Topic: Dealerships SUCK

[ElCheapo]

Here is the story, I sold a bike as is to a guy on eBay. He bought it for his girlfriend/wfie - whatever, it was supposed to be a birthday present. He knows that it needed some work, not a big deal - he was ok with that part. Lets say that these are cool people. A young couple in thier very early 20's and I would say I like them.

He came to get and expected to ride it home, I did advise him against that because the carbs needed to be done. Anyway after he realized he just could not ride it home he agreed that it should be hauled. We agreed to a dealership that was of his choosing in Madison 60 miles away. I figured I would haul it to make the deal sweet.

After he left I figured that I would go through the carbs for him just to be a nice guy. Anyway they cleaned up nice and run pretty good.

Now the deal gets to be bull#$%*. I take it to the shop he wanted. Before I kicked the bike off the tralier I went into the service center. When I inquired they were clueless about the guy calling. As thing went along the tech came out looked at the bike and right after I said we will need short bar cables the MUTHA EFFFER went fish on me. He said I'll have to just walk away from this one. I said "Walk away?, I oughta kick your ass, my customer asks that you guys service his bike, I drive 1 hour one way to deliver it to you and you go pussy on me" as I walked away back to the service department to retrieve the key I swore about my wasted time and how they only wanted to work on EASY BRAND NEW CRAPPY BIKES. Got the key and left.

I call my customer and explain the fun I just had. He was hot but not at me. He asked if I could take it to the Kawasaki dealer up the road. I agree and 1/2 mile later I am at the Kawasaki dealership. I meet this guy at the counter and explain the situation to him. He treated like I was looking for parts!! I said when did I say I was looking for parts? I need to drop this bike off for service. I had to mention this 3 EFFFIN times to get it through to him. He tried just about every trick in the book to keep from servicing it. Then he tells me ok and then tells me that it would be 3 weeks before they could get to it. I said not a chance, not when ANUBIS CYCLE can fix it in 3 days. I turned and walked out the door.

I called my customer back, and informed him of the whole mess. We agreed on me servicing the bike and I would charge him a price for service that he would find appropiate.

My customer said he now knows where not to send people and were to send people. For refernce the two limp shops were Madison Motorsports http://www.madisonmotorsports.com/home.asp, Bob Barr Kawasaki http://barrskawasaki.com/  He said that he will continue to refer people to me.

After todays episode in the two dealers I think dealer techs are know NOTHING limp wristed pussies.

ONLY REAL BIKERS RIDE VINTAGE BIKES.

[78 k550]

Sorry to hear of your trouble's, but it might have worked out for you in the long run depending on how many people this guy knows and brings your way.

Paul

[Noel]

That's rough, ElCheapo, but at least it gave me a new tagline. 

[ElCheapo]

That's rough, ElCheapo, but at least it gave me a new tagline. 

Thanks for the "by line"

[Uncle Ernie]

Saw a great T-shirt the other day on a guy who rode a Harley;" Bikers are a rare breed. Harley riders are a dime a dozen"  Sorry, the tagline thing made me remember...

Anyway- Cheap-o, I need a 400 rear fender for less than $250, 000. No tail light needed. Might you have one?

Staying on topic; our dealer is a big mail order place; MR Cycles or Motorcycles or what ever. You get a good deal on-line, but the locals who wander in get individual sales people who tack on a comission.  A $5 part sells for $6.50. 

[ElCheapo]

Saw a great T-shirt the other day on a guy who rode a Harley;" Bikers are a rare breed. Harley riders are a dime a dozen"  Sorry, the tagline thing made me remember...

Anyway- Cheap-o, I need a 400 rear fender for less than $250, 000. No tail light needed. Might you have one?

Staying on topic; our dealer is a big mail order place; MR Cycles or Motorcycles or what ever. You get a good deal on-line, but the locals who wander in get individual sales people who tack on a comission.  A $5 part sells for $6.50. 

400 fender? Are we talking about a CB 400F fender? If so I dont have any of these.

[mrbreeze]

Yeah...I gotta agree.Dealerships are the biggest joke in the industry. Percentage wise,I would say about 1/4 of most of them are decent knowledgeble technicians.They are insanely overpriced.They do way more stuff totally by the book than is necessary and charge you accordly for that.If you aren't going to do it by yourself,the best friend you can have is an honest mechanic that knows his #$%* and isn't out to be a millionaire.I just got married(& quickly divorced!!) from a supposedly simple brake job on a 1969 T-Bird.I pulled my hair out trying to get the pedal from sinking.Went through just about everything in the system.As the customer became more & more impatient for his car to be fixed,he consulted the local Ford dealer and told them what we had tried so far.They said to him that they wouldn't work on the car due to it's age!!!This brake system had so much sludge and muck in the master cylinder,caliper pistons would'nt retract if you hit em with dynamite! Gotta love a Ford dealer that won't touch a Ford!!!

[siter81]

Ditto on the dealerships.Just an overpriced part outlet store.I only go to independently owned motorcycle repair shops.No stealership will want to work on a 33yr old triple two stroke much less the 31 yr old inline 4 Honda.They are two pricey anyway.I doubt they would even know where to start.I have two really good bike tuners/mechanics i go to with things i cant figure out.I only go to stealerships when i need a part within 4 days and feel the need to be overcharged.



Siter81 Aka 73GT380

[SteveD CB500F]

Slightly off topic but I couldn't help but wonder what the "going rate" is for labour nowadays.  Over the last 3 years I have switched all my cars to independant local repair/service guys (I do the bike myself)

Local Jaguar Dealer: £95 per hour
Local Ford Dealer: £65 per hour
Local bike mechanic: £40 per hour (he is running a business after all...)
Local car servicer: £40 per hour

This is in the SE of England.

Cheapo? (delivery charges may be a little OTT though  )

[Steve F]

Slightly off topic but I couldn't help but wonder what the "going rate" is for labour nowadays. Over the last 3 years I have switched all my cars to independant local repair/service guys (I do the bike myself)

Local Jaguar Dealer: £95 per hour
Local Ford Dealer: £65 per hour
Local bike mechanic: £40 per hour (he is running a business after all...)
Local car servicer: £40 per hour

This is in the SE of England.

Cheapo? (delivery charges may be a little OTT though )

Yeah, and what gets me is they have the nerve to charge for "shop supplies".  You know, carb cleaner, pens and pencils, rags and towels, spray lubricants, Preparation H, Vaseline.....Opps, sorry..You have to supply your own Vaseline 

[GroovieGhoulie]

There is a local bike dealership near me and I popped in one day looking for some fork oil and other incidentals and asked if they do services.  The reply was "we don't work on any bike more than six years old".  They were all snobbish about it too.  I looked at them like they just crapped right there on the ground and said: " So you won't work on any bike built in the 20th century?"  Their reply?  "Maybe, if it's an earlier version of a modern bike, like a CBR or GSXR, but in general, no we won't."

Why do modern shops suck so bad?

This is really inspiring me to open a shop specializing in vintage machines.  To hell with modern stuff.

[ElCheapo]

All of this tells me is that I will have very little competition in the service of Vintage Bikes.

It seems like if it doesn't have a mile of fiber optic or more wires than the space shuttle or some damn diagnostic port for a computer they dint want to work on it.

I spent many years working in a Ford dealership as a tech and I can tell you I was lucky to work in dealerships in which most of the guys were old school. Old school like a 69 Bird would not have scarred them off. They would have actually found it fun. We had the opinion that if you cant work on ALL of it what good are you? In Texas we worked on EVERYTHING Ford, including monstrous irrigation trucks, tractors, spreaders, and naturally the regular deals. Gas, diesel, propane, flex fuel no matter what it ran on we fixed it. We turned down NOTHING for work. Sometimes this was a drag as you would end up in a real junker.

I work on it all - THAT is what makes me a REPAIR TECHNICIAN. If I do ont know it I WILL learn it.

[Chris Liston]

I must be lucky as the local Honda dealer will work on my bike no issues.  The head mechanic actually likes working on it, he says its fun becuase its so easy.  Works for me.  I could imagine some dealers would be asses on the subject.  But it only helps them to know all bikes. 

[SteveD CB500F]

Agree Chris.

Although I never used him for anything other than MOT (inspection) tests, my local guy likes working on older bikes "because they are so easy to get at". Once when I was there he was working on a 'blade with a blown head gasket. One hour labour just to get all the plastic stuff, radiator etc off to get to the engine...

Helps that he was a proddy racer from the 70's and still has his old leathers hanging in the shop.

[ProTeal55]

Dealers now-a-days want NOTHING to do with older bikes. They want to snap off the bodywork, plug their computer into the bike, change a sensor, and get on to the next one. God forbid they have to get their hands dirty, or acutually fix something, and not just replace.

I got into it with the boys here at DesPlaines Honda last year about my bike. I wanted them to go over it, make sure everything was cool/safe, etc..I wanted to take it their becasue it was 5 min from my house, and I knew a few people their. Ended up in a pissing match between me and the owner & the service manager. They were saying I had to pay for all parts up front , and an "estimated vintage" labor charge. I asked them how I should be expected to pay for labor that hasnt been done yet, and they just looked at me like I was talking in a different tounge. I told them to get FU*^ED, and rode home. I have been back their to buy parts, as me and the parts manager are buddies, but whenevern I see those other guys, I usually flip them the bird 
(makes me feel good) 

Gotta love the attitude of this world !!!

[GroovieGhoulie]

Question about vintage shops:

How do you feel the market is for places that sell and service old machines and sell old parts?  Where I am at, there is nothing if you don't own a Plastic Fantastic or a Harley.  I think there might be a market for it and once I finally get out, I'm thinking about maybe doing something about that.

I have a friend in Austin who has a friend who specializes in Old BMW autos.  That's it.  He works on Pre-1980 BMWs and stocks old parts, either off junker cars, or NOS.  Apparently he does REALLY well (financially) in this and I would think that old BMWs would be a narrower market than old bikes.

[ProTeal55]

Just gotta find the "Niche" , then the cash will be pouring in...

Here in the Chi-Town area, their are a few shops that deal with vintage bikes. Some have been
around for awhile , some havent. I think the best know shop is called Triple-O service, which is
in the city. The owner Fred has been messing with vintage iron for longer than I have been alive, and I hear he is the best, not the cheapest, but the best..

Give it a shot, start it off low key, and see what happens....

[ElCheapo]

I figure if it were not for the vintage rides we wouldnt have #$%* to ride now.

[Chris Liston]

I for one wouldn't buy a bike from a dealer who wouldn't service my CB.  What are they going to do in 10-15 years when I bring that bike back to the selling dealer for service.  Kinda Sucks.  Its too bad there aren't alot of smaller shops around in my area.  Luckily, but the local Honda dealers said they'd service the 550 no problems.  The ones been in business for along time. 

[eldar]

I guess if the dealers like losing out on money, let them. There are quite a few older bikes out there. There are tons of bikes rfom the 70s and 80s running around yet. Most people are not just going to junk them, especially with gas prices skyrocketing. The smart dealer would expand and welcome vintage rides. But then how many dealers are smart? University motors where I live are dumb as bricks. I had a parts guy argue with me about the sohc bikes. It was a simple part for my K which is also used on the F and he said it was different. Shows how little dealers really know.

[ProTeal55]

I had a parts guy argue with me about the sohc bikes. It was a simple part for my K which is also used on the F and he said it was different. Shows how little dealers really know.

Especially when they have the Honda Micro-fische right in front of them...

[ElCheapo]

I have a cross ref for Kawasaki, Suzuki, and Yamaha, still waiting for Honda 

Funny when they want to argue what will fit what when I give these dumbasses the part number. At this point it is entertainment  .

[rab1dwolf]

most shops near me wont even look at a bike 5+ years old definately not 10+.

there is a small shop around the corner that said they would at least look at the bike but couldnt make any gaurentees on what they could actually do since its old and they arent a honda shop

[Jonesy]

I guess it's a toss up as to if not working on an old bike is smart or not. On one hand there are plenty of old bikes still around and people still want to ride them. On the other, if you force these old bikes out of existance by refusing to service them and nipping the home mechanics in the bud by skyrocketing the prices of vintage parts (as Honda did in the 80's), you force the new stuff to move. The local mega Honda bike dealer used to say they'd only work on an old bike if it was "Really clean" (Read= freshly restored), but now they say they won't work on anything older than 1985, unless it's a Goldwing then back to 1980. The Honda shop close to me will work on them during the winter (so they claim). The shop manager is the only one who knows how to do the older stuff, since it looked like all the other shop rats were younger than my bike! But, they are great about hunting up older parts and they've surprised me a few times by actually having some oddball older stuff in stock!

(This was the place that I bought my O-ring chain from. I buy the chain and they send me to the service department so the guy can cut the chain to the proper length and rivet the ends. He takes the chain back, comes out 5 minutes later and says it's all set. I get it home, open the package and find the chain in one long length, with a little packet containing the rivet link and O-rings. Grrr.... So I take it back and ask them to rivet the ends together. I dealt with the manager this time. He calls the guy out and asks him to take care of the chain. The guy replies that I need to bring the bike in before he can do it. It took the manager 10 minutes to get it through his head that the 750's swingarm comes out with one pivot bolt and is a simple U-shape- the chain will loop right over it!!!)

But, sadly the one place around here that will work on old bikes while they have a reputation for doing great work, they make you pay handsomely for it. They must figure, "well, we are the only ones that will work on it, so we can screw you and there's nothing you can do about it!". I called them up about a used caliper for the 360. After 10 minutes of the guy grilling me as to why I needed it, he said I could get a used one for $100.00!! BRAND NEW THEY ARE $92.00!! You can guess what I told him... My uncle also went through a similar story. He called asking for a decent gas tank for is 750. The guy told him he had plenty of nice tanks and they were $150.00 each. He tells the guy he wants a Brier Brown tank, as that's what he has currently. The responds, "Oh... well, I only have one of those and I was hoping to hang on to it.. You can have it for $250.00!" Yeah, right....

[ElCheapo]

It does make me want to restore as many bikes to working order as possible. With every bike I restore I take money out of the pocket of the stealership.

I was considering buying a newer Goldwing from a stealership before this whole thing happened. Now there is not a chance that I would put several thousand of my hard earned dollars into thier pocket. I would rather have to deal with a long string of unrully junker bikes that make me push'em and repair'em rather than buy a new bike from them. I am just getting to the point in which I could afford it.