| Buying a new Honda | Rate Topic |
| Moderators: redbaron, MDKramer, Flyone, AZgl1500 | Page:   1 2 3 4   |
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| Posted: Wed Dec 1st, 2010 02:37 pm | 41st Post |
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i won't go to the honda shops . had a bad experince with one took forks from cb 900 in to have chk out to see for pits . was told they where okay they repaired them . leak two weeks later took the bike back in they fixed and installed rear tire again the seals leaked and the tire was wrong size rubing swing arms . was told the forks where pitted and they would not repair again and had to fight to get right tire installed. now i do the work myself that way i know its right.
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| Posted: Wed Dec 1st, 2010 02:46 pm | 42nd Post |
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if you are in my area, rosenau will work on a bike older than 10 years but motorcity power sports ( the old adederson honda ) will not
____________________ '75CB750K,'79cb750f,'79CB750/9k,'84aspencade,'93gl1500se,'85CB450SC,'05SunL70........william |
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| Posted: Wed Dec 1st, 2010 05:09 pm | 43rd Post |
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I've always felt the problem with Honda is exactly what Rudy mentioned. Honda makes too many diverse products and their dealers tend to sell way too many different things and models for their mechanics to be well versed on. Add to that the low pay for those mechanics and I'm surprised anyone works at a bike dealership at all. Pay for auto mechanics at a major dealership is real money. Even when you have the manual in front of you it takes awhile to get familiar with a machine you haven't seen before. Also don't forget that a lot of shops have kids to do the dirty work, you don't want to pay a journeyman to clean parts and sometimes those trainees work on more complex parts that they aren't competent at yet.
____________________ If you can't ride, fly or sail it, why bother? 2001 Goldwing 1800 Paul W. |
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| Posted: Thu Dec 2nd, 2010 03:38 am | 44th Post |
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I atualy had one dealer say "We don't work on that old junk!". I had a prestine LTD that only needed front fork seals. I had just had surjury or I would have done it myself. I'm Honda and MMI certified. I gave the service manager a sermon loud enough for all the customers to hear and left.
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| Posted: Thu Dec 2nd, 2010 06:26 am | 45th Post |
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Interesting attitude for a Honda dealer to denigrate his own brand. I can see them not wanting to work on it even though that's foolish too since forks are forks but to bad mouth a Honda bike as junk is going a bit beyond.
____________________ If you can't ride, fly or sail it, why bother? 2001 Goldwing 1800 Paul W. |
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| Posted: Sun Dec 5th, 2010 11:11 am | 46th Post |
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exavid wrote:Interesting attitude for a Honda dealer to denigrate his own brand. I can see them not wanting to work on it even though that's foolish too since forks are forks but to bad mouth a Honda bike as junk is going a bit beyond. I agree. Over here that would have been asking for a fist in the mouth. 
____________________ Brian Rowan |
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| Posted: Wed Dec 7th, 2011 11:06 pm | 47th Post |
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As far as the dealerships go in OK its the same.I bought a 80 model about 9 years ago with a knock that did not show up till after the first oil change.yep you guessed it I was conned.I went to the local dealer for a rebuild and of course they said no but they would be glad to sell me the parts.my first order was 6 hundred dollars worth and it took 2 weeks to get all of it.storage and shop space cant be cheap.down shop space could be another reason why the dealers wont take the oldies.but that's cool cause nobody knows my machine like I do now Last edited on Wed Dec 7th, 2011 11:07 pm by boomer66 ____________________ 1980 i black beauty 2003 black boulevard PROUD MEMBER of B.A.C.A |
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| Posted: Fri Dec 9th, 2011 02:38 am | 48th Post |
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Man, I just plopped down 25K for a new wing. I was torn between a new HD Ultra Classic and the Wing. If I knew that Honda allowed such crappy dealer service policies to exist I would of bought the Harley. Harley takes care of their customers. If the problem is dealer training Honda needs to step up and take care of it. If the problem is that the dealer wants to "encourage" you to buy a new bike by refusing to service older ones, Honda needs to take care of that also. I could have bought a new car for what I paid for my 2012. You spend that much on anything you really do expect the company to support their product. These ain't throw away's.
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| Posted: Fri Dec 9th, 2011 03:47 am | 49th Post |
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 Welcome to the World's Greatest Goldwing Site jschiner!It is indeed unfortunate that Honda doesn't support their top of the line bikes very well. One reason I suspect is that Goldwings are a pretty minor part of most Honda dealer's sales and another is that the Goldwing is about the most complex motorcycle on the market and not all dealers have qualified mechanics to work on them to start with. The abandonment of ten year old plus 'Wings by dealers is very shoddy. I doubt you'll find much disagreement with the above about most Honda dealers. There are some good ones and if you find one be sure to support them. The good news is that if you intend to do some serious riding I believe you have chosen the world's best motorcycle to do that on. I don't know in what area a Harley Davidson could out perform a 'Wing other than a bit better fuel economy. In my opinion the water cooled opposed six and shaft drive beats any air cooled V-twin with belt drive. Any Goldwing that's not abused can achieve 200,000 miles or better with no maintenance other than the routine stuff. There's a fellow near me who has almost 400,000 miles on his 'Wing. Other than the usual routine maintenance all he's done to the engine is replacing a clutch somewhere around 300,000 miles. If it's short local stuff all the time and one want's to be part of the herd then maybe a HD is a better bike but for eating up miles and miles of road there's nothing better than a Goldwing.
____________________ If you can't ride, fly or sail it, why bother? 2001 Goldwing 1800 Paul W. |
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| Posted: Tue Dec 13th, 2011 08:37 pm | 50th Post |
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I guess I am very fortunate in that I am surrounded by three excellent dealers here in Southern Indiana. I do most of my own work (Oil & tire changes, minor electrical, etc) and any part that I needed has been readily available from these dealers. I even was able to get a new fairing for my 20+ year old bike when it fell over at a gas pump and had to be replaced. They did say that there was only one available in whatever warehouse or distribution center that they got parts from? I have previously posted about the very excellent treatment I have received from the service dept at one of them. (M & E Honda in Bedford, IN) I am 70 years old and hope to ride several more years and expect to be riding my 1990 SE until I quit riding altogether.
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| Posted: Sun Dec 18th, 2011 04:41 pm | 51st Post |
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I have a surprise for youins, Harley is no better for service on 20+ y.o.bikes than Honda,add to that,just walk up to the parts counter & ask for a part with an old part #!& watch the dumb looks you get.Last time I rode my OEM 82 superglide to one of those dealer sponsored "ride parties" one of the staff there says "time for a new bike"!
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| Posted: Mon Dec 19th, 2011 03:44 am | 52nd Post |
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I have owned Goldwings for almost 30 years. I love Goldwings BUT I almost NEVER taken them to a "Honda" dealer for service. Some of the best mechanices are backyard mechanices that LOVE bikes as much as I do, and work on them for the love of bikes not the money. I now have a 2010 with 15000 km's on it. Since it left the dealer it has never been back. I do all the work I can on my own. I keep all receipts for oil and and work I do on it as it does have a 7 year warranty. Any work that is warranty I will have to take it to my dealer......... BUT if my other Wings are any indication I won't need to. If your not real sure if you can do it yourself go to bike meets and rides ask other riders how to do it, bet you will meet guys that with a couple of cold beers out in the shop will help you get it done.
____________________ It's not What you ride.. It's That you ride... New 2010 GL in April 2011 Now a Darksider https://sites.google.com/site/djbrandeau/ |
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| Posted: Mon Jan 9th, 2012 03:03 am | 53rd Post |
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My "local" Honda dealer will not work on a bike older than 10 yrs old. So just for grins I called a large dealer in Dallas. They laughed when I told them that my local dealer would not work on older bikes. He told me they work on all Honda bikes no matter what year as long as parts are available. I guess it's up to the dealer.
____________________ 89 blue green wing Previous bikes: 87 interstate shadow spirit 1100 st1100 magna 700 vulcan 1500 cb900 custom cb360 |
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| Posted: Mon Feb 20th, 2012 04:00 am | 54th Post |
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exavid wrote: The problem with Honda is their success. Honda dealers sell so many different products that their mechanics have to work on a huge spectrum of machines from ATV, scooters, a whole menagerie of various bikes to the Goldwing. There is just too much to expect them to handle well. Yeah I agree with that and also they have good mechanics all around the state and probably in the world. New machines are getting better and better and so are the technicians who manage them.
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| Posted: Sat Mar 10th, 2012 11:13 pm | 55th Post |
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AspectOne think your self lucky the first 2 years of my warranty i wish they had turned me a way. because i used 3 different dealerships here in the uk and they all made a mess of it every time and when i wrote to honda uk to complain they might as well have sent me a letter saying pi** off we have had your money. honda has lost the plot over the last few years. they don't care any more.just want your cash
____________________ Glenn/uk Germany,Poland,Holland,Slovakia,Croatia,Slovenia,Austria,USA,Hungary,Ireland, chec rep,Estonia,Latvia,Lithuania,Romania on a 1988/1500 115.000 miles and rising/new 1800 start again,Italy,Switzerland,Belgium,France,Nurburgring ,Bosnia ,Montenegro ,Luxembourg , |
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| Posted: Sun Mar 11th, 2012 01:16 am | 56th Post |
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smasty wrote: exavid wrote:The problem with Honda is their success. Honda dealers sell so many different products that their mechanics have to work on a huge spectrum of machines from ATV, scooters, a whole menagerie of various bikes to the Goldwing. There is just too much to expect them to handle well.  Welcome to the Forum, smasty. Only 2 posts and already I'm thinking you may be in line for the next Forum Jester!
____________________ Lawrence '98 Valkyrie - current '97 1500SE (Austone Taxi Tire) - current |
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| Posted: Mon Mar 12th, 2012 12:09 am | 57th Post |
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Congratulations on your new Goldwing jschiner.
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| Posted: Mon Mar 12th, 2012 11:18 am | 58th Post |
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i rode my bike to a shop not a honda shop but a bike shop just to buy tires,its called (Haritage cycle)ask the guy if he can get tires for my older bike,didnt tel him how old ,my 1973 honda cd175,he says let me go look ,so he walks outside looks at the bike and says no to old,turns arround and walks away,i said you cant get tires he says noooo and walks away again.like really .look at the name of the shop,really,so i said f*** you and rode off into the sunset
____________________ 1983 honda cb350 (gone) 1987 kz 125 (gone) 2003 polaris 330 4x4 (gone) 2009 1973 nonda cd175 (on the road) 2011 1985 honda goldwing gl1200(on the road) |
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| Posted: Mon Mar 19th, 2012 06:40 am | 59th Post |
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I have bought 27 brand new motorcycle in my lifetime, from all 4 Japanese manufacturers, and have NEVER found a dealer that I liked. They were better back in the old days, but I never found one that did not try to rip you off on either a new bike or service. Dealers in my area are all huge multibrand powersports emporiums, their buildings, landscaping, etc are all way too big and fancy for a motorcycle dealer. When you go in to look at a new bike, they take the MSRP, then add about $1000-$1500 worth of bogus charges to it, then literally try to force you into buying an extended warranty and service contract for at least $1000 more. None of the multibrand emporiums will work on or sell parts for a bike over 10 years old, they want to sell you a new bike. You could go to a dealer, buy a brand new Goldwing, pay all the bogus fees, putting the price well north of 30 grand, and 10 years later, they will want nothing to do with it. If I spent that kind of money on a motorcycle, I would expect it to last a lifetime. I blame Edward Demming for the current state of the auto and motorcycle industry. Todays cars and bikes are designed from the ground up to be disposable, to be used up and scrapped, and not fixed. They are designed to make fixing them nearly impossible, both mechanically and financially. I own 2 vintage American cars, built before Mr. Demmings influence hit Detroit, and they are wonderful. Easy to maintain, and cheap and easy to fix. And parts are available, and will likely to continue to be available, not from the manufacturer, but from the aftermarket. They are both Fords, and of course no Ford dealer will work on them. Right now I work on them myself. If that ever becomes impossible, I know a number of vintage car mechanics I would trust with them. I don't know a single mainstream mechanic I would trust. Part of the thing with owning vintage vehicles is either working on them yourself, which I do, as a hobby, or having a good relationship with a specialist shop to work on them. As for the tires, there are plenty of places online where you can get tires for that bike. A dealer or bike shop probably wouldn't sell them to you, because they would have to special order them, and there wouldn't be enough profit in it to make it worth their while. One of the differences between vintage American cars, and vintage Japanese anything, is an almost complete lack of parts for vintage Japanese vehicles. They started building disposable vehicles long before American companies did. They do not stand behind what they built, and there is no aftermarket support. It's just a sad reality in todays "here today, gone tomorrow" world. Nobody makes anything intended to last anymore. As you can probably tell from my signature, I am a vintage vehicle enthusiast.
____________________ "New vehicles move the body. Old vehicles move the soul. Vintage forever" "Obsolete does not mean it is not any good, it just means it is not made anymore" "The simpler the better" PGR member since '07 |
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| Posted: Mon Mar 19th, 2012 06:12 pm | 60th Post |
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My first car, would now be a vintage, if not antique. Ditto my second and third car. They were a 1950 Chevrolet, 1952 Ford Victoria, and a 1957 MGA. Compared to modern cars they were gas burners, had short lived engines, lousy performance and handling and poor reliability. The 1950 Chevy was 9 years old with it's upholstery in bad shape, headliner half rotted out, rods knocking, no second gear, and 15,000 miles on it's odometer. That's why I could afford it. The Ford was a slush pumping, flat head V8 that would shift to it's second gear (only had two) on any slight rise in the road. When you floored it on the highway it didn't go much faster, just got a bit louder. The MGA was a really neat looking car but that's about as far as it went. It's 1500cc four banger was pretty anemic, the car's reliability was enhanced by the wonderful Lucas Electrical system that prevented the car from wearing out. Mainly by keeping it from running too much, and of course those two wonderful SU side draft carbs. Those cars were more of a mechanic's school for me than real transportation. American cars with a few exceptions were pretty much poorly built, lousy handling and short lived until the Japanese began to show them up. Same as they did to British and American motorcycles. Anyone who thinks those old vintage cars were good never had to rely on them or drive very many miles in them. Modern cars don't require you to go down the road see sawing the steering wheel to keep it in a straight line, modern brakes don't disappear on a rainy day when they get wet, modern cars don't need a quart of oil with a fill up of gasoline, modern cars can stop in half the distance of those old barges and modern cars don't roll over unless really provoked, don't spear the driver with the steering column, etc. etc. You can still get parts for Ford model As too. So what? Oh yeah, with those old cars you never had, seat belts, air bags, ABS, power windows, power brakes, power steering, air conditioning, keyless entry, fancy audio systems, and all the stuff everyone wants now. Prices of those old cars weren't much different than they are now when you adjust for inflation. It takes a similar amount of man hours to earn the money to buy one as it did in the 50s. A $2500 dollar Dodge in 1955 was a very major purchase for my father back then. A similar level car nowadays would be around $25,000. My dad made about $4500 per year back then so someone to day making $45,000 would be in the sam situation buying a new car today. Yep, I agree todays cars aren't at all like those great machines of the past. For that I am grateful.
____________________ If you can't ride, fly or sail it, why bother? 2001 Goldwing 1800 Paul W. |
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