05-17-2018, 11:43 PM
I always follow the old adage, " if there is any doubt, follow the manual". The dealer I bought my bike from told me that the 600 mile oil and filter change ( quoted at $148.50 PLUS parts & tax! ) done at the dealer, was necessary to get my engine registered for warranty with Honda. U.S. Honda told me that was absolutely not true, and I could do the oil and filter change myself, no problem, and my engine was already registered with Honda at time of purchase.
On the one hand, your dealer may have mistakenly quoted the earlier service spec, on the other hand it may have been an attempt to get more service revenue. Who knows...as being independently owned, not all Honda dealers are created equal. For instance, if you log into Hondapowersports.com, and search dealers in your area, you will find that not all dealers have Honda trained and certified mechanics. The reason for that is two fold, Honda does not require a dealer to have their mechanics trained and certified, and it costs the dealer money to send their mechanics to Honda school.
I also believe in the notion that " if you want something done right, do it yourself", so I do every bit of maintenance myself that I am competent to do. Dont get me wrong here, I have been a Honda motorcycle fan since the early 70s, but some dealers and their mechanics are excellent, and some are not. Follow the manual and you will be fine.
On the one hand, your dealer may have mistakenly quoted the earlier service spec, on the other hand it may have been an attempt to get more service revenue. Who knows...as being independently owned, not all Honda dealers are created equal. For instance, if you log into Hondapowersports.com, and search dealers in your area, you will find that not all dealers have Honda trained and certified mechanics. The reason for that is two fold, Honda does not require a dealer to have their mechanics trained and certified, and it costs the dealer money to send their mechanics to Honda school.
I also believe in the notion that " if you want something done right, do it yourself", so I do every bit of maintenance myself that I am competent to do. Dont get me wrong here, I have been a Honda motorcycle fan since the early 70s, but some dealers and their mechanics are excellent, and some are not. Follow the manual and you will be fine.