Issue with bike - refund?
Discussion
Afternoon,
I've just got back from a trip out to buy a motorbike. Sadly, it didn't go quite as well as planned.
After leaving the dealership and riding out of Scarborough town centre, I noticed the bike was running hot. I put that down to it possibly not liking traffic, despite being water cooled. On the open road, the temperature gauge reading sank right down, but as I got near to home I hit some more traffic and the temperature gauge spiked again. This time, there was coolant leaking and billowing off the exhaust. I limped the bike home (cooling it as it went) and discovered when I got back there that the filler cap had popped over the coolant tank, and boiling coolant had splashed all over inside the rear seat pod.
Now, I know the SOGA's first port of call would be to give the dealer a chance to make repairs. I could see this potentially being expensive and time consuming. I won't ride the bike again due to it not being in proper working order. I suspect a sensible way of dealing with things would be to refund me, the dealer can collect the bike and we'll reset our positions as best we can. This would likely be the best bet for both of us, given that I'm in Northumberland and the dealer is in Scarborough.
If the dealer insists on being given a chance to repair it, I assume they're liable for carriage costs due to the fact that I can't ride it in the current condition?
Have you any other advice for me, in this dire situation in which I find myself?
I've just got back from a trip out to buy a motorbike. Sadly, it didn't go quite as well as planned.
After leaving the dealership and riding out of Scarborough town centre, I noticed the bike was running hot. I put that down to it possibly not liking traffic, despite being water cooled. On the open road, the temperature gauge reading sank right down, but as I got near to home I hit some more traffic and the temperature gauge spiked again. This time, there was coolant leaking and billowing off the exhaust. I limped the bike home (cooling it as it went) and discovered when I got back there that the filler cap had popped over the coolant tank, and boiling coolant had splashed all over inside the rear seat pod.
Now, I know the SOGA's first port of call would be to give the dealer a chance to make repairs. I could see this potentially being expensive and time consuming. I won't ride the bike again due to it not being in proper working order. I suspect a sensible way of dealing with things would be to refund me, the dealer can collect the bike and we'll reset our positions as best we can. This would likely be the best bet for both of us, given that I'm in Northumberland and the dealer is in Scarborough.
If the dealer insists on being given a chance to repair it, I assume they're liable for carriage costs due to the fact that I can't ride it in the current condition?
Have you any other advice for me, in this dire situation in which I find myself?
It could be, but it could also be potential ruin. It was supposed to have just been serviced this week. Surely, you'd think they would have put the cap back on? It's a flimsy 'pop on' item, I think it's blown off when the coolant has boiled.
I should note that I suspect the garage's first request will be that I refill the coolant and see if the problem comes back. Don't get me wrong, I'd love for it to simply be an error from servicing rather than mechanical failure. It's a fantastic bike otherwise.
I should note that I suspect the garage's first request will be that I refill the coolant and see if the problem comes back. Don't get me wrong, I'd love for it to simply be an error from servicing rather than mechanical failure. It's a fantastic bike otherwise.
Edited by Baryonyx on Saturday 4th July 16:08
Baryonyx said:
It could be, but it could also be potential ruin. It was supposed to have just been serviced this week. Surely, you'd think they would have put the cap back on?
Surely you don't think it's impossible for mechanics to make a mistake? It's entirely possible the coolant was changed prior to sale and you have simply suffered the effects of an airlock.Jumping to the worst possible conclusion and wanting an immediate refund without any attempt to fix the problem give the impression that you have a bad case of buyers remorse.
As I say, I absolutely love the bike and really want it fixed. I hope this is a simple problem easily solved. I couldn't even think of what else I'd get if it went back, and I doubt I'd love it like the T595. What concerns me is that I may be left well out of pocket if this can't be easily solved, as there is 100 miles between me and the dealership and that could present a difficulty in resolving the matter. I want to be out riding it tonight, not looking at it in the garage and hoping it's going to be okay.
The alternatives - older Fireblade, VFR800 etc etc don't quite tickle me the same...
The alternatives - older Fireblade, VFR800 etc etc don't quite tickle me the same...
Baryonyx said:
It could be, but it could also be potential ruin. It was supposed to have just been serviced this week. Surely, you'd think they would have put the cap back on? It's a flimsy 'pop on' item, I think it's blown off when the coolant has boiled.
It's the expansion bottle, it should never be under pressure. If the coolant has got hot enough to get past the main radiator cap then the bike has a problem.Edited by Baryonyx on Saturday 4th July 16:08
I was always under the impression though that if you buy a vehicle from a dealer a long way away then it's down to you to get it back there.
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