Saturday I took my Honda Transalp back to CMC at Daybrook, Nottingham, for it's annual service. When I phoned to book the service I reminded them that they had said the air filter would need changing this time. However, on arrival they had no record of my request and said that it was a 12,000 mile service item so I pointed out that it was them that said it wasn't done at the last service and would need doing this time around. Soon after the bike was up on the ramp I am called over to have a listen to a ticking noise which they said was the plug caps tracking and breaking down - so I said that it was the same noise (only louder) that they had concerns about at the previous service but were then unable to explain. So it needed new plug caps, but they didn't have any, nor did they have an air filter - do you notice a pattern building here?
Next up, I am advised that at 20,000 miles it should have the valve clearances checked and a full fluid change - estimated at £350. Had I been advised of this when I booked the service? Er, No! And I didn't have the budget to do it this visit. So they set about the rest of the service, with one spark plug removed the bodywork all has to be removed to remove the other (front cylinder). I checked the plug and said to leave it and I'd do it when the plug caps and air filter were done as it was in fine shape and not in need of replacement.
I went for a walk up to their showroom and finding a quiet spot I rang Bob Minion Motorcycles, my local Honda dealer in Derby. Yes, they had plug caps in stock. Returning to the service side I then had to wait while a guy took longer to clean my bike that the service monkey had taken to perform 'the service'. On the way home I called into Minion's and got the plug caps and had a chat with Gavin who runs the workshop - the brake fluid change is a 4hr service item, the valve check isn't really necessary and the air filter is something they change every 8,000 miles because of the fuel savings a clean filter returns. Anyway, once I have found out how to remove the bodywork, me and my mate Phil will be doing the valve check, replace the ari filter and spark plugs and their caps. Gavin gets to do the brake fluid change.
Am I going to use CMC servicing again? In a word, No!
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