(no just a local member to you)
Just make sure you don't pay them another penny for the pleasure of them doing their job correctly! They will make some BS excuse up for what the problem was/is and try to lighten your wallet, I'm betting they either cocked it up properly or forgot to put the plug back on the bottom of the throttle body.
Any problems, take it away and get it looked at. I'll look with the right gauges etc (Slough/Heathrow) as I'm sure any other GS'er will!
Here's a little history of Vines as they are the closest to lots of us on 'Gabfesters'... We've come close to having a group ride to them on a spring bank holiday just to warn people how crap they are!
Now we take great pleasure in using them for test rides only, I'd never buy a bike from them and avoid if possible passing any money to them in any way, though I'll drink their coffee!
Our 'opinion' is that they are guilty of 'sharp' practise if they can renege on verbal agreements they will and often their work is shoddy, bordering on incompetent.
R850:
Went in for a problem cutting out in the wet, was told it's the hall effect and about £400 lighter it stopped in the first bit of rain, then it was the flywheel effecting the hall effect, so told he needed a new flywheel and clutch. This time he said he'd pay after it had been ridden in the rain.....did not work so then they said it was the ECU.....nope. At this point they insisted that he pay the best part of £2500 for the works carried out (on top of the £400 for the hall effect), at this point we had a little group ride to Vines and asked to look at the bike.
5 mins later with an old FLASH spray bottle filled with water and an electrical meter it was running fine once the simple task of looking at the side-stand switch and bypassing it....Vines withdrew the invoice but refused to refund the £400 or provide the old Hall effect.
R1100RT and F800:
The R1100RT went for a full service, told it needed new rear pads....done... asked if he wanted an MOT at £60.....er no! Bike was taken from Vines and used for 1 week before being taken for it's MOT locally (£20) where it failed for excessive wear to the rear pads, found to be the old pads still in!
On trade in the F800 was taken for service (no option for warranty) to Vines (think he'd learn not to now!), this was not the first service but the proper annual service. Being now a little more careful of Vines the oil filter was marked. The bike came back with the same filter and the ECU was still asking for a service! Other bits were done so it had not just wholly slipped through the net.
K1300GT
Brought brand new (when I dabbled with speed and had a K1200GT for a while), I fitted a set of crash bobbins and as drilling a new fairing brings you out in a cold sweat, Rider asked Vines how much to fit them at the first short inspection. Vines supplied and fitted the bungs, but when the bike was picked up they were terrible, panels were shifted and 'caught' on the bungs but Vines refused to do anything. He took it home where we went to strip it down and sort it out (needed to open the holes up, looks poor as they are now oval) to get the panels to fit.
Riding back there was a rattle, when we got it home there were 4 of the fairing screws in the glove box!
F800R:
Brought from Vines as a one owner who fancied a change....Later found to be 2 owners the first as a loan/test bike. Being an early silver engined F800 it sounded like a bag of spanners being kicked down the stairs....But this one was REALLY bad....
He took it back to Vines, who said it was fine and refused to even inspect it.
Took it to North Oxon BMW who said they all sound a bit rough, but that there was an issue with some. BMW undertook to rebuild the top end of the engine and it is now much better.
Grant (of this parish) R1200GS:
He sold me his 1150, I said I'd drop him to Vines to collect his 1200 brought and paid for, (seen the sign on it saying "Please do not sit on this bike it is sold").... Arrived at Vines on a sunny Saturday to be told that they had sold his bike!
Offered another colour in 'a week or so', refused refund and sorted a bike a few days later.
They did the first inspection (chucked in as a freebie) but then tried to charge for it, at this point they were told where to go...
Shopping around for a first service on his new 1200 a year later, Vines were £60 more than North Oxon or Barnstormers. Vines were told this when they cold called to see if he'd book it in with them and said they would match the price AND they could collect/deliver the bike. This was convenient so booked in....
Yes they did match the price, but then charged £95 plus VAT for the collection/delivery!
