4K Service

[Jacko]

I get a lot more from servicing my bikes than simply money.. Firstly I know it's been done properly, by someone who cares, no wondering if they actually have cleaned the air filter etc.

Secondly it gives me a chance to see first hand what's wearing, and what isn't, do I really need new brake pads or are they just trying to flog me some brake pads? I'll check them again in 500 miles and see how they're doing.. If they're wear much more I'll swap them, only a 10 minute job because I have them off at every service to clean, I could do it with my eyes shut..

You become much closer to your bike if you service it yourself, it's part of the ownership experience for me. And, spending a day servicing your bike works out cheaper than actually riding it.. Win/win..

[doboy]

FREZ, your right ..you don't have to use Suzuki parts ....that's even better ?  cos 3,500 mls service intervals is just crazy ..when every one is going to longer and longer servicing times Suzuki is going backward ..

[frez]

When mine goes out of warranty in the summer, I will be moving to 5k oil and filter change, 10k air filter change and throttle sync, 30k valve check. It will have done over 50k miles by the summer so anything I do is not going to significantly effect the value.

[frez]

I emailed Suzuki, this is what they had to say:

"We can confirm that whilst we recommend using our Approved Dealer Network for servicing, you are able to service your motorcycle outside of the Network without affecting your warranty entitlement. In order to uphold the warranty, your motorcycle will need to be serviced on time as per the manufacturers recommendations using Suzuki genuine or comparable quality parts. The service will need to be completed at a VAT registered garage with the service book being stamped and any servicing invoices kept for records. Any issues that arise that are directly attributing to inferior or lack of servicing will not be covered by the motorcycle’s factory warranty, terms and conditions of which can be found in your Service and Warranty booklet."

[Jacko]

Interesting, so no self service, VAT registered garage.. But, what if you service yourself and the warranty claim is nothing to do with service parts, say, the recent loom problem affecting Fatbelly? Surely that's nothing to do with oil changes etc.

[frez]

I'm sure if they refused to pay under warranty to fix such a problem you could still sue them on the basis that it was not "fit for purpose".

[Andy M]

I'm sure if they refused to pay under warranty to fix such a problem you could still sue them on the basis that it was not "fit for purpose".

You will not find "fit for purpose" in any UK statute book, so take care if using it, people often think it is some sort of magic power. The response would be "we define the purpose as stated in the vehicle handbook". The phrase often used sucessfully is "Not of Mercantilable quality" meaning too shoddy to do what people expect.

The "VAT registered garage" is a stretch and typical weazly wording as they are assuming you are just some Joe Public muppet. The European ruling is that any competant person can do service work. If you hold a level 5 vehicle techs certificate you would win your case. You would assume that any VAT registered garage would produce either training certificates or a balance sheet going back years showing lots of happy customers, which is why Suzuki place their acceptance level there (they keep the independents on side when lobbying the EU for sealed engines and £3000 services every fortnight)). If you took a certificate from your local night school and photo's of you wearing flares with a really dodgy haircut dropping the oil on your Fizzy or Goldstar the court should look favourably on you. A blank statement that you've been doing this for years and/or read it on the internet would not be given much weight.

Andy

[frez]

Section 14 of the Sale of Goods Act 1979:

The relevant bits being parts 2A and 2B of section 14:

(2A)For the purposes of this Act, goods are of satisfactory quality if they meet the standard that a reasonable person would regard as satisfactory, taking account of any description of the goods, the price (if relevant) and all the other relevant circumstances.

(2B)For the purposes of this Act, the quality of goods includes their state and condition and the following (among others) are in appropriate cases aspects of the quality of goods— .
(a)fitness for all the purposes for which goods of the kind in question are commonly supplied, .
(b)appearance and finish, .
(c)freedom from minor defects, .
(d)safety, and .
(e)durability.

You would be making your case on the basis that the quality of the goods are not durable and that a reasonable person would not regard this as satisfactory.

[Andy M]

Durability is a good claim, no one will expect a £5000 product to be useless after a few months.

Fitness for purposes commonly supplied means meeting all the criterea in the user handbook. Mud on the tyres and a handbook which states "this motorcycle should be not be used off road" takes you straight outside common usage. This is why when we write a hand book we put all this stuff in, the exclusions are what is common. They could try the same claim that it is common practice to go to the dealer for service and have OE filters fitted.

Andy

[Tusker]

I suspect that if they do not insist on a Suzuki dealer and OE parts (as they do not) it will be because it contravenes some EU Freedom of Trade legislation

[Andy M]

I suspect that if they do not insist on a Suzuki dealer and OE parts (as they do not) it will be because it contravenes some EU Freedom of Trade legislation

There was an interpretation ruling from the EU Comission (if memory serves, could have been an EU court) on car parts . The manufacturers wanted a Super-TUV type set up where you would have to buy something like brake pads from a dealer and have them fitted there because both part and fitter would be approved. The ruling was that this was a step too far. It placed items like brake pads under restricted packaging rules that included testing and sealing, allowed national governments to restrict who could call themselves a mechanic and have as much TUV/MOT testing as they liked, but enshrined the basic right to fix your own vehicle using whatever bits you liked so long as you met the standard and jumped through the local hoops.

The lobbyists (I worked for an OEM parts manufacturer, so the pattern people were the enemy in the aftermarket) then realised that some of the pattern part companies were as big as OEM's and were moving towards covering both markets and everytime you lost a contract to supply the OEM you already had the data to support market entry as an approved pattern part. They got together to squeeze out the small fry who would never be in a vehicle project early enough to get the free data. The next moves will be more subtle, the brake/tyre/wiperblade rules they will try and extend into bodywork and service items.

Andy

[Tusker]

I worked for a company in 3rd party logistics and supplied both OEM and Pattern parts to the aftermarket for DAF, Leyland, Hyundai, Isuzu, TVR, Dennis Eagle so I understand the desire of companies to milk thier aftermarket,  However I also know that the OEM manufactures compete against the OEM parts with thier own pattern parts and indeed the vehicle manufacturers even allowed what were referred to as "Second String" parts to be supplied by us on thier behalf through thier own dealer network...  go figure  

[skinny5216]

Mmm are Suzuki Bikes really well built.    Starting to wonder if I ever did the right thing trading in the BMW. 6k service intervals easy to work on, never had any problems with them, just to damn heavy for my little frame  
I'm hoping there will be no such warranty issues with the storm, I will service the bike myself and if shit happens I will have to deal with it my way.
 

[frez]

It is a very reliable bike so, touch-wood, you should be OK.

[skinny5216]

Frez to be fair I do think it is a fantastic bike, just poor oil change intervals,  

[frez]

I agree. 3,500 miles is mental, especially when I am doing that every 3-4 weeks.