Service advice needed

So my brother picked up his new NC750X 6 days ago, has already clocked up 600 miles, and it’s now ready for its break-in service. 

Problem is that he rang 5 different Honda dealerships to get it booked in and no-one has any availability.  His local one can’t get him in until 18th May and he’s a 70-115 mile ride away to the others and would need to ride it down one Saturday and return to collect it a week or two later.  He would return to the dealer he bought it from but they’re 440 miles away so that’s not realistic and would take his mileage WAY over.

Busy time of year I know, but it’s a bit of a pi55er having a new bike and now not being able to ride it as having to wait weeks for a slot at a Honda dealer. 

If he gets it serviced by a local garage, will his Honda warranty still be intact?

Nope

It needs to be done by a Honda dealer.

Why would he have to collect it one or 2 weeks laters? First service would be done same day, fews hours at most if he drops it in early.

Didn’t his dearer tell him to pre book 1st service in advance? 

Has he tried Dobles?

I’m not sure that’s true… Definitely not of the other services but don’t know if it makes it different for the first. As long as any mechanic uses Honda parts, and documents everything you are not bound to a dealer for warranties as far as i am aware. They definitely make it sound like that but i believe it’s not valid legally.

http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/car-news/consumer-news/35704/watchdog-keeping-your-warranty-valid

Having said that, probably more straightforward to take it to dealer if you ever need to claim on warranty…

Ahh that old chestnut, this has come up before

The EU Block Exemption only applies to Cars. Motorbikes are exempt so if you do not use an official dealer for servicing and need to make a warranty claim then you are screwed,

It can be done anywhere as long as Genuine Honda parts are used!

http://www.whitedalton.co.uk/motorbike-blog/2013/06/dealing-with-the-dealers/

Huh…I never knew that. Definitely a legal oddity for one motor vehicle to be covered and another not.

He bought from Dobles who were excellent but he currently lives in Scotland & will be for the next 12 months likely, so not really convenient for taking it back to them for the break-in service unfortunately.
The other dealers within a 115 mile radius of him only have mid-week slots which, due to his work, he would need to drop it off on a weekend & wouldn’t be able to return to collect it for a week or two later.
Bit of a bummer not being able to use your new bike due to warranty restrictions! Seems the Honda dealers in Scotland aren’t really geared up for coping with the increase in demand at this time of year. He never had this when he had his BMW 700 GS a few years ago.

Isn’t the the labour for the first service is paid for within the purchase price? If that is the case it would probably cost another dealer more than its worth to claim that back from the original dealer, hence their reluctance to accept the booking.

Nope. 1st service is chargeable. Honda did away with free 1st service a while ago

Nope. 1st service is chargeable. Honda did away with free 1st service a while ago Hold Da Kæft
True that. But when i did buy my new CBR500R I negotiated the first service free from the dealer :)

Horses for courses, seems some dealers do, some dealers will, some dealers don’t and some dealers just won’t.

He got the following reply back from Honda.  As they haven’t provided a detailed list of everything that is covered (something that car manufacturers are obliged by law to make available to non-franchised garages under block-exemption regs), they could well wriggle out of any future warranty claim if every single nut & bolt torque check has not been itemised by the servicing garage…

Congratulations on your purchase. We are sure that you will be very satisfied by the performance of the motorcycle. 


Honda recommends all periodical maintenance checks to be performed by your Honda authorised dealership. Thus we could guarantee that the routine service will be performed as per the Honda standards and proper procedures.  


You could have your motorcycle serviced at a non-Honda service point. The warranty will be kept valid if they were following Honda recommended procedures and are using Honda genuine parts. Please keep your invoice and check list, if any. 


Should you have further queries, do not hesitate to contact us back.

Kind Regards,

Denitsa  XXXXXXXX



Honda Customer Service

He found a Kawi dealer near him that can get it in sooner and they have 2 Honda trained Techs from when the dealer had a big-H franchise which might be ok, but to be safe he’s just booked it into Honda Newcastle for the 10th.  It’s going to be a LONNNNG 22 days for him!!!     :slight_smile:

He thinks the bike is great.  Not one he’ll fall in love with as it doesn’t have any one stand-out ‘loveable’ feature, but it offers the best all round useable package for him.  With the low running costs, he’ll give it some serious use.  Says it’s all the bike he’ll likely ever need and he wishes he’d bought something like this years ago instead of doing the fashionable sports-bike, supermoto, adventure route. 

Interesting 50,000km strip-down by Honda Montessa in Spain… all parts were like new…