Servicing

Hi all,

Needing a big service and MOT time. Was left a flyer a couple of weeks ago for this http://londonmoto.com place. Anyone know if their good? I like the prices as my usual place (Chas bikes) is quoting me £200 labour plus parts plus £28 MOT.

Does 5 hours labour sound right for a service? Couldn't an expert completely strip down and rebuild a bike in that time? Last service was in December.

Cheers

Sean

[rictus01]

Sorry don't know the company so can't say one way or another.
What service are you talking about Sean ?

not that I've ever used a garage for a service, but I thought it was about £124-140 minor & £160-200 for a major, but stand to be corrected.

Oh and your right a good mechanic could well strip the bike remove and refit the engine well within 4 hours, but then who said they were good

Cheers Mark.

Cheers Mark, it's a major service with £40 hour labour and a quote of 5 hours labour. Just thought 5 hours was a lot for an expert mechanic...

Cheers

£40/hour isn't that much for an expert mechanic, really.

It's a lot to pay for a spanner wielding youth who will probably end up doing most of the work though. Remember that most of that £40 goes into the pocket of the garage, not on the finest mechanic skills that money can buy.

Only way to get guaranteed quality is to take it to a smaller firm/one guy who you know and trust to do it right and not get someone else to do it for him, or do it yourself.

What service is it? If valves need doing (16000 miles) then it won't be cheap. If it's anything else then it's just oil, filter, plugs and some other checks.

Some places seem to be quoting high figures (the maximum expected cost) and then asking for less once the job's done. Might be worth asking them if they operate that way - they need to cover themselves for the worst case and make you aware of what it could be, even if you may not end up paying that much. Maybe ask them what that £200 and 5 hours covers?

My 11.5k service took something like 7 hours. But far more was done than it needed. It cost £175 too.

I've been quoted at £160 all in for the 15k service but did most of that myself in the end. I wasn't given a time estimate, but it would of been done in a day.

HTH.

[Viney]

Give Essential Rubber a call to check out thier prices. They are based in N1 in Kingsland.

She's done just over 20,000. December had brake pads replaced, new battery, new reg/rec, oil and filter done. I'm really no good on these things so just assumed as over a year has gone since I bought her, then a major service is due - what do you guys think? I'd rather be safe, but if a minor is all thats needed then so be it. Just on this site people seem always to be needing new chains and swing arm adjustments etc....
Going with LondonMoto next week -£80 quid cheaper than Chas Bikes.
No problem with £40 per hour really, just five hours seemed excessive.

Cheers

I personally am a high miler. I've done the same milage as your bike has in it's life, and I've done that in around 9months. That's why I'm constantly dropping the oil etc. I also change brake pads before they get to the recommended low level of 2mm.

The servicing schedule states that the 20k is a minor service. As said, something you can do yourself for around £25, assuming you have the tools etc. For me, it makes more sense to buy the tools than it does to keep paying a mechanic to do simple jobs.

Your bike has covered 20k miles, and was last serviced a year ago. How many miles has it covered in that year, and what was done on it's last service?

That should tell you what needs to be at least looked at, if not changed. If you're not sure what was done a year ago, I'd treat this service as the 15k service (ie, MAJOR - valve check et al). Then continue the schedule from there. If you have proof of what was done (or you owned it back then), then a lesser service could be warranted.

HTH

If it helps ,i know i'm in N.Ireland, I got mine serviced with a guy who works from home he came recommened by a guy who races and a bike instructor. I left the bike in on a monday picked it up on Tuesday night he done a 10000 mile service replaced rear brake pads and the uauall stuff the bill £100 which i thought was all right

Cheers all.