Wyder Honda (why not?)

Originally Posted by Pedro68

Well it would probably do me no favours by referring to their staff as "D1ck Turpin", so I would probably actually just send them a "sanitised version" of the above - in writing, rather than sending them links to websites.

Cheers,
Pete

Wise decision, IMHO.

Thanks, I think you can all consider this as me venting my spleen about the events so that I can now go and compose a rational, lucid argument to put to Wyder Honda. And if that doesn't work, then I'll go for the "bad press" route

[21QUEST]

Originally Posted by Pedro68

Ben, they have provided me with a fully itemised bill, but there was no mention of viewing/collecting the damaged/replaced parts.
...........

Myself, I'll ring them up and tell them I need to come and collect all the bits. They should know to give the customer a chance to do that.....especially after spending so much money.

IMO should also should have mentioned sourcing a replacement engine seeing as it's a customer footing the bill as usually more cost effective....provided one finds a good one of course.

Yeah, good point F.M



Ben

Glad you have finally got your bike.
Put the whole issue behind you and now enjoy ( doing a ton should do it, lol)

Originally Posted by 21QUEST

IMO should also should have mentioned sourcing a replacement engine seeing as it's a customer footing the bill as usually more cost effective....provided one finds a good one of course.

Ben

Ben, I'm a bit perplexed myself as to why they didn't offer this as an option.
To be honest though, I hadn't really considered this until mototech on here pm'd me with that alternative (he even posted me a link to an engine on eBay), but by that stage my engine was already in bits at the dealers.

Anyway, it's just one of the questions I shall be asking in my letter to Wyder Honda.

And Slark m8 ... I can't even get it up to a ton downhill with just up to 6,000rpm to play with ... roll on 600 miles, and the full rev range

On the motorway on the way home 6,000rpm was good for about 75mph on the flat (80 down hill, and 65 - 70mph uphill) ... so I won't be caning it around the roads anytime just yet ... Gonna make my commute to work a bit more mundane LOL

IMHO when you take a bike to a garage they will repair it, unless you explicitly ask for them to replace parts instead. I do agree that an honest garage might suggest dropping in a replacement, which might work out cheaper....but they didn't know the extent of the damage when they first took the bike in.

As you also previously stated, they might have used it as an opportunity to show a new technician an engine.

The length of time to sort it out does take the ****, but im not that surprised with the overall costs. Labour/VAT are killers nowadays. Whilst i think they took too long to fix it, it least they gave you decent loaner bikes.

Overall i think the garage definitely could have offered better service, you may have contributed to your own downfall. I trust my local garage, but i still explicily detail what i want done and instruct them to call if anything unexpected comes up. I also usually agree a fixed cost prior to the work starting.

Glad to hear you are back on the SV mate, tbh ive considered putting the bike through its mot with them next week, not sure what to do now, main thing is though you,re back up and running

Originally Posted by ASM-Forever

IMHO when you take a bike to a garage they will repair it, unless you explicitly ask for them to replace parts instead. I do agree that an honest garage might suggest dropping in a replacement, which might work out cheaper....but they didn't know the extent of the damage when they first took the bike in.

Well what bugs me is that it took them 2 weeks just to get the engine out and stripped down. At THAT point, I would have thought it was a fair assumption that the dealers would have known what parts were required, and therefore how much it would/should have cost. However Wyder Honda were reluctant to put any timescales or price on the job even at this stage!? I find that unacceptable.

Originally Posted by ASM-Forever

As you also previously stated, they might have used it as an opportunity to show a new technician an engine.

Well if some good has come of this, then some acne-riddled apprentice has had plenty of time to get to grips with a v-twin

Originally Posted by ASM-Forever

The length of time to sort it out does take the ****, but im not that surprised with the overall costs. Labour/VAT are killers nowadays. Whilst i think they took too long to fix it, it least they gave you decent loaner bikes.

I don't per se have a problem with the "value" of the bill ... it's itemised in all its glory for my benefit, and I can't see anything on there that either shouldn't be on there, or is excessive. However, what I DO have a problem with is that I was firstly fobbed off when asked them to put a price on it, and then after they HAD stripped the engine, and they should have had a better idea of costs, they then chose to mislead me. I don't have a problem with VAT being added ... I expect it ... what I don't expect is to be told that VAT is included, only to then be told on collection that it isn't! Not only that but then for Wyder Honda to deny ever having said that VAT was included!

My one small mercy was that they gave me half-decent loaners. If I'm totally honest the CBF1000 was a nice(ish) bike to ride but after recently coming off the SV and having a rather sore elbow, lumping a 230kg litre machine around wasn't my idea of fun ... nor was riding a naked Hornet up and down the regions motorways (although local fly population is now well under control thanks to that). Call me fussy but I'd have preferred a CBR (and preferably something with a bit more fairing for my commute). However, beggars can't be choosers n all that

Originally Posted by ASM-Forever

Overall i think the garage definitely could have offered better service, you may have contributed to your own downfall. I trust my local garage, but i still explicily detail what i want done and instruct them to call if anything unexpected comes up. I also usually agree a fixed cost prior to the work starting.

Yeah, easy to see how I contributed to my own downfall ... but hindsight is a wonderful thing.

In hindsight, I shouldn't have actually let them continue the work until they were willing to put a fixed AND CAPPED price on the job.
In hindsight, I should have given them a reasonable time within which to complete the repairs or face the consequences (what consequences can you impose on a garage that has your bike in bits? any ideas gratefully accepted so that I NEVER have to go through this again).
In hindsight, and if I knew about the internal workings of the combustion engine better then I'd have insisted they replace the engine instead of carrying out a rebuild that was eventually to take them 9 weeks

I sooo wish that lottery win on Wednesdays Thunderball was a damn site more than a tenner ... cos in hindsight I'd have used the mechanics rear alimentary canal as a f*ckin' wind tunnel to test the aerodynamics of my bike with ... being as I'd have ridden it straight up the lying bar-stewards back passage and said, "Bet you wish I'd had a curvy now?! Tell you what, I don't like the brown colour - you keep it, I'm off to buy a K7 SV"

The annoying part of all of this is that with the bike in bits, in the dealer, and the weeks quickly ticking by ... exactly what come back do you have on these idiots who think it's ok to take as long as they like to repair your bike, and then charge you more than they led you to believe it would cost?

The only saving grace for Wyder Honda was the Warrington dealer, who gave me a loaner the day I took it in there ... had it not been for them I'd have had to miss my NDIS course at less than 24 hours notice (however mitigating the circumstances) and would/could then have been prosecuted for driving without due care and attention because I was unable to complete the NDIS course within the alloted time following my accident back in January. So ... I suppose thanks go to John at Wyder Honda Warrington for the loaner. I suppose in a way it kinda made up for them giving me that DR350 back in November.

ASM ... please don't take any of that personally m8 ... I'm grateful for people's opinions/views, and hopefully they will help me LEARN. This time I've learnt the hard way Next time, any dealer that gets my business will be signing a contract of work before they so much as LOOK at my bike

However, it has also given me ONE HUGE INCENTIVE to learn some bike mechanics myself and that can only be a good thing ... (see? still trying to put a positive spin on this LOL)

Cheers one n all,
Pete

Originally Posted by stewie

Glad to hear you are back on the SV mate, tbh ive considered putting the bike through its mot with them next week, not sure what to do now, main thing is though you,re back up and running

Take it to MMC m8 ... I had my first MOT done there and the guy there was so incredibly helpful, I wish'd I'd taken the bike there for repair now. Plus, my boss at the time just happened to be a very good friend of their chief mechanic so it was a "can you fit an MOT in for him at short notice?" which they did ... at 2 hours notice

Cheers,
Pete

Originally Posted by Pedro68

Take it to MMC m8 ... I had my first MOT done there and the guy there was so incredibly helpful, I wish'd I'd taken the bike there for repair now. Plus, my boss at the time just happened to be a very good friend of their chief mechanic so it was a "can you fit an MOT in for him at short notice?" which they did ... at 2 hours notice

Cheers,
Pete

Did you know that MMC supposedly have a really bad rep in the area? in fact half the staff at Wyder honda are ex MMC, might give em a go anyway, at least I wont get ripped off like I did with the Kwak at SPOD in Warrington. £0-£646 in 40 mins, well impressed still