Feeling a bit ripped off grumble

Feeling a bit ripped off grumble

Author
Discussion

RichALee

Original Poster:

31 posts

78 months

Wednesday 11th October 2023
quotequote all
Minor service on my 1 year-old RE 650. 1.75 hours at £70/hour. Oil, filter, brakes.

I used to do all this myself when I was a youth.

I reckon oil and filter is what, 20 minutes?

Then brakes are eyeball pads and seals, knock the retaining pins out, lubricate and refit... 10 minutes each end?

Thoughts? Other than don't buy a vehicle that requires main dealer servicing to maintain the warranty dunb-ass?

</grumble>

Wacky Racer

38,799 posts

253 months

Wednesday 11th October 2023
quotequote all
£70 ph not outrageous these days for a Main Dealer.

Well worth it to keep the warranty up to date.

Just enjoy the bike, when it's out of warranty you can service it yourself.

trickywoo

12,208 posts

236 months

Wednesday 11th October 2023
quotequote all
Once out of warranty do it yourself.

It’s the price you pay to have the benefits of a new bike.

I’m in a similar position myself and know I’d be having just as much fun on an older bike which would cost way less overall. We all get caught up in the shiny new allure.

Jakey123

242 posts

151 months

Wednesday 11th October 2023
quotequote all
You don't need to use a main dealer to keep the warranty

HybridTheory

463 posts

38 months

Wednesday 11th October 2023
quotequote all
I'd probably pay that to save any aggro tbh

trickywoo

12,208 posts

236 months

Wednesday 11th October 2023
quotequote all
Jakey123 said:
You don't need to use a main dealer to keep the warranty
You can’t diy and keep the warranty. £70 an hour isn’t that bad for a dealer and I can’t see a massive saving going to another garage.

rigga

8,748 posts

207 months

Wednesday 11th October 2023
quotequote all
Hardly a rip off, in fact decently priced, compared to the £250 at KTM.

RichALee

Original Poster:

31 posts

78 months

Wednesday 11th October 2023
quotequote all
rigga said:
Hardly a rip off, in fact decently priced, compared to the £250 at KTM.
What the actual... !

rigga

8,748 posts

207 months

Wednesday 11th October 2023
quotequote all
RichALee said:
rigga said:
Hardly a rip off, in fact decently priced, compared to the £250 at KTM.
What the actual... !
Cost of first service, not labour rate.

RichALee

Original Poster:

31 posts

78 months

Wednesday 11th October 2023
quotequote all
rigga said:
RichALee said:
rigga said:
Hardly a rip off, in fact decently priced, compared to the £250 at KTM.
What the actual... !
Cost of first service, not labour rate.
Ah right. First service on the RE wasn't far off £250.

I'd be ok with £70/hour if they did the work in roughly the time I'd take to do it, and I'm a rank amateur with ten thumbs... I'm tweaked with a charge for 1.75 hours against maybe 0.75 hours work

shirt

23,214 posts

207 months

Wednesday 11th October 2023
quotequote all
Think about it from the business owner’s perspective. There’s the dead time of getting your bike on the stand, prep, cleaning up, being called away by the service manager to do something irrelevant, etc. Plus any decent bike tech (YMMV) will give it a once over to check for any obvious faults or issues.

Who pays for that? You do of course, it’s factored into the job hours. An Indy does the same, only their overheads are lower so they can book less hours at a higher rate (but still lower than the dealer) to make your invoice look more palatable.




hiccy18

2,934 posts

73 months

Wednesday 11th October 2023
quotequote all
Jakey123 said:
You don't need to use a main dealer to keep the warranty
Isn't that just cars?

black-k1

12,133 posts

235 months

Thursday 12th October 2023
quotequote all
hiccy18 said:
Jakey123 said:
You don't need to use a main dealer to keep the warranty
Isn't that just cars?
That's my understanding too. Cars only.

tight fart

3,048 posts

279 months

Thursday 12th October 2023
quotequote all
I think it’s bikes as well, has to be vat registered garage using oem parts.

rigga

8,748 posts

207 months

Thursday 12th October 2023
quotequote all
tight fart said:
I think it’s bikes as well, has to be vat registered garage using oem parts.
No, bikes are excluded from that piece of legislation.

Only cars can keep their warranty intact, by being serviced at non approved garages, using genuine parts, as long as vat registered.

black-k1

12,133 posts

235 months

Thursday 12th October 2023
quotequote all
tight fart said:
I think it’s bikes as well, has to be vat registered garage using oem parts.
Sorry - cars only! :-(

https://www.britishmotorcyclists.co.uk/service-mot...

danashby

236 posts

53 months

Thursday 12th October 2023
quotequote all
RichALee said:
Minor service on my 1 year-old RE 650. 1.75 hours at £70/hour. Oil, filter, brakes.

I used to do all this myself when I was a youth.

I reckon oil and filter is what, 20 minutes?

Then brakes are eyeball pads and seals, knock the retaining pins out, lubricate and refit... 10 minutes each end?

Thoughts? Other than don't buy a vehicle that requires main dealer servicing to maintain the warranty dunb-ass?

</grumble>
That's roughly the same I paid for the minor service on my RE650 at my local RE dealer. To be fair that was much less than what Honda tried to charge my mate for the minor service on his (08) CBF1000


Edited by danashby on Thursday 12th October 10:03

the tribester

2,561 posts

92 months

Thursday 12th October 2023
quotequote all
I had these thoughts with my Africa Twin first service.
Oil and filters, but what else are you doing for the other hour and a half I asked the main dealer? Software updates or reading for fault codes? No nothing like that, we just have a look around the bike.
What 90 minutes stood looking at my bike!!
Just do it to keep the warranty, although technically you don't have to, but it gives peace of mind of less arguments later if something does go wrong..
Of course, the warranty expired and nothing had ever gone wrong with it!

stu67

836 posts

194 months

Thursday 12th October 2023
quotequote all
Must admit the minute that my bikes are out of warranty the dealers earn no money out of me except in parts. I actually enjoy playing around with my bikes. The thing that really gets my goat is the 1st service at about 600 miles, not so much that they have to do it but more so what they charge for it, I'd rather the cost be rolled into the bike cost (I realise that there is no such thing as a free lunch)

nismo48

4,240 posts

213 months

Thursday 12th October 2023
quotequote all
HybridTheory said:
I'd probably pay that to save any aggro tbh
Wise words