it on the chin a little. Main dealers also have alot more wages to pay, insurance costs are higher and lots of other bits that all tot up very quickly, scarey sometimes!.

Steve often says after he has had a stressful day he would love to go back and work from a shed on his own, he would make far more money!. But really we do love what we are doing and have some great guys working here so its all worth it at the end of the day...just aint going to get rich from it!

Those places that dont do the service right dont deserve customers, you will always get them sadly.

Originally Posted by yorkie_chris

Just because I been too charitable


That is hardly labour intensive check

F&R gets moisture tested by Steves fancy new tester, is quite cool and I keep nicking it and am not becomming anal about my brake fluid. Oh dear that doesnt sound good does it

[yorkie_chris]

Yet another reason I don't go to dealers, I'm not interested in perused a selection of rimming tape or purchasing a carbon top yoke protector... If someone is near my bike I am watching what they're doing lol.


Cool. What is record? We tested some that had been in my mates GPZ500 since god knows how long and it was somewhere around 5% water!

[Drew Carey]

RE - The warranty issue. On my SV before I got rid, the initial was done by the dealer, but the 4k was done by myself, 8k by Spannerman, 12k and 16k done by myself again. However, I did keep all receipts, wrote down in detail each thing I did (even referenced Haines manual section). I then signed the service schedule myself.

Low and behold, coil went on the bike and so was booked in by dealer to be done under warranty. Suzuki confirmed servicing had not been done by main dealers and so asked the dealer to check my paperwork. Dealer was more than impressed and said to Suzuki that everything had been doen as required and all paperwork was tip top. So the work (although not expensive) was still honoured under warranty.

So my suggestion, don't be afraid about self servicing, in fact, its a good challenge. But you have to be prepared to put the time in. If you don't want to pay dealer prices (as they have higher overheads etc), then go to an independent or Spannerman. Like others have said, some indi's are still very bad, as for them it is even more profit if they can get it out of the door quickly......but they can loose their rep quicker if they do.

OK, I'll be fair about it and say that I am generalising about main dealers being bad.

But no more so than SV650Racer who is generalising about main dealers being good. Being in the industry, he knows some of the horror stories that are out there. His particular dealership may now get a flood of recommendations in this thread. But what's the dealer in Accrington Stanley, or wherever you live like? Who knows.

A close friend took his bike to another main Suzuki dealer in Central Scotland, and the mechanic given the job didn't realise they had to undo the little screw to get the coolant cap off the radiator, so he took it off with mole grips and damaged the cap on a 4000 mile, six month old bike.

Originally Posted by yorkie_chris

a selection of rimming tape

Im glad your not interested in that young man

Cool. What is record? We tested some that had been in my mates GPZ500 since god knows how long and it was somewhere around 5% water!

TBH most are ok but we do get the odd one at about 3%. Worse ones are those that come in with no brake fluid - yes really!!

[Drew Carey]

Originally Posted by SV650Racer

Worse ones are those that come in with no brake fluid - yes really!!

Air brakes!!!! Wow!!!!

Bridge Street Motorcycles in Witham have been very reasonable with me in the past,depending of course where you live in Essex for convenience

[yorkie_chris]

And even a free cup of p*ss poor coffee doesn't take the sting off the bill...

Seriously, I have a real problem with any mechanic who does not work right there in front of customer. I've been around that sort of garage environment since I was about 15 and I never got my head around why you'd let someone you don't know at your bike without supervision. It shows a lack of confidence in your work from the other side too. Maybe I'm just averse to putting that level of trust in anyone except myself.

I work on odd folks bike from here, they see me do work, if I eff it up it's right there in front of them and they can watch me fix it too.

Originally Posted by yorkie_chris

And even a free cup of p*ss poor coffee doesn't take the sting off the bill...

Seriously, I have a real problem with any mechanic who does not work right there in front of customer. I've been around that sort of garage environment since I was about 15 and I never got my head around why you'd let someone you don't know at your bike without supervision. It shows a lack of confidence in your work from the other side too. Maybe I'm just averse to putting that level of trust in anyone except myself.

I work on odd folks bike from here, they see me do work, if I eff it up it's right there in front of them and they can watch me fix it too.

Our customers can watch but they have to stand behind a chain at the front of the workshop. Ive had people in before and expecting the technician when we are very busy to keep an eye on them isnt good as they then take their eye off the job. Wandering fingers in a busy workshop isnt ideal, its amazing what gets fiddled with!. Plus insurance wise..basically I havent the time to get them to complete a disclaimer prior to entering the workshop stating if they rub against something and get oil on their new trousers im not liable