Teeflem
New Member
I’m at my 600 mile break in service. What should I expect from a dealer for time and cost?
Break in service
- Thread starter Teeflem
- Start date
Tenman
Well-Known Member
expensive oil change
Campion
New Member
The place in Kerrville Texas where I got my Super Tenere gives Veterans the first service for free, so looking forward for that.
RCinNC
Well-Known Member
I think you'll probably gasp when you get the bill. My recommendation is that you call a couple different places that service Yamahas (if your area has a couple) and just ask them what their charge would be. A 600 mile service is probably going to be a flat rate unless something out of the ordinary happens, so they should have a pretty good idea ahead of time what their charge is. My guess is that, bare minimum, it;s going to be a couple hundred dollars. If they use Yamalube full synthetic oil in the service, that's already going to be about 17 bucks a quart retail (not counting the dealer's markup), plus probably 20 bucks for a Yamaha OEM filter. It's a good idea to ask what sort of oil they're going to use. So right there you'd be in for about 88 bucks just for supplies. Shops don't all use the same hourly rate, but $120.00 per hour for labor isn't uncommon. It might be a lot more where you are. Even if it is a flat service charge, they're going to build some sort of labor cost into it. Based on everything they're technically supposed to check on a 600 mile service, building in an hour or hour and a half labor wouldn't be a shock.
This is what's on a 600 mile service:
Check exhaust for leaks
Check clutch operation
Check brake operation
Check front/rear brake switches
Check wheel runout
Tighten spokes
Check steering head bearings
Check sidestand switch operation
Change engine oil
Replace oil filter
Change final drive oil
It's tough to say how much actual time it'll take; that probably depends on how busy the shop is.
Or how much integrity they have.
RCinNC
Well-Known Member
I didn't include that part, Sierra, since that's pretty much true of any business. One reason I posted that stuff about the items in the service was so the OP could arm himself with some foreknowledge. I think any business is less inclined to engage in any ethical flexibility it they figure the customer has some grasp of the service he's asking the business to perform. If the shop he talks to tells him he needs to change the spark plugs at a 600 mile service, then he'll have the information to know that they just flunked the "ethical business" test.
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Yeah, but we've had, in my opinion, too many stories of members getting screwed by their local dealers. An inordinate number of stories considering how few we are. So, it's either really bad luck or a higher percentage of motorcycle dealers are more unscrupulous than other businesses.
RCinNC
Well-Known Member
I'm not disagreeing with you, but there isn't much you can do about a business's ethical posture other than to test it out ahead of time (as much as you can) so you can at least get a feel for how they operate. The best way to do that is to go into a shop with your eyes wide open, and ask specific questions about the service they're going to do. If you tell them that you want to schedule a 600 mile service, and they tell you great, that'll be $400, then I'd pull out my list of stuff from the manual of what's actually supposed to be on a 600 mile service and start asking them things like "what exactly do you do on this service?". If they start saying things like "oh, you need to change the air filter", or "your radiator has to be flushed", that list will tell you that they're trying to rip you off.
I think most people are aware that businesses that service vehicles have at least the reputation of being unethical; "stealership" is a pretty common word. I think car dealerships (and their service departments) lead the country in complaints from consumers. And as vehicles get more and more complicated, it gets harder and harder to be functionally informed about them, especially when it's one of those mystery problems that require a lot of diagnostic time. But for something as simple as a service, where the information is readily available as to what's included in that service, even a relative novice with motorcycles or cars can have enough info to ask the kinds of questions that'll give them the indications of whether it's a trustworthy business or not.
And if I called a shop on the phone and they told me that they wouldn't be able to tell me how much a 600 mile service would cost until they "got into it", I'd know to run for the hills.
And with all that in mind, I feel compelled to give a positive shout out to both Sportcycles in Rockingham, NC and Waynesville Cycle Center in Waynesviller, NC. If you're in either of those areas and need someplace to go for repairs, both of those places have given me great service and treated me fairly.
I think most people are aware that businesses that service vehicles have at least the reputation of being unethical; "stealership" is a pretty common word. I think car dealerships (and their service departments) lead the country in complaints from consumers. And as vehicles get more and more complicated, it gets harder and harder to be functionally informed about them, especially when it's one of those mystery problems that require a lot of diagnostic time. But for something as simple as a service, where the information is readily available as to what's included in that service, even a relative novice with motorcycles or cars can have enough info to ask the kinds of questions that'll give them the indications of whether it's a trustworthy business or not.
And if I called a shop on the phone and they told me that they wouldn't be able to tell me how much a 600 mile service would cost until they "got into it", I'd know to run for the hills.
And with all that in mind, I feel compelled to give a positive shout out to both Sportcycles in Rockingham, NC and Waynesville Cycle Center in Waynesviller, NC. If you're in either of those areas and need someplace to go for repairs, both of those places have given me great service and treated me fairly.
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WJBertrand
Ventura Highway
I think that first service is more about buying some goodwill with the dealer you might use if any warranty issues pop up later. I’ve found dealers are more willing to to to bat for you with the manufacturer if they see you’ve used them for service at least once.
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Madhatter
Well-Known Member
the first service should have a book value ( time ) of actual work , say 2 hours for this , if it takes the tech 6 hours they should only charge the book rate .