My Brother Just purchased an NC700X. It's been a fiasco since he picked up the bike

[pprior]

If they already threw in a 4 year warranty I'd say no harm done and ride on. I'd make it very clear that I was pissed about it and expect some free service, etc, but the bike will likely be just fine and just make sure the whole incident is documented for honda in case you do have a warranty claim later on.

 

[rippin209]

Sorry that the dealership screwed up. In my personal opinion, I'd bring the bike to the dealership and go throu it with the service manager before the grace period is over. If your bother isn't satisfied, return the bike. Also some one should go with your brother, as a witness. I like to "voice memo" these times, in case the manager's "memory is poor". I think it would be easier to backtrack from that than try returning the bike after the cooling off period. Your brother might even use it as a bargaining point for a better deal/extras on the bike.

I'm a noob (on the NC), but if the bike was run dry I'd think it would have died on the way home/ or the coolant light would have lit.

I believe it would shut off if it overheated, if the light didn't even come on I would think it's fine. I've had my radiator leak to the point that my overflow had nothing left, I ride aggressively and live in a very hot area and go over a mountain pass every day and I've never had the over heating light come on. I wish it had a real gauge instead of a dummy light though

 

[rippin209]

Again I'm a noob on the NC, but even the air would put the internal engine temperature way hot. I would have thought it would've smoked it's oil.

I second that. It would have quickly destroyed itself if it had nothing in the radiator I think it would have seized or blown up after about ten miles of max temp, air cooling would help but isn't designed for it

 

[JamesD]

I agree totally with this concern. That's why my motorcycles never see a dealer again (except for safety recalls, which I dread getting done).

If you get a good mechanic, they are awesome... if you get the guy getting stoned on his lunch hour (trust me, I know several of these guys), good luck!
Yeah, doing your own maintenance is so much better.

I don't believe the setup is too involved that the dealer could screw up much more than they already have. The factory does 99% of the assembly and testing. The dealer just needs to unpack it and pull some plastic off, maybe mount a front wheel or handlebars. Fluids would have all been done at the factory. My guess is the cooling system burped some air and used what was in the reservoir, but the radiator was full. I don't know about NC700s, but when I watched Honda build Goldwings in Ohio, the machine was 100% rideable at the end of their assembly line. Then it's broken down slightly for shipping.

I think it's pretty much front end, bars, and stuff like that. But you never know if someone screwed up at the factory either. Still, I think their QC is pretty good.

I hope this dealer will compensate you somehow, but do not accept more service on the machine as compensation. As we've seen, that is not their area of expertise. Find something else to compensate you that works to your advantage. At the very least you should get a new battery for you to properly install. Maybe have them toss a centers stand into the deal.

Well, it is a new battery since the one in it was several years old.
I'll float the center stand idea since I know my brother wants one. At least give it to him at cost.
That will be worth far more to him than the first service.

 

[670cc]

I'll float the center stand idea since I know my brother wants one. At least give it to him at cost.
That will be worth far more to him than the first service.

Sounds like a great plan. Be aware that the stand lists for $150, but you can buy one any day of the week from procaliber.com for $107. So the "dealer cost" needs to be well under $107.

 

[JamesD]

Just a few things here.

My brother was going to ride the bike for a few days before his trip to make sure everything was ok, but there was some confusion in the financing paperwork, work got in the way, etc... and he didn't get to pick up the bike sooner. Yeah it would have been great to ride it for a few days but when you trade in a car for a new one do you baby it for a few days before driving it anywhere? If I buy a car in Denver, to just drive it home I'll have to take it almost as far as his trip and over some of the same roads.

He purchased the bike because the savings in gas, wear and tear, etc... on his F-250 diesel pickup would more than pay for the bike. I have an F-350 and the last air filter was over $50! I'm sure part of the reason he's so upset is because this one trip alone would save about 1/3 of the first payment. If there's no coolant in the bike, that's complete incompetence, and if the dealer wants to fix it, he's out another couple weeks riding it during some of the nicest riding weather of the year. That pretty much accounts for at least the entire first payment and he's still putting miles on his pickup. Any money he saves beyond the normal pickup costs can go to a new seat, new windscreen, heated grips, and a center stand.
FWIW, he chose the NCX over other bikes because of the MPG, he has to ride on some dirt roads, and the price among other things. If you ask me, it's perfect for him and he seemed to love it what little time he's gotten to ride.

*IF* the coolant is just a little low I think it's going to be no big deal. He'll still be pissed they didn't even bother to top off fluids but the dealer will do something for him. The oil change at 600 miles isn't very useful to him. Trust me, he is more than capable of completely rebuilding the motor by himself. My parents had a farm and we've done more mechanical work than you can imagine. The sun was just coming up when he took off and he probably couldn't see the screw that locks the radiator cap on. I'm not sure his Goldwings had that (it's been a while), and his other bikes were air cooled. The dealership wasn't open yet and for whatever reason he didn't call me either.
I don't think he has any confidence in the dealer's service dept. Lets face it, if you can't get a battery connection right and didn't even check the fluids... you have to wonder.
I think once he gets home and sees there is water in the radiator he'll be ok with it. If he can't see coolant at the top of the radiator he may be on the phone to a lawyer.

There are buyers remorse laws in Colorado, but I'm not sure it applies to motor vehicles. You have 72 hours or up to 5 days to cancel a contract depending on the type. Even if it isn't covered under law, the dealer may take it back. Lets face it, how would they justify not putting coolant in the bike if it were to go to court? So legal fees on both sides, costs incurred by having to drive another vehicle, paying another dealer to fix it (no way they would get to do it), and bad publicity. That sounds costly.

 

[showkey]

He purchased the bike because the savings in gas, wear and tear, etc... on his F-250 diesel pickup would more than pay for the bike. I have an F-350 and the last air filter was over $50! I'm sure part of the rea

More disappointment might be ahead............its really hard to save money with a motorcycle when you include maintenance, insurance and the added cost of the vehicle and summer only riding. Think $50 for an air filter is bad.......just wait until the bike needs tires in 5000 miles to the tune of $200 to $400. Saving money theory might help getting the wife on board .........but in reality savings are really there. Fuel savings is easy all the other stuff is a little harder.......DIY maintenance is a good starting point. Is long as you fix more than screw up while your learning.

ALL Motorcycles cost money ..........some more than others.........the "mandatory costume" for the Harley would be least another $500.
Those other bikes that were mentioned are twice the price of the NC.

PS....the NC radiator cap has a set screw........you will trash the radiator cap and possibly the radiator if ham fist the cap in trying to check the coolant level.

 

[dduelin]

If you get a good mechanic, they are awesome... if you get the guy getting stoned on his lunch hour (trust me, I know several of these guys), good luck!
Yeah, doing your own maintenance is so much better.


I think it's pretty much front end, bars, and stuff like that. But you never know if someone screwed up at the factory either. Still, I think their QC is pretty good.


Well, it is a new battery since the one in it was several years old.
I'll float the center stand idea since I know my brother wants one. At least give it to him at cost.
That will be worth far more to him than the first service.

The NC700X ships pretty much fully assembled - just the mirrors and windshield are fitted by the dealer. Those items are in the cardboard box. The battery IIRC is shipped dry, installed in the bike's battery cavity but without cables attached, and the dealer fills the glass mat cells with electrolyte before sealing it and bolting the cables down. This silver manual was mine and pictured the day of arrival in July 2012. I waited 3 months for it to arrive.

 

[happy]

Sorry but has anyone thought about the human side on the dealer side?
Did he maliciously attempt to cheat the buyer?
Was it an honest mistake?
What would it make for the buyer and people here "satisfied"?
We all make mistakes and we learn from them. The dealership owner and the kid are probably "suffering" from this episode already. Or did someone observe anything different? Or are the great "customers first" nation demanding blood over such a "trivial" thing?
I would also be angry over such things, but let it go.
Live and let live.

Peace.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[JamesD]

He purchased the bike because the savings in gas, wear and tear, etc... on his F-250 diesel pickup would more than pay for the bike. I have an F-350 and the last air filter was over $50! I'm sure part of the rea

More disappointment might be ahead............its really hard to save money with a motorcycle when you include maintenance, insurance and the added cost of the vehicle and summer only riding. Think $50 for an air filter is bad.......just wait until the bike needs tires in 5000 miles to the tune of $200 to $400. Saving money theory might help getting the wife on board .........but in reality savings are really there. Fuel savings is easy all the other stuff is a little harder.......DIY maintenance is a good starting point. Is long as you fix more than screw up while your learning.
...

He has about a 20+ mile commute each way.
The pickup will consume at least 56 gallons of diesel fuel in a month doing that.
The bike will consume about 18 gallons of gasoline assuming 60 MPG.
If fuel is the same price (diesel is actually more than gasoline)... say $2.20 per gallon... That's over $80 right there.
Then he drives several hundred miles to farm on weekends which will actually more than double the savings.
If the cost of fuel goes up... so do his savings.
The last tires on my F-350 only lasted 8000 miles and were over $150 each. I was not happy.
He already has riding gear from his last bike.
You fail to factor in how much it will cost to repair or replace the pickup due to high miles.
Did you know when they replace almost anything on an F-250 or F-350 motor they pull the cab?
I commuted from Highlands Ranch to Boulder on my VFR during every month of the year except February.
I obviously couldn't ride every day, but Colorado has a lot of sunny days during the winter. If it was 43 degrees or above when I left and it wasn't icy... I rode.
His bike will pay for itself. If you want to continue your argument... feel free.

How can you tell someone didn't read the entire post?

The sun was just coming up when he took off and he probably couldn't see the screw that locks the radiator cap on.

PS....the NC radiator cap has a set screw........you will trash the radiator cap and possibly the radiator if ham fist the cap in trying to check the coolant level.

 

[JamesD]

Sorry but has anyone thought about the human side on the dealer side?
Did he maliciously attempt to cheat the buyer?
Was it an honest mistake?
What would it make for the buyer and people here "satisfied"?
We all make mistakes and we learn from them. The dealership owner and the kid are probably "suffering" from this episode already. Or did someone observe anything different? Or are the great "customers first" nation demanding blood over such a "trivial" thing?
I would also be angry over such things, but let it go.
Live and let live.

Peace.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

You mean did the dealer intentionally let an untrained mechanic work on the bike and potentially screw it up?
Did they mean to screw up the bike? Moot point, either way if the bike gets screwed up.
Do I blame the kid? No! If it's his first time doing it you check his work.
Is my brother satisfied? We'll find out next week and I'll pass on the info.

 

[pprior]

Who cares if the kid is upset. If he is responsible for thousands of dollars of MY money then he needs to know what he is doing.


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[JamesD]

FWIW, I told my brother how the crated bike is shipped shortly after that photo was posted and it probably had coolant from the factory in it.
I talked to him briefly again around 10 p.m. after he finished working, and he asked me about taller wind screens.
I think he's feeling better about the bike now.

 

[HarveyM]

Here's an article on a US honda factory for ATV's. They dyno run the vehicles, then check the running, suspension & brakes on a short track! I doubt Honda's Japanese motorcycle factory is any less careful.
Timmonsville Honda ATV Plant Tour - Motorcycle USA

 

[vitesse]

What the hell did I just read, a guy whining his battery was not secured (5 minute fix) and hs coolant wasn't topped up (2 minute fix). Do get a Harley, you don't like motorcycles.

 

[JamesD]

What the hell did I just read, a guy whining his battery was not secured (5 minute fix) and hs coolant wasn't topped up (2 minute fix). Do get a Harley, you don't like motorcycles.

Well, you certainly don't set the bar very high for how you want your new bikes assembled.
Gee, it took what? 10 minutes or less for the bike to break down after leaving the dealer?
Tell me you wouldn't be upset if that happened to you.

It wasn't a 5 minute fix. It required a trip back to the shop to track down the problem, and a new bolt and nut. The dealer took at least a half hour to fix it.
And remember, the NC toolkit consists of a cheap screwdriver and a fuse puller. Good luck fixing it with that. It doesn't even have the right wrench for him to fix it himself let alone the new bolt and nut.

It's easy to say something is a 5 minute fix, but the reality was a bit different.

And the shop told him they let a kid with no experience assemble it. He had no idea what exactly the kid did or did not do, so he had no idea if there was any coolant in it.

You're just trolling.

 

[dduelin]

No quarrel with the dissatisfaction with the dealer and the bike prep but the "tool kit" as supplied absolutely was sufficient to correct the battery issue.

The cable attachments don't require a wrench - just that cheap screwdriver to remove the battery cover and correctly fasten the cables in place. I suspect after 4 pages of this when the bike had a problem your brother was unsure of what to look for and how to correct it and a $500 set of the best tools in town wouldn't have helped him. We actually have no idea what the fix was and are taking the dealer's and your brother's word for it. The lead alloy cable fitting machine screws and nuts are easily cross threaded and equally easily set to rights. Flip the nut over and start the threads properly good to go.

 

[L.B.S.]

What the hell did I just read, a guy whining his battery was not secured (5 minute fix) and hs coolant wasn't topped up (2 minute fix). Do get a Harley, you don't like motorcycles.

I can see that a brand new motorcycle purchase experience would be different for different people's outlooks and expectations. Some are bursting with excitement, trepidation, a little queasy that everything doesn't go all awry and cast a shadow over the deal from day one.

Others can be cynical old hands at it, and not have the type of personality to get easily ruffled in the first place.

I can see a bit of a justified rant from the first person point of view, and a bit of wry disbelief from the other.

One thing though, there is really no need to start any personal slamming just because the two points of view don't line up, ok?

 

[L.B.S.]

Well, you certainly don't set the bar very high for how you want your new bikes assembled.
Gee, it took what? 10 minutes or less for the bike to break down after leaving the dealer?
Tell me you wouldn't be upset if that happened to you.

It wasn't a 5 minute fix. It required a trip back to the shop to track down the problem, and a new bolt and nut. The dealer took at least a half hour to fix it.
And remember, the NC toolkit consists of a cheap screwdriver and a fuse puller. Good luck fixing it with that. It doesn't even have the right wrench for him to fix it himself let alone the new bolt and nut.

It's easy to say something is a 5 minute fix, but the reality was a bit different.

And the shop told him they let a kid with no experience assemble it. He had no idea what exactly the kid did or did not do, so he had no idea if there was any coolant in it.

You're just trolling.

James, I can empathize with the frustration of an incompetent dealer, and totally see the bootstrap effect of being angry and allowing that to kind of snowball on itself, especially if you get some replies with a bit of a sting to them, or maybe not a complete vote of agreement that (your brother) has been done wrong.

Having said that though, you do have to understand that being an internet forum where there are lots of different peeps with a lot of sometimes opposite outlooks, getting a not complimentary comment or a bit of an insulting attitude thrown here or there is kind of par for the course.



As long as this thread stays civil, I will allow it to continue. I'm hoping there will be some self reflection on everybody's part, as far as knowingly jabbing at the other guy for no real constructive benefit. It doesn't *have* to devolve down into the personal digs where everyone leaves annoyed and upset. What a waste.

 

[supertux1]

Having just recently bought a brand new bike, I would be extremely upset if there was something wrong with it that stopped it from running on day one. I don't care why, or who was working in the shop that day, not my problem.

There's a reason why some of us pay a premium for a brand new vehicles as opposed to buying used and that is for peace of mind, knowing that we're paying for the qualities of a machine that has no abuse/neglect history. Honda has a reputation for quality and is the reason why many of us gravitate towards the brand. Even if the bike is mechanically totally fine, some of that quality is lost now and it's not a good feeling.

Honda and/or the dealer should at the very least make it right, and offer some kind of compensation beyond that to make up for any perception of quality lost by the experience.

If it simply was a bad battery connection and low (but not empty) radiator fluid I wouldn't be too concerned as these are wear items and would eventually need replacing anyway.

I would expect the dealer to make it right though and provide a first service and inspection at 600 miles for free, ($50-$100) value, if nothing for the inconvenience of having to bring the bike back.

Anything more than that or a potentially permanently damaged engine, I'd be negotiating for a brand new bike out of the crate.