600 Mile Service

[jthornton]

About how long should a 600 mile service take? I'm debating driving to the dealer or hauling it on a trailer... I get bored very fast.

John

[otter28169]

One and a half to two hours
Just sayin'............

[SpydeRider2010]

set it up in advance... but drop in it
first thing in the morning, then come
back after lunch.

[Chupaca]

As mentioned set up an appointment and make a point to tell them you have to wait for it. Usually they mark the work order "customer waiting". Still depends on your dealer...

[Lilly]

What is estimate $$$$ for 600 mile check up

[jthornton]

What is estimate $$$$ for 600 mile check up

It's a flat rate and it is posted on the wall of the service department and was pointed out to me by the service manager (very nice person) when I picked up my BlueSpyder... $240 IIRC.

John

[harrypottar]

Harry Pottar's theory on service #5

Never rush a tech: Make an appointment, drop the spyder off in the morning or if you can the night before. Then pick her up late at night or the next day. In past with my wing, I have dropped the bike off on a Tuesday and picked it up on the following Friday/Saturday.

I don't want my bike rushed through service to make a deadline, I want them to have the time to do the job right and to check things over. Now of course what goes on back there is another story, they maybe slammed and rush the service anyway. This is where you have to build trust up with the service guys.


Harry Pottar's theory on service #6

Become a squeaky wheel: It's a very fine line to walk from becoming that horrid customer that moans about everything to the polite customer that's picky. I make it very clear up front that I'm a picky customer and want thinks done right. Went to pick up my wing once and as always I inspect it from head to toe. There was a hole in the headed seats that was not there before. After a headed debate they agreed to replace, but told me to take the bike they will call me when the seats comes in. I said no, not signing, paying and accepting the bike back until its fixed. I know once I paid the service bill and rode away I would have a hard time getting the seat replaced. They replaced my seat in three days and I was happy camper...

harry

[SPYD1]

That's why I don't like leaving it any longer than I have to. More opportunity for a hole in the seat or nick in the paint. Also my dealer stores them outside. I don't like that. I always make it a poin to wait or walk o breakfast up the road and come back. Once they came and picked me up.

[oe3spyderguy]

I just did my 600 mile yesterday I had made and app. it took about 2 hours (the software update took about 20 min. of that) and cost $269

[Storm56]

What do they really do other than change oil and check a few nuts and bolts?

[NancysToy]

What do they really do other than change oil and check a few nuts and bolts?

The maintenance tasks are listed in your manual.

[gnirtsnod]

About how long should a 600 mile service take? I'm debating driving to the dealer or hauling it on a trailer... I get bored very fast.

John

If you are not local to the dealer and call in advance and let them know that you live far away and will be waiting, they should be able to get you in and out in two hours. May be the same if you are local? Take a book or magazine, though. It is the longest two-hour wait you will ever have, especially when you know that they finished the bike after 45 minutes but won't release it until it's closer to the time that you are paying for. (Cynical huh?)

If in checking over key points they find something critical that needs to be tightened, adjusted, or replaced, the service charge is minimal, but most times it is gross overpayment.

[jthornton]

If you are not local to the dealer and call in advance and let them know that you live far away and will be waiting, they should be able to get you in and out in two hours. May be the same if you are local? Take a book or magazine, though. It is the longest two-hour wait you will ever have, especially when you know that they finished the bike after 45 minutes but won't release it until it's closer to the time that you are paying for. (Cynical huh?)

If in checking over key points they find something critical that needs to be tightened, adjusted, or replaced, the service charge is minimal, but most times it is gross overpayment.

The dealer is about 80 miles away... and I have a few items for them to check warranty wise. It has a slight pull to the left at all times when going straight. The tire pressure gauge was DOA. The gas gauge is working now so that one is off the list. Oh the OAT is about 15 degrees too high. I think that is it.

John

[ARtraveler]

There are a lot of scenarios about having the serviced. I am very lucky in that my dealer is five miles down the road from where I live.

I have a long relationship with the dealer (since 2001) and have purchased four ,s from them as well as some motorcycles. Their service department is good, and I have never had an issue.

I always make an appointmet for regular servicing and bring the in at opening time. I leave the with them and usually pick it up later in the day, or the next day, if it is a big job. I am the impatient type, so the sit and wait never works good for me. The upside to leaving the is that I do not feel like I am rushing or putting pressure on the dealer to get the work done. I want the work to be done right the first time.

That said--the above is not the situation that most people run into. A lot of owners live a long distance from the dealer in hours or miles. That makes a big difference about the wait times etc. Big Picture for me--work with a dealer that does good service, and everything else should fall into place.

RE: Cost for 600 mile service. Ball park around $300.

[jthornton]

There are a lot of scenarios about having the serviced. I am very lucky in that my dealer is five miles down the road from where I live.
I always make an appointment for regular servicing and bring the in at opening time. I leave the with them and usually pick it up later in the day, or the next day, if it is a big job. I am the impatient type, so the sit and wait never works good for me. The upside to leaving the is that I do not feel like I am rushing or putting pressure on the dealer to get the work done. I want the work to be done right the first time.

That said--the above is not the situation that most people run into. A lot of owners live a long distance from the dealer in hours or miles. That makes a big difference about the wait times etc. Big Picture for me--work with a dealer that does good service, and everything else should fall into place.

RE: Cost for 600 mile service. Ball park around $300.

You are lucky to have a dealer 5 minutes away... I used to live across the hill from you off of Rabbit Creek Road a long time ago and it used to be remote back then.

Thanks, I'm the same way and hate to sit and wait...

John

[ARtraveler]

Hijack: Glad to meet another former Alaskan. I am familiar with Rabbit Creek Rd. Compared to the Anchorage Bowl, it is still on the remote side. Homes are on bigger lots and not on top of one another. Did you ever climb Flattop?

Un-Hijack:

[jthornton]

Hijack: Glad to meet another former Alaskan. I am familiar with Rabbit Creek Rd. Compared to the Anchorage Bowl, it is still on the remote side. Homes are on bigger lots and not on top of one another. Did you ever climb Flattop?

Un-Hijack:

Many many times on my Honda 50 super sport with an old vacuum cleaner pipe for an exhaust pipe and the biggest sprocket I could fit on the back. I had to stand on the rear pegs and hang my head over the headlight. I don't even recall how I got back down, it must have not been as exciting.

John

[SpydeRider2010]

one additional suggestion...
don't be a Fender Leech !!!

nothing worse... than a customer
who stands around and watches
a tech work on their vehicle. its
annoying, distracting and a setup
for failure and possible mistake.

proficient techs have a routine and
sequence to do certain serivces and
repairs on vehicles. if a Fender Leech
interupts them... it could lead to a
simple plug being left disconnected,
to a lose lug nut or axle nut.

IMHO

[I2BZ2W8]

My dealer doesn't take appts...1st come first serve...I had to drop it off early to get in the queue. It was ready 3 days later and it was covered under my maintenance plan but I believe the receipt was around $330. Luckily my dealer is close by but I don't think they have the space and can imagine its going to get worse as they sell more Spyders.

[jthornton]

one additional suggestion...
don't be a Fender Leech !!!

nothing worse... than a customer
who stands around and watches
a tech work on their vehicle. its
annoying, distracting and a setup
for failure and possible mistake.

proficient techs have a routine and
sequence to do certain serivces and
repairs on vehicles. if a Fender Leech
interupts them... it could lead to a
simple plug being left disconnected,
to a lose lug nut or axle nut.

IMHO

Yea, I hate being watched while I work unless I'm teaching someone how to do something.

John

[Spyder Smyles]

My 600 mile service on my RT-S was done 2 weeks ago, they had to tighten the belt which costs about $75.00 extra and switch out my lower ball joints for the recall, at no additional cost. It took them 4 hours and cost me $420 dollars. They suggested that I bring it back evey 3000 miles for service.

[jthornton]

Just got back from my 600 mile service and left them $211 after my discount. When the tech checked on my complaint about pulling to the left he said one tire had 25 psig and one had 19 psig... I must need new eyes or gauge can't tell which. There was a broken doo-dad that holds the middle panel on behind a tamper proof screw and they ordered a replacement at no charge.

John

[ARtraveler]

Don't you just hate it when it is something mechanical like the air pressure in the tires? Been there, and done that one.

[jthornton]

Don't you just hate it when it is something mechanical like the air pressure in the tires? Been there, and done that one.

Yea, so much that I'm thinking about a way to fill both tires at the same time to make sure they are dead nuts the same...

John

[Cruzr Joe]

Yea, so much that I'm thinking about a way to fill both tires at the same time to make sure they are dead nuts the same...

John

When you perfect that let me know, i want to do the same thing.

Cruzr joe