Servicing cost

[Strommerboy]

Just had the Wee in for a service. Air filter, oil filter, 3.5 litres of oil and all four spark plugs replaced + the usual inspection, lubing and tightening. £245 inc. labour and VAT. Does that sound like a good deal? Some of my non V Strom riding pals think it's a bit steep but my understanding is that changing all four plugs requires a good deal of time to gain access. Any thoughts?

[kwarr]

Bill not very clear - but looks like 3 hours labour - even though they had the bike all day.

[Jacko]

How did they manage to get 3.5 litres of oil into it?

I think it's steep, but it seems to be the norm now. Take it to a good independent workshop, make a saving.

[frez]

Find an independent that other bikers recommend and have them do the work. The hourly charge will reduce by around a third (and they will most likely do it in less time saving you even more), oil will cost less, and they will only change what needs to be changed.

You will typically save from £50 to £100 on every service (more if it is a particularly long service like the valve inspection/adjustment).

If you can service it yourself you will save even more, but that all depends on the value you place on your warranty.

You may feel, especially if you are a low mileage rider, that the extra charge by the dealers is worth the peace of mind over warranty and residual value, and keeping the dealers in business. Just don't whinge about what you pay if that is the case.

[Oop North John]

£245 including VAT means £196 is what the dealer sees, 4 spark plugs say £20, airfliter £5, oil £10, guesstimates and the oil prices is probably below dealer prices, so that gets it down to £169, so almost £54 an hour for labour.

[frez]

My independent charges £42+vat an hour, last time I had a dealer service, 2.5 years ago, I think the price was £66+vat (definitely over £60+vat).

[Mitch]

Find an independent as recommended above.
Once mines out of warranty in a month it won't see another Suzuki dealer.

Garage labour is generally around £80.00 an hour around Leeds for Cars. Bikes are getting that way too!

[Jacko]

Mine is 18 months old and not seen a dealer service since the 600 miler, it won't either, it has another 18 months warranty left but I'm binning that. I'll do the next 3 services myself and save about £600 on dealer prices.

[Mick 85]

I'll be using my local college to do the full service, fit new chain and sprockets, and adjust valves if necessary. No charge for labour, and I provide all the bits. Colleges often look for bikes to work on, and I guess it may be risk, but life is full of them !

[frez]

That's a great idea.

[Juvecu]

I can change plugs and oil in less than an hour, that includes a filter change. I could probably change the air filter too and it'll still be less than an hour. How did they make up the other 2 hours? This is the thing about main dealers, they have a book that tells them how long it takes and they can book the time from this book if they wanted, instead of the actual time. The honest independent would book you how long it took them (and the dishonest independent doesn't get return business.)

Also, I'd be complaining about 3.5 litres of oil if the bike only takes 2.3 litres max. Have a closer look at the invoice, perhaps it's a bad print, 3 looking like a 2?

If they really put 3.5 in then it'll be blowing out through the breather holes into your airbox. It could get sucked in with the air and burn deposits onto your piston tops & valves. Any unburnt oil could be gunking up your exhaust. If they didn't put 3.5 litres in then charging for that is technically fraud.

[frez]

They might say they used a litre of oil to flush it through, but to be honest, that's bullshit.

[firestrom]

manual says 2.7 litres with filter change, but 3.5 is still too much.

[Strommerboy]

Thanks for the responses. The fact is I didn't go to a main dealer. I learnt that lesson after the first service. My service was done at an independent workshop recommended by other bikers including those using Stroms.
Three hours labour was included in the bill -£120. I'm now more concerned about the 3.5 litres of oil put into the bike. I've checked the bill and the 3.5l figure is clear. I'll be giving them a call to ask about this.

[Jacko]

Check your sight glass, if the oil level is fine the chances are they just stick 3.5 on the bill because most common inline 4s take that, they're just being lazy with the billing. It does look like you paid for a litre you didn't get, ask for it to be returned.

I remember years ago new plugs and points were on the bill of a service for one of my cars, it had electronic ignition, no points (for the youngsters). I queried it and the bloke said 'oh yeah, sorry, we put that on all the bills' and knocked it off the cost. :o

And folk wonder why I do all my own servicing. Sometimes it's a chore, I'm not looking forward to the Glees valve clearance, two heads equals twice the work, but it's the only way I'll know it's been done and done properly.

[Andy M]

Franchise dealer times are similar to the service intervals in how they are set. Time is used rather than money to account for differences in labour rate between say Central London and Leeds.

The actual figure is not so much about how long it takes but to cover the activity level. If they assume each mechanic has three jobs on the go at once they need to account for these being all oil changes (undo the drain plugs, walk away, repeat) and a mix of oil changes and detailed work. On one day he's adjusting valves while oil drains from two bikes, on others he's having a cuppa. The total needs to make money regardless but also prevent planning to do three valve adjustments and not finishing. This is also why they add in none-jobs like inspecting an air filter, the time for taking the tank off is easy money but also balances the job. It also fixes warranty values.

The home mechanic as we all know goes under the tank once, checks the valves and changes filter and plugs. I view the time saving as just as important as knowing its been done and the cost. I change my oil on wet Sundays when there is something on the Radio I'll enjoy and the wife will hate. Wasted time zero. The dealers would want me to go somewhere after I've started work, do paperwork for an hour, go back when I should be working and hang about while their YTS kid washes it and they try and find the seat or some other bit they took off (they do this to me once BTW, after that I'm the customer who turns up ten minutes before closing time on a Friday).

Andy

[Holmsey]

manual says 2.7 litres with filter change, but 3.5 is still too much.

I'm now more concerned about the 3.5 litres of oil put into the bike. I've checked the bill and the 3.5l figure is clear. I'll be giving them a call to ask about this.

I would be asking them for the 0.8l to take home with me, Only because I'm a tight arse  

[Juvecu]

Apologies, the 2.3 litre figure was off the top of my head, I should've checked

[ipod]

I have mine serviced at the dealer I bought the bike, only because they give it a lifetime warranty if I do.
Of course I have no idea what a warranty covers, they will probably turn round and say it's general wear and tear and not covered

Having said that, I will be getting any work I need done, brakes chain sprockets ect, at a local shop.

[Stuart]

Mickey Oates Suzuki dealers in Glasgow charge £128 for a smple oil & filter change (25 minute job). Invoice breakdown's: Parts, £28. Labour, £100.   Mine's getting a 3,500 mile service on Friday with a VERY highly thought of, independent, fully trained bike engineer, for £85 (normally £115 but police get a discount     ).  It's a 10 plate and had a full oil & filter change every year since new, so I'm guessing there's no wear whatsoever!  An old mechanic told me years ago that regular oil & filter changes are THE number one thing to avoid future woes!