It's more than some big performance bikes, but without the performance!

bornagainbiker wrote:Having posted in other threads about my experiences with my first 600 mile service costs, last Friday I had the whole left hand switch assembly replaced under warranty as the wing mirror switch was sticking. This sticking switch is happening on nearly all 650 executives and has a cost of £186 plus removal fitting costs if you were out of warranty.

When I got home last Friday I just parked the scoot up in the garage. I had a half day today and the weather was nice so out it came. On checking the switch and the work performed I noticed that the dash was not fitted correctly, a lug had not been located and was unsightly along the top of the dash. On cleaning the screen I then noticed to my horror the two main screws behind the screen that hold the dash together had not been re fitted!

Went straight to the dealers and the service manager got the mechanic. He said that he had a hard time trying to get the lug fitting correctly but could not so left it as it was! Ah he says was the screen in the raised position, as that's probably how I missed refitting those screws. (The screens black retaining plastic, covers their sight). However he did apologise for his error. But like all good professional procedures on stripping down, you bag up the screws etc and on refitting it makes it easier, so where are the two screws?

After a cup of tea, I returned an hours later and the service manager could not understand why he did not have two screws left over also. The dash is now flush and the 'new' black screws fitted.

These are the same people that wanted £286 for my 600 mile service and now £303 for my 1st year, 4000 mile service. No thanks. I'm not a trained mechanic but capable of the majority of the simpler work needed (thanks to LeDude), and I'll know that the work is actually done.

There is no excuse for that! If any tech has a problem on the job you fess up straight away, or should. Then again bornagain, your bike is pretty good to service and do stuff on from what I understand. It's just time consuming. So looks like you are going to be spannering then yeah?

I have owned a 650 for 2.5 years now and always done all my servicing. Apart from tyres, everything is easily done by the end user. I agree its one of the cheapest scoots to run if you do lots of miles like I do (450 miles per week) as it doesnt need a belt replacement. My burgman has now done 30,000 miles and I have had to replace the shocks at the back for Hagon ones as one of the originals leaked. £180 for the pair new as opposed to about £250 each for the originals. I also have had a sticking wing mirror switch, but hasn't got any worse of the last 15000 miles, and one of the brake switches failed which I replaced. Over all when you look at ease of servicing, storage, filtering capability because of folding mirrors I find it hard to beat, I have owned a lot of Maxi Scoots (Tmax, Burgman 400, Nexus, Mana, X9) and its easily the best over all. I did love the traditional bike seating position of the Mana and would love to own a DCT VFR1200, but if truth be known the 650 does it all and well in my opinion..

My indicator switch on the Xevo failed a couple of months ago. Cost me 4 quid to replace INCLUDING fitting by the garage, beat that Suzuki

Easily beaten, any Suzuki I have owned has never required a new indicator switch.

Oh yeah....but this ex Piaggio owner had one faulty switch and nothing else over 16,000 miles yet this quality Suzuki has a juddery clutch and exhaust baffles coming loose in just 3500 miles

Im not saying either is better reliability wise but just goes to show.

What oil are you using in the engine/cvt.?
I only ask, because of preventing any internal steel belt problems, ie. could it start slipping if car oil is used with unwanted additives that it may contain.

I use halfords 10-40 part synth motorcycle oil.

barryG wrote:Oh yeah....but this ex Piaggio owner had one faulty switch and nothing else over 16,000 miles yet this quality Suzuki has a juddery clutch and exhaust baffles coming loose in just 3500 miles

Im not saying either is better reliability wise but just goes to show.

I've got a sneaky suspision that most of the Suzuki scooter problems are from shit mechanics that don't want to (and don't know how to) service/fix the scooters properly as they aren't motorbikes they're not interested.