I just had my 12000 mile service on the VFR 800 ABS A8 on a 09 plate, £288 pounds and I'm thinking hang on all that was done was checks and fluid replaced in brakes etc, oil and filter.....Anyone else feel like they are getting stung big time on servicing...or does that sound reasonable?   Discuss cost of servicing..... are we paying over the odds or not...                                                                                                                                                                             

  Johnny did you ask them for a breakdown, no pun intended, of the costs? I'd love to know why they, and dentists and vets, charge so much.                                                                                                                                                                             

someone has to pay for the fancy workshops,if you can service your own bike,the costs would be a lot less,oil £20-00plugs £15-00 filters,oil and air £20-00 checking brakes chains suspension and other checks cost nothing but a little time,some jobs need special equipment,but only now and again,total cost roughly £55-00,not bad for an afternoons work,also you know its been done,not saying  that some dealers will charge for work not done,but?

  Crikey I only paid about £1. 60 for my plugs when I had the C M lol, it may have been old but the parts were cheaper than modern bikes.                                                                                                                                                                             

kwak with so many different bikes and plugs just made sure the prices where covered,ok?                                                                                                                                                                             

So that's £245 + vat. Say £45 for parts, therefore £200 is for labour. If £40 per hour, that's 5 hours work. I can't see why it should take so long, and I would ask the garage for an explanation. I would also check with other places to see what they would charge for a service.                                                                                                                                                                             

 I've just been quoted this afternoon £160 plus parts, for a 36K service on me ST13 from an ex Honda dealer. I've got some of the bits anyway, just not got the time to do it meself.                                                                                                                                                                               

 I think I'd be more concerned about whether it's been done at-all rather than the cost.
When my service mechanic was killed I went "back on the tools", at the end I signed off the service books and given the previous records it was pretty obvious that I was the 1st person to-do things that should've been done before.

A by the by, IF the service is done properly there's not a great deal to-be made, just insurance with road risk for a small shop was costing £5400/year.

as letthegoodtimesrol says  be more concerned if it was done corectly i paid £370 fot two new tires fitted and break  pads  plus full service when i bought my bike in september last year wasnt long after the back break callipers seized so i striped and cleaned them my self found them to be realy dirty rekon they just pushed pistions back in fitted pads  load a crap  shall not bother agian  will carry on doing my own servicing from now on .   trouble is i didnt have time to do it my self when i bought the bike thought if they did it i would know if owt was wrong !   its bloody frightening to think if people who dont know anything about maintainance did same thing then they are in the hands or a garage's honesty    but for them in around hull area i have found an ace place trustwerthy too   Kingston motorcycles  talk to Kev . top bloke                                                                                                                                                                             

Never used him myself, but there's loads of folk up in the north-west who think the world of Roy Gardner at RGM Motorcycles between Southport and Preston. Ace mechanic who's quite happy to let you watch him doing the work as long as you put the kettle on from time to time!

Well I've just had me beemer serviced by an independant bmw mechanic. £245 inc vat, Bmw wanted £450 for the same service.

But be thankful you've not got a harley, there dealers charge £80 an hour for labour, and then charge you vat on that.

Also good quality oil will cost about £10 a litre. DIY servicing is good for a basic service, but if you've got a new bike you'll need the diagnostic wizardry to solve any eletronic problems
                                                                                                                                                                             

good job ive got an old nail then int it cytm lol                                                                                                                                                                             

hell was just cleaning bike today and found both sides of the fairing, nuts were loose.....maybe I should give them a mouthfull lol                                                                                                                                                                             

"But be thankful you've not got a harley, there dealers charge £80 an hour for labour, and then charge you vat on that."   What dealership is that??   Edinburgh Harley charge me £35 +vat per hr (Dec 09). Can't fault their service/parts department - have done me a few favours over the years plus free pick up and drop off which is very useful when you live 75 miles away!   Saying that, as soon as my bike was out of warranty I stripped it down and practically rebuilt it myself, replacing everything with stainless fasteners and spraying EVERYTHING black (Hammerite BBQ paint works great on the engine and ceramic exhaust covers....)   My 10k service cost £481 but that included fitting new tyres and a rear brake caliper rebuild.                                                                                                                                                                                 

Quoted prices of service charges per hour really need to be double checked.   It's all too easy to repeat a hearsay price without the proof of labour charges from the actual horses mouth!                                                                                                                                                                             

Jesus Teecee, it sounds as if they haven't been checking the breaks on the previous services I have to admit the garage that does mine gives them a clean to check them during every service...                                                                                                                                                                             

Robin Hood (quite apt i thought), charged me an hours labour to fit and adjust a clutch cable on my Buell. Cost of cable £25 including VAT, total cost £120. and please don't ask what they wanted for a service.

If you ask a dealership what they charge for labour they'll tell you I'm sure Lol.
                                                                                                                                                                             

Nah, probably my fault - I had been doing some dirt-tracking... ;)   They put SO much salt on the roads up here too in winter (as you probably know!) that it eats away at everything. Should have pulled them apart myself and serviced them...   Think the calipers are the next things to be updated on my bike anyway- they have already had me off once!!   By the way, if anybody's shocks are on their way out, or they just want a good set of adjustables, I can't recommend Hagon enough!! Custom built me a set of rears and they are amazing....                                                                                                                                                                             

well i supose any thing pre war would benafit from 70's tech TeeCee                                                                                                                                                                              

Grrrr... go play wiv yer coils, WN!!   *wonders which war he meant.... crimean?*