Dealership gripe

[Randy B]

OK, so most of you know I was involved in a nice hit and run accident last may 23rd and my bike went in to get fixed. It was a rather long drama between the insurance company and the dealership getting it fixed, but in the end it was all taken care of.
Now I have a Chic Design faring on the bike since I got it back and they had not "fixed" everything that went wrong from the accident. They replaced every part of the instrument cluster except the gauges themselves. The display showed a fault in some of the segments intermittently after I brought it home and I had to get it back into them (after I installed the faring).
Well I picked it up and rode home thinking all was right with the world (before my hip surgery) so I haven't ridden it in a few months and I come to find that the IDIOT mechanic that put it back together left the headlight aimed up as high as it would go (presumably for access to the screws on the headlight bezel) and put the faring on with the headlight like that. HOW DOES A PROFESSIONAL MECHANIC DO SOMETHING LIKE THAT?!?!?!? One of the steps (the last one as a matter of fact) of re-installing the headlight is AIMING IT!!!
This was where I bought the bike and I can't say how disappointed I am with that place. What a complete and total JOKE of a service department.
When I went to pick the bike up the first time the clutch stay was rotated so far forward that the left mirror was almost unusable. How can this be acceptable work?

Ugh.

/rant.

[glynb_imp]

OK, so most of you know I was involved in a nice hit and run accident last may 23rd and my bike went in to get fixed. It was a rather long drama between the insurance company and the dealership getting it fixed, but in the end it was all taken care of.
Now I have a Chic Design faring on the bike since I got it back and they had not "fixed" everything that went wrong from the accident. They replaced every part of the instrument cluster except the gauges themselves. The display showed a fault in some of the segments intermittently after I brought it home and I had to get it back into them (after I installed the faring).
Well I picked it up and rode home thinking all was right with the world (before my hip surgery) so I haven't ridden it in a few months and I come to find that the IDIOT mechanic that put it back together left the headlight aimed up as high as it would go (presumably for access to the screws on the headlight bezel) and put the faring on with the headlight like that. HOW DOES A PROFESSIONAL MECHANIC DO SOMETHING LIKE THAT?!?!?!? One of the steps (the last one as a matter of fact) of re-installing the headlight is AIMING IT!!!
This was where I bought the bike and I can't say how disappointed I am with that place. What a complete and total JOKE of a service department.
When I went to pick the bike up the first time the clutch stay was rotated so far forward that the left mirror was almost unusable. How can this be acceptable work?

Ugh.

/rant.

A lot of dealerships are just like that these days. A lot of them don't even have any certified honda master mechanics on staff for any engine work, just guys they hired and are training.

You just got to keep the pressure on until they fix it the way they should, or make a complaint to corporate (with pictures of how the bike was returned to you.)

Good Luck!

[Randy B]

I just straightened it out myself. It wasn't worth the hastle to bring it back to them.
As far as the clutch stay went I made them fix that on the spot.

[JustJohn_imp]

Professional mechanic? At WHAT Honda dealership? Schooled newbies...maybe. Sorry for your troubles.

[redbirds_imp]

That's a sad way for a business to treat it's customer but all too common today and not just at bike dealers. There are good dealers around. European Motorsports in Dahlonega, Ga has an outstanding service department though not a Honda dealer. There are bike dealers in my area that I wouldn't trust with a lawn mower.

[emptysea]

JustJohn--At MY Honda dealership, for one.

[Ghis_imp]

Best service I ever got was with Harley. We can say all we want about Harley, but they do take care of their customers. They are consistently voted as having the most satisfied customers. The unspoken rule is that if you bought the bike at that dealer and it's under warranty, they take care of it on the spot, and you now have priority. Happened to me quite a lot. In and out in 2 to 3 hours. Same with regular services. I rarely had appointments there. That was the case for my '08, '12, and '14 Harley. With other brands they are always two weeks out for services. It drives me crazy! Also Harley tech work only on Harleys, and are factory trained, and every tech as a level of training that allows them to perform some services and some not. Our techs work on at least 2 or 3 different brands at the time, including powersports toys like ATVs, jet skies, and other things. My dealer sales/services on one side Honda, Kawasakis, Slingshot, Polaris, and KTM, and on the other, and in a different building Harleys. It is funny the world of difference within a 100ft, though all belong to the same owner. I have told the owner how the Harley side had spoiled me all these years, and how the metric sides sucks. Though he assured me that they would always take good care of me, it is definitely a different approach from one to the other. Triumph, BMW, Ducati, Moto Guzzi, are just about all the same. I have no experience with either Victory, or Indian. Though because most Victories are sold along side with other metric brands, I would assume that you would get the same service as those. Indian (I think) has to have exclusive Indian dealerships, and may follow the same customer model as Harley. I'll know when I finally own an Indian too.

[flynrider]

I gave up on dealer mechanics years ago. It seemed like they were just as likely to break something else while fixing the original problem. I'd get bikes back with stripped, missing or improperly torqued bolts. I got to the point where I decided that doing my own work couldn't possibly be as bad as rolling the dice with dealer's shop.

My last visit to a dealer ended with a "mechanic" advising me that my CB750 should have a coolant flush. After mentioning that it had no coolant (besides oil), he pointed to the oil cooler and asked, "What do you think that is for?". Sheesh!

I'm sure there are some shops out there that still do quality work everytime, but they seem to be a well kept secret around here.

[lagoje_imp]

I took my 2013 in under warranty and asked them to torque the handlebar bolts and anything else that could cause handlebars to vibrate. And they tried to charge me $25 which I refused. Got it home, popped the covers off the handlebar bolts and I could tighten them by hand.
/don't trust western Honda in Scottsdale.

I picked up a used KLR which had a new rear tire and recent oil change. Went in to Kelly's Kawasaki in Mesa and asked for the service history. The guy said he couldn't show me. But I was due for 3,700 mile service. My BS alarm went off and don't plan on going back there either.

The real reason motorcycles drive with our light on is that we're all in search of an honest mechanic (or service dept)


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[aschem_imp]

My Honda dealership's service manager rides a CB1100 and I am pleased with their service center. Our local Kawasaki dealer has a good, but small service center (same 2 guys since I moved here).