Only thing I'm worried about is that my bike is just out of warranty by a month, and I can only imagine the cost of one of those
This will all depend upon how your dealer handles the situation. Firstly it's not the dealers fault they act on behalf of Honda and Honda's decisions. If handled correctly Honda will consider claims out of warranty (Goodwill). Usually this will take the form of Honda supplying the parts only and the customer paying labour. However, its never easy to second guess their decision. Some things they will support the dealer with yet other issues nothing, very difficult to judge this. Which is why I say it's important how the dealer handles the query. Secondly, if no fault is currently present then the diagnostic procedure can't be followed, this procedure is sometimes key to the acceptance of a warranty claim and the release of parts. The HDS tool (honda's diagnostic kit) will reveal the codes and and upon request need to be submitted with a claim. Again, this boils back to how the dealer handles the situation. Honda are very black and white. Unfortunately these systems are very expensive, the C-ABS front power control unit we have recently replaced is over £1300. Then you have the labour, to bleed the system is a FRT of 4.7 hours which is nearly £200. Air in the system does seem to be a concern at the moment.
Thanks MrB I'm not experiencing any problems, but with there being a known problem with the system I'd hate to have to pay for it considering I stumped up the extra for the system in the first place. I can't in anyway blame the dealerships as you say but, this is the kind of ar**ing around that I personally don't deal with, and in the end up could lose my future custom. I tend to be loyal to brands that I trust, but there is also a line that has to be drawn. PS it's kinda hard to express that I in no way at having a rant at yourself or the dealerships as things can be read out of context.
Totally understand Colin. I appreciate when you spend the amount of money were talking about on a flagship product that is meant to be renown for quality and reliability yet fails to deliver it can be most disappointing. To be fair mistakes are made but it's how the mistakes are rectified is the important part. One thing I will add, I file my warranty claims and have a folder one for Yamaha and one for Honda. By the end of the year the Yamaha folder will be twice as thick as Honda's. We sell more Honda's. On the flip side Yamaha's warranty is outstanding and rarely fails to deliver, again this goes back to how the claims are handled and the relationship the dealer has with the various warranty departments. But even so this wasn't enough for me to order a new R1 opposed to the Blade. Honda are obviously aware of the problems. I would recommend you write a letter to customer services expressing your concerns, you'll be amazed at what this can achieve, more sometimes than what a dealer can achieve for you. This will also be logged against your bike for future reference. Hope this helps.
Thanks for you help. I'll send a letter this weekend once I gather the details, and see where it gets me. Being a precision engineer, things like this do tend to grind away at me as I know things can go wrong in development of parts, but to try and ignore it, as if it is not a problem unless fussed about, is not the way a company like Honda should be running. To me there should be some pride in having one of the most reliable bikes on the market, and in doing so I would be trying to keep it that way. Jeez I'm feeling very outspoken tonight. Think I need a lie down now
Just to bump this up if anybody would like their bike checked for outstanding recall/warranty work. Hopefully it's been of use to others.
Just a quick question on warranty. My 2012 blades first serviced do l have to take it to a honda dealer, honda trained mechanic, trained mechanic etc
No, as long as you take it to a VAT registered garage then warranty is not affected. Ideally use Honda genuine parts but otherwise not a problem.
If you are happy with your main dealer, take it there ,you may need there help with any niggles in the future.
+ 1 what Giv said, local dealer is much more likely to help you out if they a/. Supplied the bike and b/. Have got some profitable aftersales work from you. Under block exemption law a manufacturer can’t dictate who you got to for work done. Although using OE parts is a good idea to ensure no wriggle room at the dealer if you have a warranty issue. But IMO you should support your local dealer if you expect them to support you when you need it.
