View Full Version : Servicing your own bike and warranties
I may or may not have asked this before I have looked on the web but found nothing specific and I know someone on here will have the knowledge.
My Question: I have a 2012 Honda motorcycle with a two year warranty and have had it serviced the last two times by a Honda Franchise. I have nothing wrong with the Honda Franchise and the Mechanic is excellent. Things that should be checked and replaced are. If you need to chat with him you can.
However, as I'm office bound I always think of tinkering with the bike at the weekend, because I have a thirst for 'how things work'.
I've got my 16,000 mile service coming up soon and I'm in two minds as to get Honda to do it or Buy the Honda Service Manual, the tools and do it myself.
I contacted Honda and asked if doing the work myself would void the warranty.
Honda's Reply:
You risk losing the warranty on your motorcycle if non-genuine Honda parts are used or if a fault occurs due to the repairs carried out by yourself.
From that my question is then... Am I basically ****ed if anything goes wrong... but then so long as I follow protocol and use genuine parts (which I would) am I then still able to claim, should anything go wrong with my Honda?
It seems grey area.
Mikkie1986
06-12-12, 11:11 AM
i see the dilema.... Grey area indeed,
i would buy the workshop manual if available. Read it, then see how confident you feel in taking on the task... You may want it in future for other services on the bike. However i think (not 100%) the 16,000 is a valve check and i wouldnt like a grey area regarding that service...
I will ask Pete Honda Tech and post up.
:)
Mikkie1986
06-12-12, 11:28 AM
Yep valve adjustments + more. Dont let that scare you though. Might be a challenge but would be a good learning curve...
Grey area regarding Honda warranty and self adjusting aswell. :-/
Dont know what i would do....
i see the dilema.... Grey area indeed,
i would buy the workshop manual if available. Read it, then see how confident you feel in taking on the task... You may want it in future for other services on the bike. However i think (not 100%) the 16,000 is a valve check and i wouldn't like a grey area regarding that service...
I will ask Pete Honda Tech and post up.
:)
That's the thing Mikkie, every 8,000 miles on the NCX is a Valve Clearance.
Drop the rad to the side pop off the cover and were in... plus change a few other parts as required.
Pete does a great Job! 8-)
Senna(Dan)
06-12-12, 11:41 AM
Splash,
As costly as it may be taking it to the dealer for the first two years it may be your best bet.
Suzuki tried to have me when there were non-genuine Suzuki parts on the bike, the dealer I bought it from serviced it! The bike then died two weeks later and I was facing the bill for a new engine until the receipts came out that stated what had been put on the bike.
I know Honda's are nigh on bulletproof but be wary if you install something that isn't manufacturer approved it may bite you hard in the pocket. As soon as it is out of warranty then do as much as you can yourself because it does save a fortune.
Splash,
As costly as it may be taking it to the dealer for the first two years it may be your best bet.
Suzuki tried to have me when there were non-genuine Suzuki parts on the bike, the dealer I bought it from serviced it! The bike then died two weeks later and I was facing the bill for a new engine until the receipts came out that stated what had been put on the bike.
I know Honda's are nigh on bulletproof but be wary if you install something that isn't manufacturer approved it may bite you hard in the pocket. As soon as it is out of warranty then do as much as you can yourself because it does save a fortune.
Dan,
In all honestly it's not about the cost. I'm happy to spend the money especially when I know Pete is at the hands of my Bike.
I have just recently had the thirst to get my hands dirty,for once and get stuck in!
As I do a lot of miles, and will most probably do even more next year, I know there will be a point when I'll need some mechanical experience, so wanted to start.
I wouldn't go cheap on parts, just isn't worth it, I ride my bike 24/7 and want to know it has the manu approved parts whether is was under warranty or not, I'd still ensure they were.
But yes you are right thinking about it it'll save me a fortune, after I have purchased most of the tools and crap!
I have spent around £450.00 on Honda servicing since I got the bike in June! :o
Another thing is that the Dealership costs for the bike in particular vary majorly around the south!
8-)
Splash,
Pretty simple really - if you want to preserve the warranty intact and without any arguments down the line, get it Dealer Serviced.
If you want to learn about mechanics, buy an old bike and learn on that. There'll be far more to do than on a modern bike and for the mechanically inexperienced it'll be a lot easier to pick up as older technology is more accessible and less reliant on masses of electronics. Look in the paper or on-line for something advertised as "Spares or Repairs", "MoT failure" or similar that you can pick up nice and cheap, buy a manual and some tools and start learning.
Splash,
Pretty simple really - if you want to preserve the warranty intact and without any arguments down the line, get it Dealer Serviced.
If you want to learn about mechanics, buy an old bike and learn on that. There'll be far more to do than on a modern bike and for the mechanically inexperienced it'll be a lot easier to pick up as older technology is more accessible and less reliant on masses of electronics. Look in the paper or on-line for something advertised as "Spares or Repairs", "MoT failure" or similar that you can pick up nice and cheap, buy a manual and some tools and start learning.
I just wondered what the law said and if it was the same as cars, man I'd love to buy another bike, I'd get a XL125 Varadero (Always wanted one - in white) and service / tinker with that... but I'm only allowed one, words of my father. :(
Scotty has summed it up very well.
I'd take the Honda to a dealer until the warranty is up. In the meantime get a cheap, simple bike to fiddle with and learn about.
The only thing a manufacturer is duty bound to fix is a recall. If the engine packs up due to a sensor failing (for instance) during the warranty period it's up to the reading of the warrenty details as to whether your covered. If you have it serviced by a Honda dealer who is a trained Honda mechanic using Honda parts then their scope for wriggling out is nil. If you do it using Honda parts in your garage then they can blame you for the failure and get out that way. It's then up to you to argue the toss with them.
I think you've had pretty much the same answers here. But to be clear, it is illegal for a manufacturer to refuse a warranty claim on the basis that the service has not been done by a manufacturers own dealer franchise. That loophole was closed a few years ago. What they can do is refuse a warranty claim if non-recommended spares/parts have been fitted or the correct service intervals/procedures have not been followed.
Having said that, if you have had it dealer serviced its usually a faster and easier track to getting warranty items replaced simply because there's an extra check to be made for approving the claim if the work was done elsewhere. Also, the dealer you may want to use to do the work may refuse if you have not bought the bike from them in the first place. Its the dealer that sold you the bike that you have the sales contract with.
I service my own bikes because I really enjoy doing it and know what's actually been done rather than what the stamp says has been done. As an aside I have saved a fortune on BMW service prices. I agree with Scotty that you need to be careful what you take on as a start and also you should buy a few decent tools where necessary plus the manufacturers service manual. Do some research first and ask questions from others who have done it before.
I think you've had pretty much the same answers here. But to be clear, it is illegal for a manufacturer to refuse a warranty claim on the basis that the service has not been done by a manufacturers own dealer franchise. That loophole was closed a few years ago. What they can do is refuse a warranty claim if non-recommended spares/parts have been fitted or the correct service intervals/procedures have not been followed.
Having said that, if you have had it dealer serviced its usually a faster and easier track to getting warranty items replaced simply because there's an extra check to be made for approving the claim. Also, the dealer you may want to use to do the work may refuse if you have not bought the bike from them in the first place. Its the dealer that sold you the bike that you have the sales contract with.
I service my own bikes because I really enjoy doing it and know what's actually been done rather than what the stamp says has been done. As an aside I have saved a fortune on BMW service prices. I agree with Scotty that you need to be careful what you take on as a start and also you should buy a few decent tools where necessary plus the manufacturers service manual. Do some research first and ask questions from others who have done it before.
Thanks Snowy, very much appreciated! :)
....... But to be clear, it is illegal for a manufacturer to refuse a warranty claim on the basis that the service has not been done by a manufacturers own dealer franchise. That loophole was closed a few years ago. .......
I was reading the latest Ride magazine last night and remembered this thread - they have a small article on it this month.
Apparently the Motor Vehicle Block Exemption Regulation refers to passenger cars and doesnt include motorcycles, so if you do want to rely on a manufacturers warranty with a bike it must be dealer serviced.
I was reading the latest Ride magazine last night and remembered this thread - they have a small article on it this month.
Apparently the Motor Vehicle Block Exemption Regulation refers to passenger cars and doesnt include motorcycles, so if you do want to rely on a manufacturers warranty with a bike it must be dealer serviced.
My understanding which is based on discussions on another forum with people who's day jobs are within the motor trade sector (cars and bikes) plus some reading of the relevant EU articles, would be the opposite in that the EU Block Exemption Directive covers "Motor Vehicles" as a generic term. One of the contributors on this forum is a BMW main dealer and confirmed that their understanding is also along the lines that bikes are included. My personal experience is that I have had warranty work performed on my own bike even though I do my own servicing and repair work which I back up with full service records and receipts. However, I don't profess to be an expert in the matter and since I have no interest personally in dealer servicing then I'm not going to pursue or argue the point. There are other types of warranties, the type sold by insurance companies after a manufacturers warranty has expired which can (and usually do) stipulate dealer servicing.
My understanding which is based on discussions on another forum with people who's day jobs are within the motor trade sector (cars and bikes) plus some reading of the relevant EU articles, would be the opposite in that the EU Block Exemption Directive covers "Motor Vehicles" as a generic term. One of the contributors on this forum is a BMW main dealer and confirmed that their understanding is also along the lines that bikes are included. My personal experience is that I have had warranty work performed on my own bike even though I do my own servicing and repair work which I back up with full service records and receipts. However, I don't profess to be an expert in the matter and since I have no interest personally in dealer servicing then I'm not going to pursue or argue the point. There are other types of warranties, the type sold by insurance companies after a manufacturers warranty has expired which can (and usually do) stipulate dealer servicing.
Hi Snowy
I just read the article and thought I'd mention it, but like you am no expert.
Sadly it's not relevant to me with an old bike :(
Going back to the reply from Honda the bit about using genuine parts is straightforward, whereas the part about "if a fault occurs due to the repairs carried out by yourself" is much less so. Essentially during the process of a warranty claim they will want evidence of the use of genuine parts along with proof that they were fitted by a 'competent person'. If you feel that you could provide both and accept the inevitable delay due to non dealer service history (noting that you say you use the bike 24/7), then do the work yourself. If not then let the dealer do it until the warranty expires. Another aspect is of course the affect on re-sale value, depending on how long you intend to keep the bike this may also be something you need to consider.
Conehead
17-04-13, 06:07 PM
Don't touch it till the warranty is up. If it goes wrong there is no way to prove you are competent as you are not a Honda mechanic.
If you cant get another bike (As your father says) then do what I did and just buy the engine. I have a 600 bandit engine I strip and rebuild to get the practice for when I need to anything on mine. You can get them cheap if you ask in the right places (forum, etc but not ebay) I got mine for £30.
Good luck.
Powered by vBulletin® Version 4.2.5 Copyright © 2024 vBulletin Solutions, Inc. All rights reserved.