Discrimination - I was refused service!

[tas850g]

My brother is a Harley machanic and he says the exact same thing. However, he works for himself and sometimes takes on projects like this. I was helping him work on a 1973 FLH yesterday oil the forks and change the stem bearings, the number of hours to disassemble and reassemble is very costly for the owner. Fortunately for the owner of this bike he does not bill for the number of hours he has put into the bike. As is your situation, dealerships can turn away projects like this because of the Pandora's box theory.

[spyug]

Very common for the larger dealers but a lot of the smaller guys are up for the challenge....as long as you have the cash.

As mentioned, there are more guys now specializing in old iron. With the cost of gas you will see more and more old bikes coming to life. In the past month I have heard of 3 resurrections. I also notice a big decline in cheap bikes on Craigs and autotrader so somebodies got to be fixing them.

The best thing is to get a manual or two and some decent tools and have at it yourself. Tons of free advice and guidance all over the net so there is no reason you can't do it yourself.

If, however, you are hamfisted or time challenged and can afford a "pro" wrench ask around. You'll find someone that will be pleased to help.

Good luck with your project.
Cheers,
Spyug.

[Calvin Blackmore]

I think they may alos be induced into working on newer bikes especially fully faired machines due to the large labor costs they bill out.

setting valves or even changing plugs is a whol lot more time consuming when you need to do a lot of busy work just getting tot he matter at hand.

[gadang]

I found a shop in my town that loves working on older bikes. I had them do my valve adjustment and I had them change the oil while I was there....$215. That was oil, gasket and labor. I thought that was pretty good...don't you? I am now doing my own clutch and will tear into other stuff on my own as I become a better "shade tree".

[buttonhook]

It cost me almost $300 last year for the first (600 mile) service on my 07 ninja!! That was basically just an oil change, saftey check, chain adjustment, and lube!! But if I wanted to keep the factory warranty then well.....they had me by the short and curlys ya know??
But yesterday I had sometime on my hands so I tore it down to the frame, cleaned and checked everything then put it back together again. From now on it's just going to cost me ($25) oil, the filter, and then whatever parts I might need(as long as it's not the computer???).

[buster]

There is a sign in my nearest dealership, (Honda-Michigan City, IN): "We do not work on motorcycles built before 1985".
On the other hand, over the phone the Suzuki dealership in Valparaiso IN, told me I could bring my bike in, (82-GS1100G).
Can GS RESOURCES maintain a list of recomended mechanics? Is there already such a list?
P.S. Remember, mechanic work is a low paying, dirty, frustrating job, so don't wonder why you can't find a mechanic over 25.

Hey Bill, we have 3 shops in our area that are good at working on our bikes. Performance Cycle in Hammond (Joe) his son opened a shop in Hobart behind the mall Performance Cycle II (forget his name right now), Motorcycle George in Hobart (the junkyard place) he's good but kind of a nut and a fourth that maintained the 82 GS 1100 that I have now for the PO in Porter off of Old Porter Rd. Royco's but I have not tried them yet, but will be soon. I guess were lucky with so many shops.

[lurch12_2000]

Who needs a dealer (except for parts) when you have such intelligent and helpful folks(and maybe smarta**es) here on the forum! Do it yourself, and when you screw up, come humbly to forum and ask for help.

[Suzuki mad]

My local main suzuki dealer thinks twice about working on my 2002 bandit 1200.

I dropped my GS1000E off a few years ago for some work that I didn't have the tools for at home. When I finally got it home I had to fix the faults the main dealer gave the bike while it was with them.

Now a days I go in and they are more than willing to assist in advice on how to do things and even give me the tools. I supose thats because I've been in with cranks, gearboxes, cylinder heads and cams.

Last time I was in the workshop manager commented that I was a little more experienced than the ordinary biker. Back handed compliment or what?

Suzuki mad

[Odinist]

Yeah, the local Suzy dealer here doesn't work on older bikes either. They'll put tires on for me, but that's about it. I go to them for parts and gear and such (they're all really nice guys, so I like supporting the shop). When I need to actually have work done though, there's another shop around here that does nothing *but* older bikes. They're great guys too, so I don't mind paying them to work on my bike when I don't feel like dealing with a repair.

[fast eddie]

Thanks for the replies, I guess misery loves company, I'm not the only one.

The kicker is, I've always been the one to strip things down, get dirty and try and fix it myself. Ironically enough, now as I'm getting a little older and more comfortable, I thought "why waste all that time, I'll just take it to the shop and be done with it"!! So much for that.

Cheers!

[bwringer]

My garage has been the scene of many a GS repair or update for several Indy-area GS riders (and at least one Kentuckian), and countless tire changes.

Fortunately, the city takes motorcycle tires for proper disposal -- just put 'em out with the garbage. They also have a "tox drop" twice a month where I can get rid of old motor oil, batteries, and other nasties.

Taking a vintage bike to a shop is sheer madness, unless you can find a trustworthy specialist and you're willing to pay a lot.

Of course, hauling a neglected vintage bike into the light for the first time in ten years and expecting to be able to go riding with little or no investment of time and money is also sheer madness. It's also distressingly common.

[rapidray]

Its universal. If your bike is more than ten years old, you can just about forget finding any shop willing to work on it. The good news is (in my experience anyhow) that if you do find a shop that will work on it, the workmanship will be so shoddy that you will still have to take it home and fix it properly yourself.
Save yourself a lot of time, frustration and money and learn to do the work yourself.

Earl

Come on Earl! That's not a nice generalization to make! I SPECIALIZE in old bikes & do EVERY one like it's my own! Ray.

[Craiger]

Come on Earl! That's not a nice generalization to make! I SPECIALIZE in old bikes & do EVERY one like it's my own! Ray.

That's awesome Ray. What's the name of your shop....so we can promote you?

Ooh....smilies! :-D and another.... (just like old times)

[dpep]

I would love to have the option of taking my bikes in somewhere for work. Time is always a factor for me. And it always seems that I have the least time just when a bike needs something before a ride or a rally. But alas, except for tires and maybe an oil change, that option does not exist in or around Jacksonville, Florida.

In my most recent attempt I tried an independent but pretty large shop that a neighbor had recommended. All I needed done was fork seals and I had them do an oil change. I provided the seals, the oil filter, and a Haynes manual bookmarked for the sections they would need. The charge was a little over $300 and the left side caliper bolts were not tightened. By the time I got home one had fallen out and the other I could turn by hand. They could have killed me.

Every time I try to trust someone to work on the bike I feel like Charlie Brown trying to kick the football. Fooled again. If you have access to a good wrencher you are indeed fortunate. For most of us the reality is that if you want to ride these old bikes you have to work on these old bikes. But I'm not sure it is a whole lot better for new bikes. It is just the nature and the economic realities of the industry.

My primary consideration in the purchase of any vehicle is the maintenance factor. I am looking for the least maintenance required and the easiest to perform. That is probably the biggest reason I have stayed with GSs, particularly 850s, for almost thirty years.

[lurch12_2000]

...
In my most recent attempt I tried an independent but pretty large shop that a neighbor had recommended. All I needed done was fork seals and I had them do an oil change. I provided the seals, the oil filter, and a Haynes manual bookmarked for the sections they would need. The charge was a little over $300 and the left side caliper bolts were not tightened. By the time I got home one had fallen out and the other I could turn by hand. They could have killed me....

$300...wow...makes me glad I picked up these vintage 1100's and do the work myself. Granted, there are folks that are a little timid or don't have the correct tools and finding somebody good is difficult!
General advice - Don't be fooled into buying project bikes for $200 if you can't do any wrenching. There are a lot of well maintained bikes for under $2k out there that are roadworthy, if you don't have time or talent to work on bikes (as in my 1100G and 1100ES if I decide to sell).

http://s298.photobucket.com/albums/mm262/lurch12_2000/?action=view&current=100_5412.jpg

Compare this to $5k-20k for new or nearly new bikes that you still have to put up with maintenance costs and aggravation of getting it to the dealer. I don't begrudge them for being in the business of making $, but just not my money!!