First Service Charge

Could I ask the experienced SW Brits on here how much they would expect to be charged for a first service on a new bike please. Or perhaps one of my fellow newbies has recently paid for a first service.

The garage I bought it from want £240 + VAT which seems a lots for a first service or am I being stupid?
Thanks

First service is an oil and filter change and a quick check that everything is okay. Probably being done by an apprentice (who at the moment is more concerned that he / she is getting some acne cream from Santa, ( someone who they still believe in!) - Apologies but don't know how to put a spoiler alert on this forum.

They will keep the scooter for a minimum of four hours and it will take someone half an hour to do the work.

Luckily in this country the law now doesn't require services etc to be done at a main agents so they can't try and pull the wool over your eyes and tell you the warranty will be invalidated. (Check this out for yourself before using it against them).

Full service cost me £120 by a mechanic I know and trust, and that include two tyres being changed.

Cheers,

I had my 'Wing serviced for the first time yesterday - 15/Dec/12 at 611 miles.
I took it to the nearest main dealer (also the nearest m/cycle garage) and they were happy to take it on. I was charged £120 + VAT (£145)

It was done by Crescent Motorcycles of Southampton - they are not Honda dealers, but are for Suzuki, Piaggio and Vespa so are not strangers to CVT transmissions (not that they needed to be for this service.)

The agent I bought it from is over 40 miles away. I would check around before you commit.

I'm happy with the result.

Here at the Honda dealer,a few years ago they were charging $75.. per tire and you had to remove from the MC. Luckily I found a local auto tire shop that did it for $10.00 + $20.00 for balancing beads. Takes him 5 minutes to do the work.

IIRC, you pay for the consumables. Labour is free. (That was 3 years ago when I bought mine)

Shouldn't be more than £100. Will check later when I tear apart my 'filing system!!!!!

Thanks for the answers, you have confirmed what I thought. All of my previous bikes have been either free for the first service or just parts and the most I have ever paid is £100. The price of £240 is from Dunstable Honda where I got the SW but it won't be going back there for sure.

I thought my price for the first service here was high , $225 US Dollars.
Don't know what the exchange rate is at the moment , but it's quite a bit
less than what your dealer is asking for.

OK, just checked my receipt. £45:18. As I stated - consumables only.

I would have expected the dealer who sold it to me to do a consumables only deal, but not a different one. Looks like Paul's dealer doesn't want the job.

$150 for SWing when I had it and about the same for the Shadow. Shadow was there like three weeks waiting on a new water pump. (They found it during the inspection so I guess they really are looking at it there.) Dropped Shadow off and walked across the street to the Ford dealer where I dropped $1500 on my truck's 100k service and she was in prime shape (no issues)

if it was me with this quote i would be off to halfords. Buy the oil & filter for about £20 and do the job yersel. Its quite a simple procedure. I have just got a new silverwing from Dobles and as i live 450 miles awaay i will be doing my own oil change. keep yer money in yer pocket and dae it yersel my man.

600 mi. first service at Honda dealer $150.00, just changed the oil and filter myself for about $20.00, do what you can yourself and save.

Hi folks, I am not confident enough to service my own bike especially as its new and I don't want to invalidate warranties.

I do have a registered local bike garage that has serviced my other bikes. He can do the first service for £120 + Vat but expressed concern about service warning lights (are there any?) He says that he would not have the diagnostic tool to turn the light off.

Does this make sense and does it set alarm bells ringing that I should go to an authorised dealer?

Thanks

Read your owners manual there are easy steps to reset warning light before taking your Swing to a dealer. Remember, Honda is the best bullet proof scooter you can get,ride it and do your service on time and your Swing will do the rest. Happy scootering.

Robert is correct. Oil change is main item on first service and somewhere on this forum is a PDF file detailing the whole operation! Pick up a filter and whatever ever oil you prefer (3 quarts) and have at it. I have done mine twice now and it is easy! Pick up a filter wrench at Wal-Mart that fits the filter makes job much easier...

Does doing your own servicing have an impact on your 2-year warranty? I'm not sure.

My first service at Honda of Bournemouth on 25 Oct cost £125.00. Of which £32.85 was oil/filter & the remaining 92quid for labour.

On reflection, it would've lessened the shock if I'd asked the question when I took the scooter in as I certainly blanched a bit when given the bill Especially since only a month before I'd spent well over £300 on the service for my SH300i. I was happy with my 18-month old SH and having paid up, should've left the showroom immediately but didn't - I paused - looked (again) at the Swing and throwing caution to the wind, ordered one...

Although not sure initially I'd made the right decision, I'm now very pleased I dallied...!!!

Just keep your receipts and you should have no problems with warranty. At least in the US anyway... I also keep a spreadsheet which details any services done on all my bikes.

In the UK, and I stand ready to be corrected, I believe a service under warranty MUST be carried out by a 'qualified mechanic' to Dept of Trade and Industry Standards!!

I read something of the .GOV web site regards MOT's and servicing etc. It was about the time the government were trying to get rid of cowboy garages.

Waits now to be corrected!

I only once had a first service done on a new motorcycle i bought. I thought it said "free service", when i went to collect they gave me a bill, i think it was about £16. I went through the bill with them and most of the charge was for "ancilleries" i said explain, they said things like topping up brake fluid and oiling cables(at 500mls). This was in the 70's. Since that time no dealer has ever serviced any bike for me, new or not, i ride out of the showroom and they can keep thier warranties, in all these years i've never needed them. Honda's reputation for reliability, and my own experiance with them is good enough for me. You put oil in one end and take it out the other, and change the filter, what is so hard about that.??

Old Limey wrote:

i ride out of the showroom and they can keep thier warranties, in all these years i've never needed them. Honda's reputation for reliability, and my own experiance with them is good enough for me. You put oil in one end and take it out the other, and change the filter, what is so hard about that.??

Nice if you have the skills!

Come on Waspie what skills. I left school and worked in a cotton mill as a weaver. I then worked as a salesman. i became a debt collector. No mechanical training ever, except reading Motorcycle mechanics. Iam sure you have more mechanical knowledge than i will ever have. I just refuse to pay someone to do what any reasonably intelligent person can do with a little thought. My motto has always been if a man put this thing together then i should be able to work it out, it works for me with plumbing. electrics, building and wood working and has all my life.

You won't get an argument from me,keep on wrenching.

Old Limey wrote:

Come on Waspie what skills. I left school and worked in a cotton mill as a weaver. I then worked as a salesman. i became a debt collector. No mechanical training ever, except reading Motorcycle mechanics. Iam sure you have more mechanical knowledge than i will ever have. I just refuse to pay someone to do what any reasonably intelligent person can do with a little thought. My motto has always been if a man put this thing together then i should be able to work it out, it works for me with plumbing. electrics, building and wood working and has all my life.

I'm an ex aircraft fitter and also am quite capable of doing a lot of my own work but I never expect others to have my mechanical knowledge.

Others may have disabilities that don't allow them the repair there own.

My one rule, (which I forget often), is to try not to assume anything!!!!

There are also those who have big fat wallets and don't see the need to get grease under their manicured nails!!!!!!

Each to his own.

Waspie wrote:

There are also those who have big fat wallets and don't see the need to get grease under their manicured nails!!!!!!

There are also those that wear latex or vinyl surgeon gloves so they don't get dirt or grease under their fingernails.

Meldrew wrote:

Waspie wrote:

There are also those who have big fat wallets and don't see the need to get grease under their manicured nails!!!!!!

There are also those that wear latex or vinyl surgeon gloves so they don't get dirt or grease under their fingernails.

Do you have a camera in my garage?

OK, I'm starting to think I should just order the bits from Halfords and get on with it. Is it that easy?

I am ashamed to say that up until recently I have not been too worried out the dealers charges. Things are very different these days though and every penny counts.

Meldrew will yellow marigolds do?

paul.delo451. I always used Halfords oil , till i got better oil cheaper on ebay.I usually do my oil change after a run so my engine is warm ,and the oil drains easier. Put a container under the drain plug , i use an old roasting tin. Take the filler plug out . The drain plug is a large nut and can be a bit awkward to get a good fit with a spanner. Having loosened this nut be prepared for the oil to come out at an angle and be HOT. Let the internal filter fall into the drain oil(you can get it out later). The diagram in your handbook will show you how the filter and drain plug fittings go back on. Whilst the oil is draining prepare the new oil filter by running a smear of oil around the sealing ring(use you finger).When the oil looks to have drained, look for the old oil filter,remove this with, a filter wrench or as a last resort punch an old screwdriver through( it is being thrown away) and remove it.wipe the area clean. Put the new filter on, hand tight only. clean the small filter in the drain housing (i use white spirit). refit the drain plug. Re fill with oil. Run the engine a couple of minutes. Stop engine let oil settle again a few minutes. Recheck oil level, top up. JOB DONE. I hope this helps.

Old Limey wrote:

paul.delo451. I always used Halfords oil , till i got better oil cheaper on ebay.I usually do my oil change after a run so my engine is warm ,and the oil drains easier. Put a container under the drain plug , i use an old roasting tin. Take the filler plug out . The drain plug is a large nut and can be a bit awkward to get a good fit with a spanner. Having loosened this nut be prepared for the oil to come out at an angle and be HOT. Let the internal filter fall into the drain oil(you can get it out later). The diagram in your handbook will show you how the filter and drain plug fittings go back on. Whilst the oil is draining prepare the new oil filter by running a smear of oil around the sealing ring(use you finger).When the oil looks to have drained, look for the old oil filter,remove this with, a filter wrench or as a last resort punch an old screwdriver through( it is being thrown away) and remove it.wipe the area clean. Put the new filter on, hand tight only. clean the small filter in the drain housing (i use white spirit). refit the drain plug. Re fill with oil. Run the engine a couple of minutes. Stop engine let oil settle again a few minutes. Recheck oil level, top up. JOB DONE. I hope this helps.

Excellent description of the oil change.

Only thing I would add is whilst running the engine AFTER the filter and oil change is check for leaks. Will appear as oil appearing at the lowest point and maybe even form drips. If that happens. Switch engine off and check the tightness of the filter and drain plug.

Also be advised that as stated above the hot oil comes out at an angle and will splash on the frame. (ask me how I know) Then drips will fall for a short time. So take a rag and wipe down the areas you can reach to avoid most of this. First time I changed mine I thought it was leaking but just the extra drops off the frame!!!

Hello,

I agree with everything that Old Limey says but I would add this caveat -

Only puncture the filter if you know how long the filter has been on and wasn't tightened up by a gorilla. There is nothing worse you can do than knocking a hole in it only to find it is seized solid and impossible to move it with the tools you have. A filter wrench will probably cost about £10 ($16) so not a major outlay when you consider the number of times you are likely to use it (especially if there is a group of you who help each other with maintenance).

Cheers,

Filter wrench is very cheap ( Honda used to 'give' one away with the filter) and I bought a Suzuki six point fork nut spanner which is the correct size for the drain plug. 'Simples' as the annoying rodent says !

A cheap strap wrench works too.

I use a rigid pipe strap because I have one .I also have aplastic socket that fit on the end of the filter , I buy the longer filter so the pipe strap is easer.

Meldrew are you at it again! how long has Cumbria been in North Yorkshire? Just because you are retiring does not mean you can make older Fogies like me think I'm getting Dementia

Cumbria isn't in North Yorkshire of course, I've been going there regularly over the A66 for nearly five years, and now that I'm retired I going to live there once my house is sold.

I think I used to know what dementia meant but now I can't remember...

IIRC large chunks of Cumbria and Lancashire used to be in God's own County until the meddling politicians got at us !!!

Parts of Cumbria used to be in Lancashire - Barrow was.

There is the Three Shire Stone on top of Wrynose Pass which marks the original meeting point of Cumberland, Westmorland and Lancashire. Not sure what parts of Yorkshire were given to Lancashire or Cumbria in the upheaval.

Cheers,

The old Cumberland boundary used to end at Duddon Bridge near Broughton in Furness, over the bridge used to be in Lancashire. I like the occasional ride down to Barrow in Furness where they have this curious habit of chopping up a pickled onion and scattering it over your pie, peas, and gravy, it must be an old Lancashire tradition and there's no tripe shops anymore.

Some of the Yorkshire Dales National Park is now in Cumbria, and the old county of Westmorland only purpose was as a destination for 'mystery tour' coaches from Carlisle on Sundays in the 1950’s and 60’s. Of course back then nothing was open on Sundays when you got to Appleby, it was always Appleby but it was better than watching 'Songs of Praise' on black and white telly, or old Brucie at the Palladium.

I always knew there was something funny about people north of Watford - fancy naming a county after a sausage.......!! :lol!:

You must lead a sheltered life, have you never heard of Yorkshire Pudding, Lancashire Hotpot, Bedfordshire Clanger, or Lincolnshire Sausage?

Mmm, not sure. I did go to Newport Pagnell once & drop a clanger (my exhaust fell off) - does that count?

Don't forget Atrick, there is the 'Dorset Knob' baked in Bridport!!!!!

http://www.moores-biscuits.co.uk/dorset-knobs.html

Yes, I've had a tour of their bakery at Morecombelake but never tried the biscuit - I have imbibed at the Dorset Knob pub in Alder Hills, Poole, though!

Strangely, drove past it earlier this afternoon!!!!! (Spooky) (The pub that is!!!!!)

The bakery ain't that scary but it is very small; the pub however - well that's another story!

Guys......I know this is an old topic but I've just got myself a Swing and it is coming up to 600 miles so needing it's first service. I'm quite surprised at some of prices that's been quoted here for the first service. After all it is just oil + filter and a general checkover. I'm a retired mechanic myself so more than able to do the oil + filter and check a few bolts etc. I know everyone says it's a Honda and will keep on going forever etc but I worry what would happen if something major did go wrong would Honda not want to know because it hadn't been serviced at a dealer and I'd be left with a very large bill, considering some parts could be very expensive. I don't do a lot of miles, probably around 3000 a year so hoping the bike will last me a long while. I really don't know what to do for the best. If only I had a crystal ball to see what the future might bring

Den

What do they do at 600 miles as far as service, never had a new one so I'm asking.

It's just oil + filter, check levels and general checkover I think.

Den

I think you're right, Den

The oil & filter's the most important bit.