Clarkes Rednal....again

It has been two weeks since I had thw first service and in that time I have only done 70 odd miles due to copious amounts of rock salt on the road.
The Optimate has been doing its job just fine but this afternoon I decided to wheel it out the garage and let it see some daylight for a change.
I started it up and let it idle for just a few minutes..."wots that?"

Oil dripping on the floor......."where the f*ck is that coming?"

The time is now half past twelve, so I ring Clarkes to see what they suggest, "bring it to us and we'll have a look but we close at one"....b*gger!

Quick...helmet on and blast over there, I land there with just ten minutes to spare. The bike is quickly wheeled into the workshop and the fault is traced down to a dodgy sealing washer under the sump drain bolt. They replace the washer, put new engine oil in and power wash the bike down for me.
I ride away very happy at quarter past one.

Top marks boys for quality service, over and above the call of duty.

The thing that I find very strange is that it took so long for the sealing washer to start leaking? Clarkes said that they have had one other washer fail in the past but that was noticed on the test ride after the service...wierd!

Alan

Must have just missed you Alan! Popped in to pick up the Adventure screen which is now fitted. Tried it out today and it's a big improvement. I must be the ideal height (5'10") for it looking at some of the posts about it.

Crawled under the bike to check for oil leaks - ok so far but will continue checking - I had my first service done a week before you so it may be the same batch of washers!

This will only happen if:-

a. they used the old washer. or
b. the sump plug wasn't tightened up correctly.

A friend of mine was so traumatised by his experience of his first service (600) at Clarks that he sold his 4 week old GS and brought a new one from BVM Moto in Stroud...

you should have used the duct tape there was must have been to much wd 40 on it!

Great team

My self and Stan have both used Clarkes for the jobs that we decided were too big or technical for us.........

These were a clutch change,two head gaskets, and a CO2 adjustment.

All work was carried out to the highest standards, we both have nothing but praise for the whole team

I'm never taking my bike to Clarkes again. The actual service was fine, but they stripped the paint off my Touratech side panels when they jet washed the bike afterwards; they did offer to get them re-painted for me, this took over six weeks and when they came back the paint was all orange peel effect and smudged, they did not offer to remedy this... shame, because it sounds like their workshop guys are very good. IMO, the best Midlands dealer is Woolaston in Northampton...

next time you have an oil change ask for the old oil sump washer back - that'll piss em off.


Guaranteed they didn't change it.

As an aside - i've changed to bonded washers - basically a flat washer with an o ring bonded to the inside diameter - used on sealing hydraulic systems - infinitely reusable and never leak.

Works on brake systems as well.

Copper washers are the old fashioned cheap way - bonded washers are the new modern more expensive alternative.

Phil

I am a new member to this forum so here goes...

I recently purchased a R 1150 GS Adv from Clarke's and have no complaints so far but when the 1150 GS was ordered (Sept 03) the salesman omitted to mention that there was a 1200 GS on the way. In fact he categorically stated that the 1150 GS was not about to be replaced. Not sure if this was a deliberate error in order to secure a deal or a genuine error. Imagine my surprise when I noticed in the motorcycle press and on this forum that a replacement was due approx April 04.

I am not unduly concerned as I am more than happy with the 1150 GS, not sure about Clarkes though!