What a rip off!

[JonB]

Hello, just got a call back from Atkins of Taunton, my local Piaggio dealer.

They have replaced the throttle completely and they had to get the parts in, the total cost is £60.69!!!!

I have spent so much money on this bike, just to keep it running, granted I only paid £490 for it, but in 4 months I have had to buy a new Spark Plug, brake light connector, tyres and rear brake shoes!

I must of spent nearly £200 on this thing!!
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Be careful whose advice you buy, but, be patient with those who supply it. Advice is a form of nostalgia, dispensing it is a way of fishing the past from the disposal, wiping it off, painting over the ugly parts and recycling it for more than it?s worth.

[Sparks!]

LOL Just wait till you get a bigger bike mate £200 is absolutely fark hall!
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Current Toys: 06 Yamaha WR250F | Nissan 350Z GT | Tech 4 Homes

[JonB]

I don't mind spending more on a bigger bike, I just didn't want to be spending much on a bike that was intended to void the space between 16 and 17.
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Be careful whose advice you buy, but, be patient with those who supply it. Advice is a form of nostalgia, dispensing it is a way of fishing the past from the disposal, wiping it off, painting over the ugly parts and recycling it for more than it?s worth.

[iCraig]

Motorcycling/Scootering is an expensive hobby, especially if you use main dealers!

Though working it out I've only spent £600 on keeping the GS running in 2 years of ownership .

[NSR125-Kid-UK]

I spent over £200 on the NSR in the first few days of me owning it mate .
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https://www.bikepics.com/members/nsrandy/96rs250/ My Bike!

"I'm either going to teach andy to get his knee down, or I'm going to get him killed. One of the two" - Teaman

[Ste]

To save money do the work yourself, a throttle can easily be replaced yourself and then all you have to pay if the cost of the parts, and you can hopefully get them from a bike breakers as well which is cheaper than from Piaggio. Tyres and brakes wear out on all bikes and are just a cost of running them just the same as petrol is. Same with spark plugs they need replacing every so often as well.

[yambabe]

I agree with Ste, to a point - I don't "do it myself" but I do have a "man who can".

Thing with that is, you really need someone to show you, at least the first few times. Have you got any friends/relatives who are handy with the spanners Somerset?

Perhaps instead of rideouts & trackdays we should be organising spanner-ins & service days?

Or you could always ask on the techy thread in New Bikers, there's always someone about who knows their stuff.
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Sod falling in love, I wanna fall in chocolate.

[NickD]

Labour charges will cripple you every time. The only way forward is to learn to do it yourself. Most jobs don't really require much in the way of specialist knowledge, just a methodical way of working, basic understanding of engineering principles (but not always), and a little common sense. Get a manual, get a few basic tools, and have a go. Take note of what came from where, take pictures if you can. When taking something apart, write down each step, then when putting it back together go back through the list backwards ticking off each step as you've done it. If a local college does an evening class on motorcycle maintenance or basic mechanical engineering, have a go. In the long term it will save you a fortune, and eventually you will get to the point where you can handle bigger and bigger jobs, and you will know that it's been done properly ('cos dealers often do half a job). Money saved on extortianate labour charges = money towards next bike. (Plus, once you get a little more confident, it's actually fun).

IF IT WAS DIFFICULT, MECHANICS WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO DO IT!!!
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I was only doing what it said on my licence officer....
Tear along the dotted line!

[aqualung1]

[JonB]

Oh I agree Ste, I don't do it myself usually, I usually have my friend do it for me, he is a mechanic.

However I broke down on the side of the road about 15 miles away from home, so the only option was to ring my breakdown cover, they insisted on taking it to my local Piaggio dealer, so I had no choice really.
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Be careful whose advice you buy, but, be patient with those who supply it. Advice is a form of nostalgia, dispensing it is a way of fishing the past from the disposal, wiping it off, painting over the ugly parts and recycling it for more than it?s worth.

[mr.z]

/double post
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>RidingSkills<->Tech Tips<->MyBikes<

[mr.z]

Some money saveing advice follows...

Get to know your local breakers

Get a set of spanners and know how to use them...


When i first got my bike i had to have the radiator rebuilt, not allot i could do there :/

But

Fork seals - £90
Wheels off (tyres) - £30
Brakes front (pads and bleed) - 1hours labour - £30? + £20
Brakes back - 2hours labour - £60?
Oil + filter(x4?) - 1hour? - £30
Radiator flush/refill - £30
Water overflow bottle - £60+ (engine out job!!!)

Thats about 9months worth, i did have to buy the tools (torque wrench and socket set and the all important manual being the most important up to now) and the oil and filters e.t.c.

I've been ridding for nearly two years and had never waved a spanner beforehand, i'm far from an expert now but most stuff is easy enough to do if you read the manual properly and if you ont know either ask or leave it alone (you can also cost yourself allot by simple mistakes!)
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>RidingSkills<->Tech Tips<->MyBikes<

[Ste]

[JonB]

I got the brakedown cover free, courtesy of Motorcycle Direct, my insurance company.

When I get my big bike, I will go with the likes of the RAC etc.
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Be careful whose advice you buy, but, be patient with those who supply it. Advice is a form of nostalgia, dispensing it is a way of fishing the past from the disposal, wiping it off, painting over the ugly parts and recycling it for more than it?s worth.

[yambabe]

Thing is Ste, I don't know what it's like in other places but the shop where my other half works have stopped doing breakdown callouts as it is only a small outfit & he is the only mechanic - the amount of time spent doing recoveries was costing the boss a fortune in lost garage hours.

The only real exception to this now is warranty breakdowns as far as I know.

However, they will always assess a bike that is dropped off there by someone else (usually the AA or RAC) and give an estimate for repair.
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Sod falling in love, I wanna fall in chocolate.

[Ste]

Somerset, I was with BikeAssist (0800 9173365) and they cost per year £30 for normal breakdown which will recover you to home or a garage, or for £45 they'll include homestart in it. They just call the nearest breakdown place to where you are and use them. Only used my breakdown once, was very pleased with the service, they weren't wanting to poke the bike to fix it as they get paid so don't really mind. They were willing to take the bike and take it despite it being a different colout bike to the one I was covered on, I was covered on a ZX6R and G's ZX9R broke down so just swapped the plates to get them to take the ZX9R to G's.

Know some people use International Breakdown and are pleased with it, as it covers you, not the vehicle, so if you're in your car, bike or someone elses car or bike it will recover you to home or a garage. Not bad for £68 really.

[JonB]

Well Motorcycle Direct rang the nearest breakdown company which was South West Motors and they suggested taking me to the Piaggio Garage.
____________________
Be careful whose advice you buy, but, be patient with those who supply it. Advice is a form of nostalgia, dispensing it is a way of fishing the past from the disposal, wiping it off, painting over the ugly parts and recycling it for more than it?s worth.

[WildGoose]

£200 quid, mere childsplay, dont sweat it too much, all bikes cost money, and scooters are made with very cheap bits

the total for my CBR400 is getting scary, and i havent purchased any labour for a long time now
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So in other words, he stopped you for being flagrantly in posession of a motorcycle in direct contravention of the Hippies, Darkies and People Whose Face I Don't Like The Look of (Police Powers) Act. 1976

[Ste]

Don't worry Goose, chances are it's not going to beat the amount I managed to waste on the TL.

[WildGoose]

we'll see

whats my target ste?
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So in other words, he stopped you for being flagrantly in posession of a motorcycle in direct contravention of the Hippies, Darkies and People Whose Face I Don't Like The Look of (Police Powers) Act. 1976

[Odie]

[Ste]

[stinkwheel]

[mr.z]

[Robby]

200 quid. Thats my monthly fuel bill, or just over it.