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Visionary
Posts: 1484
LaPorte,Tx. | Well, got the Vision back from the dealer service yesterday. Took it in Tuesday, glad to have it back in the garage. It looks like the dealer did everything that was listed in the service manual. Belt, plugs, forks, brake and clutch fluid, oil & filter, etc.... So I was almost completely satisfied, but they left the bike with oily dirty finger prints, and the clutch resevoir leaked fluid while sitting from Friday night to Sat. morning, so there is a little paint off the resevoir. Mechanic blamed the Ness covers, said they were cheap, they hadn't leak since I put them 20K miles ago.  I also asked them about the belt pulley, that I have chirps when cold or in the morning...they said nothing wrong with it, yeah, but what about the missing coating? Reply, nothing wrong with it! The change in the fork oil really brings back the front end. It was getting pretty soft, I asked them to go back with the same weight oil as stock, but is seems really firm, should help more in the twisties.
The real reason I wanted to post this is that the cost of this service is very high! I'm not wanting to start a debate on doing it yourself or have the mechanics do it. When I bought the Vision, I traded in my 04 Kingpin Deluxe with 35K on it. I did all the service on this bike myself...when I told the dealer that, he said well that's nice but we will have to redo all the 30K service before we sell it and that is over $1000, so that get's taken off the trade in value.
So because I wanted the Vision really bad, I went along with it. But, in order to off set that happening on the Vision, I bought a 3 year service contract for $1295. So this will cover every service in the service manual for a full three years, no matter how many miles I ride. I thought no too bad.
Well when I picked up the bike yesterday, they handed me a copy of the bill that I would have got charged. $1236, with a labor charge out rate of $93/hr, the 9 hours of labor on the bike was the most, plus the $300 belt. I just feel the maintenace contract has worked out for me, at least so far. | |
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Visionary
Posts: 3006
San Antonio, TX | You made out very well on your service contract. Sorry to hear of your brake fluid leak. I do not know why they would drag their feet on the pully....its a warranty item.
When are you coming back to the Hill Country? I need to take a day off and ride. | |
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Tourer
Posts: 562
SC, Bluffton | You just scared the cr#p out of me. These service costs are crazy. I also thought you changed belts when they failed? That is what I was planning on doing with the Kawasaki VN2000. That belt is over $400 I think. | |
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Visionary
Posts: 3773
Pittsburgh, PA | g1nomad - 2009-07-20 2:47 PM
You just scared the cr#p out of me. These service costs are crazy. I also thought you changed belts when they failed? That is what I was planning on doing with the Kawasaki VN2000. That belt is over $400 I think.
the stock P.O.S. belt from kaw is $4oo but there are aftermarket choices out there. I seen a voyager rider that ALREADY has belt noise and threatened to take the bike back if they couldnt fix it.. good luck getting kaw to do that.. lol most dealers want to adjustthe belt which in a short period of time does nothing. my vn2k got so bad with belt noise that when i rode with others they forced me to ride in the back. that was Until i got new wheels, pulley and belt. then everything Stopped. The kaw belt almost felt like plastic compared to the replacement belt i got from R.C. components. stock belt was 1.6 inches wide replacement was 1.5. i think more than anything it was the cheap pie pan looking pulleys kaw uses on their cruisers. i believe that is what causes most of the problems. | |
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Tourer
Posts: 562
SC, Bluffton | Arkainzeye - 2009-07-21 6:06 AM
I seen a voyager rider that ALREADY has belt noise and threatened to take the bike back if they couldnt fix it.
Those belts for the new 1700cc model Kaws are more narrow, made with kevlar or something, and I believe to be cheaper. I got my sqeaking to go away on the VN2000 by loosening & aligning the back wheel. That doesn't mean it won't come back, but I'll just adjust again. I got one of those MotionPro belt tension tools.
Anyway, back to the maintenance costs of the Vision. I was thinking about how exposed parts of the Vision are compared to the Goldwing. It should be cheaper for the service on the Vision. I also think Victory-Polaris should come out & state they meant 4,000 mile intervals, and the 2,500 was a type-o. Unless of course these Visions are failing?
Herb | |
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Visionary
Posts: 1484
LaPorte,Tx. | The cost of the 30K service is what it is. I feel the ~ 9 hour labor charge is about right so with a dealer charge out rate of $93 that is fair. There is alot of work that goes into the 30K service, just ask varyder, he did it himself. As with varyder, there are folks that will do the service themselves and save about $1000, and that is fine. Or they can push the service off for extra miles and probably won't have issues. There are options, I don't think Visions are failing, and I agree the service intervals should be longer. | |
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Visionary
Posts: 1340
Gainesville Fl Home of the Gators | g1nomad - 2009-07-20 2:47 PM
You just scared the cr#p out of me. These service costs are crazy. I also thought you changed belts when they failed? That is what I was planning on doing with the Kawasaki VN2000. That belt is over $400 I think.
If you change it by interval then it is on YOUR schedual. If you wait till it fails; then you are on it's schedual. History has taught me that things like broken belts happen at the worst possible time\location | |
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Visionary
Posts: 1436
| Just replaced the brakes front and rear, air filter, oils and I'm about to redo the forks. The dealer did the forks but I don't believe they did them correctly since they didn't even remove them. I replace brake and clutch fluid every winter and normally do the forks, triple clamp bearings, etc at the same time so I guess I'll redo them at that time.
As to the belt? I'm going to play that one by ear (eye really, lol). If it looks worn, stretched, knicked etc I'll replace it, time will tell. I've tended to lean towards the schedule since purchasing the Vic since I haven't any prior experience with them on which to justify not following it. | |
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Visionary
Posts: 3006
San Antonio, TX | Kevin,
The only belt brake that looked convenient I ever saw was in a group of bikes right in front of me. He was riding a Fatboy and the belt was draging the ground behind him like a tail. He was in downtown Gruene, Texas right in front of Gruene Hall at noon on a Saturday. Gruene Hall is the oldest dance hall in Texas, built in 1878. Everyone in country music has played in the old wooden building and most have had a beer at its bar.
The area had women walking around in bikinis that had just walked up from the river.
The local full service HD shop is about two miles away. He called the dealer who picked up and fixed his bike while he and his buddies stayed in Gruene.
Not a bad place to break a belt. | |
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30K Service