Ticked off with local Honda service!

[nomadder60]

   Thats right...I'm ticked off at our local Honda service.  Last week I took my Valk in for new tires all around.  When I picked up my Valk the mechanic told me he had to charge for new exhaust gaskets, but no charge for having to remove the exhaust system because he didn't know he had to until he looked at the tech manual.  I should have been alerted at that point.  I bought the tires online and thats the good part.  The bad part is service broke of one exhaust stud flush with the nut and then had the nerve to glue the nut to the flange!  They denied they did all this, but considering they didn't have a replacement stud in stock and they offered fixed it for free this morning seems pretty obvious to me.  I guess they figured I wouldn't notice.  I checked all the other nuts and some were loose.  Returned home to change over to my 6 into 6 and low and behold, one of the nuts was cross-threaded thus removing the entire stud from the manifold and they never tightened the nuts.  I called and explained my problem and waiting for a call back.  I had them order another stud and I'll put this one in myself.  I think they are having some young "helper" do some of the less skilled work or something.  Now I have to wait until the weekend to fix the problem myselfe, because I can't trust them, before I can ride again. 

[Daniel Meyer]

Sad part is they really don't need to remove the exhaust to change the tire (the manual does say to though).

[Challenger]

It's too bad some of the Honda techs don't come to an Inzane and see how some of this stuff can be done. I haven't removed an exhaust system to change a rear wheel since Daniel showed us how at the tech tent. Thanks again Danny!

[Robert]

Get this bike was under warranty and I wanted Progressive springs put in the front so I knew the service mgr so I left it with them because they had to replace the petcock. came back later and the nuts that go into the front forks or the top caps had pliers ridges all over them. Not only did the person forget to loosen the pinch bolts but also muscled their way through and used pliers or a monkey wrench on them. Needless to say it never went to anyone else ever again. They did replace the caps and I still have them as a reminder.

[Lonerbtw]

  I just mentioned this on the tech side. Took my wifes Valk trike in to have a frount tire put on. Bought the tire there and road  back to the service area. The mech. walked out looked at it and asked what kind of a bike is that. I told him a Honda Valkyrie. And his reply was so thats a Valkyrie never seen one before. I did let him instal the tire after asking him if he had ever done it before. And checked everything when we got home. By the way it was a Honda stealer.
  Loner

[NCGhostrider]

I doubt I will go to a dealer again.   Fortunately, I stay away from them as a rule, but my experience was similar.  Charged me for things that I specifically requested, but they did not do!.  Asked them to find a problem, told them what I suspected, (bad u-joint)....   Couldn't duplicate, came home and just did it myself, and I was right.   I did get my money back after I showed up in the service department carrying a tire, with the balance weights sliding down (stupid stickons), and a u joint shelling out parts.  Oh, did I mention that I was told when I dropped it off, "they were professionals," and they could definately find the problem better than me!    I still laugh over that.

Do not confuse my kindness with weakness, had a friend of mine share that with me once.  I kinda like it! 

Craig

[KW]

This was already pointed out, but you don't need to take off the exhust pipes. I'm just a novice when it comes to working on bikes, but I didn't take off the pipes when I changed out the rear. Wow!

[nomadder60]

Not taking it back and plan on telling everyone I know about bad service TWICE in a two visits.  I am ordering all new studs online and will replace them all my self.  The only professional there was a young lady working the desk.  She was the only one that apologised to me and seemed very sincere.  She should be the one that manages customer service not the present staff.  I think I will write a letter to the owner and see what happens.  If nothing else, I will have closure.   Thanks to everyone for listening and being supportive.  Ride on!

[9Ball]

send a copy to the regional rep for Honda and make sure the letter the dealer gets shows it was sent to the regional rep as well.

Bad service affects everyone....

[Jabba]

I have never had any good experience at dealerships.  I do most stuff myself.  When I get into somehting that I just don't have time to do... I take it to a local independent service shop, that has shown me in the past that they are good mechanics, and can figure stuff out, and more importantly, CARE about not tearing stuff up. 

I have another local shop that I have been d oing a little business with lately... I bought dyna beads from him, and had him change the TIRES for me when I went Kenda rear/front tire, then onto a new front/front metzeler.  He called me yesterday to talk about darkside stuff.  He had a customer wanting to do that, and wanted my thoughts.  I referred them to the darkside web site.

Jabba

[Farther]

I have had both good and bad at different dealers.  The dealer in Redding, CA will never see my Valk again and the dealer in Medford, OR is very good and will continue to get my business.

[Hoser]

The only one I can recommend is 2 brothers in La Crosse WI.  Hoser

[FLAVALK]

The two times my bike has been in a shop, they screwed something up each time. Once, they broke a highway peg rolling it off the lift (HOW the hell did you do that I asked??? They did replace it though). The second time, they left the drain lines off the carbs....and I mean ALL the lines....manifold, main tube, the whole thing.  I didn't realize it until I got home, so I call the manager and he tells me that one of the techs had tossed them in the trash. "You don't really need them anyway"...was his answer  I told him to dig the cursed things out of the trash and I would be there in 5-minutes    That was about five years ago and I've never been to another shop.

He was right about not really needing the drain tubes, but that wasn't the point. Those were MY worthless drain lines! 

[humshark]

Seems like the place to "vent" about these things so -

I just dropped off a 10 page letter to my local shop.  6 pages are photos.  I wrote it in response to the phone call you get that asks you whether or not you were satisfied with your service.  WHAT???

Much like the initial post, I was charged for exhaust modifications which included the breaking of a stud.  ( sheared off even with the bottom of the acorn )

I got my bike back, and the left exhaust wasn't even tightened down, the exhaust acorn was still missing, and the left saddlebag was mounted with three bolts and a severely hammered heat-shield which was in direct contact with my bag and the exhaust.

I also found that they forgot / lost my turn signal stem bolts on the front.  So after riding home, my wife said - " hey your turn signals are facing the ground!" 

$240 extra dollars for the most excellent  :uglystupid2:heat-shield modification and saddlebag mounting.  I spent a day fixing all their crap!

WARNING!!!  HONDA of COOL SPRINGS - Don't do it! STAY AWAY  Flat out lied, and then tried to suggest I was at fault...

The good shop in Columbia TN went out of business - and I have a "stealer" in Murfreesboro - But I've never been there.

[upjeeper]

Monday of this week I took my bike into what i thought was a reputable shop here in Madison, WI. The guy told me someone would look at the clutch that afternoon. Called that afternoon, would be that evening.
called the morning, would be that evening. and so on and so forth.

Evidently the evening mechanic just didn't show up last night. Needless to say I'm picking it up this afternoon at no cost to me.

[art]

hey farther where are you located?I was living in grants pass am now in eugene area but may be going back to grants pass.about honda dealers I will not let them touch my valk.the one in eugene,Or asked if it was a v twin an if honda made it just to buy a oil filter.I finaly went to walmart.Art

[Farther]

hey farther where are you located?

Yreka

[Walküre]

I do most stuff myself.  When I get into somehting that I just don't have time to do... I take it to a local independent service shop, that has shown me in the past that they are good mechanics, and can figure stuff out, and more importantly, CARE about not tearing stuff up.
Jabba

J - care to mention the name of the independent shops? I also do almost all of my own work, but as I am getting older (read that "stiffer"), and don't seem to have time that I once had, I am always looking for alternatives, that I can trust.

Are you familiar with "Grumpy's" in Thorntown? He specializes in Goldwings, but works on Valk's. Was pretty small years back, but now does trike conversions, and just about everything. Buddy had his '85 Wing stator changed there, and he charged about 2/3 of what the stealer wanted, and did a great job. I haven't used him, but was thinking about taking the Valk down to him, for a 100% "going over", when I first got it. But decided to do it myself. I have never heard ANYthing other than the highest praise for his work.

R

[Jabba]

Faron's Cycle off of Pendleton Pike in Indianapolis.

They worked on my Valk 1 time... I forget what it was for... but it was a teeny thing.  They have worked on a buddy's OLD Honda several times and always treated him well.

Jabba

[PhredValk]

Last summer I dropped my GL1100 on my foot while showing a new rider that gravel was not to be feared, just respected (looking up I told her "As long as you don't do THAT you'll be fine"). 2 weeks off work with torn ligaments and no riding with an injured left foot, so went maintenance crazy; oil, coolant, full safety and electrical system check, and removed the rear wheel so the dealer could change the rubber.
Bought the I/S this spring and sold the GL back to the guy I bought it from, a good and long time friend. Out at his place for a ride in the country and a beer last weekend, he tells me that the rear tire is on backward, and he was right!
This is from a very reputable and well established Honda shop where 50% of the back room work is mounting tires...
Fred.

[HayHauler]

Last summer I dropped my GL1100 on my foot while showing a new rider that gravel was not to be feared, just respected (looking up I told her "As long as you don't do THAT you'll be fine"). 2 weeks off work with torn ligaments and no riding with an injured left foot, so went maintenance crazy; oil, coolant, full safety and electrical system check, and removed the rear wheel so the dealer could change the rubber.
Bought the I/S this spring and sold the GL back to the guy I bought it from, a good and long time friend. Out at his place for a ride in the country and a beer last weekend, he tells me that the rear tire is on backward, and he was right!
This is from a very reputable and well established Honda shop where 50% of the back room work is mounting tires...
Fred.

I've seen this happen at Honda Dealers and other shops.  They can't tell if the rim is from a Valk/Wing or a VTX1800.  These bikes have their final drives on different sides.  Without the bike there for reference, in their haste, they will put it on backwards from time to time.  That's no excuse, just saying how it can AND does happen...

Hay 
Jimmyt

[Raverez]

Took my tire off for the first time 'bout two weeks ago, not all that hard. Look at Dag's video.
I didn't take off the exhaust either.

Last time a dealer did the tires, it cost about $350 and I supplied the tires. Won't let them do it again now that I have the "knowledge".