Typical Price For First Service

[Moparnut72]

I bought my V7lll last summer. The dealer insisted that I pay for the first service at that time. They said the warranty would be void if I didn't but I knew that was BS. I wasn't going to but decided WTH if something breaks at some point I wouldn't have to fight with them to get it fixed. When I took it in just short of 1,000 miles the service writer said it was supposed to have been in at 500 miles. I told her you better look it up as the recommended first service is 940 miles or something close to that. She didn't know. Anyway I was given a Zero for the day. I talked to the tech later, he apologized for it taking so long but he needed it to cool down to adjust the valves. He also said that he bent the side stand to make the tang more accessible as it was tucked under muffler. It will probably never be back as I do my own work unless it is something I can't do myself. I am not real thrilled with this dealership anyway but I like the tech.

An interesting story with my former Harley which I also bought new. I took it in for its first FREE service at 500 miles. I had replaced the mufflers with some slightly reworked originals for a little sound. The stock bike sounded more like a sewing machine than a motorcycle. Before I took it in I put the stock mufflers back on so I wouldn't void the warranty or anything. There were two bolts that held each one on. On the right side one of them is very hard to get to so I left it out as it would only be few miles before I changed the mufflers back. When I took the stockers back off I found the missing bolt had been replaced. It was hard to see let alone get to, so I was amazed and pleased at the quality of the service. Although I took the bike in at one point after the dealership had changed hands to have them check the balance on the rear wheel. They did the front instead. I never went back. I traded it for my Guzzi anyway.

[Paultergeist]

If you are in Lemon Grove GP would do the work. However, most of that stuff is easy....... Amazingly, I am doing this work as I write this!     

The NEXT time you do all this, please let me watch!  I'll even pay for pizza!

[ampm7]

Kev, as far as I know the motor revs counterclockwise if looking at the bike from the front wheel back towards the rear and if seated it turns clockwise. However, there is another way that you can turn the motor. Put it on the center stand or any stand and lift the rear wheel and put in a higher gear and rotate the rear wheel with the spark plugs out. But you already know this, I was just pointing out some things to Paul. Sure Paul, I would be glad to help, but you might want to check your warranty as sometimes if you do the work it voids the warranty. I don't know if the warranty is 1 year or 2. That might be something to consider. I am here in Vista...

[elrealistico]

I had the former MG dealer I bought my V7III from do the first service, with parts (oil filter) I bought. I was planning on doing all my own work on it anyway after that. Other than tires, will still use them for changes. Was still about $300 or something. Oil from grass fed synthetic manufacturers, perhaps. I still haven't made it to the next service interval, due to my current life situation. When I do I will really only need them or the new "official" dealer in my area to clear the wrench icon. It will annoy me to no end I am sure, so unless it is something like $100 to do just that, I will get them to do it while I am standing there. Probably a 2 second job. I'll even bring my cables.

[Bert Remington]

Paul -- I had GPM perform the 900 mile service on my 2019 V7 III.

Labor $330 (3 hours)
Parts $86.37
Misc $20

*  The Parts cost is low because I disagree with GPM's lubricant choices and supply my own (Eni, Motul, Castrol)
*  I had them change final drive lubricant even though it wasn't on MG's list
*  The service writer tried to include head re-torquing but I told him it wasn't needed for the V7 III (or V85)
*  Three hours is about twice what MG specifies in their service manual
*  I arrived at 8am, stayed in the upstairs showroom, and left at 3pm

I asked what labor would be for 3,000 mile engine oil change, don't even check the tire pressure, and was told 2 hours.

I'll use GPM for lubricant changes and valve adjustments at MG service intervals but I'll do the rest myself because I can do it just as well with my choice of materials (eg, brake fluid).

[Gappy]

Kev, as far as I know the motor revs counterclockwise if looking at the bike from the front wheel back towards the rear and if seated it turns clockwise. However, there is another way that you can turn the motor. Put it on the center stand or any stand and lift the rear wheel and put in a higher gear and rotate the rear wheel with the spark plugs out. But you already know this, I was just pointing out some things to Paul. Sure Paul, I would be glad to help, but you might want to check your warranty as sometimes if you do the work it voids the warranty. I don't know if the warranty is 1 year or 2. That might be something to consider. I am here in Vista...

From what I am reading you have it backwards. When riding the bike down the street the motor is spinning counter clock wise. When I adjust my valves, I put a 26 mm socket on the crankshaft nut and turn it clockwise to turn the motor to the timing marks. It is said never turn it backwards but I have a few mm then foward again to get it dead on the timing mark with no problems.

[mechanicsavant]

Just my $.02 on my last few new bike purchases I’ve had the $$$ for the first service rolled into the deal & scheduled the work . Usually within the first 2 weeks . I could do the job myself , with the exception of the factory diagnostic. I believe it’s called PADDS . I always want a printout of that just for my records . Another thing i the low mileage requirement is a good way for the factory to “start the warranty clock “ . I know ,date of purchase i the Kick off date , but the low XXX Mi. # is a good indicator of actual in service date . Just in case ya bought the bike & for whatever reason didn’t/couldn’t ride it . Illness, Divorce,Alien abduction etc.

[ampm7]

Gappy does your motor rock to the right when seated? Then one would assume that the motor turns clockwise when seated. Correct me if I am wrong. Almost all manuals that I have read, say to rotate the motor in the direction of travel but that doesn't quite make sense as the motor is reciprocating.

[Tusayan]

My practice has always been to ride my new toy a little then change all the lubricating oils, check valve clearances and ride on.  This is a couple of hours work and part of the bonding process with a new bike.  All the rest of the first service stuff I do continuously, i.e. monitor cable adjustments and look the bike over for loose bits and pieces.  I would be averse to risking the bike in dealer service for any of that stuff, assuming I had a place to work on it, and if I didn’t I’d want to be watching the guy work on the bike - my experience with dealer mechanics is that some are good, some are sloppy and unskilled, especially those assigned to routine scheduled services.

Torque reaction by the chassis is equal in magnitude and opposite in direction to crankshaft rotation.

[Paultergeist]

I really appreciate all the replies and insights provided.

[kingoffleece]

Notwithstanding all of the points made, 500-600 bucks for supplies and labor, if done correctly are at least in the ballpark.  Shop charges what?-100 per for labor?  So you have 200 min right there-maybe more.

As for what's really done-THERE'S the rub.  I've been involved with two dealerships.  At both the service sheet is pulled and every single item it attended to.  I'm sure that is not the case everywhere but that's where knowing the shop and staff pay big dividends.  While not universal, I'll support the guy(s) who I KNOW are straight up shooters-they gotta live, too.  My ex Triumph guy was like that.  he dropped them because corporate is completely bonkers (sound familiar?) but when my 1050 Tiger acted up right before a big getaway he took the bike on a SUNDAY to look it over.  Turned out to be a bad fuel pump going south.  He took one out of a floor bike to get me going as there were none available.  Think I'm gonna haggle on price?  That's the dealer/customer bond working perfect.

[DesmoDog]

Greetings,
My V85 TT is coming up on the mileage at which the very first service is recommended.  Although I plan to eventually learn to do some of this myself, I am probably not ready just yet, and i was planning on letting the dealership handle this first service.  Their recommendations:

Engine oil and filter change.
Gearbox oil change.
Rear differential oil change.
Valve adjustment.
Double-check torque on cylinder head bolts.

Price for all of the above was quoted as $500-600 dollars (USD).  (Location is Southern California if that matters).

I like the dealership, and I want to support their business, but I also confess that the quoted price took me back a bit, as it seems considerably higher than I had expected.  I would be curious if anyone else has a comparative price for this sort of service, so I can gain some perspective...?  Thanks.

Mine was right around $400 in Michigan. I don't recall that they changed the oil in the diff, or the gearbox? I don't recall, I'd have to look at the paperwork, whatever the manual recomends and nothing more form what I remember. I was perfectly capable of doing it myself (aside from resetting the wrench icon) but wanted the dealer to do the first one in case of future warranty issues. Aside from warranty, I doubt they will ever see the bike again.

[twowheeladdict]

Gappy does your motor rock to the right when seated? Then one would assume that the motor turns clockwise when seated. Correct me if I am wrong. Almost all manuals that I have read, say to rotate the motor in the direction of travel but that doesn't quite make sense as the motor is reciprocating.

Don't you put it in gear and rotate the back wheel in direction of travel while on a stand?

[Gappy]

Don't you put it in gear and rotate the back wheel in direction of travel while on a stand?

No I remove the altinator cover and put the bike in neutral and put a socket on the crank bolt and turn clockwise to the correct timing marks for the side I am adjusting

[Vagrant]

Not on a small block. you turn the wheel.

[skippy]

No I remove the altinator cover and put the bike in neutral and put a socket on the crank bolt and turn clockwise to the correct timing marks for the side I am adjusting

Modern small blocks like the V85 have a wet alternator on the end of the crank. DO NOT REMOVE THE COVER TO ROTATE THE ENGINE UNLESS YOU WANT OIL!!

Remove the spark plugs from both cylinders, click up to the highest gear, and rotate the rear wheel in a normal direction of travel.

Skippy

[Dirk_S]

Modern small blocks like the V85 have a wet alternator on the end of the crank. DO NOT REMOVE THE COVER TO ROTATE THE ENGINE UNLESS YOU WANT OIL!!

Remove the spark plugs from both cylinders, click up to the highest gear, and rotate the rear wheel in a normal direction of travel.

Skippy

Correct. Pretty sure the V7 II (my model) was the first to get the wet alternator.

[Kev m]

I remove the cover on my 2013 MkI Stone.

Again the 2015 last year of the MkI (1.5?) was the first to get the wet alternator in the US.

[Milosh]

My son and I did the first service in an afternoon in my garage. It's a V9, so I didn't have to worry about the rear differential.

[Dirk_S]

Nice project to do with the offspring!

It is worth emphasizing that warranty claims may be denied if the services are done outside of a shop and not cleared by them. Either I read that somewhere in the manual(s) or my local dealer advised that I wait until the warranty period was over before I did any of the more challenging checks (read: valve clearance et al) on my own.

[Kev m]

Nice project to do with the offspring!

It is worth emphasizing that warranty claims may be denied if the services are done outside of a shop and not cleared by them. Either I read that somewhere in the manual(s) or my local dealer advised that I wait until the warranty period was over before I did any of the more challenging checks (read: valve clearance et al) on my own.

No US warranty law is clear. An OEM cannot require the customer to use their dealer or parts for service unless they provide the service or parts for free.

A particular claim can only be denied if they can claim it was the result of improper service or sub quality parts.

In the industry it's generally accepted that keeping receipts for parts is demonstration enough to show the service was done. A particular claim could still be denied if say a part was overtightened and broken during the service or something like that. But the claim haa to be related. If a brake system is corroded/gummed up by the use of the wrong type of fluid they can't say deny a claim on an ECU fault or engine mechanical failure etc.

[bnucci24]

old thread but. 2021 V85TT 900km service cost $383 plus tax here in New Jersey at the local Indian/Guzzi/Vespa dealer. They did an ECU firmware update while in there. Perfectly happy to let the dealer do the first one. Warranty is 2 years they told me so you ride it we maintain it. I will give it some more time and consider the other fluids if I don't get the miles on it. HAve fun guys SUmmer is here!

[Kiwi_Roy]

The deciding factor for me was the dealer likes you to drop off the bike the night before so it's stone cold when they check the tappets.
It's a $50 taxi ride to get home from there. I spent the $50 on consumables at the dealership.
The only tricky part is measuring the oil quantity to go into the gearbox.
BTW, when draining any of the oils out leave the filler plug in until you have the drain plug out, much less mess that way.

[twodogs]

Make sure you can get the fill plug loose first, nothing worse than draining fluids only to find out that the fill plug won't come out 

[Tkelly]

WhenI got my first Guzzi in78  I got a copy of Tips For Guzzis.I was amazed by all the ideas folks employed to save a few bucks.There were lots of dealers then,not many now.In my business I really disliked prospective clients that tried to chisel me on what I quoted for their problem and was never sorry to show them the door.If ,as you say,you like and want to keep your dealer in business,pay the man,preferably in cash.You will be fondly remembered when you really need something from them.Besides,what does an average car repair cost these days in your area.

[Huzo]

Remove spark plugs and rotate motor counter-clockwise if looking towards motor from front of bike.

Are you sure that’s the correct direction ?
It’s clockwise on the big block

[egschade]

I had my first service done in the barn at last year's national rally by the Hamlin Cycle team (where I bought the bike). The charged $600 but went front to back checking everything including the ECU. They also changed the trans and gearbox oil even though it's not called for in the 1st service. It took them close to 3 hours and overall, I think it was well worth the price.

[Vagrant]

If you are lucky enough to find a dealer that really will do it right front to back like Hamlin it will be three hours and parts.
That's why I do them myself.

[nbags]

I think is one of the best thing you can do ,develop a relationship with the dealer it may be 450 it may be 650 but is probably well worth it .Lets say there is and engine failure moto guzzi is going to want to know if the oil was change and was the proper oil used also mid july you have a trip plan and you 6 month old bike is not working properly I'm sure you can spot by dealer and they would try to help you in some way.

[Jack Straw]

My first service on the V7III cost about $300 at Powersports Outlet here in Prescott.  Although I'll do my next routine service at home I try to maintain a relationship with the dealer by purchasing oil, filters, and various parts from them rather than online sources.

My decision to buy a Guzzi was greatly influenced by having a respected dealer close to home.  After a very disappointing experience with a new Royal Enfield 650 and the disinterested "MC Superstore" dealer/service here in Arizona I value the security blanket of a small, local, established shop. 

Also......it doesn't hurt that the dealer has two friendly dogs hanging out in the showroom.