Getting your motorcycle inspected , but not at a MC shop

[Susuki_Jah]

I just called almost all of the motorcycle shops in the Richmond area yesterday. about 50% of them do state inspections and out of those 50% , 100% are closed on monday's. I dont get what it is with MC shops in Richmond but most all like to close on mondays.

One shop told me where they get all of their bikes taken to for state inspections... They said "Chester Muffler" .. this baffled me because I thought chester muffler was a shop for for 4 wheeled automobiles, which it is.  So I called up chester muffler and to my surprise the do motorcycle inspections. It seems to me that they might have been a little more forgiving than a MC shop would have been either.

my luck somtimes is not the greatest. my high beam headlamp was out, and my right tail light went out on the way up there. he replaced the tail light for me and the low beam worked on the bike so he didnt care to much about that.  he had me go through all the lights with him. My fork seal on the left is slightly leaking and he pointed that out to me, which I knew and am fixing this week, I already have all the parts for. But I passed never the less and im very happy about that. 


what other things would they check besides, lights , brakes, and leaks on a gs?

and from now on forget a MC shop, they are usually slow, overbooked and only open 4 days out of the week.

[Wrecent_Wryder]

&

[ducati_nolan]

Sounds like you bypassed the middle man and saved some dough 

Yeah most bike shops are closed on mondays.

I've never had to take a bike or car through inspection before, In Washington depending on the county, you need emmisions checked every so often but that's it. You may need to have an out of state vehicle inspected and I know you need vehicles with a salvage title to be inspected before being registered, but that's done by the state patroll.

You some of you guys need the bike inspected every so often?

[Susuki_Jah]

yea every year in VA we have to have the bike inspected or a car for that fact. we do not have emissions testing in VA well atleast in Richmond I think NOVA might.  all of my indicators and lights work except the actuall high beam itself haha. I bought one of those silvania true blue bulbs and it burned out in two uses... GREAT!  it was nice of the guy to over look the highbeam being out. I told him I never used it anyways, which is true.  with the new headlamp I put in the GS I can see better than ever just on the lowbeam. 

I just found it cool that the local auto shop down the streat can do inspections, and they do it with a smile too. They have gained my business for as long as I live here.   

I was actually nervous about taking the bike to a MC shop because somtimes those guys will laugh at you for owning a GS and doing anything to it other than keeping it stock.

there is one MC shop that races gs500's though and is always fun to hang out there because they love the little bike.

I have heard of states that dont need inspections.. somtimes I wish it was that way but with so many idiots out there maybe it really is needed.

[ducati_nolan]

The bike shop has more incentive to fail your inspection because they can "convieniently order all the parts you need" while a car place can't, except for lightbulbs, but those are relativly cheap.

Do you know how much more the bike shop charges? If they just take it down to the muffler shop like you did they must be trying to rip people off. Kind of suprising that they clued you in to their scam.

[Wrecent_Wryder]

*

[makenzie71]

Most shops are closed on Mondays, but almost all of them are open on Saturdays and a good deal of them run half-days on sunday.

I get my bike inspected at any place that does inspections.  DMV inspections are just that, no matter where they are.

In texas all you need is a mirror, brake light, headlight, turn signals (new), horn, and good rubber.

http://home.ama-cycle.org/amaccess/laws/result.asp?state=tx

You can find your requirements there.

[Kasumi]

OMG you have no idea how much this stirred me up hearing about motorcycle shops been closed on Mondays. The main motorcycle shop where i live around here closes on Sundays during peak summer seasons (infact its closed all year round on sundays) and they only run inspections and tyre changes during the week. I was like how buggered up is that. Sunday is the day everyone is out on their bikes and the motorcycle shop is always shut. its rediculous.

[scottpA_GS]

I work @ a Suzuki dealer and we are open Mondays  Mon - Sat 9AM - 7PM 

www.cernics.com

[Onlypastrana199]

New York has really stupid motorcycle inspections. Registrations are due every April, and you have to have an inspection every year.

They include:

Brake Check
Brake Light check (both front and rear must turn on the light independently)
Headlight high and low check
Horn Check
Clutch lever check
Chain check
Tire check
Fork check for leaking seals
Throttle check
Must have at least one mirror

Not enforced:
One rear red reflector two front reflectors
Exhaust decibel reading
No integrated tail lights

[dgyver]

Inspection? What inspection? Welcome to SC.

[makenzie71]

dgyver...can I register my bike at your address?  I HATE having to get my bike inspected...

[Susuki_Jah]

Inspection? What inspection? Welcome to SC.

How close are you to little river? my family owns land down there.

[cafeboy]

This is why I love being an inspector.

[mdbHokie]

I just went to a normal gas station to get mine done.  They asked me to use the horn, turn signals, front and rear brake, and high/low beam... and after that I was on my way!

[MrDan]

Something to keep in mind - at least for MD.  They are required to have an inspector on site whenever the shop (not the showroom) is open - state mandated.  I almost reported Ellicott City Motorsports because the shop was open Tues-Sat but the inspector was only there Wed/Thr.  I ended up going with Bob's BMW .. they loved having the GS there .. even did the ride in drizzle - I think the guy just wanted to ride my bike haha.

Oh - and the reason (as explained to me) that most bike shops are closed Sunday .. is to give them a chance to ride just like us

[Susuki_Jah]

Something to keep in mind - at least for MD.  They are required to have an inspector on site whenever the shop (not the showroom) is open - state mandated.  I almost reported Ellicott City Motorsports because the shop was open Tues-Sat but the inspector was only there Wed/Thr.  I ended up going with Bob's BMW .. they loved having the GS there .. even did the ride in drizzle - I think the guy just wanted to ride my bike haha.

Oh - and the reason (as explained to me) that most bike shops are closed Sunday .. is to give them a chance to ride just like us

I dont like others riding my bike and its not that they require the owner to go through all the features on the bike , they never once touch it nor do we have to ride it for them. pretty cool .

all motorcycle shops are closed sunday here and I dont mind that at all! it has always been a day of rest.

they are open usually half the day on saturday and somtimes close earlier than that and never are open on mondays, they also will close at 6pm too. Luckely the MC shop I like is 5 mins from my airforce base to I usually go on my lunch break.

[MrDan]

Something to keep in mind - at least for MD.  They are required to have an inspector on site whenever the shop (not the showroom) is open - state mandated.  I almost reported Ellicott City Motorsports because the shop was open Tues-Sat but the inspector was only there Wed/Thr.  I ended up going with Bob's BMW .. they loved having the GS there .. even did the ride in drizzle - I think the guy just wanted to ride my bike haha.

Oh - and the reason (as explained to me) that most bike shops are closed Sunday .. is to give them a chance to ride just like us

I dont like others riding my bike and its not that they require the owner to go through all the features on the bike , they never once touch it nor do we have to ride it for them. pretty cool .

i agree ... when i've had bikes inspected in VA (hate annual inspections btw) .. it was less than 5 minutes ... all he did was start it to ride it 10 feet in to the garage.

[Wrecent_Wryder]

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[bettingpython]

I was thrilled when Oklahoma did away with the annual inspection in 2002. Only a bike shop could do an inspection, which meant everyone wanted their bike done on saturday. It was nothing but another motor vehicle itax for me since the basic stuff they checked on cars and bikes are the type of things any self respecting owner will keep in working order.

Shops are open on saturday so people can shop get parts and possibly have service done. They close on sunday and mondays so that employee's can go ride and have a day when businesses are open like car dealerships, banks etc. Under our state law a dealer can't sell motorvehicles on sunday anyway.