Saving Money

[swanman]

I recently had my bike given a full service by Red Baron after I bought it, about a week later I had some starting problems due to the bike sitting around and not getting used. This resulted in the plugs fouling up. I found this out after I had to take the plugs out a coupla times and they were black and wet as.

I came to the conclusion that the bike was running rich and rang round the usual shops to see if they could fit me in to get the carbs tuned. All too busy for the next couple of weeks.So I went back to Red Baron had a winge that I was suprised that after a full service that cost in excess of $300 that the mechanic hadn't picked up that the bike was running rich, all to no avail as I had no proof that the bike was running rich when it left the shop (it was I guarantee it). The guy there quote a price of min $300 labour to service the carbs plus any parts required or more labour that may result from what they found. I was also told that the bike may have to be in the shop for a couple of weeks if parts had to be ordered. So there was no chance of a loan bike for the time the job was being done.

I felt kind of pissed off at this, high cost of servicing and labour etc and to be honest it looked as if the quality of what was being done was a bit suspicious.

So fuck em I decided to do the job myself. I made some contacts on the web and got a service manual and a few tips. So last Sunday and then today I slowly stripped the carbs, cleaned them, adjusted some settings and needle positions and put it all back together. Cost to me, was about 8 hrs labour, carb cleaner, some tools about $20 worth and that was it. Result bike is running cleaner at low revs and appears to be running about right, i.e. not rich anymore.

Fuck red Baron I say. I will not be going there ever again.

[Sniper]

Good on ya mate. Don't put up with that sort of shit.

[DingDong]

shit! 8 hours... you'll get that down to two hours in no time, how do they get away with a $300 quote for a crab clean and ballance...
Red Barron... the word gets around pretty quick on KB

[swanman]

shit! 8 hours... you'll get that down to two hours in no time,

Yep takes me 2 hrs to get the plugs out and back in.

If I was to do it again I'd proly cut that time in half. I took it nice and steady the 1st time round.

[T.I.E]

just out of interest i used to use spectrum mototcycles on the shore. 10 meters off barry's point road.
they were brilliant and found the longer i was with them the more savings i got back.
at one stage they knew my old gpx so well they could work on it blind folded.
nice guys.

but with red baron i am not sure what they are doing. a learner went in there knowing nothing, they were given a helmet and jacket two sizes too big for them. rider went from a xl helmet to a medium. after i had had much discussion saying he should not have left there store with gear so large. and the learner was not to know any better. they finally changed the gear after alot of wo is the company.
that was a safety issue. do they really know what they are doing when they sell safety equipment to a learner. i'm still pissed at this, a professional outfit in the trade for years selling the wrong gear.
there is no excuse for it.

they changed it, but that's not the point.

[DEATH_INC.]

Swanny,what did they do on yer invoice? Did they charge ya for doing the carbs in your original service?
Lemme know if they did and I'll have words to the owner for ya.:msn-wink:

[Vegan]

Anyone know what Mt Eden motorcycles is like? Or Auckland powersports?

[Gremlin]

I like Mt Eden, always been good to me, fitted me in when busy, helpful.

Ricky has always done good for my zzr as well.

edit: I only know about AMPS accessories dept, and Lou is a legend, done a heap for me, really really good

[Vegan]

ok - now what time do they open...? :)

[Two Smoker]

Bike shops are weird, heaps of people have good experiences, and heaps have bad ones... For instance i dont like Spectrum because they almost killed me when they failed to reconnect a oil hose to the front cylinder of a RGV250 causing it to seize on the motorway...

I also dont like Red Baron or any of the Shore bike shops due to bad rep and poor service to me...

[Gremlin]

AMPS -
Mon Fri 8.30am - 5.00pm
Saturday - 9.00am - 2.00pm

(Thanks BD, after the rant you included it on the AMPS site :2thumbsup )

Mt Eden M/C - not 100% sure
weekdays probably 9ish to 5ish
sat - 9 to 1 I think, but one sat they were open till 5...

[erik]

... failed to reconnect a oil hose to the front cylinder of a RGV250 causing it to seize on the motorway...
Interesting, I don't think I heard why the bike seized before.



Mt Eden M/C - not 100% sure

From one of their business cards:
Monday-Thursday 8am-7pm
Friday 8am-6pm
Saturday 9am-5pm

[Vegan]

8am - excellent. :)

[texmo]

Everybike shop has done something bad to somebody only one place I can think of where I dont think of somebody gettign shafted is colemans, note this dosent include tyre shops or places like motomail jsut bike shops...

[oldrider]

edit: I only know about AMPS accessories dept, and Lou is a legend, done a heap for me, really really good
I bought my bike of AMPS by telephone and had it delivered for Christmas and despite some transport problems (which Amps fixed) I would have to say it's one of the best deals I've ever had. Bought a helmet off Lou too. Cant say enough good things about that company as a customer. :2thumbsup Cheers John.

[avgas]

Red Barron are a bunch of pirates.
They get a container load of about 5 of the same bikes, strip em all and put all the good parts on one bike, all the bad parts on another and basically end up with 5 frankenstien bikes with no matching numbers...... makes me wonder were all the stolen bikes go :whistle:

[scumdog]

Good on you for getting in and doing it yourself - my attitude is: even if it takes 2-3 times longer than the service outfit, if you get it right it's a mighty good feeling AND you save money.

And re the comment that somebody found burnout rubber under their rear guard:- I NEVER leave my bike alone at the garage/whatever, it's not just mechanics, Joe Snotpimples who happens to stick his beak into the workshop ("just getting the 800hp kit fitted to my 1973 XL125 ya know") can do all manner of carnage with his sticky little saurian claws - let alone what damage an 'adventurous' mechanic can do.:doh:

[T.I.E]

i guess i have been lucky with spectrum. well that will be untill my luck runs out with them. then somethings goes wrong.
motohause seems to be really good. i have heard great reviews, but i suppose i just have to wait for it, then some disgruntled person has to pop up. i hope that does not happen to them for a long time.

[MikeL]

8am - excellent. :)

But in practice more likely to be 8:15 or 8:20. Every minute counts when you have to drop your bike off and walk the rest of the way to work so as to arrive by 8:30! But if that's the most serious complaint I have about Mt Eden Motorcycles you can see why I keep going back...

[Lou Girardin]

I assume it hasn't been long since the service, so why do you have to prove anything?
They didn't do the job they were supposed to.
Another customer lost?

[kerryg]

Fuck red Baron I say. I will not be going there ever again.


I've got no axe to grind but I have had a few dealings with Red Baron's workshop guys over the past few years, and OK they know how to charge (they're not alone in that) but I really can't fault them on their workmanship or with regard to keeping to deadlines etc. I've got nothing but praise for them really. Their management people however...well, let's not go there.

Interestingly I had a D model FZR1000 with a misfire, took it to Mike at Red Baron who found a fouled plug, asked me if I was running 96 fuel, I said yes, he said "there's your problem". They cleaned the plugs (which were brand new by the way, I'd put them in myself) , filled it up with fresh juice(Gull or the 98 octane stuff from BP)...and problem gone! They could have made a meal of it, stripping carbs etc but they didn't.

On the other hand I've had some bad experiences (1 potentially life-endangering piece of negligence, another instance of an outright lie about non-existent faults [allegedly stuffed rear shock, plus low compression..both BS] on a bike I was hoping to trade, just to haggle the value of my bike down) with two shops I won't name that are routinely praised here.

[SARGE]

but with red baron i am not sure what they are doing. a learner went in there knowing nothing, they were given a helmet and jacket two sizes too big for them. rider went from a xl helmet to a medium. after i had had much discussion saying he should not have left there store with gear so large. and the learner was not to know any better. they finally changed the gear after alot of wo is the company..
there is no excuse for it..


reason #3634566 why i left

[Lou Girardin]

It's strange isn't it, it takes no more effort to do a good job.

[NC]

It's strange isn't it, it takes no more effort to do a good job.
Apprently it take effort to have good phone manners and customer relations.

I just spent $608 dollars on shit service and bad attitues.

[swanman]

I'll be honest I won't go back to RB unless I am absolutlely desperate. But in general in my 20 yrs of biking and going to bike shops, I am rarely impressed by them. Occasioanly you come away happy and reckon you have got value for money, but that is actually quite rare. WIth the exception of AMPS ( which comes accross as quite a classy/shiny outfit at least superficialy) all the bike shops I know in Auckland are a bit seedy to a larger or lesser degree, the service from salesman is poor or indifferent, etc . Yes the experience can be good, but really if you went to a Honda or VW car dealership and saw the same standards you would be aghast.

Bike shops need to raise their standards.

[SARGE]

I'll be honest I won't go back to RB unless I am absolutlely desperate. But in general in my 20 yrs of biking and going to bike shops, I am rarely impressed by them. Occasioanly you come away happy and reckon you have got value for money, but that is actually quite rare. WIth the exception of AMPS ( which comes accross as quite a classy/shiny outfit at least superficialy) all the bike shops I know in Auckland are a bit seedy to a larger or lesser degree, the service from salesman is poor or indifferent, etc . Yes the experience can be good, but really if you went to a Honda or VW car dealership and saw the same standards you would be aghast.

Bike shops need to raise their standards.


i think you are tarring us all with the same brush man..ask anyone .. i go out of my way to provide service and get the best deal for all involved


saying that " all salesmen" are wankers is like saying that all Muslims are terrorists..


im not a trained sales sleezebag.. i did radio for 2 decades in the states. im first and foremost a biker ( and all its conotations) i may come across as gruff and slightly base at times.. i have tatoos.. i dont shave every day and i have no problem telling a tosser to fuck off out of my shop and stop wasting my time.

everyone gets the same basic level of service from me.. some get more but none get less..i treat people the way i'd like to be treated

[Pixie]

Good on you for getting in and doing it yourself - my attitude is: even if it takes 2-3 times longer than the service outfit, if you get it right it's a mighty good feeling AND you save money.

And re the comment that somebody found burnout rubber under their rear guard:- I NEVER leave my bike alone at the garage/whatever, it's not just mechanics, Joe Snotpimples who happens to stick his beak into the workshop ("just getting the 800hp kit fitted to my 1973 XL125 ya know") can do all manner of carnage with his sticky little saurian claws - let alone what damage an 'adventurous' mechanic can do.:doh:
The only time I'll let a monkey near my bike is for servicing to keep to the warranty obligations.
They just aren't up to my standards.

[Pixie]

It's strange isn't it, it takes no more effort to do a good job.
It just takes having your brain engaged,and how many people can be described like theat today?

[T.I.E]

i think you are tarring us all with the same brush man..ask anyone .. i go out of my way to provide service and get the best deal for all involved


saying that " all salesmen" are wankers is like saying that all Muslims are terrorists..


im not a trained sales sleezebag.. i did radio for 2 decades in the states. im first and foremost a biker ( and all its conotations) i may come across as gruff and slightly base at times.. i have tatoos.. i dont shave every day and i have no problem telling a tosser to fuck off out of my shop and stop wasting my time.

everyone gets the same basic level of service from me.. some get more but none get less..i treat people the way i'd like to be treated

actually gossip about you sarge. i had a friend whom came and saw you about a buying a bike. he had a lot to say about you. brilliant, and if he ever will buy a bike again he will be coming to you.
i think i will try to do the same. nice work dude.
people like you are missed out in the sales rep world.
and i believe he loves his bike to bits.

[tracyprier]

..i treat people the way i'd like to be treated

Now that's just plain CRAZY talk Sarge! If people started doing that, hell soon everyone would be treating everyone else with common decency and manners and then where would we be?? it's heresy I tell's ye.

[tracyprier]

Big thumbs up Swanny :2thumbsup

Good on ya for getting in there and having a crack at it yourself.

So you'll be doing the next service yourself too right??


This whole thread makes me glad I'm an ex-car mechanic and am able to do all the work on my bikes and cars.

What with the lack of apprenticeships in recent years there are some real monkeys masquerading as mechanics nowadays. I have had to fix the results of some of these said monkeys on other peoples bikes and what I have seen has made me shudder and shake my head in that "WTF??" kind of way.

[Devil]

I've had nothing but excellent service from Spectrum, I wouldn't hesitate to take any bike there any time.

[MrMelon]

Yeah spectrum did my chain and sprockets cheap cheap while I waited last time I was up there. I was pretty impressed.

[The_Dover]

i treat people the way i'd like to be treated

If I did that I'd probably get arrested.......:blip:

[R6_kid]

LOL at dover! :killingme

Havent bought from a bike shop, Holeshot dudes always seemed to take care of me - even if slightly pushing for a sale everytime :yes: Sarge is a good guy, and almost bought a bike from him but the bank balance wouldnt allow :slap: He did however hook me up with a GN250 to sit my licence test on! :2thumbsup

Only shop i havent ever heard shit about is Cycletreads (ok so they only do gear and tyres) but thats what they all specialise in. Awesome guys and they do good deals too.


Gee, with all this shit slinging going on i almost feel like opening a bike shop with a key focus on customer satisfaction, looks like i could makes some real player money :2thumbsup Whos with me :bleh:

[swanman]

Gee, with all this shit slinging going on i almost feel like opening a bike shop with a key focus on customer satisfaction, looks like i could makes some real player money :2thumbsup Whos with me :bleh:

I am in. Open a shiny, modern shop in Albany. Growing place, rich area, good biking zone and no competition close. If I had the money I'd start right there.

BTW, my fuel conusmption has now improved 60km per tank! Fuck I'm good (lucky).