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Freedom Powersports of Huntsville ... Service?
I own an '03 BMW R1150 GSA. It has been my primary source of transportation since mid-2009, and I ride it year-round, - the clock sits at 118k+, but I have done regular maintenance, and done as much work as I could by myself. Some time last year, my clutch throw-out bearing began to make a roaring noise. I knew that bisecting my bike into two halves, and working on the clutch was something that I had no experience with, so when a friend stated that he was selling his '04 R1150R, I opted to acquire it as a temporary mode of transportation until I could set aside enough $ to take my GSA into a shop to have it repaired. ... Then this last January, I relocated to Huntsville.
I do not recall the exact date, but I guesstimate that in April-ish, I took the GSA to BMW Huntsville, AKA Freedom Powersports of Huntsville to inquire about an estimate. I was told by the guy in the Shop that my 2003 model was too old for them to work on, and that my bike would need special tools that they did not have, and he suggested that I take my bike elsewhere.
On May 11th, BMW Huntsville posted a photo on their FaceBook timeline that stated "Make sure your BMW is taken care of by BMW certified technicians! It can make a world of difference! Come see us today!", ... I responded with a public comment stating that it is hard to do that when the local BMW Dealer sends you away when you have brought your bike in for work. - A Manager messaged me and asked that I bring my bike in again. I did so on Saturday, 14 May 2016.
.... And sooo, about 5 weeks go by, and I have not heard a thing. No price quote. No time estimate. When on June 17th 2016, BMW Huntsville posted that same photo suggesting Dealer Service - this time stating "When was the last time you had your BMW Motorrad serviced? Give us a call today!" ... So I called them, and asked for the highest ranking manager there. The man I spoke to stated that it was normal to have a one month wait in line for service, but he would inquire as to why no one had given me any updates. Later that afternoon, I received a call from the Shop at BMW Huntsville, and they stated that they had my bike on the lift doing the estimate when the Manager came back to tell them to give me a call (why do I doubt that?). I asked them to email me the price quote, which did, stating a price of $1,788. (and change) to replace parts of the clutch, the rear main seal (which has been leaking oil), and to adjust the center/side-stand (which leaned waaaaay over on the side-stand, and wouldn't lift either tire off of the ground when on the center-stand).
So then with the presumption that I just gave them the OK to financially rape me, - I asked how long before I could pick my bike up (hoping that it would be ready in time to ride to Lake Guntersville for our June meeting), and I was told that it would be another month before they would start to work on it!
Am I getting jacked around? Is this normal prices and times from a "Dealer"? ... For $1788.00, I think I might be able to pay tuition to become a motorcycle mechanic myself!
I do not recall the exact date, but I guesstimate that in April-ish, I took the GSA to BMW Huntsville, AKA Freedom Powersports of Huntsville to inquire about an estimate. I was told by the guy in the Shop that my 2003 model was too old for them to work on, and that my bike would need special tools that they did not have, and he suggested that I take my bike elsewhere.
On May 11th, BMW Huntsville posted a photo on their FaceBook timeline that stated "Make sure your BMW is taken care of by BMW certified technicians! It can make a world of difference! Come see us today!", ... I responded with a public comment stating that it is hard to do that when the local BMW Dealer sends you away when you have brought your bike in for work. - A Manager messaged me and asked that I bring my bike in again. I did so on Saturday, 14 May 2016.
.... And sooo, about 5 weeks go by, and I have not heard a thing. No price quote. No time estimate. When on June 17th 2016, BMW Huntsville posted that same photo suggesting Dealer Service - this time stating "When was the last time you had your BMW Motorrad serviced? Give us a call today!" ... So I called them, and asked for the highest ranking manager there. The man I spoke to stated that it was normal to have a one month wait in line for service, but he would inquire as to why no one had given me any updates. Later that afternoon, I received a call from the Shop at BMW Huntsville, and they stated that they had my bike on the lift doing the estimate when the Manager came back to tell them to give me a call (why do I doubt that?). I asked them to email me the price quote, which did, stating a price of $1,788. (and change) to replace parts of the clutch, the rear main seal (which has been leaking oil), and to adjust the center/side-stand (which leaned waaaaay over on the side-stand, and wouldn't lift either tire off of the ground when on the center-stand).
So then with the presumption that I just gave them the OK to financially rape me, - I asked how long before I could pick my bike up (hoping that it would be ready in time to ride to Lake Guntersville for our June meeting), and I was told that it would be another month before they would start to work on it!
Am I getting jacked around? Is this normal prices and times from a "Dealer"? ... For $1788.00, I think I might be able to pay tuition to become a motorcycle mechanic myself!
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