Last year I bought a 95 GS 500E as a parts/project bike from a guy that had been on the forum here. He had taken the bike to a dealer and had them work the carbs and install a DJ jet kit for him. Fast forward to today, I finally had some time to look at the bike and see what was going on with it. I pulled the carbs and popped off the bowls and found that they had not been cleaned, the float needles and seats were full of varnish and the O rings were severely deteriorated. The main had been changed to a 128, but the pilots were original and were gummed up solid. On top of that the air mixture screw was seated. I pulled the caps and found they had installed DJ needles, of course one had a washer under the needle and the other was over the needle. :o
When I picked the bike up the guys wife told me that the bike shop had told him that it would take about $1500 to get the GS running and then it would not likely be a reliable bike. However they did have a used Sportster on the floor and they would cut him a deal on that and only charge him $200 for the work they had done so far. Well the guy bought the Sportster and was happy with it.
As for the GS, well I put in 40 pilots and 150 mains (drilled pipe, Lunchbox), as well as float needles and seats that I had pulled out of my girlfriend's 92 when I rebuilt her carbs last year, some fresh plugs, then with a fuel bottle in place a few cranks and the bike fired right up. Yes the bike still has some other issues, but nothing a little time and a few parts won't solve.
It bugs the heck out of me that the dealer would sabotage this guys bike to sell him something else and then still charge him the 'work' they did to it.
When I first got the bike here I had told the guy that I didn't think that his dealer had done him any favors. From what I found today I think we have confirmation.
The local dealers when a GS or a maxim, or a savage or a virago shows up, they call me for stuff that stumps them.
Anyway, there are good and bad shops, and even in the good shops there are bad mechs, and in a bad shop there can be a good mech ...
But yes, you have to do it yourself, else you're getting some one's random thrown together parts in some random order.
Cool.
Buddha.
Why am I not surprised?
I think so many people who become mechanics just have dreams pretending that they're fixing up some gsxr on a race team, or that they're some all-american handyman fixing up a good ole' Harley, so when someone brings in a gs500 instead they're less than motivated to work on it, and they just try to finish the job as fast as I could.
There's no excuse for not taking pride in your work even if it is uninspiring..
Quote from: Ugluk on June 07, 2010, 05:29:35 AM
There's no excuse for not taking pride in your work even if it is uninspiring..
Yes, uninspiring is my middle name ... and proud I am.
The more uninspiring it is, the more I like it.
Cool.
Buddha.
Quote from: tt_four on June 07, 2010, 05:05:15 AM
I think so many people who become mechanics just have dreams pretending that they're fixing up some gsxr on a race team, or that they're some all-american handyman fixing up a good ole' Harley, so when someone brings in a gs500 instead they're less than motivated to work on it, and they just try to finish the job as fast as I could.
It really isn't that hard to contribute to a race team. A lot of the privateers would love to have a mechanic on hand to help them around the pits, get the bike ready to go, and assist with track-side mechanical needs. I'd enjoy having a pit-crew, but they'd be working on my GS, not on a GSX-R or anything.
I'm sure that anyone who races would love to have a mechanic on hand, but how many full time jobs with benefits you think there are for people just off the street? :dunno_black: It's much easier to walk into a dealership and agree to work on the crap bikes and do nothing but change tires and clean carbs all day.
Quote from: tt_four on June 07, 2010, 05:05:15 AM
.....they're less than motivated to work on it, and they just try to finish the job as fast as I could.
Haha, I just noticed this subconscious typo that shows you how I really felt about that job, haha
Quote from: burning1 on June 07, 2010, 09:58:57 AM
It really isn't that hard to contribute to a race team. A lot of the privateers would love to have a mechanic on hand to help them around the pits, get the bike ready to go, and assist with track-side mechanical needs. I'd enjoy having a pit-crew, but they'd be working on my GS, not on a GSX-R or anything.
Where do you live and how much will you pay me?
I can pay job satisfaction. Monetarily, I'm more likely to ask for loans than be able to pay for track-side support. :p
In the end, work is work. I left a lucrative carrier in the IT world for 3 years so that I could follow a passion; teaching martial arts. In the end, I learned that even a dream job carries a lot of stress.
I would *not* want to be a motorcycle mechanic. (http://www.dansmc.com/yourshop.htm)
Dealers do what they have to do to feed there family ... But most of them have had there soul crushed by the job. just last week when looking for a bike i told the dealer what my budget was so he found a bike and came back at 25% over what i was willing to spend. i was financing the bike and i had a monthly budget. When i looked at what the dealer was offering the total cost was huge. If he had of done the job properly and not tried to get anther 2 k out of me just because he could I would have bought the bike from him. Now i will never buy anything from those guys and if i ever see him crossing the street i will either run him down or follow him home and take a poop in his shoes. Customer service should not be them stroking your ego whilst picking your pocket they should be honest up front and fair. people will pay an extra couple of bucks for something for a little bit of honesty and respect and most importantly THEY WILL COME BACK.
Quote from: marcusk on June 07, 2010, 04:41:38 PM
Now i will never buy anything from those guys and if i ever see him crossing the street i will either run him down or follow him home and take a poop in his shoes.
couldn't let that go without being quoted
I would tell the whole damn town to avoid that shop. Whatever bike comes in, it's a machine the customer is counting on. Shoddy work has no place on any vehicle of any kind. Your buddy got ripped and now has an inferior bike he will grow to hate soon. Everyone hates Sportsters, even Harley lovers. That's why very few people keep them for any length of time. Only my uncle rides only Sportsters, and that's because he doesn't like big bikes and hates anything foreign as he still considers them the enemy. He raced them for many years and knows they're not very good, but he remains loyal. After a short time your friend will want a Superglide or something of the sort. Sporties are relatively cheap but not adequate for anything but bar-hopping and short commutes and everyone knows it. That's all my uncle uses his for. He says he can't stay in the seat for much more than 20 miles. The dealer figured out your friend doesn't know bikes and pawned off the Sportster he couldn't sell in this bad market, shameful. :nono:
To suggest a GS is less reliable than a Sportster is totally ridiculous. It's like saying "You don't want that piece of junk Honda Accord, how about this nice Model A? It has a flathead! Check out that chrome!"
Heck I'd take a Model "A" do you know how much would go for these days?!?!?!
I must admit that I bought my GS at a really stand up dealership. They have helped me out alot. From giving me a new battery when my world literally came crashing down in front of them. My doc decided to diagnose me with thyroid cancer over the phone while I was standing at the parts counter only minutes after my battery bit the dust and I had no way home. They usually cut me a 30% deal on most items. I did the prepaid service for three years. The first year I really didn't get to use my bike so the services mounted up and they were going to expire. They let me bring my best friend's bike in (he also bought his bike there) and use one of my services.
Guess I'm lucky for once!
Mary
Thats great Mary its good to see that there are still people that put others before the buck
I know it's slightly off topic.. but I will never go to a Stealership anywhere for anything other than if I need a specialized part RIGHT NOW. (Thank goodness for the internet!) I will never have any Stealership work on any of my vehicles ever again. Long story short, I was forced to buy a rebuilt (by Subaru of America) transmission from a Stealership for a Subaru I have. When they got done putting the Third one in (Go Subaru! I have lost all of my faith in you now.) and I finally got the car back after a month, the service manager told me that my exhaust pipe was bent and colliding with my drive shaft. I was very confused about that, as it was not a problem before.. (Maybe I had bent it with the straps while trailering it? I doubt it.) So, I crawled under the car to take a look.. Yeah.. They put the carrier bearing in UPSIDE DOWN. Seriously? How are you an ASE Certified Dealership Mechanic making $30+ Dollars an hour and you put my carrier bearing in upside down?!?
Dropping a VTEC in my old '91 Accord Wagon now.. Good bye Subaru. We had a good run with all the different makes and models I beat the holy hell out of. I'm sorry I ever bought your lemon of '97 Outback.
Its sucks when dealers act like they are the only game in town....I usually can size up a place pretty quickly. I have run into dealerships where the sales staff where a-holes but the service department was top notch...but usually its a store wide problem.
But its great when you find a dealer that actually gives a crap about customer service. Price is important to me but customer service is top priority. I have find a great car dealer, tractor dealer and auto mechanic...they get all my business in those areas and in return they treat me fairly.
I went to a dealership in the next city over from me, about 30 miles away. Performance Powersports in Seneca, SC. I went in there for the first time 2 weeks ago to get some parts for my rebuild and the parts and service guys blew me away with customer service. Faaaar better than the dealership in the city I live in (Mega Motorsports in Toccoa, GA). Then, 4 days later, I went back to pick up my stuff, took my wife with me and got side tracked talking with the sales manager about anything and everything motorcycles, for at least an hour. So, I had interaction with 4 employees, who all seemed top knotch (I have 10+ years in sales and customer service and know a good thing when I see it). The showroom is state of the art and inventory is gigantic. They're voted in the top 100 dealers in the country and the only one in SC. ...and...they keep a small sales staff of whom all have good tenure with the company. :cheers: I was impressed. Bigtime.
I went back two days later with my resume in hand. Four days later, today, I had an interview. I start on Monday.
:thumb:
It is great to have good dealers. In the Seattle area, we have great dealers. Today I was in the area of my dealer. I had a couple of questions about the GS500F I bought last month. Without any appointment, I stopped in the service department. Not a problem. Someone came right out and spent some time with me to help me. "If you have more questions, stop in anytime." I like my dealer.
Maybe it has something to do with the biker community in the area. Here, it doesn't make any difference what bike you have. You have a bike so we're all part of the community. Maybe because on sunny days here in Seattle all the bikes come out and congregate at the water front. Its a friendly community out to enjoy bikes.
Maybe that carries over to how the dealers treat us. No attitude. No pressure. Just glad you're into bikes.
Mary's dealer is fantastic, no doubt about it. I only bought a new bike once, and the experience was fair. 27 years later they're still in business, so I guess they're pretty good.
The thing that keeps getting me is how many of you tell the dealer what you want to spend. DON'T EVER DO THAT. Telling them what you can spend is like playing poker with a mirror behind you. If you tell them you can spend $15,000 most will sell you a bike they'd be willing to sell for $12,000 or $13,000 for $15,000 and they'll throw-in an accessory to make you feel like you got a deal. Harley dealers live off this, profiting handsomely from yuppies with more money than sense. Have them show you bikes you're interested in but when it's time to talk turkey your finances are your business, not theirs. When they ask how much you have to spend, the correct answer is "It depends on what I end-up buying." The salesman will instantly know you're no fool and your odds of getting a good deal and good service down the road just increased remarkably. Also don't shop until you're serious. Don't waste his time. If you want him to be considerate, you have to be considerate.
The best way to get a good deal is to become knowledgeable, have more cash than you need to get what you want, and keep your finances PRIVATE. And of course, cash is king. Finance charges can be ridiculous, so they're best avoided, especially when buying toys. Toys should not be financed in my opinion. If ya ain't got the cash, ya can't afford it yet. Save up. Then when you plunk down for your dream bike it will be all the sweeter. My friend Dom's brother-in-law saved for 20 YEARS for a new Vette. He bought it last year, CASH. He's still grinning! Had he financed it he'd be worried about payments and his enjoyment would be severely curtailed.
Financing sucks . . . learned my lesson the hard way :mad:!!! So never again
Bill makes some good points.
Fortunately, I did homework before going in to the dealer - including checking out GStwin.com! Also, the dealer was recommended by other bikers who were friends and trainers at the gym.
A friend at my gym told me about sales for GS500F and Ninja 500. I researched both including what they were going for (both on sale for under $4k). It helps to do your homework. So when I went in, I knew pretty well what I wanted and what I should pay. "I'll pay cash today if you...". They did and I bought it. Glad I did. Love the GS. Almost 1000 miles in my first month. My dealer is great. They always have time for me when I go in. Too bad there are bad dealers that make people think all dealers are bad. We have many great dealers in the Seattle area.
If, like me, you prefer a dealer so you have someone to stand behind the product, find a cluster of bikes (or is it a gaggle, pod, school, flock or herd?) like on a sunny day at the beach. Find the bikes that interest you. Find the owners, ask some questions and find out who they think is a good or bad dealer.
Dealers Love finance. It makes them more $$$. If you pay cash you can let them know that You know they make more $ from finance.
Also, they get Floor Terms. Which means, they can have the bike for 90 days as Floor Stock before they need to make a payment to the manufacturer. So if you walk in to a dealer and see a new bike, then keep checking back to see if the one on display is the same one. Cause in the last month of their 90 free days, they would be more willing to make a deal. Of course, if bikes keep selling, then no bike sees the end of the 90 days. But it's something to keep in mind.
I've always found it a good idea to Make Them Think there is also another bike you are interested in that they don't sell. Such as a Honda CB400 vs the GS500. If you said you were tossing between a SV650 and a Gladius, they know they have a sale either way. But, if the choice is between a bike they have and one they don't have, they are likely to try to make a better deal to Stop you riding the other bike. Of course, if the deal is good - and you'll know cause you did your research - then jump at it. Cause if you come back after supposedly riding the other bike, you need another set of ploys to play otherwise they'll think the sale is in the bag.
With bringing bikes into Aust from OS, there is Import Duty and Goods and Services Tax which will be added on. GST is 10% and Import Duty could be 20%. So that $4000US bike which was $4700 Aust and only cost $500 to ship for a total so far of $5,200A, has 20% Import added. Which takes $4,700 up to $5,640. Onto which GST will be added to make it $6,204. It costs you $500 for shipping so you're into it for $6,700 now. And you still cannot get it registered cause it's not compliant. Maybe another $500 to make it compliant and you're now into it for $7,200. Not really worth it.
Oddly, years ago Ford made a car in Aust that they also shipped to the USA. In Aust is sold for $28k. In the USA it sold for US$14k - even though it was made in Aust. Go figure.
In Aust, we've just come off 11 straight years of sales growth in the bike industry. This year sales have dropped off. So they are hurting Compared to previous years growth. But still doing ok seeing as sales had been growing by 10% a year.
Michael