Servicing costs - why so vague?

[Bassmatt]

You are not paying for them to replace defective parts or remedy any problems. You are paying them to look for issues, whether they be manufactured or owner inflicted.

Any manufactured faults/issues will be covered under the warrenty (free of charge), provided you have followed proceedure and had your motorcycle serviced as per the manufacturers service agreement.

Yes. I am paying them to look for issues that may or may not exist, which come about by using the product in the way it is intended to be used.

[nodrog:Me]

Yes. I am paying them to look for issues that may or may not exist, which come about by using the product in the way it is intended to be used.

Or come about because some dumb fucker has never heard of chain lube. or burnt out their clutch because they saw Ben Spies turning his adjuster half way through a race, "so this knob must make me faster".

Or they really smart ones who wash their bikes with degreaser and a waterblaster.

[bluninja]

Yes. I am paying them to look for issues that may or may not exist, which come about by using the product in the way it is intended to be used.

+1

That's what I believe I'm doing with a service. Therefore since the first service schedule is documented I would expect a set price.

Items that are warrantable if discovered get paid for by the manufacturer.
Items down to misuse (if any) come back to the owner.

[Crasherfromwayback]

Items that are warrantable .

Get checked when we do a wof check!

[willytheekid]

So some owners expect motorcycle shops & their mechanics to "guess" (or mind read) "exactly" what work is required when servicing an unseen bike?(regardless of k's!)

Come on!

Every bike shop "tries" to give a service figure, but with out actually checking the bike over, how the hell are they supposed to know exactly what needs doing and the associated costs involved.

And forgive me for pointing this out, but.....what about the riders obligation to ensure they "know" their ride and that it is kept safe & well maintained?
...its called pre-checks & home maintenance!.

If you have a bike and don't regularly check it over for possible faults, required maintenance, tyre pressure, leaks etc etc...then YOUR the one not doing your job properly! (And you WILL be surprised at service time when the bill reflects your inability to do basic maintenance & checks)

To "ride it" is only PART of the program, to know your bike, its mechanical state and what work may be required in the near future is a BIG part of owning a motorcycle, and one that will keep you riding safer and with more cash in the back pocket

Don't give a bike shop the opportunity to tell you that bolts are loose and the tires actually require air in them to function properly etc, check your Bike before every ride & start doing regular maintenance checks at home to address these basic issues BEFORE going to a shop and paying someone to do YOUR maintenance.

As for 1000k first service...its just that...FIRST SERVICE!, its the best possible time to check the whole bike over for any possible Manufacturing faults, defect parts, settling in movement etc etc, or to just bring to the new owners attention that lack of regular servicing has resulted in, or may result in damage if not regulary done.

...in short it comes down to "an inquiry into values" ...don't ya think?

[nodrog:Me]

+1

That's what I believe I'm doing with a service. Therefore since the first service schedule is documented I would expect a set price.

Items that are warrantable if discovered get paid for by the manufacturer.
Items down to misuse (if any) come back to the owner.

So if they said $150 plus any extras, and those extras added up to over the $200, how long would it take you to start the thread "servicing costs - why so accurate?"

[5150]

Funnily enough mate...Harleys have very little come loose. They DO weight a ton.

I would dare to dispute the first part of that claim sir, and whole-heartedly agree with the rest of it

Them Hareleys sure weight a ton. No dispute there. As for very little come loose, well, I know of three examples that after first 1500-2000 km's things started to drop out as they vibrated out. In one case it was the mirror, in another the headlight mount following closely by the number plate.

[Crasherfromwayback]

I would dare to dispute the first part of that claim, and whole heartedly agree with the rest of it

Them Hareleys sure weight a ton. No dispute there. As for very little come loose, well, I know of three examples that after first 1500km's things started to drop out as they vibrated out. In one case first was the mirror, following closely by the headlight mount.

You can 'dispute' it as much as you like mate. But I'll simply tell you than in 20+ years in the industry...having done nearly every brand you can think of...HD have less issues than most. Don't forget...they're THE biggest selling bike in NZ over 800cc...so there are more of them out there, so you tend to hear of more faults!

[Usarka]

I can tell you that losing a bolt at 280kph isn't pleasant. Especially when you're the poor sap being overtaken and it goes through your radiator.

Pay for the damn servicing goldstein!

[Sable]

If you don't like it do it yourself.

[Viscount Montgomery]

None of these cunts care about ripping off customers, doesn't worry me one fuck either, wouldn't take my bike to a fucken dealer or garage anytime this century, motherfucker bikeshops in this town needed rockets up their lazy dodging arses, last fucken cunt sat on a chair feet on desk on a phone behind a glass panel through the doorway of their workshop and fucken sat there with absolutely no intention of providing service as I stood with tyre in one hand and wallet in the other in the doorway and wind and rain for at least 2 minutes without one motherfucking dead-beat fucktard out of the smarmy pimple-faced retard mechanics sitting on their fucking arses doing fucking nothing with the fucking radio blaring it's guts out, this cunt on the phone and the fucken bonehead sitting out asleep in the fucken office, none of the cunts moved a muscle to come and help before I turned around and fucken stormed off. First time I'd fucken been there and be damn fucken sure the last fucken time. Even if the cunts had the last fucken bolt for my bike in existence. And only one story of a fucken hundred similar

[Crasherfromwayback]

None of these cunts care about ripping off customers, doesn't worry me one fuck either, wouldn't take my bike to a fucken dealer or garage anytime this century, motherfucker bikeshops in this town needed rockets up their lazy dodging arses, last fucken cunt sat on a chair feet on desk on a phone behind a glass panel through the doorway of their workshop and fucken sat there with absolutely no intention of providing service as I stood with tyre in one hand and wallet in the other in the doorway and wind and rain for at least 2 minutes without one motherfucking dead-beat fucktard out of the smarmy pimple-faced retard mechanics sitting on their fucking arses doing fucking nothing with the fucking radio blaring it's guts out, this cunt on the phone and the fucken bonehead sitting out asleep in the fucken office, none of the cunts moved a muscle to come and help before I turned around and fucken stormed off. First time I'd fucken been there and be damn fucken sure the last fucken time. Even if the cunts had the last fucken bolt for my bike in existence. And only one story of a fucken hundred similar

You may find they simply don't want to do business with a p fried hothead.

[Gremlin]

I honestly think this thread is a complete waste of time. $150-200 is fuck all, when it could be your life...

If they quoted $150, then found issues, what then?
If they quoted $200, you might go elsewhere, coz it's sooo expensive.
Funnily enough, it's an estimate, hence the (tiny) difference in two prices.

I'm not even in the industry, I simply understand that expertise and time costs (and there isn't a money tree). I have dealers I completely trust to look after the bikes, and don't even ask what the cost is, simply ring, book it in, tell them what needs doing. Anything that needs doing is done, and sometimes even parts are replaced, as what else choice is there? Don't replace brake pads that don't have any meat left? uh....

Oh, then pay when I get rung to collect.

As a comparison, my KTM never cost less than $444 for a service, the first was $950 ish, because I didn't like the way the factory set up the forks, so they were pulled apart and rebuilt.

I guess you'd have a heart attack at the (probably) 5 figure sum a year, to keep two bikes running... The Hornet is "older" 2005, 96,000km. The BMW is new, 2010, 30,000km.

[bluninja]

I honestly think this thread is a complete waste of time. $150-200 is fuck all, when it could be your life...

Yet you post here

It's not my life.....the bike is sound....if it wasn't for the warranty I wouldn't be taking it in to a shop.....though I would take it to a trusted mechanic for things that I would rather have someone else do.

If they quoted $150, then found issues, what then?
If they quoted $200, you might go elsewhere, coz it's sooo expensive.
Funnily enough, it's an estimate, hence the (tiny) difference in two prices.

My question in the OP was possibly too vague......perhaps I should have said why is scheduled maintenance not fixed price?

I'm not even in the industry, I simply understand that expertise and time costs (and there isn't a money tree).

This isn't a penny pinching exercise. If it was the question would have been...why is the first service so expensive?

I guess you'd have a heart attack at the (probably) 5 figure sum a year, to keep two bikes running... The Hornet is "older" 2005, 96,000km. The BMW is new, 2010, 30,000km.

You guess wrong. I no longer commute and ride 60,000kms a year on an Aprilia, but I do know what it costs to ride and run a motorbike all too well.

[nodrog:Me]

You may find they simply don't want to do business with a p fried hothead.

especially if he's not sharing