I took my bike to be fixed

[pseudo]

Some of you may remember a couple weeks ago, some guy bumped into my bike while I was on vacation, resulting in a lay down causing about $2500 in cosmetic damage.

I didn't have photos at the time ... here they are:

Damage Photo One
Damage Photo Two
Damage Photo Three

Ok, I can live with that, it's still ridable. The insurance is going to cover it. However the insurance company seems to be in a bit of a rush on my claim, and the dealership I bought it from is booked for a month. So I decide to take it to a dealership up North about 60 miles. Beside I was due for a 4000 mile service.

Everything goes fine, I thought, until I go to pick it up. The guy tells me, "Um, let me show you something ..."

He shows me the following:

Acid Damage Photo One
Acid Damage Photo Two
Acid Damage Photo Three

"That wasn't there when I left it!", I exclaimed, about ready to go postal. He starts on about how he thinks the battery wasn't serviced properly, because the cap was not securely tightened. and the acid my have dripped due to my accident.

I don't think so, I drove it for 2 weeks after my accident, and no acid! So I call Suzuki Customer Service to make sure everything was documented so I wouldn't get screwed and driver it directly to my dealer. (after paying $250 for my service, niiiice.).

Once I get to my dealership, the service manager (a great guy by the way) takes a look. He tells me that the story doesn't fly because these maintenance free batteries don't contain liquid acid that can drip, the acid is absorbed into the plates. Also upon further inspection it was quite apparent that the battery was "bulging" like an egg. It was quite apparent that someone had hooked it up to a charger too long and cooked it, making it explode. Which would also explain how the acid was everywhere, no just directly below from dripping.

At this point I would have gone back and knocked some heads, but there is no way to "prove" that's what happened, and to help avoid a further mess, he offered to rebid my estimate covering the acid damage as unforeseen damages caused by my accident earlier. That way my insurance will cover it all. Looks like on top of my original damage, I will need a new chain, new screws and hardware, new pipes, a new swing arm and a new left rear set and what ever else he finds in there. The acid really did a number ...

As much as I would like to make the dealership own up to the responsibility, I'd rather just have it taken care of. Besides, with all that damage, and being able to get a lot of my stuff close to cost, I'm going to get some shiny new accessories for my baby. Although, I'd much rather have not had any of this happen in the first place. Worst of all, I won't be able to make it to the Suzuki Cycle fest in Colorado now. That makes me bummed.

[Postal]

Some of you may remember a couple weeks ago, some guy bumped into my bike while I was on vacation, resulting in a lay down causing about $2500 in cosmetic damage.

I didn't have photos at the time ... here they are:

Damage Photo One
Damage Photo Two
Damage Photo Three

Ok, I can live with that, it's still ridable. The insurance is going to cover it. However the insurance company seems to be in a bit of a rush on my claim, and the dealership I bought it from is booked for a month. So I decide to take it to a dealership up North about 60 miles. Beside I was due for a 4000 mile service.

Everything goes fine, I thought, until I go to pick it up. The guy tells me, "Um, let me show you something ..."

He shows me the following:

Acid Damage Photo One
Acid Damage Photo Two
Acid Damage Photo Three

"That wasn't there when I left it!", I exclaimed, about ready to go postal. He starts on about how he thinks the battery wasn't serviced properly, because the cap was not securely tightened. and the acid my have dripped due to my accident.

I don't think so, I drove it for 2 weeks after my accident, and no acid! So I call Suzuki Customer Service to make sure everything was documented so I wouldn't get screwed and driver it directly to my dealer. (after paying $250 for my service, niiiice.).

Once I get to my dealership, the service manager (a great guy by the way) takes a look. He tells me that the story doesn't fly because these maintenance free batteries don't contain liquid acid that can drip, the acid is absorbed into the plates. Also upon further inspection it was quite apparent that the battery was "bulging" like an egg. It was quite apparent that someone had hooked it up to a charger too long and cooked it, making it explode. Which would also explain how the acid was everywhere, no just directly below from dripping.

At this point I would have gone back and knocked some heads, but there is no way to "prove" that's what happened, and to help avoid a further mess, he offered to rebid my estimate covering the acid damage as unforeseen damages caused by my accident earlier. That way my insurance will cover it all. Looks like on top of my original damage, I will need a new chain, new screws and hardware, new pipes, a new swing arm and a new left rear set and what ever else he finds in there. The acid really did a number ...

As much as I would like to make the dealership own up to the responsibility, I'd rather just have it taken care of. Besides, with all that damage, and being able to get a lot of my stuff close to cost, I'm going to get some shiny new accessories for my baby. Although, I'd much rather have not had any of this happen in the first place. Worst of all, I won't be able to make it to the Suzuki Cycle fest in Colorado now. That makes me bummed.

No need to go "postal." You should be able to get it fixed though. Good luck!

Postal.

[Devil Dog]

No Suzuki Fest....thats the worst part

[adrenaline junkey]

well atleast its geting fixed thats the important thing

[busahaya]

Wow, that totally bites. Hope everything works out for ya. I'd also write a letter to the owner of the dealer were the damage was obtained. Keep us posted.

[lot boy]

did i read this right: the dealer cooked your battery inside your bike ,then offered insurence fraud as the fix?--whew man thats some shady stuff--i'm sure the owner could get things fixed without all the nonsence???

[neeley]

Y I would have gone over his head then called my insurance company and told them of the attempted fraud

[GSXRFANN]

Anyone have a stock or stretched swingarm laying around that they aren't using? I am in desperate need of one and don't have alot of extra money laying around. I was hoping to find one off of a wrecked bike or something that someone would perhaps "donate" for the cost of shipping. I know that is a strange request...but I screwed mine!!!!

[USMCBUSA]

Don't get to beat up about it. At least the insurance company will fix it. That really says something about the quality of that dearlership. I wouldn't forget to mention that to my insurance as well.

[shenoyp]

Its a universal fact!! Dealerships suck...

[oldhat]

ummmm yeah.........insurance fraud is a felon!!!! and we wonder why rates are so high. I'd be making a phone call ASAP to your states insurance commisioner!!!

[MN72Busa]

Your dealer is a jackass, Im sure the @hole would deny what he said. Pond-Scum, enough said.

[HayaVegas]

As much as I would like to make the dealership own up to the responsibility, I'd rather just have it taken care of.

ARE YOU KIDDING?

This is the kind of crap that allows dealerships to make these kinds of mistakes and get away with it.

Someone there at that dealership ruined your bike, and tried to place blame ELSEWHERE.

You should report them and they should be held liable. Plus you got charged $250

?!!!!

Grow some balls, man. Get this wrong made right. For the sake of all of us.

I had a dealership break a bolthead off the front fork of my zx11 once, and never said anything to me.

The next day I noticed the fender rattling, and I asked them about it...and they said, "Yeah...we saw that, and tried to fix it for ya..."

That was BS. They broke the bolthead off -and they didnt even need to remove that bolt, because it was a tire change.

Eventually they made good.

[HayaVegas]

And how about this one.

Im at a local dealership getting the centerstand installed and a 4k service.

The guy goes out to get the VIN number and mileage, and goes right back inside...and writes on the order, (under the heading "condition of the vehicle"....)

"SCUFFS and SCRATCHES ALL AROUND"


Number 1: He didnt even walk to the other side of the bike.
Number 2: My 2005 bike is completely spotless...except for a tiny nick on the front fender.

I stared at the sheet for a few minutes, and I said we are going back outside, and you show me where I have a single scratch on my bike.

WE went out and he said, "all these swirls..." and I cut him off, he was trying to claim that sunswirls in the black paint were "scratches"...

what a moron.

[BentValve]

And how about this one.

Im at a local dealership getting the centerstand installed and a 4k service.

The guy goes out to get the VIN number and mileage, and goes right back inside...and writes on the order, (under the heading "condition of the vehicle"....)

"SCUFFS and SCRATCHES ALL AROUND"


Number 1:  He didnt even walk to the other side of the bike.
Number 2:  My 2005 bike is completely spotless...except for a tiny nick on the front fender.

I stared at the sheet for a few minutes, and I said we are going back outside, and you show me where I have a single scratch on my bike.

WE went out and he said, "all these swirls..."  and I cut him off, he was trying to claim that sunswirls in the black paint were "scratches"...

what a moron.

Im at a local dealership getting the centerstand installed and a 4k service.


Hello!

[pseudo]

did i read this right: the dealer cooked your battery inside your bike ,then offered insurence fraud as the fix?--whew man thats some shady stuff--i'm sure the owner could get things fixed without all the nonsence???

Ok, let me clarify.

The dealership "which I only went to because my local guy was booked" was not trying to commit fraud. They were trying to act like it wasn't their fault.

I took it to my dealership "and yes I trust them", they "came to the conclusion" that that appeared to be a cooked battery, that's what they "thought" happened, and it seems very likely. However, there is no way of prooving it, especialy because of the accident. It could have possibly been because of the accident, however it's would be hard to prove otherwise. So, "my dealership" rewrote the quote, including the acif damage as a cracked battery due to the accident. Which very well could have been the case, it's just our guts tell us otherwise. Besides, it's my only transportation, and I need back on the road ASAP. So, no fraud, it may well have been the accident that caused this whole thing ... but it's just suspicious.

[FJRider]

Sorry to hear about your dealership woes. I've been your situation too many times. I decided to do all my regular maintenance work myself. A basic beginner with a tech manual stands a better chance of getting it right, over the dealerships. (And the owner cares a whole hell of a lot more too.)

[pseudo]

Sorry to hear about your dealership woes. I've been your situation too many times. I decided to do all my regular maintenance work myself. A basic beginner with a tech manual stands a better chance of getting it right, over the dealerships. (And the owner cares a whole hell of a lot more too.)

Yeah, I'm seriously considering doing all my maintenance myself from this point forward. Seeming I could have done it for about $30. $250 is parts that could be going on my bike.

[The Big Red One]

Its a universal fact!! Dealerships suck...

yes.................yes they do. Thats why I don't use them