Kate wrote:

Well I would not want a toothless former Scottish footballer working on my bike!No way! :lol:

i'm using the dealer at present as the bikes under warranty, if i've still got it when that runs out then i do it myself.

Under EU law your warranty is not dependent upon having your bike serviced at an approved dealer. Providing that you have receipts for oil, filters, plugs etc and can show that it has been done in accordance with the Suzuki handbook then that's all you need. Admittedly you might have to fight at your dealer a little so it's your choice at the end of the day.


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I believe that you also have to demonstrate competence- which probably means being questioned by an expert witness in court if the dealer/company decide to fight it all the way.

my 4k is due and i'm doing it myself! its only oil and filter isnt it?
my dealer wants £130 :shock:

Also various inspects, which can lead to further work- this is what a lot of people miss about doing youre own servicing, it's not neccesarily just what's in the book. You can change the filter and oil, but there might be some emergent issue that you're not aware of that a professional or more experienced home mechanic would notice.

Gradual failures are hard to detect- I got caught out when my clutch lifter lost all its bearings, since the clutch got heavier over time. You just adjust to things like that. Then, by luck, I rode another bike and realised one was defection (edit- WHAT? I meant to say, mine was defective)

That one was pretty innocent, but what if you miss something more important? Something like TPS setting, or injector balancing? or somethign safety critical? Or something that could cause serious costs down the line but is cheap to fix today?

I'm not saying don't do your own servicing... In fact, I'd encourage it, if it interests you- I find it really satisfying and relaxing. But don't oversimplify it.

it's more cost effective for me to pay my local dealer

I can't remember when last I actually took a bike to a dealer. Voted all of it but would use a dealer for valve clearance(no garage at present).

For everything else 'There Is The Tree Shade' :roll: :lol:

Cheers
Ben

I get a dealer to do mine, Whilst I reckon at a stretch I could do stuff like oil change etc etc. I dont really have the tme or the proper tools to do it myself. TBH I like the fact that a proper mechanic does it as they give my bike a proper check over whilst they are at it, and make me aware of worn brake pads, that my clutch was stiff because a seal had gone on the mechanism somewhere and needed replacing. That my chain and sprocket have got about 3000 miles left in them before they need replacing. Whilst I do give my bike regular checks personally I am not mechanically competant enough to spot stuff like this.

Also I get to have a look round the showroom and a cup of tea whilst they are sorting my bike out. If I cant wait I get a loan bike to ride about on which means I can get to try the latest models out, and because I go to that dealer all the time I know damn well that when I buy my next bike I am going to use the fact that I take my bike there for servicing as a lever to get a good deal on what I buy next.

On a new bike I would still get the dealer service as well so the book gets stamped. I look at it like this, you look at two 2nd hand bikes, one has full dealer service history with a stamped book to prove it, the other has been serviced by the owner, he / she has receipts for the parts to prove this. They are both up for sale at the same price.

Which bike are you going to buy ?

I don't put implicit trust in stamps on service books.

And neither should you.

They might be evidence of work done, but I wouldn't bet on it, and that's assuming that even if it was done it was done right, which, with a number of dealers and workshops I know of, is far from certain.

I'd buy the best bike, that' might be the one where the owner demonstrates a suitable degree of knowledge, ask some questions, be direct, and have look in their garage, a Taiwanese made toolkit bought in Homebase = no service.