Workshop test 2010 part 1: BMW and Honda companies

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Workshop test 2010 part 1: BMW and Honda companies
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Workshop test 2010 part 1: BMW and Honda companies

Workshop test 2010 part 1: BMW and Honda companies

Workshop test 2010 part 1: BMW and Honda companies

Workshop test 2010 part 1: BMW and Honda companies

10 pictures

Workshop test 2010 part 1: BMW and Honda companies
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1/10
The tire pressure has been reduced by half a bar below the manufacturer’s specifications.

Workshop test 2010 part 1: BMW and Honda companies
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Authorized workshops from BMW to Yamaha were tested. Here, for example, with a GS from BMW…

Workshop test 2010 part 1: BMW and Honda companies
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… or with a Honda CBF 600.

Workshop test 2010 part 1: BMW and Honda companies
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4/10
The screw connection of the coupling fitting was loosened.

Workshop test 2010 part 1: BMW and Honda companies
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5/10
In addition, the idle travel on the throttle cable has been increased by at least one centimeter.

Workshop test 2010 part 1: BMW and Honda companies
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6/10
And removed the brake bleed cap to be able to prove really clean work.

Workshop test 2010 part 1: BMW and Honda companies
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7/10
If the brakes have too much play, things can quickly become dangerous. However, if you don’t know the solution yourself, only the workshop can help – hopefully. MOTORRAD tested whether this is the case using the following tasks.

Workshop test 2010 part 1: BMW and Honda companies
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8/10
The first test task was to replace the blown parking light bulb.

Workshop test 2010 part 1: BMW and Honda companies
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9/10
The upper right handlebar clamp screw has been loosened.

Workshop test 2010 part 1: BMW and Honda companies
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And last but not least, the brake fluid is drained to the minimum.

motorcycles

Workshop test 2010 part 1: BMW and Honda companies

Workshop test part 1
Workshop test: BMW and Honda

On the move on a secret mission. In April and May, 32 motorcyclists brought their machines to the authorized workshop – major inspection. What the dealers did not suspect: MOTORRAD and the ADAC had prepared the private bikes with hidden defects. Errors that every workshop has to find if they stick to the inspection plan. Actually a feasible task. But there were also surprises at BMW and Honda – both positive and negative.

06/24/2010

Part I: Eight BMW and Honda dealerships How good is an authorized motorcycle workshop? What service does it have to offer? What kind of work do you do? And how much can she ask for it? Questions that almost every motorcyclist inevitably and repeatedly has to deal with. And the answers to that? In theory it is quite simple: When it comes to the safety of the driver, a workshop must work perfectly and must not make any mistakes. When it comes to service, precise documentation of the work to be performed (work order) and the work done (invoice) and a certain friendliness are the minimum. And the price? Well, it can vary greatly between an expensive city and a flat country, but it should be within the scope of what is customary in the area.

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So much for the theory. The practice is often completely different. How different? To find out with a test, two strong partners have joined forces with MOTORRAD and ADAC. The result of this cooperation is the first cross-brand workshop test in MOTORRAD since 1999. Until then, the editorial team had carried out such random checks more or less regularly. However, the increasing networking of the branded workshops subsequently made it impossible to continue the tried and tested scheme: a motorcycle that is repeatedly prepared with the same defects and is therefore inspected in various companies across Germany. It would immediately be exposed as a test bike today. If the database informs the mechanic that the same inspection has already been carried out on the same motorcycle two days ago in the neighboring state, someone in the workshop should pay attention.

So new ways and means were needed. And new partners. MOTORRAD found this in the employees of the ADAC technology center in Landsberg am Lech. From there, the automobile club carries out covert tests of car repair shops nationwide all year round. The results are published once a year in the members’ magazine. So the test know-how was there. MOTORRAD provided the vehicle know-how.

So was tested


Workshop test 2010 part 1: BMW and Honda companies


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For example, the screw connection of the coupling fitting was loosened.

Throughout Germany, four authorized workshops of eight motorcycle brands were selected at random in regions with a high number of motorcycles. The bottom line is 32 companies. The four big Japanese Honda, Kawasaki, Suzuki and Yamaha, plus the Europeans BMW, Ducati and Triumph as well as Harley-Davidson were specified as manufacturers. The motorcycle models that were to be used for testing were also largely determined based on the inventory. The test team then hired private owners of the individual motorcycle models in the region of the companies to be tested, who made a workshop appointment (not on Fridays) for a “great inspection”, so the order in the wording, agree and should have the inspection carried out on the date.

In order to rule out as far as possible that workshops would be warned about a test or that they could raise suspicions in view of the motorcycle, the test customers were not allowed to have already appeared as customers or buyers at the company to be tested. Contract experts who did not come from the region – again to rule out cheating as far as possible – received precise, photographically documented instructions from the test team, according to which they had to prepare the individual motorcycles with seven faults before the agreed date. All these preparations were again meticulously documented with a camera. The test customers, who did not know which faults were built, then returned the bike prepared in this way on time. In doing so, they were instructed to pay attention to the service offered by the company: Will one “Dialogue acceptance” offered and carried out directly on the motorcycle? Can the estimated costs be stated? If a work order is created, the copy is given to the customer?

Immediately after the motorcycle was handed in and after it was picked up, the test customers were interviewed by the test team, asked for their impressions and checked to see which documents were available (work order, inspection plan, invoice). When assessing the quality of the workshop and asked the general question of whether the customer would generally recommend the company or not, the test customer had no information about how well the workshop had actually worked. Which of the built-in errors were actually found and corrected was determined immediately after collection by the same expert who installed them. The scope of the work performed was precisely documented and photographed.

Which bugs were built in?


Workshop test 2010 part 1: BMW and Honda companies


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Or the brake bleeding cap has been removed in order to be able to prove really clean work.

A workshop whose mechanic adheres to the maintenance plans given by the manufacturer or importer must inevitably find all built-in defects. They all fall under the points listed in each inspection plan, even if they may be formulated slightly differently: Check the tightening torques of safety-relevant screw connections and correct if necessary, check lighting system, repair if necessary, check tire pressure, correct if necessary, check throttle cable for play, correct if necessary, check brake fluid level, top up if necessary. If a change of the brake fluid was planned in the maintenance plan anyway, a replacement fault prepared in all cases was assessed, which must also be found if the mechanic only adheres to the maintenance plan. In addition, the dust cap on the rear brake fluid vent was missing on every motorcycle – a deficiency that a thorough screwdriver must immediately notice.

So was rated

The evaluation was carried out separately according to work performance and service with a proportional weighting of three to two. Each company was able to score twelve points for each error found and corrected.

Anyone who discovered all five faults assessed per motorcycle received a maximum of 60 points. Not in points, but in sympathy values, was reflected when the mechanic had found the replacement fault and replaced the missing dust cap.

A maximum of 40 points (graduated in steps of one) were also awarded for perfect service. So if you did everything absolutely right technically and atmospherically, you could achieve 100 points – not an impossible task, but only one of 32 workshops mastered it. However, all companies have billed the full scope of an inspection. However, only a good quarter of 32 workshops found and corrected all five assessed errors.

BMW Bremen


Workshop test 2010 part 1: BMW and Honda companies


Bilski

BMW Motorcycle Center, Borgwardstrasse 4-6, 28279 Bremen

One “Inspection with annual inspection” is due for the R 1200 GS with a mileage of 22,657, explains customer service advisor Danny Ohliger to the test customer in a friendly manner, accepts the order, but does not inspect the GS to accept a dialog. The BMW is ready at the agreed time and the customer is given a thorough explanation of the bill of 349.55 euros. The removed dust cap can also be found on it at 2.78 euros, the working hour in Bremen costs 98 euros, the motor oil used costs 11 euros per liter. When the test customer leaves the Bremen company with his GS, he has the feeling that he has received good advice, but also a hefty bill – wrong, as a comparison will turn out to be.

Workshop service:

 Too much play on the throttle cable
  Error not found
 Coupling fitting loose
  Error not found
 Insufficient tire pressure
  found a mistake
 Parking light defective
  found a mistake
 Rear brake fluid level
 lowered to a minimum
  found a mistake
   
 Quality of work  36 points
 Service quality  34 points
 Overall quality  70 points

Conclusion:
The second cheapest of the four BMW dealerships, but only three errors found. It is incomprehensible how a loose clutch fitting and the excessive play on the throttle cable could go undetected. The (not rated) loosened handlebar clamping screw escaped the mechanic’s attention.

MOTORRAD verdict: Satisfactory (70 out of 100 points)

BMW food


Workshop test 2010 part 1: BMW and Honda companies


Bilski

BMW Motorcycle Center, Bamlerstrasse 102-110, 45141 Essen

At the KM stand of 18344, service advisor Peter Kohler prescribes the test BMW one “Inspection with annual inspection” (BMW jargon), issues the work order and then goes straight to the door with the incognito tester to accept the dialogue on his motorcycle. Kohler does his job routinely, but in a friendly and competent manner, immediately noticing the defective parking light and a worn front tire. The customer only bugs when they pick it up: The invoice of 805.08 euros (including wheel removal and installation, tires and AUK) is not explained to the customer. At 118 euros for a mechanic’s lesson, the work in the BMW center in Essen was not only the most expensive of all four BMW factories, but also of all the workshops in the test.

Workshop service:

 Too much play on the throttle cable
  found a mistake
 Coupling fitting loose
  Error not found
 Insufficient tire pressure
  found a mistake
 Parking light defective
  found a mistake
 Handlebar clamp screw loosened at the bottom right
  found a mistake
   
 Quality of work  48 points
 Service quality  36 points
 Overall quality  84 points

Conclusion:
The loosened handlebar clamp was discovered, the loose clutch fitting was not. The dust cap was charged at 2.78 euros. Oil is relatively cheap for Essen at eight euros per liter, but the specification does not appear from the invoice, as is usual elsewhere.

MOTORRAD verdict: good (84 out of 100 points)

BMW Stuttgart


Workshop test 2010 part 1: BMW and Honda companies


Bilski

BMW Motorcycle Center, Pascalstrasse 1, 70569 Stuttgart

As soon as we accepted the dialogue on the motorcycle, customer service advisor Jurgen Fleige noticed the loose clutch fitting and the burned out parking light. The private test GS, for which an annual inspection was due at 14012 km, looked quite used in general. When it was picked up, the invoice was 503.83 euros, which was detailed and explained in detail. The mechanic’s hour in Stuttgart costs 113 euros (oil: 14 euros), but in this case it was absolutely worth it. Because all errors including handlebar clamps (the brake fluid was changed, so the lowered position was not relevant in this case) were noticed and corrected, the dust cap that was replaced without comment was not charged.

Workshop service:

 Too much play on the throttle cable
  found a mistake
 Coupling fitting loose
  found a mistake
 Insufficient tire pressure
  found a mistake
 Parking light defective
  found a mistake
 Handlebar clamp screw loosened at the bottom right  found a mistake
   
 Quality of work  60 points
 Service quality  36 points
 Overall quality  96 points

Conclusion:
Well then, do it. As the only BMW workshop, the Stuttgart-based company has not overlooked anything and noticed two mistakes when it was accepted. This proves that the task at hand was feasible. So much professionalism has its price: the hourly rate was the second highest of the entire test.

MOTORRAD verdict: very good (96 out of 100 points)

All bugs found!

Klostermair Augsburg (BMW)


Workshop test 2010 part 1: BMW and Honda companies


Bilski

Klostermair GmbH, Donaustrabe 5a, 86165 Augsburg

When the test GS is handed in, there is a lot of activity at the customer counter. Nevertheless, mechanic Martin Spath comes to the motorcycle to accept the dialogue. “Okay, an annual inspection is due”, he states succinctly. There then seems to be no time for a written workshop order. The customer leaves the company without. But the motorcycle is ready on time, and the bill for 338.20 euros is explained, although again not in great detail. At 71 euros for a mechanic’s hour (oil: 13 euros), the Augsburg dealer is significantly cheaper than the three BMW branches (BMW centers), corrects an incorrect headlight setting, but only finds three of the hidden errors.

Workshop service:

 Too much play on the throttle cable
  Error not found
 Coupling fitting loose
  Error not found
 Insufficient tire pressure
  found a mistake
 Parking light defective
  found a mistake
 Rear brake fluid level
 lowered to a minimum
  found a mistake
   
 Quality of work  36 points
 Service quality  29 points
 Overall quality  65 points

Conclusion:
At the latest during the test drive, both the loose clutch fitting and the excessive play on the throttle should have been noticed. The test customer had the subjective feeling that they had been served here, albeit tightly, but well. The result that can be measured on the basis of work performance does not confirm this.

MOTORRAD verdict: Satisfactory (65 out of 100 points)

Pabst Hamburg (Honda)


Workshop test 2010 part 1: BMW and Honda companies


Bilski

Motorbike Pabst, Wandsbeker Chaussee 96a, 22089 Hamburg

Without a written workshop order and with the succinct remark “probably finished tomorrow” the test customer is released from the store by customer service advisor Jens Rohloff after the direct acceptance at the CBF. The ambivalent impression is confirmed when it is picked up: There is no entry in the service booklet about the 12,000 km inspection that was carried out, which cost 265.60 euros. And although the scope of maintenance is listed on the invoice and called “Leak tightness of the braking system … lights … check nuts, bolts, fastening elements” only two bugs were fixed. As the only one of the four tested Honda workshops, Pabst has not even replaced the missing dust cap.

Workshop service:

 Too much play on the throttle cable
  found a mistake
 Coupling fitting loose
  Error not found
 Insufficient tire pressure
  found a mistake
 Parking light defective
  Error not found
 Rear brake fluid level
 lowered to a minimum
  Error not found
   
 Quality of work  24 points
 Service quality  29 points
 Overall quality  53 points

Conclusion:
Hamburg is expensive. Accordingly, this company demanded the most of all four Honda workshops tested for the liter of oil (17 euros) and the hour worked (90 euros), but it delivered the worst result. The undetected low brake fluid level borders on negligence.

MOTORRAD verdict: Sufficient (53 out of 100 points)

Coenen Moenchengladbach (Honda)


Workshop test 2010 part 1: BMW and Honda companies


Bilski

Coenen Motors GmbH, Monschauer Str. 36, 41068 Monchengladbach

Customer service advisor Andreas Lorke takes a lot of time for the Honda, which has registered for the 48,000 km inspection, offers a (free) replacement bike, but cannot say when the CBF is expected to be ready. The customer does not receive a copy of the workshop order either. After all, the invoice for 841.52 euros is explained to him in detail when it is picked up. Adjusting the valves costs 116 euros. The brake pads cost 98 euros. Coenen charged 11 euros per liter for the oil, and the hour worked was 77 euros. Although the customer left the farm with a good feeling despite the high bill, two obvious errors went undetected.

Workshop service:

 Too much play on the throttle cable
  found a mistake
 Coupling fitting loose
  Error not found
 Insufficient tire pressure
  found a mistake
 License plate light defective *
  Error not found
 Rear brake fluid level
 lowered to a minimum
  found a mistake
   
 Quality of work  36 points
 Service quality  33 points
 Overall quality  69 points

* There was no original headlight with parking light on the test motorcycle

Conclusion:
Although a five-watt incandescent lamp was charged at two euros on the bill, the license plate light was still defective after collection. That raises questions. The fact that the atmosphere in the shop was right and the test customer felt comfortable in it does not make up for this shortcoming.

MOTORRAD verdict: Satisfactory (69 out of 100 points)

Stauch Filderstadt (Honda)


Workshop test 2010 part 1: BMW and Honda companies


Bilski

Herbert Stauch GmbH, Karlstrasse 32, 70794 Filderstadt.

The boss personally takes the Honda for a 12000 inspection. He immediately notices a bent handbrake lever on the five-year-old motorcycle. Herbert Stauch kindly points out that it cannot be completely harmless. However, there is no copy of the workshop order for the test customer. When picking up, Ms. Stauch is rather brief, explains that the brake fluid had to be changed due to age and answers the question about the maintenance plan with a brief note “is on the bill”. That amounts to 222.14 euros, for oil Stauch charged 15 euros per liter, the mechanic’s hour charged the company near Stuttgart at 75 euros.

Workshop service:

 Too much play on the throttle cable
  found a mistake
 Coupling fitting loose
  found a mistake
 Insufficient tire pressure
  found a mistake
 Parking light defective
  found a mistake
 Handlebar clamping screw loosened at the top right  found a mistake
   
 Quality of work  60 points
 Service quality  30 points
 Overall quality  90 points

Conclusion:
Only the somewhat tight clearance when picking up the test motorcycle prevented the perfect 100-point result. There was not the slightest thing to complain about the work performance, and the prices of the Baden-Wurttemberg family business remained absolutely within reasonable limits.

MOTORRAD verdict: very good (90 out of 100 points)

All bugs found!

Wenger Munster / Lech (Honda)


Workshop test 2010 part 1: BMW and Honda companies


Bilski

Honda Fritz Wenger, Thierhaupter Str. 6, 86692 Munster am Lech

“Thank you for your order!” it says on the invoice for the 24,000 km inspection. In the small southern Bavarian company, the retailer and customer are still on your own. Even when accepting the order, Martin Wenger does everything right: dialog name, order copy. In the workshop, all errors on the six-year-old Honda are then found and corrected, even the (not rated) loose handlebar clamping screw is discovered and tightened to the correct torque. Wenger charged 10 euros per liter for the oil and 62 euros for the mechanic’s hour. Exemplary: the invoice indicates that the brake fluid level is too low “Leak tightness ok, please check occasionally.”

Workshop service:

 Too much play on the throttle cable
  found a mistake
 Coupling fitting loose
  found a mistake
 Insufficient tire pressure
  found a mistake
 Parking light defective
  found a mistake
 Rear brake fluid level
 lowered to a minimum
  found a mistake
   
 Quality of work  60 points
 Service quality  36 points
 Overall quality  96 points

Conclusion:
The best of the tested Honda companies is also the cheapest. The note on the brake fluid on the invoice shows that someone works here who not only ticks off positions mechanically, but also thinks about it. It doesn’t get any better than that. Therefore: Thank you for your work!

MOTORRAD verdict: very good (96 out of 100 points)

All bugs found!

Correct handling of workshops

If you take the following tips to heart in the workshop, you can save yourself a lot of trouble: Make a fixed appointment as long in advance as possible. Do not wait until the start of the season for standard work (e.g. changing tires, inspections) (waiting times of three weeks and more are not uncommon from April). Have vehicle papers and service booklet with you. Never all-inclusive orders (“Get TuV ready” or similar), but rather concrete work orders. Have this confirmed in writing; if not provided automatically, request a copy of the order. Leave your cell phone number for queries. If you want to see replaced old parts or take them with you, agree this when you hand in the vehicle. It is best to place the work order directly on the motorcycle (“Dialogue acceptance”). Look through the invoice immediately, ask for an explanation if anything is unclear or unknown. Remain factual, calm and polite even with complaints.

What conclusions do the test results allow??

A workshop test is inevitably always a snapshot and as such has no general validity, neither for the individual company nor for the entire brand whose authorized workshop the company is. The same test could turn out differently in the same workshop the next day, if there is less (or more) hectic, the mechanic slept better (or worse), another mechanic is doing the work. In short: a person’s work performance is influenced by many factors. However, when the customer’s safety is at stake, some mistakes are inexcusable. And it is difficult to understand how comparatively primitive errors such as a defective parking light or incorrect tire pressure can be overlooked without suspecting sloppiness.

For comparing the invoice amounts

In all tests, MOTORRAD and the ADAC tried to achieve the greatest possible authenticity, and the privately owned motorcycles, which were always prepared with the same defects, had to appear as unsuspicious as possible. Therefore, it was accepted that the bikes were partly not noticed by the owner and had almost real faults. For example, a test BMW competed with a worn-out tire that was replaced, while another’s headlamp setting was incorrect or it turned out to be one more “Emissions test motorcycle” (AUK) also carried out. Whether such errors were corrected or work carried out had no measurable impact on the test result in terms of points, but it did on the amount of the invoice.

Even more, the final invoice amounts were influenced by the fact that the workload was not always the same. With some motorcycles, due to their age or the mileage, additional work such as adjusting the valve clearance or changing various oils and fluids was necessary. In order to still be able to compare the price level of the tested companies, the price for the liter of engine oil used and the mechanic’s hour were given (in each case gross and rounded to full euro amounts).

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