Dealers etc

[swanman]

I have just been reading ams67's story about his new cbr1000rr. A bad story all round.

It got me thinking about the service that we bikers get from our dealers and shops etc. I gotta say that as a rule the general standard of service that we get is poor. I strongly believe that the price we pay for stuff is too high from clothes to bikes; the standard of work done is frequently average to bad and the general proffessionalism of sales staff is weak.

Ironicaly the one redeaming feature is that the bikes themselves are getting better and better it is a pity that the rest of it can't keep up.

Now I know that there are many exceptions to the above where outstanding service etc has been given. But this is a general trend both here and abroad. Who else has got stories? Maybe we can rate our dealers here. So when ams67 gets bad service this information is made apparent to all of us. Obviously this goes in the other way too, so postive comments are very much encouraged.
My first rating is as follows

Henderson motorcycles 4/10. comments the guys there are nice enough but the owner appears quite disorgansied and the workshop is a mess.

[vifferman]

My initial impression of the service I got at AMPS (just a few minutes ago) when ordering/collecting parts was that they were very good. Shame the parking outside is so awkward (especially when reps (?) with vans can't friggin park straight in the skinny little parking spaces, and when they all seem to turn up at once. )

One of the things that bugs me most is that whenever I've ordered Honda parts (apart from these ones, that is), is that they're NEVER carried as a stock item, even for something fairly common, they're almost always "three weeks, ex-Japan", and the prices are outrageous.

Not so recently, I needed some parts for the Firestorm, and got the usual story. When I got a friend in Sydney to see what the availability was there, it was two weeks, ex-Japan (it was an uncommon item in this case), and the price including GST, currency exchange, etc., was much less than the NZ price. So obviously Honda (NZ) and Honda (Australia) deal with two different Honda (Japan)s.
The other thing is that the parts are just SO expensive. An "genuine Honda" R/R was quoted to me as $400-$500. An "aftermarket" item I bought instead, was $225 fitted. Guess what? They're made in the same factory, by Shindengen, and the cheaper one was biggerer and betterer.

Another example: Honda VTR1000 throttle position sensor was (from memory) around $300 (or about $250 from Australia). I bought one of those, plus two APE manual camchain tensioners, airfreighted from the UK, for $295.

It's not just the main dealers either. I enquired of NZ's only APE agent what those tensioners would cost. I happen to know that they are $US49.95 each, retail. I was quoted $NZ165 each by the agent.

I know that some of this is beyond the dealers control. F'rinstance, a non-bike example is the cost of Canon stuff here. Canon NZ has to get all its stock via Canon Australia, who add a handling charge to everything. So when you see that Canon cameras are cheaper at a parallel importer, that's why. Sometimes it works the other way, though. I've heard (from an American, who owned the same model of bike in the US and here) that Harley Davidsons are cheaper here than in the US, because they sell them to the importers at a lower price so they are competitive. The price difference was $7000, but whether that was $NZ or $US, I dunno. Still a sizeable difference, eh?

[Lou Girardin]

My initial impression of the service I got at AMPS (just a few minutes ago) when ordering/colecting parts was that they were very good. Shame the parking outside is so awkward (especially when reps (?) with vans can't friggin park straight in the skinny little parking spaces, and when they all seem to turn up at once.

There's a carpark across the road in front of the textile warehouse.

[vifferman]

There's a carpark across the road in front of the textile warehouse.

A delivery truck was busy backwardsing and forwardsing there when I turned up. I would've been on my bike, iffen the wife and #1 sprog hadn't needed a lift this morning, then it wouldn't have been an issue.
Sorry I didn't come and see you, Lou; I was/am feeling exceptionally mental today, and couldn't handle the excitement/stress.

[Lou Girardin]

A delivery truck was busy backwardsing and forwardsing there when I turned up. I would've been on my bike, iffen the wife and #1 sprog hadn't needed a lift this morning, then it wouldn't have been an issue.
Sorry I didn't come and see you, Lou; I was/am feeling exceptionally mental today, and couldn't handle the excitement/stress.

Gee, I'm honoured/touched/disturbed that the thought of meeting me did that.

[duckman]

I can't say that I've had any truely 'orrible experiences with any of the bike shops in Auckland.
I've been very disappointed with the way some of them treat customers when it comes to trading in a bike.

I will say that for the last 6 years I've mainly dealt with Haldanes. I can honestly say that I've never had any trouble with them. My bikes always ready to pick up when they say it will be.
Parts arrive on time and I get a phone call to come and pick them up.
I often get a (returning customer) discount on parts/labour.

Aaaaaaand, they have the prettiest bikes!! Suzuki and Ducati ... what a perfect match.

[Blakamin]

hey VM, you'll have to come here and try parking at Motomart!!!

[Ixion]

Well. I've not had any bad experiences. On the other hand I don't go to bike shops much. Can't comment on workshop's cos I don't use them.

Part and gear are bloody dear, but I don't think the shops can really be blamed for that, it'sm the result of being a tiny market at the arse end of the world.

I've always had polite and professional service from every bike shop I patronised. But then I've always had polite and professional service from every copper that's stopped me !.

[Brian d marge]

you have to realise that the kiwi dollar aint worth a hill of beans ...As far as I know the prices for honda parts are cheap here ....I tend to buy genuine as they are of reasonable quality and quite well priced .....( a new rear tyre for me mx bike was 7000 yen ...I spent 5000 yen at the car mart for 2 cans of spray paint and a few other bits and bobs( just looking at the reciept ...3200 for nuts andd bolts and a can of white spray paint A KFC twister value set is about 1000 yen


Infact I have to buy some plastic for the beastie....I and it will be a close call between genuine and aftermarket .....

On a final note its about a week for a letter from here to NZ possibly less .....Also you must realise there isnt much of a profit margin in a bike shop ,,,,I doubt they are getting rich,,,,,

Stephen
Dont get me started on customer service ..... see previous rants ,,,,,,,,,,,,

[Zapf]

Workshop I perfer: Motohaus / Haldanes (very professional and attention to details)
Workshop I would not perfer: Mt.Eden / Colemans (nothing wrong with their actual work, but they are always so / too busy hence attention to details suffers)

Bike Shops I perfer: Colemans (Jeff in Bike sales / Dan in parts is VERY helpful and good)
Bike Shops I would avoide: Haldanes (I had given them chance to sell me new SV650S and GSXR750 and they are always the most expensive)

Shop I'll never buy anything from, unless I have to: Motomail (after they stuffed me around with my seat bag incident)

[StoneChucker]

I'm very weary of saying something bad about a bike shop (err, after learning a valuable lesson). So I won't regale you of the tale of a certain bike shop that returned my bike after an expensive service with the petrol tank leaking and the chain tightening screws loose! (NOT the shop I currently use, was on my OLD bike).

What I will say is Sawyers/Motorrad have been bloody good to me. They delivered my bike to my house, and picked up my old bike, which they bought off me as a trade in. They even came back to my house to adjust something which I felt should have been before delivery.

They kindly put up with me being a dick, and mostly forgot about it since (err, I think/hope ). Sales and service COUNTER staff are very friendly, everytime I go in. The mechanics have always done a great job on my bike, however I can't comment on their people skills as I think I've damaged any possible relationship beyond repair

Lately I get a discount on everything I buy in there, which is really nice. I'm quite happy to stay with them, hopefully for good

[justsomeguy]

Best shop: Red Baron parts and accessories -- 11 out of 10. Tony, Yogi and Peter will take the best care of you.

Best Workshop: Motohaus - Extremely trustworthy and highly skilled -- 11 out of 10.... how many people here think Kerry is the man.

AMPS - Awesome service but they stock the premium end of stuff so out of my price bracket. Only dealt with Lou a couple of times.

Colemans - Dan's the man. Great friendly manner and always get a discount.

Haldanes - Or whoever is opposite Mt Eden - 1 out of 10. Don't really care if you buy something or not......

Mt Eden - Seem like nice people and highly recommended by a lot of KB'ers

[Lou Girardin]

AMPS - Awesome service but they stock the premium end of stuff so out of my price bracket. Only dealt with Lou a couple of times.

There's reason for that, we get fewer problems/complaints with the gear we sell.
F'rinstance, Spidi has really taken off for us even though it starts at over $500 for a Jacket.

We do mid-range gear too though and grab specials whenever we can, like the HJC helmet deal.

[Matt Bleck]

Mate where do I start!! I have a 97 Gixxer at the mo, found it on bike point. Now I got the bike for 9k Nov last year. When I talked to the salasman I asked was it cheap because it had been binned. He said yes, thats where the conversation should have ended! But me being a tight arse, it went on, "are the disks sweet" I asked, has the last bike I owned had a warped disk, not nice. "Yes" the salesman said "the bike has been checked over thoroughly by our mechanic and is sweet. And has had only one owner."

So I had a mate take me to pick up the bike at Waioru where I was meeting the salesman.

Upon pick up I took the bike for a test ride and sure enough it shuddered when braking (with front brakes). So I went back and told him the brakes where shagged. "No, no " he said "You'll find that I'll bikes like this do that, its cause its got such a short wheel base bla bla bla. If it is the disks we will replace them" So being the gullable person I am I agreed and went on my way. The next working day booked it into Bike Force to have it checked out. I dropped it in and it was the disk. So instead of replacing it they sent it to Smyth and Yates in cambridge to see if they could straighten it, no joy.
Mean while the bike starts making a weird rattling noise at 3000rpm, so I rang the salesman and told him that I think the cam chain is shagged and that his mechanic is a fucken cowboy!

The disk is replaced by a new one and bike force had to replace the cam chain tensioner, weird for a bike thats only do 28k!

About 10 months later the bike would not start occasoinally when hot, so back to the shop it went, but this time I took it to Patterson O'Connor's cause Bike Force had scratched it when fixxing the cam chain, nothing major but enough to piss you off. Also even if the bike was booked in to be worked on it would sit for days with out being worked on.
What Pattersons found was that the K&N air filter that was in the bike was out of a car and was letting dust n bugs in to the motor, what the ...I rang and rang the dealer and got no where!!!

Since then I have found the bike has had 6 owners, and the sump plug has a hole drilled in it and the oil filter was clamped, I think it is a x-race bike.

Now I do have to say that I love the bike, its a bullet and handles awesome. And I've found a great mechanic at Pattersons because of this , BUT I WILL NEVER BUY A BIKE FROM DAVE ANDERSON MOTORCYCLES EVER AGAIN!! I have told everyone I know, and will continue to do so till I die!!

ahhhh that feels better

[Ghost Lemur]

I have just been reading ams67's story about his new cbr1000rr. A bad story all round.

It got me thinking about the service that we bikers get from our dealers and shops etc. I gotta say that as a rule the general standard of service that we get is poor. I strongly believe that the price we pay for stuff is too high from clothes to bikes; the standard of work done is frequently average to bad and the general proffessionalism of sales staff is weak.

Ironicaly the one redeaming feature is that the bikes themselves are getting better and better it is a pity that the rest of it can't keep up.

Now I know that there are many exceptions to the above where outstanding service etc has been given. But this is a general trend both here and abroad. Who else has got stories? Maybe we can rate our dealers here. So when ams67 gets bad service this information is made apparent to all of us. Obviously this goes in the other way too, so postive comments are very much encouraged.
My first rating is as follows

Henderson motorcycles 4/10. comments the guys there are nice enough but the owner appears quite disorgansied and the workshop is a mess.

Both best shop and worst shop threads were done ages ago if you do a search. Got quite large so would probably be worth while just adding too.