Dealer advice please, Geelong or Brooklyn Kawasaki?

[lindasninja]

Ok firstly I’m close to Geelong but was also wondering is there any recommendations or preference to which dealer to take my bike to for its first valve service? I took it into a franchise of a big dealer, for the first service not the place I bought my bike new, as that was a Melbourne Kawasaki dealer, this was the local version of that dealer, but not a Kawasaki one. Was a less than satisfactory experience, and basically if I thought I could wing the valves service myself, I might well try, but is a bit beyond me just yet.

Have learned that even if you are totally new to bikes that you can learn to change the oil, after the 'trained experts' stuff it for you! And that not every bigger, non affiliated with Kawasaki, service center, is capable of measuring oil capacity, and give a little too much extra, and don’t seem to own torque wrenches, as the crack sound must be tight enough? After that I opted to do the oil myself so I could be sure it’s not overfilled, and cover is tightened to specs!

So I sort of need to decide if I take it to Geelong or Brooklyn Kawasaki, not keen on going much further away, as I’m Ok, but not a fantastic rider yet!! Anyone have any info, as I need to figure this out, any preference or advice? Don’t want to start a slagging match, over the places, just want to know who is considered competent, and if I can trust someone to just do what there meant to, without trying to damage my bike!

I do want to take it to a real Kawasaki dealer, if only to make sure something isn’t stuffed, as oil goes black after 1500ks, and aren’t sure if it is a warrantee issue or not! And I do ride like a girl, not like a sissy girl, but aren’t prone to snaking it off the start line at the lights! Any advice is grateful accepted and if you have a good bad comment’s that you don’t want to make here, then PM me, just need some help to chose!! Thanks!

[Johnnie5]

I do want to take it to a real Kawasaki dealer, if only to make sure something isn’t stuffed, as oil goes black after 1500ks, and aren’t sure if it is a warrantee issue or not! !

thats what oil does , its doing its job of holding contaminants

[mick_dundee]

Above all else NEVER take your bike to Peter Stevens for servicing, mechanically not sure race replica are that good either TBH, perhaps try the KTM joint? Failing that Gary O'Brien, doing valves on a 4 cylinder Kawasaki would be the same as on a 4 cylinder Honda (I imagine) ditto if it's a single.

[mfzx6r]

There's always this one sort of half way between

http://www.mattjonesmotorcycles.com.au/ ... ku=.nex300

[mick_dundee]

Who woulda thunk it, the old wog making himself uesful , I forgot about Matt Jones in Melton.

[hogtied]

http://www.ghostridersmotorcycles.com.au/
Hoppers crossing , in 30 years of riding bikes i can tell you
Best mechanic I've found , open workshop , you can sit and watch , go prices , has a dyno !!

[hogtied]

You are not obligated to go to a stealer for your 1st service , as long as the mechanic is certified that you use , all warranties are covered

[lindasninja]

Thanks for help, I did take it to the WRONG place first off, and had to re do what was done wrong, as after 150ks oil was black! So now am really hesitant as the simple stuff was messed so badly, that the bigger stuff might be far worse!

Also anyone had issues with the steel radiator pipe touching the faring, it connects via rubber hose at the top, sit's at sort of behind the radiator to the side next to the faring and is bolted to the engine on the left hand side, when sat on it, (clutch hand side) mine is touching the faring, has at the least taken the paint off? Put a bit of flashing tape there till I get it looked at.

It is really insane to think that we need these bikes to be running safely but the so called experts could stuff it to a degree that could kill you! Not sure if it had dangerous amount too much oil, was + 225ml but if it had have turned into a cavitation issue at 100KS, I could well have been launched if it decided to go, or the oil cover started seeping from over tighten crack, and lost the back end!!

Is really bad that we cannot trust that when we spend the money for the apparent experts, that we could end up far worse, could have stuffed my bike and both were just incompetence, or just not checking specs, or even care factor simple mistakes that shouldn’t have been made!

Will need to do valves soon, so Melton looking interesting, nearly went to the 600 ride day there, but had other stuff on!
Did know I was not ‘obligated’ to go to a stealer for my 1st service, but hubby had got a s/hand bike there, and we were trying to sort out an issue, so was there a bit, that, was never sorted either! Did find a specialist for those, “British” bike’s, and will soon know it its really sorted, suspect it will be, and asked him if he’d do my bike, he said “sorry for you, no”!

Thanks for everyone’s help will look into all of them; hope I can report back with a good experience!

[mfzx6r]

Who woulda thunk it, the old wog making himself uesful , I forgot about Matt Jones in Melton.

Hey I could have mentioned KY Jelly again Mick Undee

[mick_dundee]

Hey I could have mentioned KY Jelly again Mick Undee

What, so you want to enlighten the new kids on the block how much you go thorugh?

[mfzx6r]

Hey I could have mentioned KY Jelly again Mick Undee

What, so you want to enlighten the new kids on the block how much you go thorugh?

[seiko1]

Above all else NEVER take your bike to Peter Stevens for servicing, mechanically not sure race replica are that good either TBH, perhaps try the KTM joint? Failing that Gary O'Brien, doing valves on a 4 cylinder Kawasaki would be the same as on a 4 cylinder Honda (I imagine) ditto if it's a single.

Peter Stevens Geelong are USELESS, picked my bike up and the whole throttle rotated on the bar, + they forgot to do up my Bro's Caliper bolts and nearly killed him!!!!
Gary O'Brien is still around Mick ?

[mick_dundee]

Steve, Peter Stevens Aus wide is useless I reckon, as far as mechanically at least, good for acessories and hard to beat on new bike prices but yet to hear a good expererience re servicing at any PS store.

As far as Gary O'Brien, NFI know Pratt and Osborne are no longer

[seiko1]

Steve, Peter Stevens Aus wide is useless I reckon, as far as mechanically at least, good for acessories and hard to beat on new bike prices but yet to hear a good expererience re servicing at any PS store.

As far as Gary O'Brien, NFI know Pratt and Osborne are no longer

Gary had his own shop on Mercer St (Yamaha), he had the best mechanic in the universe who went solo but I'm fucked if I can remember his name damn it!!!!!

[dutchy]

Jesus Seiko. I've been catching up on some unread posts and It looked as though you dropped off the planet (compared to your old post whoring ways). What did I miss?