NOT happy with my dealer service...

[daveinva]

Alright folks, here is my RS SE5 14K service fully itemized bill (I'll save my comments for the end):

1. Perform oil & filter change:
Parts subtotal: $77.54
Labor subtotal: $99.00 (one hour)
JOB SUBTOTAL: $176.64

2. Replace air filter: Not selected (I have the K&N aftermarket air filter)

3. Replace coolant:
Parts: $27.07
Labor: $99.00 (one hour)

4. Replace brake fluid:
Parts: $9.98
Labor $297.00 (three hours) :yikes::yikes::yikes:

5. Replace brake pads front/rear:
Parts: $160.98 (1 front brake kit Gen 3 pads, 1 rare brake kit Gen 3 pads)
Labor: $148.50 (2.4 hours at $237.60, however they listed a discount subtracting -$87.10 for some reason)

6. VA State Safety Inspection: $12.00

Total parts: $275.67
Total labor: $655.50
Shop supplies: $26.00
Tax: $15.09
Total amount due: $972.26

-----------------

So, there ya go: it was that :cus: brake flush that did me in. When I went through the items I immediately focused in on that asking how the heck it could cost so much. They say it's a two person job for them to bleed each caliper, and they charge one hour labor for each of the three brakes. I'm not mechanically inclined enough to know if that's BS or not, but I did then ask if this is something that the dealer recommends is always required at the 2 year/14K mark, or is this something I can push off to a more relaxed cycle. Being good loyal soldiers they recommended to stick with the warranty schedule.

Obviously, brakes are not something I want to mess around with, but I ask the wisdom of the crowd if this is something I can safely put off to longer intervals, or if not, is there an easy way to inspect the quality of the remaining fluid to know if I'm good enough to go for longer between flushes. :dontknow:

Because I do NOT want to pay that much again at this interval.

BTW, again, by choice I didn't get valves checked, plugs replaced, air filter replaced, nor exhaust gaskets replaced. Strangely enough, the only service my dealer listed as not chosen was the air filter, which was specifically called out as I mentioned above-- everything else I passed on wasn't listed on my receipt.

But bottom line: I can only imagine how much MORE expensive this service would have been for me had they done all of the above. I'm thinking I'd have been close to $1500 territory with the valve check included. :shocked:

Lessons learned? I'm going to suck it up and do my own oil changes from now on. And at the above price I think I'm going to figure out how to replace my own brake pads as well. I'll take it into the dealer to handle BUDS checkups and the like, but anything I can do on my own, I'll do on my own, and just document the heck out of it to protect myself in the event of warranty issues. Fingers crossed.

 

[Bob Denman]

Well at least I see that they didn't make you buy the grease they used on you while they had you bent over the lift table... :gaah:
Or didn't they use grease??:shocked:
Sorry...

 

[Jeriatric]

Did you get a kiss?

 

[Pennyrick]

How about this one...got rear tire changed out and I asked how much...$219.00 (BRP Kendra) just for the tire. I said hey I just got a 2013 catalog in the mail the day before and the price in there is $199.00. The service writer said they charge a 10% mark up on the list price!!!!:yikes:

Both of our RT's had rears replaced and the price for the tire was $138. Labor was a little high because they had to R&R the trailer hitches and replace rear pads.. still got out of there for under $200. Sometimes I think dealers use dartboard pricing!

 

[daveinva]

Well at least I see that they didn't make you buy the grease they used on you while they had you bent over the lift table... :gaah:
Or didn't they use grease??:shocked:
Sorry...

And not even the common decency to offer me a... HEY, FAMILY WEBSITE! :joke:

Anywho. On the bright side, my Spyder *is* back in my hands, and all prepped to go to Maggie Valley, so I'll just find a way to let all the frustration go over the next couple weeks and approach zen perfection for the Owner's Event. :thumbup:

 

[rayeade]

Where can you get a shop manual for the Spyder? I have not seen one listed in the on lone shore.


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[BLUEKNIGHT911]

shop manual

Where can you get a shop manual for the Spyder? I have not seen one listed in the on lone shore.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

You can get them on-line for approx. $22 in computer disk form.......Mike

 

[Bob Denman]

Anywho. On the bright side, my Spyder *is* back in my hands, and all prepped to go to Maggie Valley, so I'll just find a way to let all the frustration go over the next couple weeks and approach zen perfection for the Owner's Event. :thumbup:

:2thumbs: The best possible attitude to have!
It all passes when the loud grip is twisted, and another apex approaches... :bowdown:

 

[retirednick]

I feel your pain. Local dealership, is $110 an hr. Thankfully all of my exposure has been very positive.

 

[SilverSurfer]

There are a number of moving parts here (not on the Spyder, but in the details). The 12K service is the first 'biggy' for Spyder. The Maintenance Schedule talks about labor-intensive things like valve adjustment, check inner bearings, replace outer seals, exhaust gaskets, and then there's the normal checks and fluid replacements. My original dealer in North Baltimore, who also sold me my Spyder, estimated the service at .... check this ... $1,800.00. Now, this was given that they'd raised their Spyder labor rate from $80.00 per hour to $120.00 per hour as of Spring 2012. Then I had them install an Elka rear shock. The final ticket was nearly $2,200.00.

Maybe the service plan was the right way to go. I didn't do it because on a car, it's usually just a profit center for the dealer. Whether auto or motorcycle, dealers don't make money on sales. They make money on SERVICE. Moving right along, the outcome of my contribution to the GDP was a a botched replacement of the valve cover gasket (meaning they didn't) incorrect install of the shock and they could never get the ASC right. They corrected the oil gasket issue straight away. Still, the loss of trust in terms of what I spent and what I got. Also, as discussed in a previous post, it looks like part of the problem was Elka , but I digress.

To raise a labor rate from $80.00 to $120.00 and then scotch a service tells me the dealer doesn't want my business (AKA Spyder business). I even say that given that it's not so much the amount, but what I get for that amount. They sell Spyders, but they also sell all the other Jap metrics plus Triumph. Spyders are their add-on, not their main line. That dealer, 28 miles north of me, is now history.

I now go to a dealer 40 miles north of me in Hanover, Pennsylvania with an $80.00 per hour labor rate, and ... lucky to say ... they are a pure Can Am/BRP house (with only Polaris ATVs as an add-on ... no other motorcycle or powersports vehicle on the premisis), and finally, their tech has the highest BRP/Can-Am certification hours in the continental US (126 hours). They probably have the best in-dealer Can Am store in the mid-atlantic. I'm not a mechanic, nor do I have the facilities at my townhome to do all my own work. Therefore, the quality of the dealer/service provider is key, and I've found that I can take a nice ride at twice the distance to get quantumly better service at more reasonable prices. While there, I met a fellow ryder who rydes over 58 miles to Hanover, when he has two Can-Am Dealers (including my old one) within closer range.

For those of us who don't or can't do all our own work, pick your dealers/mechs carefully and find references. I even take a day off from work now to get the Spyder serviced by competent technicians. I realize that not all have access to such service; I'm sorely thankful to have found my new dealership.

~ Surfer

So, the good news is that my Spyder is FINALLY ready for pickup today.

Annnd, that's the good news.

The bad news? For the privilege of loaning my Spyder to the dealer for 15 days, the bill for my 14K service with new brake pads is ~$1000. :yikes:

This is, frankly, insane.

Recall that I didn't do the *entire* 14K service-- I opted out of the (expensive and needless) valve check, no spark plugs replaced (replaced them on my own with Ron's), no air filter replaced (I have a Kewlmetal intake with the H&N filter), no gasket replace (I put on Goldwing gaskets ~6K miles), etc.

Basically, oil change, inspections, rear wheel bearings (maybe-- I don't know if they did it, I'll have to check) and fluid (coolant & brake) replaced. PLUS the brake pads replaced.

So, how the heck do I get over $900 on just the above? Labor's very pricey here-- $99 an hour for Spyders-- but parts is parts.

Anyway... I'm steeling myself for one helluva itemized conversation this afternoon.

 

[MidLifeCrisis]

Just called my dealer and they quoted me $580 for the 14k full service. Their labor rate is $90 per hour. Something is just wrong with some of the price quotes dealers are asking. I've always thought my dealer was expensive....

Just for fun I called another Spyder dealer and was quoted. 1,100 for labor and 300 for parts. Their labor rate is $110 per hour. They gave me a breakdown of what would be done and too much of it was fluids and checks. This dealer and the above dealer are less than 20 miles apart. Just amazing that there's no standard to the charges!


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[TuckMiddle]

???

Tuck, 3K every 14,000 miles means a person would reinvest the total value of a $30.000.00 spyder every 140,000 miles( in 14K services alone - not to mention all the normal wear items). That's just plain nuts. Don't care who is running the pencil. If.....this turns out to be the case with maintaining spyders. They won't make it. Hell, my Vettes never cost that kind of money. And I've had many.

The point of my write-up was to show folks that overall, for 3 years mx, all the things covered, that I mentioned, I paid a total of way, way less than that itemized in this service. I figure I'm saving mega bucks, getting all that BRP stipulates (things I might pass on or find a less expensive solution for) and getting it for peanuts, compared to the invoice which I simply filed away. I have no knowledge of the 14,000 mile check mentioned, unless it was a 6,000 under the old system and then a 9,300 under the new system, plus 2 or 3 things that were at 14. If the HD and GW guys think they can beat a couple grand for 3 years and a lot of mileage, I've had both and that's not the case. If folks want to read 1/2 of it and then say where's the grease, I'm sorry that they are not reading and absorbing what I think I wrote. I never would have purchased a Spyder without mx and extended warranty packages. I have no intention of putting out the money you are referring to. I'll just truck along, pay out no money in the next 20,000 miles, get all the work done that BRP stipulates and be a happy guy.After that, I've got my eye on two super mx guys who have expressed interest and who have done a couple routene things for me at virtually no charge and "in the neighborhood"

Tuck:cheers:

Enough said
Tuck

 

[piedmontrider]

Another dealer option--

Dave-
When we meet in Maggie Valley, I'll make sure to have cards from my servicing dealer, as we have messaged about. Yes, it is a bit of a ride for you, but it is right pretty country down here!!
Doug

 

[bscrive]

Brake flushes are a total money grab. I have a 99 Valkyrie and the only time I did a brake flush is when I went to SS lines three years ago. Even though my bike doesn't have abs it wouldn't have made a difference. My cousin is a mechanic and he does power flushes all the time on Hyundai cars and it only takes him about 20 mins to do one. He has told me that it is a money maker for the stealership. I only did one on my impala after it had 150000 kms on it. Brakes still worked fine but I got it done for free. By the way, when I bled the system on my Valkyrie it only took me 1 hour and I put in new lines and had to bleed the new lines and two master cylinders.

But the question is why..why...why are they replacing the brake fluid with only 14k miles on it. Also, there is no way in the world that the coolant would need to be changed at such low mileage.

I am really sorry you got hosed so bad.

 

[pro10is]

Brake flushes are a total money grab. I have a 99 Valkyrie and the only time I did a brake flush is when I went to SS lines three years ago. Even though my bike doesn't have abs it wouldn't have made a difference. My cousin is a mechanic and he does power flushes all the time on Hyundai cars and it only takes him about 20 mins to do one. He has told me that it is a money maker for the stealership. I only did one on my impala after it had 150000 kms on it. Brakes still worked fine but I got it done for free. By the way, when I bled the system on my Valkyrie it only took me 1 hour and I put in new lines and had to bleed the new lines and two master cylinders.

But the question is why..why...why are they replacing the brake fluid with only 14k miles on it. Also, there is no way in the world that the coolant would need to be changed at such low mileage.

I am really sorry you got hosed so bad.

:agree:
Years ago I purchased a universal fit pressurized brake fluid bleeder for $90. That little gadget has saved me a small fortune and makes brake flushes a 20 minute one man operation breeze.

 

[daveinva]

But the question is why..why...why are they replacing the brake fluid with only 14k miles on it. Also, there is no way in the world that the coolant would need to be changed at such low mileage.

That's what's in the Spyder maintenance schedule, per the manual.

I think I'll be reconsidering more than just the valve check on that maintenance schedule...

 

[BLUEKNIGHT911]

THE WHY WHY WHY OF IT

Brake flushes are a total money grab. I have a 99 Valkyrie and the only time I did a brake flush is when I went to SS lines three years ago. Even though my bike doesn't have abs it wouldn't have made a difference. My cousin is a mechanic and he does power flushes all the time on Hyundai cars and it only takes him about 20 mins to do one. He has told me that it is a money maker for the stealership. I only did one on my impala after it had 150000 kms on it. Brakes still worked fine but I got it done for free. By the way, when I bled the system on my Valkyrie it only took me 1 hour and I put in new lines and had to bleed the new lines and two master cylinders.

But the question is why..why...why are they replacing the brake fluid with only 14k miles on it. Also, there is no way in the world that the coolant would need to be changed at such low mileage.

I am really sorry you got hosed so bad.

Answer to the Question Why, Why, Why,........................Because they are MAKING A PILE OF MONEY for claiming they DID IT.......But did they even DO IT ? ? Same thing goes DOUBLE for VALVE ADJUSTMENTS.........Mike :thumbup:

 

[missouriboy]

Well at least I see that they didn't make you buy the grease they used on you while they had you bent over the lift table... :gaah:
Or didn't they use grease??:shocked:
Sorry...

Gosh, Bob, looks like you missed it...

Shop supplies: $26.00

Hey, you can get a complete oil change & lube on your car for that much! I think that line-item is just one more rip. Why don't those astronomical labor rates cover that?

 

[missouriboy]

But the question is why..why...why are they replacing the brake fluid with only 14k miles on it. Also, there is no way in the world that the coolant would need to be changed at such low mileage.

Perhaps it's because these fluids die with time instead of miles? I know some coolants gel with time and stop flowing; I've had that happen in a car.

But I've never heard of brake fluid replacement before... even with automotive brake jobs they just bleed the lines and add new fluid as needed. However, if it's to maintain the integrity of the Nanny's ABS and especially VSS then we shouldn't question it. Does anyone know? They should just tell us! Intelligent minds would be satisfied with reasonable explanations.

And "adjust the valves?" What, you mean the Rotax doesn't even have hydraulic lifters? (Hmmmm, moboy sez to self... maybe that's why it's possible to red-line that baby at 9000 rpm...? Check!)

 

[beanoil]

Because I do NOT want to pay that much again at this interval.



But bottom line: I can only imagine how much MORE expensive this service would have been for me had they done all of the above. I'm thinking I'd have been close to $1500 territory with the valve check included. :shocked:

Lessons learned? I'm going to suck it up and do my own oil changes from now on. And at the above price I think I'm going to figure out how to replace my own brake pads as well. I'll take it into the dealer to handle BUDS checkups and the like, but anything I can do on my own, I'll do on my own, and just document the heck out of it to protect myself in the event of warranty issues. Fingers crossed.

Vote with your wallet and find another dealer. A DIY oil change will run you about 45 or 50. Brake pads don't look any more difficult than most motorcycles. Brake fluid does absorb moisture over time, but to say it takes 2 people, and an hour for each wheel cylinder is insane. I'm sorry but labor rate is not billed per tech, but by service performed, at least that's my experience, both getting repairs done, and in my industry. Think about the money making deal for the service department there.. A tech might make 20.00 an hour in pay, with a burden rate of about 50.00 with insurance and benefits in a big dealership. Then along comes Bubba, the wash guy to hold down the brake pedal and glance at the master to make sure it doesn't run dry. He adds another 7.25 an hour to the bill, and puts another 99.00 in the dealers pocket? Not from me he wouldn't. But I digress.. You have the right attitude, go enjoy a ride,and do some of your own work next time.