600 Mile Service

[Billy Budd]

My bike is ready for the 600 mile service. I do all the service and repair work on my bikes. My dealer told me with a straight face that if I did the first service it could create some warranty issues. Bull puckey. So lets find out what you all think on this matter.............

 

[dduelin]

In the US by law a manufacturer cannot force an owner to go to an authorized dealer for service or even to use their brand of service items like filters. Just use oil meeting Honda recommendations and keep your receipts.

 

[Beemerphile]

My bike is ready for the 600 mile service. I do all the service and repair work on my bikes. My dealer told me with a straight face that if I did the first service it could create some warranty issues. Bull puckey. So lets find out what you all think on this matter.............

It could, so it isn't a bare-faced lie, but it could only create warranty issues if you have a failure and the required maintenance was not done, or if they can show that either your work was done improperly or your materials were not as specified. Keep your receipt for the parts and make your own note of the date and mileage when you performed the work. This is US law and not at the discretion of either US Honda or the dealership.

As an example, if there was an early failure of the clutch and you did not use a type MA oil, they could deny coverage. If there was an oil related failure and you could not show that you changed the oil (your own contemporaneously written notes are acceptable) they could deny coverage. I use oils that meet the full factory spec (though not Honda oils) and I use Honda filters. I would not want to argue with them about whether the bypass pressure, filtration efficiency, or flowrate capability of my WhizBang Ultra 500 filter was equivalent to OEM.

 

[cyrano138]

Apartment dweller here with no tools or workspace. I'm happy to let a mechanic do the work.

I used to change the oil in my cars until I realized what a waste of time it was for someone in my position. Without a place to work or any tools, by the time I'd hunted down a buddy with a driveway and jack stands, done the change, paid for the oil and filter, and disposed of the oil, I'd spent waaaayy more, in time, than the 10 dollars I saved by not just going to a mechanic.

I'm looking forward to learning how to do it, just so I know I can if I should ever have to for some reason, but if I wanted a bike I was always working on I'd have bought an old project to fix up.

 

[Spaceteach]

For the first service, I let the dealer do all the work. After that, I do it myself. I have had times (not on this bike) where there was a gray area repair or adjustment that I wanted done under warranty and I've found that dealers are much more supportive of this if they have done the maintenance. On the other hand those types of issues are typically resolved one way or another by the time the bike is due for the second and future service, so I'll normally just do those myself.
Another reason I'm partial to paying the dealer for the initial service is that I'm really lazy.

Bob

 

[Cutter J. Duke]

Since I got the cheap service package, I’m letting the dealer do the next 6 scheduled services, lets me point a finger during warranty. After that I guess I’ll be doing it for myself because I don’t want to pay an extra high shop rate at the dealer. Any major repairs out of warranty I’ll definitely take care of myself.

 

[wgwgoldwing]

I always do my own work and maintenance. The thought of someone else touching my bike with a wrench makes me very nervous. No one in the world cares more about my ride than me. Most of the basic maintenance stuff at a dealership is handled by the junior mechanics. That could be good (meticulous, by-the-book, something to prove, etc.) or that could be really bad (inexperience, covering their mistakes, sloppy, etc). It's not worth the chance to me. Thankfully, I have the experience and tools to perform the jobs myself.

What I do, of course, is save all my receipts (oil, oil filter, and crush washer). Right after the maintenance, I take a picture of the odometer. That gives me a photographic record and a date. I also record the details as to what was done, the odometer reading, and the date.

Now for those of you that are inexperienced or nervous about doing your own maintenance, reach out to your fellow riders. You might get lucky and find someone willing to help. If there's anyone near (or willing to travel to) the Kansas City area that wants some free help, just shoot me a message and we can certainly arrange something. Just be ready to get your hands dirty.


WGW

 

[Billy Budd]

I just got back from the dealer. They want $150 bucks for the first service. I can do it myself and have enough left over for some second tier hookers and blow.................

 

[bamamate]

My dealer charged ~$45 for the first LOF.

 

[cyrano138]

My dealer charged ~$45 for the first LOF.

Same here, approximately.

 

[BikerDude]

My bike is ready for the 600 mile service. I do all the service and repair work on my bikes. My dealer told me with a straight face that if I did the first service it could create some warranty issues. Bull puckey. So lets find out what you all think on this matter.............

Not allowed to do this in the EU. So long as it is maintained in accordance with the service schedule, they don't have a legal leg to stand on.

Best regards,
BikerDude.

 

[MZ5]

I had planned to let my dealer do the first service. It is possible, however, that I will end up taking the bike on a work trip soon that I had planned to fly to. If I do that, it won't work out to have the dealer do it, so I'll just do it myself. Normally, I do my own automotive service and repair work. That said, I no longer have the space or tools I once had, so there are fewer things I'm set up to do now. I went and got a filter and some oil from my dealer just the other day because I intend to do an oil change very shortly (well before the 600-mile service point). Then I'll change again for the 600-mile service and run from there until 5k. I like 5k intervals because they're extremely easy for me to remember & follow on the odometer. Plus, at least up to now, my analyses show that interval to be conservative with the parts I use. We shall see how Wiley does on that interval.

 

[Billy Budd]

I picked up two filters from Mother Honda today, with tax $36.86..................THAT is a rip off. I will go back to my Group 7 V4612 that I run on the Wing for $2.49. (Same Filter for both bikes)

 

[Beemerphile]

I picked up two filters from Mother Honda today, with tax $36.86..................THAT is a rip off. I will go back to my Group 7 V4612 that I run on the Wing for $2.49. (Same Filter for both bikes)

$8 each on eBay every day. Honda OEM 15410-MFJ-D01

 

[MZ5]

Good price on the Honda-labeled filter.

Another alternative one might consider is the Purolator motorcycle-specific filter line. Often those are more reasonably priced than OEM parts, and I have this odd suspicion that they're often identical parts in different 'clothes.'

 

[Beemerphile]

Good price on the Honda-labeled filter.

Another alternative one might consider is the Purolator motorcycle-specific filter line. Often those are more reasonably priced than OEM parts, and I have this odd suspicion that they're often identical parts in different 'clothes.'

There are several web sites where they cut them open and show the guts. Most are well made and some are junk. Filtration area varies greatly. A couple of different kinds of media. Lots are different enough in detail that you can tell they are not identical, and some are as you say - dupes. Ya pays ya nickel and ya takes ya choice. (PopEye)

 

[Billy Budd]

I sell the Group 7 filters in my business, they are made by Purolator. I have run them on the Wing for along time.

 

[stephenfAY]

I let the dealer do all the service until the warranty expires. Then she's all mine.

 

[Billy Budd]

I let the dealer do all the service until the warranty expires. Then she's all mine.

That was why I bought the filter from them, wehn she is out of warranty I will run the other ones.

 

[MZ5]

In the US by law a manufacturer cannot force an owner to go to an authorized dealer for service or even to use their brand of service items like filters.

Actually they can, but if they do, they must provide them at no charge. The effort to subvert this law in the automotive segment is to use proprietary 'specifications' that are not made available to any aftermarket entities such that only the dealership has 'certified' items. They then deny your warranty claim if you didn't use their stuff. To stop them, you must take legal action and _force_ them to _prove_ that your service or parts _caused_ the failure. It's expensive, time-consuming, and a PITA. Thus, warranties are 'illegally' denied routinely without particular consequence to the manufacturer or dealership.