Are HONDA going OFF the RAILS?! 

This comment may mean nothing to you, but in a depression quite a few years ago, I stumbled onto one of your videos about your dad's Zephyr. I listed after that bike, and you are the first moyovlogger I had ever seen. You inspired me to get out and get a bike and ride. It was a long journey to get a dependable bike considering my financial problems those many years ago, but I wanted to thank you again for introducing me to a new and better view of the world. I'll never go back. I just purchased a Dyna Wide glide, my first Harley, and I am loving it. I'm customizing it to my taste now. Thanks again Andy, Godspeed

Been in the motorcycle industry for 32 years. Your experience is common today with almost every brand. Dealerships are hiring unqualified, poorly trained "mechanics ". Honda has suffered over the years. Cutting corners and the use of China to outsource manufacturing is why we are facing these issues like your having. I will say that my personal experience has taught me that yamaha has the highest quality out there followed by Suzuki then kawasaki. Attitude varies from dealer to dealer. It's amazing that any asshole with money can become a dealer. As far as your sticky shaft goes, the fix is to disassembly the linkage, then polish the pivot shift with 1500 grit sand paper. Then polish the inside of the shift lever. Make them shine. Then lubricate them with a mixture of 75% Bell-Ray assembly Lube, and 25% Bel-ray waterproof grease. Your shift linkage will be perfect there after. Your welcome 😉🙃

This is my first time watching any of your videos, and your genuine and honest, no BS, critique of customer service and general attitude of some Germans has made me subscribe to your channel. I plan to watch ALL of your videos, so keep posting!

Bit of an eye opener. Thanks for posting that content; you’ve possibly helped potential Honda buyers from suffering the same poor service. I’m glad I went down the pre-owned Yamaha route. Would be interested to see, in this thread, which countries have the best and worst after sales service.

That is crazy! Sorry you are having those issues. It is so odd how dealers can change our thoughts about a brand. The pandemic has made dealership forget what good customer service looks like. Hang in there. Keep making great content and ride safe!

Here I am, just lined up to get a CB650R and you're making me second guess. I was going to get a Triumph Trident 660 but was met with a rather cold response from the only local Triumph dealer (there's only 3 in Portugal) and I've been waiting for 2 months to get a test ride on one. Unsurprisingly, I've made the decision to not pursue a bike I cannot test ride. I've heard nothing but good stuff from my local Honda dealer (5m from where I live) and was always warmly welcomed and they're giving me an excellent offer. I hope I don't regret it though... Best of luck with your CB Andy - hope you can get better service and still enjoy your bike.

I've had mixed results in the past with dealers and new bikes. The best dealership by far was a Yamaha dealer, I had two new bikes from them, the support and servicing was superb. Unfortunately they closed when the owner retired. Mixed dealings with Honda, one dealership were hopeless & the second was very good. The worst dealer experience was a Triumph dealership. I knew things were not going to end well when they tried to tell me the rust on my bike was caused by salt on the road whilst riding in the winter. When I pointed out I bought the bike at the beginning of the summer and it was only 6 weeks later he retreated and got the manager. Hopefully you get the problem resolved and enjoy many more miles on the CB. Have a good Christmas & New Year.

I can really sympathise with this, I've also been disappointed by Honda's approach to their own warranty, in fact the (UK- based) salesman I bought from prepared me for this (in an offhand anecdotal way) at the time i was signing the paperwork, emphasising the need to follow maintenance schedules or warranty is invalid. Sure enough, when the chain failed after just a few thousand miles it was "down to lack of maintenance" despite my being able to show the records I made of every time I'd cleaned and re- lubricated it since new. In fact the 'sealed' pert of the chain had allowed water in. I love the bike, and I'm glad for its mostly-good reliability, because the dealerships are basically obstructive and the warranty is essentially not worth the paper it's printed on.

Great honest video Andy, as its been mentioned I think customer service in general is poor as unfortunately a lot of people don't take pride in their work anymore.

I had a bad experience where the Chinese Sinnis Apache I owned basically melted on the way home from work. I had just passed my CBT, spent a ton of money getting the bike used and got it through its MOT. 2 months after I fixed it up it died. I went strait to my Honda Dealer determined to have a bike I could rely on. The total cost for the Honda was 2.5 times the price of a Chinese equivalent and I though I would get 2.5 times the bike. I was mistaken. The first thing that surprised me was the "made in china" sticker under the saddle. Then there was the cheese paint that had completely peeled itself off the rear swing arm. Then all the paint on the Exhaust fell off and everything started to rust. The chrome started to come off and more rust took hold. Then there were the electrical issues. The bike would randomly cut out while I was riding, I would have to coast to the side, remove the key and then restart it. The Rev counter would fade in and out. Lights would randomly stop working. I took it to my dealer to speak to them about it and was not only informed that I would be responsible for the bill but that the bill would be outrageous. The cost alone for a service on a 125cc bike at £245 every 2500 miles also became an issue and I started doing it myself. All of this in the space of 7 Months. I passed my test and brought a Yamaha and so far haven't had any issues. I don't know what Honda are doing but they are very quickly ruining a reputation they had worked hard to get.

I've had corrosion issues with both Hondas and Suzukis in years gone by. The Suzuki dealer's reaction was no better than your local Honda shop. For the past three years I've owned Yamahas (R3 and Tenere 700) and am currently much more impressed.

Haha you just made me think of all the phone calls i am still missing since i bought my first bike 20 years ago. Must be around 50. As a mate of mine once stated : It's sometime puzzling how hard it is to get rid of money at a shop ;)

Enlightening!! I've always considered Honda to be one of the premium manufacturers, although in light of this, I doubt now that I'll be enquiring about the new NT1100 as I'd planned. The "we have more customers than machines" attitude has been around for sometime, I've experienced this from BMW on more than a couple of occasions. Great vid 👌

That is just weird. I'm in Taipei and when I have brought my CB1000R + for service I just bring it by and then pick it up at the end of the day or the following day. No appointment needed. I know a few that have had warranty claims and the longest they have waited for a response was 1 day maybe 2 days. Here in Taiwan Honda, Yamaha, Suzuki, Kawaski, Harley Davidson are all known for their super service. Even extending warranties by a year when there is a big problem. The worst ones we have for service are Triumph, BMW and Ducati. I'm just curious the bike you have. Do you know where it was made? Check your vin number. The ones we get here in Taiwan are made in Japan. But for some other countries they get the model, which is made in Indonesia. While they are exactly the same. The finish on the Japanese made one is much better. Here in Taiwan the CB1000R + sells for the price that you can buy two in Europe. there are some private motorcycle shops that import the version made in Indonesia. but Honda Taiwan will not service these. They will only service ones officially imported by Honda from Japan. About the Honda poor service. this is something I know all to well for overseas. I'm originally from the Netherlands and have been living in Taiwan for over 20 years. To be honest Honda service outside of Asia sucks shit. Here in Taiwan like in Japan or South Korea, Singapore and and even China. If you have a Honda motorcycle in for service and if for some reason the service takes longer than one day they automatically give you one to use until your is repaired. They also update you on all the work and send pictures of any parts that need changing or will need changing in the future. They also if it any kind of major work will keep it for an extra day and have it test ridden before handing it to the customer. A sales guy I know who works at the main Honda dealership told me how disgusted he was when he visited Honda dealerships in Europe. Saying they should all be fired. My experience dealing with Honda has only bee positive. Two months ago I was in Taimali in South Taiwan and got a puncture. I called Honda customer service gave them my GPS location, which was in the middle of nowhere. 15 minutes later the closest Honda dealership in Kaohsiung that is 3 hours away called me to say they dispatched a mechanic who will replace the tyre for me where I was. he had to drive through the mountain roads for over 3 hours to get where I was on a Sunday morning at 8am. As the tyre was still under warranty it didn't cost anything and they didn't even try to argue with anything. Service in Europe, the US, Canada and Australia suck 100% when you compare the service you get in Japan or Taiwan or other places in East Asia.

I had similar issues with my local Honda dealer a couple of years ago, no test rides policy for under 25's and a general feeling of coldness towards us. Although had a great experience with another Honda dealer 60 miles away, so it really varies per dealer I think, for any manufacturer. Sounds like Honda have gotten a bit complacent in the QC department, I was also interested in the new CB1000's at one point but got put off by the horror stories.

Andy question on the Rukka jacket, I’m looking for one and will wear a klim airbag vest under, hows the sizing as i can only buy from FC Moto as UK does not stock it. Normally i go a size up so i can get my airbag vest under. Also Does it have a thermal liner as standard? How is it for warmth ?

What an absolutely horrendous experience and so different from the quality and service you'd expect from Honda. I'd always fancied the CB1000R as my next bike although maybe not now. You and The Likeable Rider are not having much luck. Anyway, all the best for Christmas and the New Year!

This video has been quite an eyeopener. I hope Honda see this report and do something about it. I currently run a Honda CB900F Hornet from 2005 which is brilliant. I was considering replacing it with a CB1000R Black Edition which is a thing of beauty but now will recondsider. I'd heard of reports about the tank paintwork but the other bits are a bit worrying. Such a shame because I've always had such respect for Honda. Reminds me how Mercedes screwed up on the late 90s when they stopped over engineering their cars. Now I can convince myself to keep the Hornet as daily transport and get a MV Agusta Brutale 1090RR for fun!

I was once chatting to a head mechanic at my local Honda dealership about damage to the finish on the wheels of the new Goldwing. He said not to worry Honda know the issue, and as they were within the two year warranty, they were happy to replace them. I said, can’t be fairer than that, have they figured out what the issue is. No, he said. But by the time the replacement wheels start to show the same issue the bike will be out of warranty !

Thanks for your honest review. I was so tempted to buy the CB1000R. After watched your review and some other negtive reviews, I think I shouldn't take the risk. The 20222 Yamaha XSR900 looks better to me now.

Firstly that is what I call a proper "long term review". I would imagine that most if not all manufacturers out source parts to either India or China to make the bike as cheap as possible but charge as much as they can for the finished product. The question is will the new part last as long as the old one, and is there anything that can be done to prevent any more corrosion on the bike? Like others have said Hondas might be reliable but their quality of finish has taken a dive. I hope you continue to enjoy riding it as the recent trips to the Grossglockner showed how much fun you were having on it. Merry Christmas.

ANDY!!! Merry belated Christmas brother..good to hear from you again

Thanks for relaying your experience. I WAS in the process of deciding between two new bikes, one a Honda, the other a Suzuki .. Decision made. No guesses which way I'm going ..

Way over in the US….question…where did you purchase your body gear?..jacket, heated gloves, sleeve cuffs?

I’ve had a BMW for several years now after 40 odd years riding mainly on Japanese bikes. It’s all down to the dealer my first experience of BMW was terrible but found another a bit nearer and they have always been excellent in work, support contact etc. An example of the service is during lockdown last year when they had to close I sent an email hoping they’d pick it up at sometime. Within five minutes I had a phone call from the manager who was happy to discuss my query and said I could just call him if anything else came up, that’s only one of many.

Thanks for sharing your experience, its nice to get a honest opinion on these big brands! ... Seems like some brands stop caring when they get too big .. shame

My advice to any bike owner is find an honest dealer and stick with them, especially for major servicing. If one does rip you off or waste your time with excuses, spread the word (as you have done) through online channels so their business withers and dies.

I’ve just been in for a service today. Free coffee spoken to politely loan bike provided, picked bike up all cleaned explained to me what they have done see you this time next year sir have a good Christmas. All of that from a bmw dealer.

Cheers Andy. Disappointing but but not unusual nor surprising. For me the take home messages are: - don't buy a new bike. - avoid main dealers for servicing (but check the small print wrt warranties etc) - trust your instinct in that if someone treats you like shit then the service they offer will be shit. ATVB.

I bought a 2014 CB500F as my first new bike. I had had a used bike prior to that. It was definitely a budget bike, but I loved it. I did have two problems with it. There was a recall of the fuel pump or something, which left the fuel gauge less than accurate. The other problem I had was that at bout 1,200 miles it got stuck in 2nd gear! This is a bike that is assembled in Thailand I think, which is fine. The dealer I bought it at did all the necessary warranty repairs, but it too 2 months, and Honda apparently dragged their feet the whole time. On their end they are probably just trying to keep up with claims, but it was frustrating to wait 2 months for a warranty repair. It worked great after that, but then I wrecked it.

Yeah I remember getting the first service for my Inazuma 250 and the guys forgetting to tighten some of the cosmetic bits up, made me question their workmanship especially for the rip off price they wanted. Probably trying to get too much done in a short amount of time. The paint on the wheels are chipping like crazy now I think it was due to legislation changes on type of paint, my FZ1 still looks great and is mechanically sound according to the MOT guy, I think it'd be more of a headache getting a new bike than it is to maintain an old one now days.

I think it's all down to how good the dealership is. One of my mates had his engine replaced on his VFR1200 and it was out of Warranty for free ( he had to cover labour) all because the dealership Honda in Japan to death. As for built quality my current bikes are 2002 SP1 no problems or paint flaking And my 2 900 Fireblades was in issue free apart from reg/rec and the engine paint was great. Always found late 90 early 00 BMW,s never lasted a good winter in the UK. Best you get your arse back to UK

Do you have any rides through the Cuxhaven area? I am surprised to see these Honda concerns and it would be influencing my purchase decision if I were buying a bike anytime soon.

It's a shame you've had those problems Andy, and especially disappointing that Honda have responded with such a lack of support. I don't think that a car manufacturer / dealer would be able to get away with that. I've currently got a 2002 VFR800 VTEC and have had a few Hondas from the late 80s 90s and early 2000s and the build quality on them - especially the early 00s bikes is superb, but I don't think that they have that quality any more.

I hate to say it but it sounds like a lot of what you have experienced at your local dealer is down to you being a Brit, I am Irish and have visited Germany on more than one occasion and having had to clarified my country of origin several times ( they cant tell the difference) the attitude changed immediately, of course this is only part of the problem and as a Honda rider my self ( new bike ) I am disappointed to hear how you have been treated but as some others have commented manufacturers are quite happy to take your money but when you have a problem they don't want to know and they are ALL guilty of this all of them, God knows I know ( Mercedes Addict Here ) PS have you heard of ACF50, incredible. Cheers Mate good video.

I bought a new Honda 11 years ago and had it serviced at the specified intervals (now has 192,000 km) at the dealer I bought it from. They have been excellent. I bought a new Yamaha FJR1300 from the Yamaha Dealer and I'm seriously unimpressed with their mechanics. I learnt a long time ago that, if you're not going to do your own servicing, you need to find a good mechanic or a Dealer who actually has a good mechanic (rarer than hen's teeth!).

The VFR VTEC has an electrical problem that Honda know about but refuse to acknowledge it on the EU models. The American version had a recall and the wiring loom causing the problem was replaced. The problem is the earth wire coming from the loom connector behind the left fairing going to the headlamps isn't strong enough, this causes it to completely kill the bike. 1. Complete light failure. 2. Complete light cause engine switch off. As with the vfr, it won't run unless the headlights are on and functioning correctly.

Hondas' excellent reputation is a throwback to the 90s imo. Back then, bikes such as the 5th gen vfr(800) and cbr900rr were over-engineered to such a degree that they were genuine market leaders in build quality and reliability. Present day Hondas are no better or worse than the other two Japanese giants or any BMW, Triumph or Italian bike. Yet the myth of Honda engineering superiority still clings on.

I just started riding in September of 2020 at 52 years old. I initially went to my local Honda dealership to see what they had in stock and purchase my first motorcycle!! 😃 The experience was completely awful!! They apparently sell several different brands and had almost nothing in the showroom other than a bunch of used very expensive motorcycles. Harley touring bikes and Goldwings mostly. I asked where the new Honda’s were and was told “whatever you see here is what we got” as he never missed a beat on whatever he was doing on his phone. So I didn’t get a Honda. My wife immediately wanted to go to one of the Harley dealerships in town and I agreed and off we went. The experience there was totally different and I bought my first motorcycle, a 2020 iron 883, and they delivered to my house that night. Still have it, still riding it, still love it.

Hey Andy, thanks for the disappointing enlightenment. Sorry to hear you've had such a sub-par experience and I think it's a good idea to do future servicing yourself. I belong to a local motorcycle FB group. A parts and services store owner (not a new bike dealer) was lamenting about how many people are doing their own work and not leaving it to the professionals. I had the carbs cleaned on a Yamaha 650 by one of his "professionals" in the early 90s and they put the float bowls on wrong, requiring me to buy an extra-long screwdriver to drain them for winter storage. Who cares about your stuff more than you do? Nobody!

Every bike I’ve owned, I’ve had rotten luck with dealers. So I became a mechanic. Now I fix them myself. I’m no longer a mechanic, but still do my own work no matter how in depth it is. The last two bikes I purchased second hand I found so much wrong that I even went to the trouble of contacting the previous owner to say not to take his bike to the shop on the service history. The faults are too long to list here. Let’s say some of the workmanship was downright dangerous. My Harley I bought second hand, clutch slipping with some unusual groans, I pulled it apart to find two steel plates and no friction plate between them. Top work!

Honda....you taking note!! Bc you've lost a customer here..(me) too many other options! Thank you for this valuable information Andy!

Nothing to do with Honda but KTM.I had a 2017 Superduke GT which had a BIG malfunction at 17800 miles and 12 months out of Warranty. The sprag clutch didn't play its part one day and ended up needing new casings, bearings, gaskets etc.The dealer, JD Racing in Cornwall, repaired the bike. KTM supplied the parts FOC and JD's charged me around £650 for labour including a full service. This was all done without question.I was also lent a Gen 3 Superduke R for the duration.Not the same problem as you had, I know, but a lot of difference in dealer support. UK verses Germany maybe? Big admirer of your channel by the way'

Very sad to hear that, I've owned two Hondas from the 90s and been very happy with them so it would be extremely disappointing if they've now taken to corner cutting. Dealer wise, well I know that GT Motorcycles here in Plymouth UK, containing Honda and a few others, are known to be swizz merchants of the highest order, partial to some skimming off the top, but I had assumed it was a local issue and not a dealer-wide standard. I tried to test ride a Grom from them a few years back, and sure I was some scruffy young lad but they still told me to sod off because they didn't want me 'putting miles on their bike for the hell of it.' I also got a quote from them to A2 restrict my CB500 and they wanted something ludicrous like £280 for the privilege (I got the kit myself from ebay for about 50 quid, which was still a rip-off for a big washer with a triangle in it but what ya gonna do).

Great grumpy video Andy! Maybe you could augment your channel name to AngryAndyManCam?? My first ever big bike was the Deauville (sadly called the 'Dullsville' by journalists) and after a year of keeping it outside the paint underneath started to bubble and flake off to my horror!! That's going back to 2006 and it looked like a blowtorch had been applied to it. I've also had a Yamaha maxi scooter and again, after being kept outside the underneath exhaust and engine started to rust. Now i have a cbr650r which is kept in my bike lock up and i rarely ride the bike in the rain - so it will be interesting to see over this first winter what happens to the paint work. That gear shift looks awful. I once had a yamaha xj6 10 years ago that kept going into false neutral and was told it was caused by my gear changing technique......I got rid of that bike before it got me killed. Have you thought about switching to either Triumph or BMW or even Ducati?? Perhaps these other brand show rooms will have less grumpy sales staff

I’ve got a little theory .. what do you think ??? The makers of high quality, high precision well made and durable products .. such as Honda, Kawasaki, Yamaha etc.. have finally noticed how the makers of lesser quality, less reliable products are continuing to sell their products at exorbitant prices and people are still going crazy over them and buying them.. despite how expensive and frail they are ..(making excuses for the lack of engineering quality as “ character or charm “.. ).. and so they think to themselves… if they can do it and get away with it then so can we !!🤷🏼‍♂️🤷🏼‍♂️🤷🏼‍♂️🤣🤣🤣

I love Honda too. Have several fireblades. Been a Honda guy all my life. I bought an africa twin a year ago and my dash blanked out for up to 60 seconds three times on the motorway before Honda replaced the dash (took a long time and dealer complaints to help). I got it back and then my side lights would fail sometimes when I started the bike. Sometimes they would come on and sometimes they wouldn’t. A month later there was a problem with the engine leaking oil. Rough welds when I did a bit of close scrutiny. Local dealer had to replace some engine parts. In the end I traded it back into the dealer as I feel I got unlucky and didn’t trust the bike anymore. I’d buy Honda again mind you but I think my point is that sometimes you get unlucky. My local Honda dealer is good tho. Sorry to hear about your problems.

I guess I was lucky with my suzuki dealer (in southern Germany). Last time I took it for some pretty extensive work, they brought the bike and the boss noticed a small stain and immediately and with a commanding voice called a junior worker and told her to proceed on wiping off said stain. I was actually embarrassed to see a young lady, on her knees, vigorously polishing my joy toy... errrm, that came out wrong :)

Oh dear. I’ve just picked up my new CB1000R. Decision was partly made on your excellent reviews of the bike. 😀 I have to say the dealer was excellent, they told me to take the test bike for a full day and the rest of the procedure and collection was faultless. I’ve had Ducatis for the last 20 years and there have been problems there. One had to have new discs on the front and one new cylinder heads for premature valve guide wear. Anyway I’ll enjoy the CB and keep fingers crossed. Best wishes for Christmas and New Year.

I had rust on the welds of my Africa Twin Adventure Sports, many people with similar issues. Some owners had new frames. Quality was shocking. Very unhappy. Sneezed on welds. Now have a BMW.

This review should be essential viewing in all Honda dealership training courses (if Honda HQ hear of this from our customers anywhere in the world, the relevant dealer will risk losing their franchise).

If ur Reading this Honda; good PR! "Applause".. Just get a BMW premium occasion.. Got a 2018 urban GS with premium warranty.. after 4 months i found some small blisters in the paint on the front (u barely noticed it but the dealer did!) they instantly replaced the entire fueltank (costs like 2500 euro's!).. A small fog problem in the headlight? They replaced the entire headlight unit!.. Taking everything serious and never putting anything on the costumer. They also are in straight contact with BMW motorrad and put the costumer first. All stuff was fixed intantly and within a week! i could even wait for it with a cup of coffee. Never going a different brand ever again. New Honda's are not as well made as the older ones..

Andy, are these gloves comfortable enough to wear them OTHER than in the coldest days only? As in something from autumn to spring? I'd love some but I also hate bulky and thick gloves so I usually resort to the heated grips, handguards and spring/autumn gloves with Outlast (halvarssons, which I quite like).

This is good to know, I was thinking of buying a Honda. I think I'll keep looking cause it's sounding like they don't stand behind their products

Seems that you got a problem with the dealer, not the brand... from the video i would sugest that the gear shaft was too long and block the gear natural back movement... Hapenend to me with another brand. Not the best position for my foot, but gearing perfectly after going back for a more resonable ajustment. For the cover sealing, even a blind mechanic would do better... I guess you should just make some more km to another honda dealer with better experienced mecanics, the one's that often say's "I don't know man, let's have a look" for some stuff ;) . Hope you will solve that easily in future! Great video!

Having worked in a dealership I can tell you that some dealers make fraudulent claims against bikes…for all kinds of parts on popular bikes

I am thinking of buying a bike from Honda and getting back into motorcycling. However after watching how you were treated by the Honda mothership I am having second thoughts about buying anything from Honda. I would like to know if you could which manufacturer would you buy from?

Dealers were terrible, but only Honda is to blame with engine cover, paint, and weld splatter. Such a shame. Honda used to be the quality brand...

As Twiggy use to say in the old 1980 adverts- "You get shafted by the nicest people at a Honda".

I was looking for a Goldwing having watched this video I’ll stick with my BMW. ( At least their warranties) are pretty good - thanks for posting Honda have just missed out on £30k

Question, I noticed u still Rev match and up shift old school. Do u prefer it even though the bike has a quick shifter? I find quick shifters don't to a smooth job at all revs . Agree?

Unfortunately it is becoming the way of the world now for people not to give a toss about quality of products and service levels. Basically dealers don’t give a shit once they have sold you the bike. Oh hold on yes they do, they want you to take your bike to them for severely overpriced services or your bikes warranty is invalid. The quality of bikes has dropped (all makes) the past year or so. A friend has a 2013 Aprillia RSV4, some limited edition thing. It is beautifully crafted and the quality, fit and finish of everything on it is astounding. We went to look at a 2021 RSV4 as he was considering an exchange. What a bag of cheap looking crap the new one is. He took 60 seconds to make his mind up to keep his old bike. Manufacturers are going cheap nowadays to save money but still charge a premium price. And don’t get me started on all the electronic crap on bikes nowadays. Takes the discipline out of being able to actually ride a bike. Especially on the U.K.s strangulated roads. I regularly show up riders at track days on new sports bikes on my fj1200. Very few of them can ride these new machines they have and when they ask “what have you had done to that mate” , I reply that I did take the tax disc holder off as we don’t need them anymore. And yes I am a 51 year old moaning tw_t. Great vlog by the way.

I have bought one new bike in my life, it was a 98 Suzuki GSXR600R (last of the carburated generation. I used it for my work as a courier/despatch rider in London. I fitted uprated jets and a ful Ackro' system on it, what a fun bike to ride although perhaps not the most practical choice. On the whole it handled everything I threw at it fairly well. However the after sales service was aweful from the then Motorcycle city, this culminated in a 3 month wait for a new clutch because they could not get a retained nut. I went to the Suzuki spares shop all of a mile away and got one which they then used to complete the clutch change. Adding insult to injury they tried to charge me for the retainer nut I had supplied them. Would I buy a new bike again? Never, I actually worked at motorcycle city after this experience and found out a lot about how the dealershops work and their attitude towards customers. My advice, be patient buy used and if you don't know what to look for take a trusted mechanic with you. Riding should not be a headache.

Be interesting to know if you get any feed back from Honda if their bods see this video. Customer service is key in my eyes.

Hello Andy, I to have had nothing but excellent service from my local Suzuki dealer, mind you I have had zero issues with my 650 V-Strom. Hope things improve and Honda wakes up. Merry Christmas from Northern Ontario Canada.

Thanks for posting. Sorry to hear about the problems you are having with Honda. What a mess! Unfortunately, I don't think it is limited to Honda. I am sure you are aware of the issues thelikeablerider had with KTM. I have had issues with my 1200GS and more recently an S1000RR. Here the excuse is CoVid. At least they are using a different excuse in Germany, "It is your fault for riding your motorcycle. Don't ride motorcycle and it will be fine! You dummkopf!" ;)

Are you still using the heated jacket using battery only without issue?

So sad to hear that such a legendary company like honda has become so 3rd rate. I've owned a cbr1000rr (repsol), cbr929rr and an rc51. Loved em all and always quite impressed with build quality and reliability. I thought the problems with the rr-r was just a fluke but apparently not. Sad 😔.

Got to say Andy, you are taking it all wayyy better than I would have. I'd be looking to chuck that bike and anything with a Honda logo on it ASAP. So thank you for sharing you experience since I will now never touch another Honda again. I've had great experiences with Suzuki, Kawasaki and Royal Enfield. I only owned one Honda for a very short time and never had reason to take it to a dealer. Sounds like I was lucky to be rid of it as soon as I was.

Miss the FZ1 then?

That's shocking Andy! You really wouldn't expect such shite from Honda! 🤷‍♂️

I had a 2018 cb1000r and it was great, but little issues with the transmission and cosmetics (that tank paint is total shit) were turning me off. Also, in Southern CA, insurance is insane for liter bikes (well over $200 per month), so I traded for a Yamaha MT-09 and the insurance is $35 per month for a 900cc bike that’s just as fast 😂

just stumbled upon your channel today, and been binging your videos since the weather is shit now in Munich - great stuff! I don't think this is a Honda problem; more like a general customer service in Germany. It's anecdotal, but I was in the market for a bike last summer, and dealt with the Honda and Triumph dealerships in Munich. I swear I will do my best to persuade anyone that asks to NOT EVEN CONSIDER getting a Triumph. Somehow, in my 3 months of almost begging them to let me test ride a Trident, they almost made me feel guilty about it. in the end. I went for a CB650R. tbh so far so good.

Hello Andy, Nice to see riding in the rain, appallingly service from your local dealer.we found our dealer very accommodating allowing drop off on a Saturday and pick up the following Saturday.but not cheap service cost so first service was done at a none Honda dealer who have good review and do a great job for a decent cost,going to check my engine casing now.I guess you could have the engine underneath repaired and fit an engine guard.Honda dealer was Peter Stevens Dandenong very helpful and accommodating.none dealer was motor heaven of Moorabbin who where just great to deal with.

Really sad to see this mate. That engine casing replacement basically sums up in one, the kind of service you have received from the dealer. But it should never have got this bad in the first place with those holes and then theres the wear and tear of the engine casing........ I actually thought the build quality was pretty good on the CB until I started working on my old VFR750. The build quality is awesome compared to the CB and I now know why Honda got a name for themselves. Not anymore and it has already been said, most manufacturers are the same. Get that casing off pronto. It looks shit 😁

The grey gasket sealer on black casings was a shocker!! Anyway, enjoyable vid Andy 👍👍

Everyone is raving about Honda's quality, but to me it's not any better than Yamaha (or maybe even worse than Yamaha), or any other brand.

I own a Versys 650 from brand new and apart from a slightly leaking front sprocket gasket (almost unnoticeable though) about a month before the 2-year warranty expired, which was indeed changed under warranty, the bike has been spotless so far. I bought it in September 2017 and it's now been more than 4 trouble-free years for me (or 38000+ kms). However, finding a workshop that's up to ANY kind of standard has seriously been an undertaking. Eventually, after a couple of services done in a work shop ~220km away from me (Bosnia & Herzegovina), the mechanic was too busy so I had to take the bike to be serviced in another country (I shit you not). Since I work in Slovenia, it was easier to simply ride the bike over there and get it serviced while I'm away on work than to have it done in the country I bought it in. Ridiculous, right? Luckily, Kawasaki workmanship & materials have proved to be top-notch and there was no need to do anything other than that gasket replacement and regular services. Before I bought it I was talking to a proper motorhead and he said to me that Honda has been making all the new engines out of some soft shit and that I should stay away from it. 😂 I had my eye on a Versys 650 even before that, but that just sealed the deal for me. As for my next new bike, it will be Yamaha Tracer 9. No Honda for me, tyvm. 🙂 And who knows, I might even keep the trusty old Versys 650. 😉

Simply love your commenting "having their shaft re-greased...." 🤣

Awesome video and awesome content can’t wait for the next video Thank’s

Andy do you prefer the Honda cb1000 over the Yamaha Fz1 and what are the main differences?

Loving your content, Andy...Thanks for sharing. Someone in the comments made ref to the VFR 5th gen. I agree, they're special. I currently ride a 6th gen VFR and it's a pretty well screwed together machine in my opinion as well. By the way, I'll be picking your brains about a touring trip in a couple of months.

I had a 2019 Honda X-ADV, after a few months I managed to remove (some) of the plastic fairing parts, What did I find? I don't know, because there seemed to be fury things holding things together! This was in contrast to my 2003 Honda 900 Hornet, which stood outside for 9 years (I live in seaside town, Herne Bay, UK), it only had one coat of Scottoiler FS 365 and a canvas cover, and in all that time didn't have any corrosion. I now have had a Tiger 900 GT PRO for just over a year, and it seems to be OK, but I note other Triumph owners haven't been so fortunate. Cheers Gordon

First of all Frohe Weihnachten und gutes neues jahr secondly Honda sounds like they read Polaris’s hand book😀

Hey Andy, would you do a small comparison between your FZ1n vs the new CB1000r? I know it is unjust to compare an old legend to a new naked one but just wanted your perspective on why Yamaha or Honda shines as prominent Japanese brands. How the engine, quality of plastics on those bikes are and how the build on both are. Thanks

So have you found out if it’s a common problem for other CB1000R riders? And how’s the new one holding up, already signs of corrosion? This really got me in doubt whether or not I should buy a 2019-2020 CB1000R now… if that corrosion is so quick… how quick before real trouble comes?

I have a mechanic buddy in France who does quite a bit of trade fixing bikes still in warrantee with dealerships in the Biarritz/Bayonne/Anglet area. Wrong oil filters fitted resulting in seized engines, you name it. All the big brands. They don't have the staff so they punt the nasty cases onto him. On Honda, I'm shocked that Honda are going wrong. Bessie (the 600F) has just broken 90,000 km and so far it's been one reg/rec and one exhaust system (last month!). They don't make 'em like they used to..... Top egg-sucking tips for sealant on casings: Remove, clean and de-grease (obvi) - apply new sealant. Apply good quality kitchen roll flat onto the mating surface, tamp gently, peel off. You have exactly the right amount of sealant to seal but no excess.

Couldn’t watch past eight minutes cos of the whining noise. Was there a happy ending? I too ride all year round and I’m curious what bikes you have have had in the past that don’t corrode if you get them wet?

Not sure I'm surprised Andy. I've been in a few dealers lately and some really aren't great tbh. We had a recent issue with Suzuki on a new Gsxr1000r, but let's just say the issue was more than an engine casing.. 😉. Absolutely zero responsibility as to what is poor design and false marketing and ended up blaming everything on rider error, even when countless other owners report the same issue that we had that could have ended in a fatal accident. Morale of the story, buy what you have confidence in, find a good network of specialists for that particular model and join a good FB group of other owners who can help you during your ownership experience. Oh, plus a Haynes manual... All the best, Aaron Knox.

check your chain tension, back in the 70's and 80's i had a couple of new honda's and they would act this way if the chain was too tight. don't forget to check it when your sitting on the motorcycle.

Oh dear, Andy. What a tale of woe. Half way through watching I was thinking of saying 'I hope you feel better after letting that out' but it kind of got worse at the end. I have only one manufacturer warranty experience to offer as a ray of hope. My old Rocket III was one of the first off the production line and suffered bubbling of the lacquer (designed to protect all that bling) on the forks and top yolk after only a couple of months. Triumph replaced the lot without a quibble. No one likes a quibble. Just saying, it can be done. Honda seem to have made a different choice. Their loss in the long run. Thanks for sharing. Have a Merry Xmas all the same.

What an incredibly frustrating series of experiences. Can't blame you for being off Honda from now on.

Sorry to hear about all the problems you encountered. But yeah, before buying a bike, or a car it is wise to check out the reputation of your local dealer/service station. If they are shit, buying anything from them, or anything that needs to be serviced by them won't be a fun experience. That is a major reason I went with my Z900 instead of the street triple rs when I was torn between the 2 bikes. Kawi gave me 0 issues since 2018 until today and my local dealership did a pristine job with all the upgrades, adjustments and regular servicing.

It’s a shape you’ve had such problems but one bad apple…. I bought a brand new Pan European in 2012 and traded it in last October. Zero problems. The bike I traded it in for was a brand new CB500X and have been amazed by the quality of the Taiwan made budget Honda. The dealer I bought it from was crap but there’s another good dealer convenient for me so I will use that for servicing. I lived in Germany for 26 years and discovered many car dealers who were bad but others who just about made up for them. Here in France the best value tyres iv3 bought have always been from the main dealers.

Great video. I have been serving my bikes over 40years. For the same reason you was talking about. Do it yourself and you know that it’s been service properly. And save your money. Ride safe. 👍🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧.

I’ve owned two Goldwings, CB500F, CRF450RL, Super Cub, NM4 Voltus, Africa Twin and a CB1000R. I’ve had zero issues aside from cam chain tensioner issues on the Africa. If you ride in adverse weather, you’re going to get corroding. I’ve owned 26 motorcycles from the big Japan 4 to Harley to European and all of them have show corrosion because I ride all year round as well as winter. In the US there are no dealers owned by major manufactures. All of the Japan, euro and Indian owned brands are repp’d by dealerships that sell multiple brands. Hard to hold the manufacturer accountable for independent shop’s attitudes and policies. I’ve had bad dealer experiences and I’ve had good. I just spend my money at the good dealerships.

I had a similar experience regarding testing a CB. I had a Honda NC700 before that which I took to a dealer that I was quite satisfied with. Went in to ask for a testride, said he didn't have one. Asked if he could get his hands on one. Nope. Decided then and there to go to another dealer. I'm at a kawa shop now that's 45 minutes riding but I'm super satisfied with them. Luckily my bike hasn't had any issues as I had the tank ceramic coated (supposedly the paint was shit so decided to be proactive) 15K km on her now, best decision I ever made.

Just stumbled across your channel. Great review by the way. I cannot believe Honda service! Disgusting!. My mate had one of the new CBR 600's. Decided to randomly dump coolant all over the place, took it back go them they did a half job. And when he asked to get heated grips fitted, they left all the cable ties all hanging off. They have gone right down hill. Consider going to an independent garage bud, few and far between now. But I find much better service. I myself have a new mt09, yamaha have been pretty good so far, however I see what u mean about paint these days.. Picking up a 2000 reg Honda VFR 800 next week as well though, 29k on it less then 2k.👌

Sorry for your troubles Andy, seems like main dealer indifference is universal (obviously there must be good ones out there). Find a good independent and get to know them. As for build quality, what on earth are Honda up to? Bought my CB1300 with 10k on the clock and it was spotless, did 23k on it - including three big continental tours and all year riding and it was still extremely tidy when I sold it - the finish on the sump was bullet proof and the paintwork beautifully finished and durable (except when you fall off.....)

Wow Andy. I'm quite surprised. I have two CB900F-5s, CB600F-6, two SH300s and a couple other small Hondas. 1st, I do my own work. 2nd, I deal with Dobles in Cousldon. My service history (albeit over 10yrs back) was exemplary. I have since moved to Isle of Man but still use them for parts, still have the same CB600F-6 that Paul sold me back in 2007, as well as a CB900F-5 he sold me back in 2012. I've always respected the Honda build quality, but perhaps since the manufacture of mine, they have introduced cheap techniques? Also, it's been my experience that German communication is very abrupt and arrogant - could be wrong generally, but that's my experience. Good luck in finding quality - these days people are not as interested in serve, just the almighty $$.