An Outrageous Fortune for servicing costs?

[Hotpoker]

I inquired about getting my KTM 690 serviced today at TMG - the new KTM brand holder in Auckland.

It is it's first 5000km service, and they quoted $350 :gob: which seems outrageous! Surely it is about $80 of fancy oil, a couple of oil filters, and an hour of labour!? There cannot be that much do at a 5000km service?

I would be keen to do it myself - however I i do not want to void the warrantee.

Is this about normal?

[kevfromcoro]

They seem to charge what they like....

A mate of mine got a new front tyre fitted......
Which i thought was to expensive anyway.....

And then the pricks charched him $250 for the disposal of the old tyre.......

I wouldnt of payed it.....:angry:

[98tls]

Dont call em Stealerships for nothing fella,wouldnt be so bad if you could depend on them but as its just a service theres every chance the job will be palmed off to someone that looks more akin to a boil with legs with no understanding of the correct way to wear a cap let alone have any idea on the workings of something as simple as an oil filter and theres better than a 50% chance will fuck it up therefore requiring more of your hard earned to get it sorted by someone past puberty.

[Taz]

T
And then the pricks charched him $250 for the disposal of the old tyre.......

I wouldnt of payed it.....:angry:

$250.00??? For disposal? You sure you got your facts straight there?

[Crasherfromwayback]

I inquired about getting my KTM 690 serviced today at TMG - the new KTM brand holder in Auckland.

It is it's first 5000km service, and they quoted $350 :gob: which seems outrageous! Surely it is about $80 of fancy oil, a couple of oil filters, and an hour of labour!? There cannot be that much do at a 5000km service?

I would be keen to do it myself - however I i do not want to void the warrantee.

Is this about normal?

Dude...simply ask them to break down the cost(s), before you come on here and slag them off.


They seem to charge what they like....

A mate of mine got a new front tyre fitted......
Which i thought was to expensive anyway.....

And then the pricks charched him $250 for the disposal of the old tyre.......

I wouldnt of payed it.....:angry:

I think you've got the price of the tyre and the price of disposal mixed up!

[Toaster]

Is this about normal?


Any vehicle servicing seems to cost the earth nowdays.

Bikes are always expensive to service through dealerships. Cars are just as bad if not worse.

They are there simply to make money and profit. Servicing is a great way to improve cashflow through labour charges and margins on parts.

My bike is due soon and car now due.... about $1k to service both. Ridiculous.....

[hayd3n]

whenever ive had tyre changes i take the old one home and add it to my collection ill eventually make my own garage :yes:
$25 here to get tyre changed
and usually free change/disposel when ya buy a new one

[Crasherfromwayback]

My bike is due soon and car now due.... about $1k to service both. Ridiculous.....

Not really. I had a root canal done by my friendly dentist a while ago. It cost me $1500.00, and would've taken him around 2hrs over the three visits. If he'd done it incorrectly...I could've ended up with more tooth ache, and another expensive visit.

If they guy/girl that services your Busa gets it wrong, you could die.

The human mouth hasn't changed much in the last several hundred years. So apart from new drilling/filling techniques, not much new to learn for the friendly $250.00 per hour dentist.

Motorcycles on the other hand, have changed dramatically. There are also several hundred different motorcycles to learn and understand, vs the human mouth.

A dentist needs room for a chair, and fuck all else. A motorcycle dealer needs a lot more room than that.

Are things really that bad?

[98tls]

Any vehicle servicing seems to cost the earth nowdays.

Bikes are always expensive to service through dealerships. Cars are just as bad if not worse.

They are there simply to make money and profit. Servicing is a great way to improve cashflow through labour charges and margins on parts.

My bike is due soon and car now due.... about $1k to service both. Ridiculous.....

Well then lets look at this another way.If the general bike/car buying public werent so fucking tight and simply shelled out full retail for there purchase then Stealerships wouldnt have to rely on service depts to make ends meet,make sense:gob:Na not really eh,we could blame Salesman for giving away any profit in order to make a quid for themselves i guess so once again the service dept has to make it up.Rock/hard place eh.

[Hotpoker]

Dude...simply ask them to break down the cost(s), before you come on here and slag them off...

Steady on! I was not slagging them off! I was asking whether $350 is normal??

[Toaster]

Not really. I had a root canal done by my friendly dentist a while ago. It cost me $1500.00, and would've taken him around 2hrs over the three visits. If he'd done it incorrectly...I could've ended up with more tooth ache, and another expensive visit.

If they guy/girl that services your Busa gets it wrong, you could die.

The human mouth hasn't changed much in the last several hundred years. So apart from new drilling/filling techniques, not much new to learn for the friendly $250.00 per hour dentist.

Motorcycles on the other hand, have changed dramatically. There are also several hundred different motorcycles to learn and understand, vs the human mouth.

A dentist needs room for a chair, and fuck all else. A motorcycle dealer needs a lot more room than that.

Are things really that bad?


I agree on all counts. But given the tight times we are in, a grand is still a lot of money and one and a half grand for a tooth job is robbery.

Dentists are notoriously expensive.

Plain and simple, the average kiwi on an average wage is getting screwed over big time from all directions. Just to add to the mix, petrol is nearly 2 bucks a litre right at the time peoples disposable incomes are getting hammered.

Long live the recession.

[Crasherfromwayback]

I agree on all counts. But given the tight times we are in, a grand is still a lot of money and one and a half grand for a tooth job is robbery.

Dentists are notoriously expensive.

Plain and simple, the average kiwi on an average wage is getting screwed over big time from all directions. Just to add to the mix, petrol is nearly 2 bucks a litre right at the time peoples disposable incomes are getting hammered.

Long live the recession.

I hear you mate, just trying to say it ain't always what it seems from the outside. I'm a car mechanic by trade, and it's a sucky trade. That's why I now sell. But I can't agree with you about the average Kiwi getting screwed over. We've got it good here. Sure some things are more expensive, but a lot of things are actually cheaper here than over seas.

New Zealand is still a shit hot place to live.

[Gremlin]

I haven't had a KTM service that low yet (and mine has gone through 9 services), so thats perfectly fine. :yes:

It will also be plugged into the diagnostics, to make sure there are no errors etc. Most expensive service on my KTM was $2100...

The most important question to ask however, is that your bike is an 08... why has it only done 5000km? :shit:

[Toaster]

New Zealand is still a shit hot place to live.


It is indeed. But as far as western nations go we are certainly gaining a bad rep fpr lower wages compared to the cost of living.

Challenging times for many at the mo. Al least the high earners got a decent tax cut to fuel the boat at the bach for Xmas.

[kevfromcoro]

$250.00??? For disposal? You sure you got your facts straight there?

yeap.. saw the receipt ...
It does seem a lot.....
Will see if i can contact him,, and post the receipt up.....
The only thing is.. iam in Australia ,,,, and he is in coromandell....

[TimeOut]

yeap.. saw the receipt ...
It does seem a lot.....
Will see if i can contact him,, and post the receipt up.....
The only thing is.. iam in Australia ,,,, and he is in coromandell....

I think they put the decimal point in the wrong place:facepalm:

[nosebleed]

Dude...simply ask them to break down the cost(s), before you come on here and slag them off


Steady on! I was not slagging them off! I was asking whether $350 is normal??


Thats nothing. Wait till "miloking" gets here, he's gonna go fukkin banana's when he see's what you've been up to.

[robo555]

I could have disposed the tyre for $200!

[Waxxa]

[QUOTE=Crasherfromwayback;1129926994]

Steady on! I was not slagging them off! I was asking whether $350 is normal??

yep, this is about normal pricing.

I will be going for my 12k service soon and the bike shop has its prices listed for the various kilometre services for the public to see on the workshop counter...

It may be cheaper at the fuel station to fuel a bike but servicing them is much the same as cars.

[AllanB]

No way someone got charged $250 to dispose of a tyre and if they indeed did it was just a genuine mistake by the dealer when invoicing (I'd understand $25 MAX).

A front tyre costs $250 new. What you need to ask is why would your friend actually pay that? Ie did he really shell out $500 for one front tyre fitted, balanced and the old disposed of? I'd say NO.

Servicing costs. I have found that the typical motorcycle workshop hourly rate is usually well under the rate of a franchise car dealer - ie if you get your Honda car serviced by Honda you'll looking around $90 per hour (in CHCH) - the Honda bike shop will be a LOT less per hour.

The thing to watch with either is how much time you are getting charged for - ie what are they doing for that 1, 2, 3 etc hours.

Check your KTM manual - it should state what is done on a 5k service, most bikes are a oil/filter and a quick squiz over - ie say a hours work plus consumables, but you may find it has some fancy shit that needs to be adjusted. Plus if they plug it into a diagnostic computer there is usually a set base cost for that pleasure so that may be additional to any time spent on the bike.

Plus in that 350 you may well have a $100 bucks worth of slippery full synthetic oil.

Also consider on a lot of modern bikes that there is often a fair bit of time spent removing plastics just to get near the engine and all that shit goes back on (usually minus at least one screw ....) later.

There is nothing wrong with asking them to account for the cost and it should all be itemized on a invoice prior to paying.

I do not agree with the term Stealship. They are running a business and as such charge a fair rate for hopefully, very good service. If you don't do your own work (oil etc) then that's the cost and feel free to shop around.

Me I do my own servicing apart from valve adjustments as I really enjoy working on the bike. But I tell you you'd not want to even pay me $20 a hour for the time it takes me!!!!!!!!!!

[Max Preload]

If you pay $350 for a 5000km 'service' you're a sucker.

[Flip]

A mechanic was removing a cylinder head from the motor of a Harley, when he spotted a world-famous heart surgeon in his shop. The heart surgeon was waiting for the service manager to come take a look at his bike.

The mechanic shouted across the garage, "Hey Doc can I ask you a question?" The famous surgeon, a bit surprised, walked over to the mechanic working on the motorcycle.

The mechanic straightened up, wiped his hands on a rag and asked, "So Doc, look at this engine. I also can open it up, take valves out, fix'em, put in new parts and when I finish this will work just like a new one. So how come I get a pittance and you get the really big money, when you and I are doing basically the same work?"

The surgeon paused, smiled and leaned over, and whispered to the mechanic, "Try doing it while it's running."



I think that $100-120 $/h is about right for a good mechanic. An apprenticeship is still 4 years, plus it takes ages to learn all the specialized tools, processes and electronic-computer skills necessary to fix just one brand of motorcycle. If a mechanic these days is ham fisted or careless he is soon out of business. I would much rather insure the mechanic is a highly skilled, has the right equipment and well paid because he is working on my pride and joy.

[BuzzardNZ]

Not really. I had a root canal done by my friendly dentist a while ago. It cost me $1500.00, and would've taken him around 2hrs over the three visits. If he'd done it incorrectly...I could've ended up with more tooth ache, and another expensive visit.

I suspect the dentist added danger pay into that amount, poking about in that mouth of yours Pete :innocent:

[Crasherfromwayback]

I suspect the dentist added danger pay into that amount, poking about in that mouth of yours Pete :innocent:

Wouldn't blame him

[EJK]

I once had a root canal treatment without anesthetic. Now thats what I call mouth fucking.

[Crasherfromwayback]

I once had a root canal treatment without anesthetic. Now thats what I call mouth fucking.

Tough cunt. Fuck that!

[spacemonkey]

I inquired about getting my KTM 690 serviced today at TMG - the new KTM brand holder in Auckland.

It is it's first 5000km service, and they quoted $350 :gob: which seems outrageous! Surely it is about $80 of fancy oil, a couple of oil filters, and an hour of labour!? There cannot be that much do at a 5000km service?

I would be keen to do it myself - however I i do not want to void the warrantee.

Is this about normal?


Sounds about right to me, the 1000km run in service on my Aprilia was $581.
But that was ok cos when I brought it I had them put in the sales agreement that the first service was on them.

[jellywrestler]

A dentist needs room for a chair, and fuck all else.
clearly you haven't been to mine which has a ceiling mounted LCD screen with 'finding Nemo' on it.
that fucken DVD was $3 at the warehouse 6 years ago, clearly i'm not paying them enough to afford another one to put in their machine!

[awa355]

Dont call em Stealerships for nothing fella,wouldnt be so bad if you could depend on them but as its just a service theres every chance the job will be palmed off to someone that looks more akin to a boil with legs with no understanding of the correct way to wear a cap let alone have any idea on the workings of something as simple as an oil filter and theres better than a 50% chance will fuck it up therefore requiring more of your hard earned to get it sorted by someone past puberty.

And charge you $90 per hour for said wally's time.

[warewolf]

If you pay $350 for a 5000km 'service' you're a sucker.Or a realist. It's probably quite a fair price. 5000km on my LC4 is the equivalent 'big' service to 20,000km on a road multi, ie oil, filters, valves. The 5000km service on mine was $358.27, in Nelson in 2005.

The oil system has 2+L of full-synth oil, 2 oil filters, 4 drain plugs, and requires the frame oil reservoir to be 'burped' afterwards. If the dealer is not clued-up, they will probably use loose parts for the oil filter/gasket consumables, $80 rather than the $56 kit that includes everything you need.

Doing the valves for some dealers means draining the coolant and removing the radiators. Not sure if that is the book method, but it's unnecessary. You only have to remove the fan and a handful of other fittings and hoses. It's a bitch of a job with the cam cover jammed up underneath the frame spine, but hey a pro should handle it with practiced ease.

The 690 being the new hotness is supposed to have been designed (successfully) to be easier to work on.

[The Stranger]

$250.00??? For disposal? You sure you got your facts straight there?

Facts?
Come on man, don't let facts get in the way of a good story.

[The Stranger]

5000km on my LC4 is the equivalent 'big' service to 20,000km on a road multi, ie oil, filters, valves.

Sans a few spare cylinders - yet the cost is similar.
Hey what the hell, someone has to pay for the name.

[Gremlin]

I just forked out $1700+, no servicing at all... just a puncture and pick up of the bike to do the puncture.

(Ok, so the tyre was fucked, and a new set was called for, then I paid for another 2 sets of tyres I had ordered previously)

[gammaguy]

Any vehicle servicing seems to cost the earth nowdays.

Bikes are always expensive to service through dealerships. Cars are just as bad if not worse.

They are there simply to make money and profit. Servicing is a great way to improve cashflow through labour charges and margins on parts.

My bike is due soon and car now due.... about $1k to service both. Ridiculous.....


New Zealand.....one of the most heavily "motorised"countries in the world..

Now,what would be a good way to make money there do ya reckon?:yes:

dig deep guys.............

[dipshit]

I would be keen to do it myself - however I i do not want to void the warrantee.

Don't let them bullshit you. Do it yourself if you feel up to it.

[ynot slow]

Nothing much has changed since cars were sold,a dealer/owner forToyota told me,the new car and used sales contribute a bit,the panel and garage help the bottom line considerably by subsidising sales in tough times,parts well they really help the bottom line.He said he had a workshop manager to pay($20hr 10yr ago),office staff combined $60p/h,these folks didn't generate any income,but were needed,although workshop manager may do 5hr mechanical work charged out weekly.

[R1GEEZA]

[QUOTE=gammaguy;1129928765]New Zealand.....one of the most heavily "motorised"countries in the world..

WAT? if any1 thinks newzealand is one of the most heavily motorised countries in the world they cant hav been to many places! reletivly low traffic is one of the things i luv about this country especialy good for people who ride! nz has around 4million people covering about the same land mass (ok a bit less) as the uk wich has 65 million people kramed in. thats 16 people for every 1 here!!!!

[Kickaha]

WAT? if any1 thinks newzealand is one of the most heavily motorised countries in the world they cant hav been to many places!


He's not talking about traffic density, he's talking vehicles per head of population

[R1GEEZA]

o sorri, well i definatly agree with that

[Waihou Thumper]

If the dealer is not clued-up, they will probably use loose parts for the oil filter/gasket consumables, $80 rather than the $56 kit that includes everything you need.


That's really interesting as the 'real kit' that has everything you need is never in the country, I have ordered a few over the years and always have to get them sent from Austria. Are you prepared to wait 4-5 weeks for 0005000061? Not bloody likely....not for an oil change.:)

[Crazy Steve]

I inquired about getting my KTM 690 serviced today at TMG - the new KTM brand holder in Auckland.

It is it's first 5000km service, and they quoted $350 :gob: which seems outrageous! Surely it is about $80 of fancy oil, a couple of oil filters, and an hour of labour!? There cannot be that much do at a 5000km service?

I would be keen to do it myself - however I i do not want to void the warrantee.

Is this about normal?

Did you ask what the service costs would be approx when you brought the bike new ?

If you didn't then suck it up and either pay the $350 or void the warranty and change the oil yourself !

I'm never buying a new bike again, it will always be over that 2year warranty carrot that seems to cost you more than it worth ! !

Crazy Steve.

[Crazy Steve]

Not really. I had a root canal done by my friendly dentist a while ago. It cost me $1500.00, and would've taken him around 2hrs over the three visits. If he'd done it incorrectly...I could've ended up with more tooth ache, and another expensive visit.

If they guy/girl that services your Busa gets it wrong, you could die.

The human mouth hasn't changed much in the last several hundred years. So apart from new drilling/filling techniques, not much new to learn for the friendly $250.00 per hour dentist.

Motorcycles on the other hand, have changed dramatically. There are also several hundred different motorcycles to learn and understand, vs the human mouth.

A dentist needs room for a chair, and fuck all else. A motorcycle dealer needs a lot more room than that.

Are things really that bad?

Pete, I go to a Maori dentist in South Auckland... He has an amazing hammer and a few nails.

And I never pay anymore than $100 to see him...

Suggest you shop around bud ! !

Crazy Steve.

[warewolf]

That's really interesting as the 'real kit' that has everything you need is never in the country, I have ordered a few over the years and always have to get them sent from Austria. Are you prepared to wait 4-5 weeks for 0005000061? Not bloody likely....not for an oil change.:)When I've asked they've been in the country, coupla days to get to me.

Do you know 4-5 weeks out that a service is due? :shutup: