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22 Jan 2008
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yamaha garage or not yamaha garage...
Hello guys
I've got to service (12,000 miles) and MOT my yamaha TT600RE, 03 reg.
now, this is my dilemma:
shall I take it again to the unfriendly, central london yamaha dealer (2 weeks waiting list).
rude guys who are never available for a chat nor questions,
and who don't show any interest / knowledge / appreciation for trail bikes.
or shall go to a local suzuki authorized garage, cheaper, no need to book, very friendly guy who seem to like TTRs and trail bikes?
although he may have problems with original yamaha parts?
(I could bring him a copy of the yamaha official service manual).
how important is it, in your opinions, to keep the bike serviced at a yamaha authorized garage?
thanks all in advance
Diego
:confused1:
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22 Jan 2008
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Take it to the FRIENDLY guy
Take it to the FRIENDLY GUY!
he will have NO PROBLEM getting parts......
he will have no problem talking to you
and most importantly YOU will have NO PROBLEM with him!
and at 5 yrs old its out of warranty from Yamaha anyway so Official Dealer servicing is no longer required.
Martyn
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22 Jan 2008
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Find yourself a good independent motorcycle garage ask around see who other guys on bikes in your area use. I have found the Yamaha garages are only really interested in selling you a new bike and not really interested in the maintenance side especially on something like an XT. I also find that when it comes to my bike I need someone I can trust to mess around with it...........not some kid who has just left college and gets minimum wage.....no one wants a wheel to fall off at 70 mph!!!! I use a guy down in Bognor Regis who has been around forever he is very good and only has one other bloke who has worked with him for years. My only advice is to do your research and ask around other bikers.
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22 Jan 2008
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I would not let a main Yamaha dealer in central London service my bike if possible.
Find an independent guy
I can recomend Banjax in East London or Southern Cross in Kilburn both shops will talk to you and can get parts, one guy at Banjax has had a few XTs and big trail bikes.
Some parts on the TTR are a problem if they have to be special order. I waited 5 weeks for a generator cover it did not turn and I finally found a second hand one.
The price of some parts are quite expensive Brembo front master cylinder £120 from Yamaha or £70 from Brembo.
Ohlins rear shock £1400 from Yamaha or about £600 from Ohlins.
Plastics are very cheap.
I think most Yamaha dealers get there spares through Fowlers of Bristol so your Suzuki man should be able to order from them.
Last edited by bolla; 22 Jan 2008 at 20:52.
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22 Jan 2008
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Fowlers good or wemoto
Quote:
Originally Posted by bolla
I think most Yamaha dealers get there spares through Fowlers of Bristol so your Suzuki man should be able to order from them.
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If not Fowlers try Wemoto Home FAST delivery and always a great service, cant recommend em highly enough even for Overseas Delivery!
Martyn
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22 Jan 2008
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service
most of the things to service a yamaha 595 are easy to do, and do not need special equipment or electronics. The suzuki mech is probably a good option, many ppl simply do maintanance by themselves in their garage.
The only special thing is when you open the crankcase, then you will need someone that did it before, to avoid problems.
All other maintenance operations can be done easily, main thing is that the mechanic is enough skilled and responsable.
For example, use of a torque key for oil filter cover screws, although not necessary, is a good idea.
Ah, last thing, forget original spare parts, and also new spare parts. Joking, but as said original spares are pretty expensive, so for some things (chain, brakes ) is good to buy NOT original, for other sometimes is better to search on ebay.
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22 Jan 2008
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Well you have good advice there.
If you need another Yam parts supplier, south of London, there is:-
MoTo-WARD Ltd Website
They are very friendly over the telephone.
I believe things have changed in terms of warranties, so that when a bike is in its warranty period it need only be serviced with genuine parts by any garage with qualified mechanics - that's how I understand the situation to be, as a result of European legislation to "open up" the motor trade.
Does anyone know anything different?
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Dave
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23 Jan 2008
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Diy
Quote:
Originally Posted by dieg0oo
Hello guys
I've got to service (12,000 miles) and MOT my yamaha TT600RE, 03 reg.
now, this is my dilemma:
shall I take it again to the unfriendly, central london yamaha dealer (2 weeks waiting list).
rude guys who are never available for a chat nor questions,
and who don't show any interest / knowledge / appreciation for trail bikes.
or shall go to a local suzuki authorized garage, cheaper, no need to book, very friendly guy who seem to like TTRs and trail bikes?
although he may have problems with original yamaha parts?
(I could bring him a copy of the yamaha official service manual).
how important is it, in your opinions, to keep the bike serviced at a yamaha authorized garage?
thanks all in advance
Diego
:confused1:
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You didn't show any sign in your question of wanting to DIY your bike; yes, if you are interested then the routine servicing is straight forward enough, as others have said, but you would do well to get a good manual for all of the correct advice, tolerance information and settings, and, you will need a few tools.
This may, or may not, be your cup of tea, but it does mean that you will know your bike much better than employing others to work on it.
You might even get to love your XT (better than you would do otherwise!) 
__________________
Dave
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23 Jan 2008
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thank you all
Thanks Dave, and to all of you guys, for the precious advise.
I'm a rather new biker (had my first bike, a TT600RE, for less than an year; done 14,000 km), and I am still learning.
Also, I have to say that i've always been a rather useless mechanic.
Although these bikes seem very simple, I'm still not that confident in doing things on my own,
and when a yamaha dealer told me that i need to service it every 6,000 miles... to me it's honestly still quite unclear what are the bike needs and periodical maintenances, and if I can do them myself or not...
All I've done so far is changing oil and filter, lubricating clutch, throttle cables and chain... but in just one year, the bike has always run perfectly.
I am willing to learn, and i like it, but I'm still gradually getting the right knowledge and tools (at the mo, even taking the tank off, in order to replace the spark-plug seems a big job for me!)
thank you all for your help!
Diego
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23 Jan 2008
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you will get used to it...
Quote:
Originally Posted by dieg0oo
I am willing to learn, and i like it, but I'm still gradually getting the right knowledge and tools (at the mo, even taking the tank off, in order to replace the spark-plug seems a big job for me!)
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Your willing to learn, that is the MAIN thing!
one good tip is this...... put a LITTLE and i mean a smear, of Copaslip on any screw or bolt that you take off the bike, especially on the engine casings, it stops the 'electrolytic' action of steel & alloy and stops the bolts siezing in and helping to strip the threads.
Martyn
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24 Jan 2008
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Also highly recommend WEmoto for parts great value and fast service. 
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26 Jan 2008
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I went to my local Yamaha dealer (Padgetts at Batley) with a fairly minor problem on my '84 Tenere that would be easily fixed. The guy who does all the servicing, repairs, etc wasn't at all helpful - infact he was nothing short of arrogant. He said I might as well scrap my bike as it wasn't worth fixing.
If I has turned up on a brand new bike that they had sold me it might have been a different story.
I haven't had many good times at dealers - I think they are all the same.
It's probably a money thing and times are hard?
Tom
__________________
Tom
I'm a country member...
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24 Jan 2008
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Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: Manchester
Posts: 150
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Quote:
Originally Posted by dieg0oo
Thanks Dave, and to all of you guys, for the precious advise.
I'm a rather new biker (had my first bike, a TT600RE, for less than an year; done 14,000 km), and I am still learning.
Also, I have to say that i've always been a rather useless mechanic.
Although these bikes seem very simple, I'm still not that confident in doing things on my own,
and when a yamaha dealer told me that i need to service it every 6,000 miles... to me it's honestly still quite unclear what are the bike needs and periodical maintenances, and if I can do them myself or not...
All I've done so far is changing oil and filter, lubricating clutch, throttle cables and chain... but in just one year, the bike has always run perfectly.
I am willing to learn, and i like it, but I'm still gradually getting the right knowledge and tools (at the mo, even taking the tank off, in order to replace the spark-plug seems a big job for me!)
thank you all for your help!
Diego
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I've been messing with Bikes for years and all I really intend doing to this is Oil n filter changes adjust and oil the chain and spray bits of WD40 here and there, I was concerned about the tappet noise and my Bike has only done about 5 k miles but my brother in law who is an engineer and knows a lot more about Bikes than me says its because its a big Air cooled Single and shouldn't worry about it.
That's why I asked is there something else I should know but it seems not, so save your money and a lot of time and messing about dropping it off at a Bike shop and change the Oil n Filter yourself being careful not too over tighten any bolts.
I have slight criticisms about the quality of some of the parts and finish of my Bike.......... but I think its pretty dam good and hope to keep it for years and maintain it well. 
__________________
Yamaha TT600RE 2004
Yamaha YZ250 2 stroke 99
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24 Jan 2008
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Quote:
Originally Posted by dieg0oo
Hello guys
how important is it, in your opinions, to keep the bike serviced at a yamaha authorized garage?
Diego
:confused1:
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As a consumer vote with your money! Do not reward bad service unless absolutely necessary.
And also it is most often good to support small local service industry anyway. This applies to motorcycle service as well as cafeterias etc.
I second all the opinions above saying go for the independent operator or that Suzuki (?) garage.
__________________
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No bike, sad man...
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