| Author | Message | ||
     Dynasport |
I've got right at 9,000 miles on my 2010 XT and as I posted previously, I found oil seeping through the engine cases. Since the bike is under warranty, I wanted to let the dealer take care of it. My preferred dealer is 150 miles away and I didn't have any luck finding someone who could follow me there and bring me back. So, decided to try the local dealer and give them a chance. I thought that while I had the bike in for the leak I'd go ahead and let them do the 10,000 mile service. Well, I knew it wouldn't be cheap, but their quote was more than I expected ($625). The tech writer said it was about six hours worth of labor plus the parts. Does this price seem fair or I am getting taken? I know many of you will say that I should do my own service, and I don't disagree, but my time is very limited right now due to work and my mechanical skills are very limited. If the work takes a trained tech six hours to do, it would likely take me 24. Plus, I find that often the work requires specialized tools which I don't have. I do plan to learn to work on my bike more, but now is not really the time for me to start. So, again, is $625 reasonable? Thanks | ||
| Lloydxt |
Im in the middle of doing my 10,000 mile service, (Im at 11,000 miles). That seems CRAZY as most of it is just checking things and nothing takes any real special tools. That said, Im not going to do my fork oil as most members on here have stated they wait till 20,000. Thats just my 2 cents. | ||
| Whisperstealth |
Dyna, The $625 quote is about average, and is not to far out of line with what you'll get, If your bike was going in only for that. The fork job is the hardest / toughest thing to do. I've been putting it off... Anyway, most of it is check list stuff. The spark plugs call for replacement, but I have 20K on mine, and they work fine. I took them out to check, cleaned them up, and put them back in. Take a look at your owners manual. Better yet buy a service manual, a must in my book. Go down the list and you'll find most of it you can handle. Give yourself the gift of a couple hours with your bike. Not only will you save some money, but will feel really good about doing it. Or smooze the service writer at the dealership. Dealing with the leak is warranty work, and they will bill HD. If they have to split the cases, the oil will get changed. There is no reason for them to charge full price for the service, when they will be going over the bike anyway. If they want the warranty work, they should cut 2 hrs off the service cost. The parts for every thing is less than $70, the rest is labor. Make a deal.. | ||
| Froggy |
$600 is the normal going rate for a 10k service. Majority of the cost is the fork oil change. If you skipped that, the remainder of the service is in the $200 area. I can't wait to see how bad the 12k service is on my 1125R, but I doubt its as bad as the 10k on a XB. | ||
| Uly_man |
Dynasport - If you have had all the services done then HD should fix the leak and if you have any time left on the warranty then get them to do the 10k as well. I would. The price seems fair but it will be more if it needs bearings etc. Make sure they do all the brake/fork fluids, check the engine mounts are tight and check all bearings are ok. The HD 10k service is not enough as its, see in your book, mostly just checks. Wheel, steering head and swing-arm bearings need to be checked off the bike and thats, because it costs more, something they do not do. It depends on many things so its hard to advise. It is, no matter what some say, a sports handling bike and as such needs clean fluids and good bearings to get the best from it. Try and find a person who knows XBs and what to look for. Also mine is 15k with front bearings, 5k and 14k, and rears at 14k. Brake fluids at 14k. Nothing else and all is fine. (Message edited by uly_man on February 06, 2011) | ||
| Dynasport |
Thanks for the answers everyone. I think I am going to get in touch with the shop in the morning and tell them to just fix the leak. I am only at 9K right now. Maybe when I get closer to 10K I'll have more time to take care of most of it myself. Otherwise, at least I know what to expect if I decide to have a dealer do it. | ||
| Arcticktm |
If you do end up getting maintenance done at the dealer, make sure you insist on a written estimate up front that shows exactly what "services' they will be doing for that price. Do not assume it will the same as Buell recommends. It has become very common, especially at car dealers, to promote "recommended" services and intervals that are not the same as the manufacturer. It is a big money maker from folks that are unaware, I imagine. I have seen this with my wife's VW and on my Honda in recent years (I have never taken the bikes in for service, so cannot say for sure). Honda dealer told me I needed an oil change (I had done it 900 miles prior!), coolant flush (this one is very commonly used, but the coolant is long life 100,000mi stuff). I called their BS, and the write said it was "specific needs in our area". Gimme a break...Our climate in western NC is about as normal as it gets. Not too hot, not too cold. | ||
| Buellerxt |
Good decision, Dyna. | ||
| Dynasport |
I hadn't heard anything from the dealership as of this afternoon, so I stopped by to see what was going on. They told me they were done with my bike. What they did was clean off the oil from the cases, put dye in the oil, ride the bike 8 miles, check for visible leaks, not find any and call it done. I guess I hoped for more. I had at least expected a call when they were done. Oh well. I guess I'll be on the lookout for any leaks. | ||
| Hughlysses |
I called their BS, and the write said it was "specific needs in our area". Gimme a break...Our climate in western NC is about as normal as it gets. Not too hot, not too cold. What? You don't think a service writer with an associate degree from a local tech school knows more about service intervals than a team of engineers that designed the vehicle?  | ||
| Uly_man |
Apart from the electrics, and they are no big deal, the XB is is just a normal modern bike. Car or bike not many dealers give a crap after they got your money. DIY. Its the only way to go and more so with bikes. | ||
| Dynasport |
Oh, when I picked the bike up they told me to bring it back in after 500 miles to check for leaks. I asked what color the dye was and they said it was only visible under a black light. I want to be fair, and that may be the best way to find a leak. I had just hoped it would be taken care of when I picked the bike up. | ||
| Uly_man |
Black light aka a UV lamp. What a load of rubbish. Anyone can see an oil leak because its leaking oil? Or is that one to much on the simple side for those morons. From what you have said I would run, very quickly, away from these people. They are ripping you off, Sir. All the BS about the 10k service makes me laugh and taking it to most HD dealers is no better than DIY anyway. | ||
| Ratbuell |
Actually, UV dye is a common practice on cars and trucks as well as bikes. If the oil leaks out but doesn't leak enough to leave a residue...the UV dye will still show up. Experiment. Go to the garage. Open a quart of oil, and dip your finger in it. Then, smear that finger over a part of the engine. Not enough to make it "drip"...just a schmear. Hard to see, isn't it? Now, think of an episode of CSI where they find the "fluids" on the hotel mattress. That would be UV. Ask your car mechanic how they check for A/C or freon leaks. Another benefit? "Oil" can get splashed up from the road surface, or from another part of the vehicle. Dyed oil? Probably makes it more than a little easier to pinpoint the source. 500 miles sounds plenty reasonable, gives the engine enough time to mix the dye with all the oil, and enough time for any leaks to make themselves visible. Even if it *is* just under a blacklight. | ||
| Uly_man |
Just me and sort of old school but it was never a problem before. First of. If you mix the dye and oil you would need to wait till it passes through the leak so maybe 500 miles is about right. If its bad you will see it long before that UV or not. A gas leak on a car A/C system is, because it is a gas, something else. The gas charge of a car A/C system is a critical (by weight) charge and leaks tend to be found only by a gas monitor or external detection fluid. I would say the use of a UV fluid would speed the process of detection but is not needed for the price. CSI - Never leave sperm, drugs, finger prints, an E-Mail address, a 3D hologram of your DNA or they might get lucky. |
