I enquired about my second service today at my local dealer in Grimsby. £185 for service then 5 hours labour to do the brake fluid as I have ABS!! £400 all in are they having a laugh!!! £400 on a bike which isn't even 2 years old with only 2000 miles on the clock absolutely ridiculous. Anyone speak from experience?
Do it yourself. And no way does it take 5 hours to bleed the brakes. It's the same as any other brake system I've done.
My 2nd service or the 4,000 mile service as its classed cost me £155 at Grantham Honda, ok mine non abs but still a bit cheaper than original quote, I knows it's a bit further for you to travel but worth a call to them for a quote
I would phone Honda and speak to them and ask them what time they allow for brake bleeding, I think you've been done over matey. I went to service a Triumph speed triple T509 and they wanted £600 at the Triumph dealer, got rid of ST ( I know the new ones are no where near that to service now ) Also had the same with the speed four......sold, gone, hasta la vista.
They too quoted me £155 which I have booked in for the 8th April. Grantham seemed to think they could do the brake fluid on ABS in a hour.
Bit of a contrast between 2 main dealers, I thought Honda was fixed price servicing so wonder why George Petch was charging so much more, least you know where to go in the future!
well i'd be sending them a letter for an explanation as to why it takes 5 hrs to bleed the brakes.granted i dont know the ABS set up but jesus,i could have an engine out and back in in that time.tell tham you'll also be forwarding on a letter to HONDA UK to see what they have to say about it,it's funny how garages change tune when the franchise element comes into it.
Already fired a email off to Honda UK await there feedback as the guy at Grimsby claimed he had rang technical so I will await there input before I custard pie the general manager!!
Bleeding the ABS seems to be purposely designed to take forever and require dismantling of the radiator among'st other things FFS! http://www.expandingknowledge.com/J...ABS/Maintenance/Combined_ABS_Air_Bleeding.pdf
to be fair, Marshalls at p'boro quoted upto 5 hours aswell... however they also said that Honda had so many complaints about the 2nd year service they were 'looking into it'.....
I did my own abs a few weeks ago. The brake fluid was about a tenner & it took about 30 mins with a spare pair of hands. I did it just like a conventional setup but was extra careful not to introduce air.
With all the issues I had with my ABS I can confirm that Honda state that to 'properly bleed' the ABS system is a 4-5hr job You have to remove shit loads of parts to access the ABS unit near the Exhaust (complete lunacy)
My car has abs, no problem bleeding the whole system in about 45 mins including jacking it up and wheels off
As you rightly said in your first post the bike is only 2 years old, so unless there is a reason why the fluid needs changing/bleeding on a nearly new bike then i'd skip that bit and just have the £185 service.
I can understand it taking a long time if starting from a point where air has been introduced eg. replacing hoses. But just replacing the fluid should be a straight forward process of flushing new fluid through. You don't drain the system first.
Update Basically Honda Customer Services are saying like it or lump it 4.7 hours to bleed the brake system. Are not prepared to help and will not comment on dealer labour charges. I can have my brake fluid changed on my 3 Series for £50 by BMW!! Gonna write to MCN and see what they think!
