Not happy with My dealer...

[jvaughan]

To set the scene .. I turn up at my dealer this afternoon to peruse their stock and to look at some accessories I wish to purchase and decorate my bike with.( remembering its been 5 weeks since I bought my bike from them ). I go to leave only to find my rear tyre flat thanks to a nail.

I go back into the dealer and ask for assistance only to be told they are closing in 15 minutes, and to try the Suzuki dealership next door as they have a garage / motor factors style place attached.

I get to the suzuki dealer who advises it is too late and they cannot help me, so sell me a can of tyre weld.
£6 later the tyre weld is in, and the tyre is still flat.

The honda dealer has just closed, leaving me on their forcourt, so its off to find an airline at a garage down the road (Petrol station).
The garage is shut, but after spending 20p to get 60 seconds on the air line, the painful truth is revealed that the innertube is buggered, and im now left stranded 30 miles from home.

I call the AA who take exactly 6 minutes to arrive, attempt to repair the puncture, and then help me get home..

Im glad i am in the AA as I would have been F**&ed otherwise.
Needless to say I am now writing a letter to the MD of Salisbury Honda to thank them for their aftersales service and customer support.(Thank God that when I have had problems with my TVR the dealers are more than happy to assist beyond the call of duty)

[markpetrie]

Thats poo poo but it's the same with cars. Once you bought it they don't want to give you anymore of there time.

[Wacky Racer]

jvaughan said:

I am now writing a letter to the MD of Salisbury Honda to thank them for their aftersales service and customer support

From what you say I think you are being a bit harsh on your Honda dealer, if they were closing in fifteen minutes there was not a lot they could do in that time........

Perhaps they could have offered to let you leave the bike in their shop overnight, and sorted it the next day, leaving you to get a taxi or alternative transport home........

However, as you say, thank god for the AA, they have saved me twice this year, first class service, would recommend them every time

ps: Those Tyreweld type products are a waste of time and money, except in extreme emergencies......

[Mad Dave]

Thinking back Jason, I really should have made the correlation between spoked wheels meaning tubed tyres - thats evidently why the tyre weld didnt work. That said, didnt it say tubed OR tubeless tyres on the tin?

[jvaughan]

Mad Dave said:

Thinking back Jason, I really should have made the correlation between spoked wheels meaning tubed tyres - thats evidently why the tyre weld didnt work. That said, didnt it say tubed OR tubeless tyres on the tin?

Yes it did .. Never mind eh ..... The suzuki Dealer lyed too.. It took 30 seconds to take the rear wheel off, 10 minutes to repair and refit the tyre to the wheel with a new inner tube, and its just taken me 15 minutes to refit the wheel to the bike.
Bearing in mind this is the first time I have ever removed a motorbike wheel.

The puncture turned out to be opposite the valve, and had actually gone straight through the tube and had also damaged the double layers of rubber around the valve stem

I now have 2 rear and 2 front innertubes in the garage as spares... I also am going to see if I can keep a spare set on the bike.

Good blast BTW.. I really loved your bike

[Mad Dave]

Well at least you got it sorted mate

Yeah, was a laugh - I was v impressed with your bike too - was just like being in a car, with that big screen stopping all the wind blast! Gotta get me a fairing!

I may well be going to Avebury on Wednesday if you fancy it? Could meet up somewhere convenient en route - the road between Devizes and Avebury is ace!

[Mad Dave]

Wacky Racer said:

jvaughan said: I am now writing a letter to the MD of Salisbury Honda to thank them for their aftersales service and customer support From what you say I think you are being a bit harsh on your Honda dealer, if they were closing in fifteen minutes there was not a lot they could do in that time........ ......

They may have been closing in 15 minutes, but how much effort would it really have taken to say "hang on lads, we'll work an extra 5/10 minutes and get this chap sorted"? It wouldn't have been a great hardship and as Jason bought the bike from them 5 weeks ago, it would have been a nice gesture. I just think it pays to 'go the extra mile' if you can.

I was, however, VERY impressed by the AA - when i broke down in Cornwall (in a car) it took my breakdown service about 2-3 hours to collect me and run me home. Top marks to the AA - 6minutes really is astonishing!