Main dealer - named and shamed!

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I had a similar experience on a bike some years ago that I alluded to in my previous post. On this occaision I'd had a tyre changed by a specialist tyre place. In carrying out the work, the rear caliper had to be removed. A week later whilst cleaning the bike I noticed one bolt gone and the other held on by about two turns:eek: . Obviously I torqued up the remaining bolt and sourced a replacement.

I then went back to the tyre place and told the manager what had happened. He said I couldn't prove it was his guys. I agreed, but said I was telling him so that it'd not happen to another bike. On hearing this, the guy said that as I was being so reasonable I'd get my next set of tyres at cost:D This actually equated to about £50 off. All-in-all I was happy with the outcome and continue to this day as a customer spending thousands on tyres with him.

I learnt two lessons from this:

1. Pointless ranting and raving - these guys get this every day. Be polite, explain what you'd like and why you'd like it. Sometimes you'll get more than you'd expect.

2. On a motorbike, take your own responsibility for safety of work.

Point two was the most valuable thing I got from this incident. What does this entail?? Well for me its a visual inspection of axle bolts / caliper bolts before setting off and a quick brake check before leaving the garage (good idea anyway if pads are backed off). I also torque up axle bolts / caliper bolts when I get home. You may think this is OTT, but so far I've found at least another two instances where bolts were not done up right.

Interestingly enough, one of these instances was Vines not doing up the pinch bolts on the front axle, these were only hand tight when I got home.

Anyway BTBR, good luck with the bike, hopefully this will be your only technical problem with the bike:thumb
 
This goes to show the 'catch 22' situation we're all in as motorists. Many of us don't have the deep understanding or ability with things mechanical to be completely confident in our own opinion of a bike or it's condition. So we pay extra for the peace of mind that comes with a dealer service history. We can't do it so we feel secure in the knowledge that someone who can , has.

Only sometimes we find that someone who can, hasn't. Looking at those pads they appear to have been like that long enough to have gone through the workshop more than once, and yet haven't been picked up. This is one of the reasons I do all the work on my bikes. Not cos I'm a great mechanic, but because I'm almost anal about it and won't leave it alone til it's right. I could understand if both owners of this bike are now wondering what else may have been overlooked.
 
BTBR said:
It is also "fact" that those pads have been in that position due to the lack of the mounting bolt for a damn site longer than 620 miles.
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Sorry BTBR, but, as you can't prove it, this is supposition. Be careful that you don't make any actionable statements; someone from the dealership may visit this board!

IMHO, the most sensible thing contributed is:-
Steptoe said:
No one can be sure when the bolt "fell" out. If it was in place and tight when it was serviced, how can you blame the dealer?

No one will ever know.
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Regards, Mick

p.s. I still think second hand clutches are OK :D .
 
Surely the whole did the bolt get loosened/tightened by the dealer and was that the cause of the faling out is a red herring :nenau

Someone else pointed out at a dealers you pay for fixed price menu servicing, so the only issue is did can it be proved the dealer's service technician missed something on the service schedule? If it can fine take it up with the Service MAnager and if necessary escalate it to the dealer prinipal?

Also the question asked by motomartin about "where you want to go with this" is key for you personally Alan if not for the assembled audience. Given they are more than a nice ride from your part of the world they are unlikely to be your spupplying dealer on-going.

That said Jeremy, if my assumptions are correct has been a good customer and being local might be again depending on satisfactory outcomes so this is more of an issue for him and others who are or who may be customers of theirs and might fall foul of human error if that were to be the case of course - the point has been well made it cannot be proven (if we are to accept that human error cannot occur at any point by any of us).

This is not my call but isn't this an issue for BTBR and Jeremy and subsequently for Jeremy and his supplying servicing dealer and might this not be V*n*s beef :nenau

And lastly (and again this point has already been made but I've started so I'll finish ;) ) dealers are going to be very careful about apologising as these days it has far greater consequences - sadly that means that a business who operate in a black & white fashion cannot be expected to vere from the defined process or to admit failure unless their involvement can unquestionably and undeniably be proven.

Enjoy the bike Alan :thumb
 
judge said:
Surely the whole did the bolt get loosened/tightened by the dealer and was that the cause of the faling out is a red herring :nenau

Someone else pointed out at a dealers you pay for fixed price menu servicing, so the only issue is did can it be proved the dealer's service technician missed something on the service schedule? If it can fine take it up with the Service MAnager and if necessary escalate it to the dealer prinipal?

Also the question asked by motomartin about "where you want to go with this" is key for you personally Alan if not for the assembled audience. Given they are more than a nice ride from your part of the world they are unlikely to be your spupplying dealer on-going.

That said Jeremy, if my assumptions are correct has been a good customer and being local might be again depending on satisfactory outcomes so this is more of an issue for him and others who are or who may be customers of theirs and might fall foul of human error if that were to be the case of course - the point has been well made it cannot be proven (if we are to accept that human error cannot occur at any point by any of us).

This is not my call but isn't this an issue for BTBR and Jeremy and subsequently for Jeremy and his supplying servicing dealer and might this not be V*n*s beef :nenau

And lastly (and again this point has already been made but I've started so I'll finish ;) ) dealers are going to be very careful about apologising as these days it has far greater consequences - sadly that means that a business who operate in a black & white fashion cannot be expected to vere from the defined process or to admit failure unless their involvement can unquestionably and undeniably be proven.

Enjoy the bike Alan :thumb
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Wrong glasses this morning Andy? :rolleyes:
 
I bought my 1100GS from the long ago defunked RGS of Tooting.

When I took it in for a new tyre a short while after having it, the guy at Sones Tyres (whom I trust) pointed out that the rear brake caliper bolts were only hand tight:eek:

The bike had been given a service prior to me buying it.

Like others I now check the main things when I pick a bike up from any repair work.

It's easy to make little mistakes when you do this type of work repeatedly, however, a little mistake can have a disasterous effect.
 
Morale of the story, is to do your own servicing.

I can't wait til the fecker is out of warranty.
 
BTBR said:
It is an interesting thread this, apart from the personal insults of being called a twat, lets be honest was it really necessary and constructive?

Its stupid, childish comments like that that give the site a bad name, especially from a moderator. :nono

The way I see it is, yes prehaps I should have given the bike a good inspection before I rode it, yes prehaps the person selling it should have noticed that the bolt was missing, and yes, no one has been hurt or even injuried.

But, I took the fact that because the bike had only done 620 miles since its service/inspection then that was good enough for me. Mistake I agree.

It is also "fact" that those pads have been in that position due to the lack of the mounting bolt for a dam site longer than 620 miles.

Who fitted the hugger (actually the dealer did I understand) is of no real importance, the fact that the missing bolt and was not seen is my issue.

While I agree with the comment, I don't expect them to check ever nut and bolt, I would expect that all safety critical nuts and bolts to be checked, at least visually.

Yes I also agree that I have bought a second hand bike and you therefore accept any problems that you incounter.

It was also the dealers attitude when I spoke to them on the phone, even before seen the evidence he argued that "his" guys had not done it.

I would like to think that I have been fair and I have given them over a week to respond and they havent, so hence the reason why it is on here for all to see.

It was the complete denile by the dealer that has really pissed me off.

To be honest, if he would have even just said sorry "yes we should have picked it up but we didnt, sorry" then you can do no more.

A mistake is a mistake...simple, but it does not make it right though.

At the end of the day, its about customer care.
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This how i look at all this stuff on this thread. Somebody could have tried to nick that penis extending aftermarket crap you have bolted to your bike after the service was done looking at the thread the first owner bolted that crap on and i guess didnt tighten the bolt how can i dealer hold his hand up and say fair cop it was or there fault alot can happen in 620 miles and i guess quite some time as the mileage is low i guess it wasnt used much. My advice to is next time you buy a bike use your engineering skills to check out what your buying for pay some one to do it fit a new bolt and some pads get out and use the bike and enjoy it instead of moaning on websites
Also looking at this thread i suprised the dealer is not having this forum and its users in court for slander i know i would. I know for a fact all the dealers watch this site all the time so i am sure they know whats been said on here. Enjoy your new BMW its the best bike out there if you dont maybe you should get honda transalp
 
Somebody could have tried to nick that penis extending aftermarket crap you have bolted to your bike

do you include aftermarket lights in this statement ? you know - just out of interest ;)

:jes
 
theheadman said:
This how i look at all this stuff on this thread. Somebody could have tried to nick that penis extending aftermarket crap you have bolted to your bike after the service was done looking at the thread the first owner bolted that crap on and i guess didnt tighten the bolt how can i dealer hold his hand up and say fair cop it was or there fault alot can happen in 620 miles and i guess quite some time as the mileage is low i guess it wasnt used much. My advice to is next time you buy a bike use your engineering skills to check out what your buying for pay some one to do it fit a new bolt and some pads get out and use the bike and enjoy it instead of moaning on websites
Also looking at this thread i suprised the dealer is not having this forum and its users in court for slander i know i would. I know for a fact all the dealers watch this site all the time so i am sure they know whats been said on here. Enjoy your new BMW its the best bike out there if you dont maybe you should get honda transalp
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Forry, you on the downers again? :eek
 
Hew said:
In my view if you had bought the bike from or had the bike serviced by the dealer you would have a case.
In a private sale you should have checked the bike over before buying it and if you are not satisfied then you should complain to the person you bought it off.
I suspect that if it was you that had the bike serviced at the dealer then their response would have been very different.
Den it's in the post:D
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I have been reading this story of named and shamed for a couple of days now, I know how sad am I, should get out more often. I totally agree with HEW, the bike was bought privately and not through a dealer, if as theheadman states the new owner is an engineer then he probably has more of an understanding of mechanical things than most of us. However, surely he would have checked the bike over prior to purchase, regardless if the bike had full service history or not. Even if it was to make sure that everything was clean and tidy and no damage anywhere before parting with the readies.
I know I would have done......what a mistaka to maka.....:rolleyes:
 
Cod said:
I have been reading this story of named and shamed for a couple of days now, I know how sad am I, should get out more often. I totally agree with HEW, the bike was bought privately and not through a dealer, if as theheadman states the new owner is an engineer then he probably has more of an understanding of mechanical things than most of us. However, surely he would have checked the bike over prior to purchase, regardless if the bike had full service history or not. Even if it was to make sure that everything was clean and tidy and no damage anywhere before parting with the readies.
I know I would have done......what a mistaka to maka.....:rolleyes:
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Not the issue the thread starter was making.... it was how the brake could have been missed on the dealers service
 
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