Triumph Bonneville ownership. Why you should maintain your motorcycle yourself! 

I've had two left hands and zero mechanical sympathy my entire life. Bought my second ever motorbike in Prague (because I live here). Yamaha dealership is a disgrace, no independent mechanics speak English, so... bought the Haynes manual and figured it out myself with help from YT videos, and online forums. Over time, built a dedicated tool kit from repeated trips to a local DIY hardware shop. Learnt how to use said tools, and I have done all routine maintenance and modifications on my bike (except tyre change, and new chain).

It's probably safe to assume that the majority of people have a story (or two) like that to tell, i certainly do! Part of the problem may be the lack of proper apprenticeships over the last 30 years or so.

Totally logical,totally truthfull, very inspiring ,well it certainly has me. I find your honesty and integraty so refreshing. Very grateful, thank you. Regards Gareth Wiltshire.

Well said sir! You have hit the nail on the head. I absolutely love doing my own servicing. If nothing else, it’s therapeutic. 👍😎🏍🇬🇧

I have not seen this in the comments yet but if you have no space to work on the bike or store your tools that is a bit of a challenge. Actually a huge challege. Having a garage and tools is a bloody luxury!! Glad I have a spot on dealer. Great vid though. Thanks!!

This channel really is a gem. So happy to have found it. Keep up the good work!

Bought a brand new car, and went in for the first service, where they forgot to drain the oil, before adding the new oil. Came home and checked the oil level, went back and the chief mechanic said it was fine, nothing wrong. Went to another dealer, that looked at it and said, WTF.. and fixed it for free. Same story with my previous bike; first service, and picked it up with a scratched tank! Common error from dealers for me, have been a misaligned rear wheel, and or, the chain was tight as a rope. I work on my own bikes for a reason. Thanks for a nice video Mr Fillingham.

This takes me back to when my father and I rebuilt a Ford Pop in 1967! Get to know your vehicle and the satisfaction of knowing what the problems are becomes overwhelming. I used to maintain my own bikes too and so you and Delboy’s Garage have provided me with all the inspiration I need to give it a crack! As you say, lack of confidence is the issue BUT support is on-line and with the excellent manuals (also available on line) I have everything I would need. Again, great vid and thanks. Yours aye, Alan

Well done . Have had a nightmare with triumph recently and it all started with me fitting a tail tidy to my street twin and then having a constant engine management light on . After taking to triumph and having the light cleared a cost of £18 the light came on again . I asked for them to clear it again and was told this would be £18 again . Why was I paying £18 again for something that should of been rectified that first time

Thanks for yet another insightful video Stuart, l fully concur with your proposition that maintaining your own machine gives you greater confidence in it. It’s having the confidence to grab your spanners that’s key; your work in producing these clear, easy to follow gems has helped me considerably in developing a greater sense of satisfaction from my two wheeled pride and joy. That’s not forgetting the £s saved which l can use to fill the tank with!

I was ripped off royally and when the bike was eventually returned, the journey home revealed it to be in an extremely dangerous condition. Fortunately I survived, but the bike only made it home with the aid of a recovery truck. No longer allow anyone to touch any of my cars or bikes, it's as simple as that. Same goes for work that needs doing on the house. It took two weeks to sort out all the damage the so called repair garage had done, but the bike never felt the same as before. Four years hence and following the test ride of a T100 Bonneville, The big old Yamaha will be sold in favour of a new Triumph. Can't wait. Nice vids dude. Liked and subscribed. 👍

Please never stop making videos! You’re awesome and appreciated✊🏽

Stuart, Just brought home a new 2022 Bonneville t120 a few days ago and before I bought it I found your page and subscribed to it. It was a good portion of why I decided on the bike. From just cleaning and maintaining to necessary mods you've added to my satisfaction with that decision. I'm not an experienced mechanic by any means but have always tried to what I can in the way of taking care of my own machine for all the reasons you have named. My last bike was a BMW and after the same alarming experience with the initial scheduled maintenance I will never again visit that dealership or buy another BMW. It's interesting to note that after I bought the Bonneville the sales manager who had been so solicitous in the weeks leading up to my taking possession wouldn't even give me the time of day within an hour of picking it up. (I had to come back to pick up the car and the wife came with) Complacency indeed! I am enough of a mechanic that with these videos I feel I can confidently deal with any issues that may come up in what I hope will be a long relationship with by Bonneville. Thank you so much.

Thank you Stuart! From the Great Lakes State in the USA (Michigan). Sent you a couple of pics based on the changes I made to my Bonnie while being inspired by your videos.

Thanks Stuart! You are right in so many ways. I really should look into doing more myself. When I get a dealer to do things I do try and check that things are done properly but I know I should go a little further and try some things myself. Keep up the good work

Your videos are very inspiring. They lift my confidence level to DIY things on my T120. Although my dealership is very friendly as i can sit having beverages while watching the technician do the job, asking technical stuffs, telling jokes having good laughs, i did most of the checking myself. Visit to the dealership just to have them change oil and stamp my service book. Cant wait to end 2-year warranty period over as i can carry out servicing routine myself. I even have motone x-pipe on and they said nothing about it. My T120 clocked 13K kms, my next job is front pads. Waiting your video on that. 😀 So stuart, keep up the good job, keep inspiring us...

A other great vid, Stuart. Tinkering in the ‘man cave’ is all part of the buzz, for me. And getting new tools for a specific job makes me feel like a kid at Christmas! And as you say, doing the job right is very satisfying and gives us plenty to talk about with our pals down the tea stand. Keep up the good work 👍

good one Stuart .. fully agree done all my bonnie servicing since i got it two years ago and all the accessory spannered on by yours truly .. you learn from doing and it gives you confidence ... had a few complacent services by dealerships over the past 40 yrs but only use a trusted local engine guru for the areas that even I fear to tread when beyond my capabilities

It's very satisfying doing your own servicing. I worry about warranty issues over here in NZ, when doing it yourself, because I'm sure consumer rites aren't as stringent as they are in the UK. The first 800klm was a staggering $370 NZ. They poured Liquid Gold into the sump AND plugged it into a computer!

My conscientious exactly Stuart...! Especially the part about doing the job right, and getting to know your bike!

Your opinion is very inspiring for me, thank you. I will start to try it

Totally agree Stuart , I have bought the ‘dealer tool’ software and downloaded from Triumph the full service manual so that I can maintain and service my own T120 exactly as Triumph recommend

Excellent video, Stu. I had a series of first hand horror stories take place at Yamaha and Ducati dealerships in the 1990’s, the final straw was a blown engine due to a timing belt that failed shortly after I brought the bike in specifically to have the belts replaced. Total engine loss, and I had to pay to get it fixed… twice! That was the last straw, I sold it and gave up bikes for seven years. I only got back into riding when I’d learned enough about working on machines to feel I could do everything myself. I only wish my stories were as innocuous as what you experienced. Overfilling the engine, removing ALL clearance from the valves, replacing three stators due to a warped engine case, the list goes on.

One good excuse you don't mention - no garage or shed. Does make it more difficult, particularly during short winter days.

I just bought a 2023 speedmaster to tour Thailand with….my first triumph… after picking the bike up from the dealer… came home and checked the chain… it was loose..to the store for tools and tightened the chain… next tires…. Air pressure was 15psi lower than it should have been…. Back to the store for an air pump…in my mind these things should be part of delivery checklist or something..!…I have to take it in for the first service soon… I’m going to watch these people like a hawk. They screw up 1 thing… I’m never going back to them.. thanks for another good video

I hear you mate, similar practice from the dealer here in my town. great vid as always!

Spot on Stuart, I’ve been warned many times from different people not to take my 2010 Thruxton to the Triumph dealer here in Adelaide. Luckily I’m mechanical minded and enjoy getting my hands dirty! Learned how to perform all maintenance very easily. Great video yet again mate.

Own servicing all the way you get to know your bike inside out dealerships cut corners in my experience . It's very satisfying to do your own and keeps your hard earned money in your pocket it's a win win situation. Great video.

You make perfect sense Stuart. Great advice.

Back in with a great video, ITS going to be a great year, looking forward your videos in 2019, I am also looking to USE the Stuart Fillingham treatment whan keep my MC in top shape... hope you will take some trips in your country and tell us how IT is mc vise.

I agree with everything you've said. I've recently started doing little jobs on both my car and bike...all thanks to RU-vid...have not had great service from dealerships over the years sadly

Love your channel and advice. Looking at my first motorcycle, I currently have a vespa and do have a motorcycle license.

We have a chance to work on our motorcycles. Because of people like you. We owe you a Thanks. Thank you.

You are very right about this video Stuart. My Father used to say: if you wand something done properly , do it yourself 😀

Working on your own bike is an absolute must and is FUN.... Nobody at these over priced dealerships care about you bike as much as you do.

I think everyone has at least one bad experience at some point. I am fortunate that we have an exceptional dealership, however, it is 250km away. For big things like the valve service, I will make the trek, but, since my bike is off warrantee this May, I will be back to doing my own routine service and thanks to channels like this one I have a excellent visual resource.

Our local Triumph dealership sells a wide range of bikes from the same shop, many are Japanese and to be fair so far I've been impressed with their service. But until I've worked on a bike I don't feel I really know it so now it's out of warranty I'm doing the servicing myself. Thanks for an insightful presentation - I noted your video re. the oil seal on the Triumph filter so I'll watch out for that. But so far I've replaced the brake fluid and coolant without any problem, and the bike is really very simple to work on.

I can understand totally why a lot view doing their own servicing as overwhelming. Old, naturally aspirated bikes with drum brakes and points, are much more user friendly than these new electronic sensored everything, ABS, fuel injected nightmares that come as standard today. There's not much more than fluids that the average owner can do themselves before they run into a wall of codes and apps for diagnosis. Ive taken apart and rebuilt a lot of older bikes in my time, but with the new Indian i have, I'd prefer to hand it over to the people with the equipment once it starts to get into the more serious servicing that requires technology to do. I dont like the fact, but it's the nature of the beast. I have trouble turning my phone on, let alone swim through the electronic gadgetry on modern bikes! Great video and story.

Stuart I would agree. It pays to ask around and check out the dealership for yourself. Its far too easy to Google dealership feedback. The more you "do it yourself", the more confidence you will have in your machine. Next week I pick up a "new to me" 2013 Bonneville T100. Watching you has not been good for the checkbook. Thanks for the videos and encouragement. Bob. Georgia, USA.

Loved it brother,, ❤and love your collection,,

Spot on Stuart! I have similar stories to tell.

Hi Stuart, Boy did your video resonate with me. I am a 73 year old biker that brought a beautiful 2017 t100 in March last year. Unfortunately it developed an intermittent starting problem. To cut a long story short it has spent close to 80 days since July in the dealership where, under the guidance of Triumph they have randomly replaced electrical parts under warranty. The service from the dealer was quite shocking including once returning the bike to my driveway where it stood in the pouring rain for two days as I was away, fortunately it wasn’t stolen. All in all in went back and forth 5 times and was finally returned 5 days ago. So far it seems OK but I not holding my breath. Barry

Here in the states services performed by unskilled labor and not by trained mechanics. I am 78 years old and I do all my maintenance on my BMW RT 1200. When it is time to replace the tires I remove the wheels remove the weights and clean the Rams before I take it to have the tires replaced. I can't remember ever having a good experience at a dealership.

I agree with you. I have no mechanical knowledge, but by watching your's and Delboy garage videos I was able to do the small modifications on my T214.. Also, you can find answers to almost all questions you have regarding air cooled Bonnie's on triumphrat.net. That's why I love this model Bonnie. Thanks for great informative content.

Nice one Stu.... fully agree with you. It is a shame that dealerships are such a disgrace and the family run shops have gone or are managed by ruthless brands. Its great to read the comments below and see people are following your lead.... keep em coming ......🏍

Thanks to you I at least try and do 75% of work needed. The other 25% (tire, chain replacement) I happily will let the dealer handle. I will be watching them with a sharp eye though. Love all your videos

Food for thought Stuart ,had a little simple Suzuki van van 200cc went in for first service came out fine except they had blown up the balloon tyres to 28 psi and 30 psi the manuals states 18 psi or the way round ,it was a bouncy ride home.

Going in another direction, my Honda CRV came with a 5 year service plan, in the 3 years of ownership a spanner never went anywhere near that car. They hadn't even removed the wheels since the car left the production line, hence when I had a slow puncture the wheels had welded themselves to the hubs.

Thanks for inspiration. Time to learn

For years, I have done my own service; re-built my old Yamaha 500 from the ground up, only work I didn't do myself has been cylinder boring, having the cams modified, paint and a couple of welds (a bracket for the rear master cylinder off a '78 model, mine's a '73 and had a drum rear brake; swapped out the whole swingarm/rear wheel along with the front wheel from a '78, cast wheels rather than spoked -- cut the bracket out of bar stock myself and had a local shop weld it in the frame). Rebuilding again at 124,000 miles (head gasket leak). Haven't the necessary tools for valve jobs on the Bonnie or Daytona, nor the electronics to talk to the Daytona's CPU, but I do all I can myself; changed the Daytona's rotors for EBC V-rotors not too long ago, I've replaced chains as well, when I need new tires I pull the wheels off and have a local shop mount the new rubber. Did all the installation work myself for the Race-Tech suspension upgrades on both Triumphs, which included building the shim stack for the Daytona's cartridge fork (I did have to send them the shock for re-build as it's gas-charged; they re-valved it and installed a stiffer spring, still cost about half what an Ohlins would have, this was before they offered their own line of shocks). One of my first purchases with a new bike is always the factory service manual. Oh, and I have NO formal mechanical training.

Spot on matey. Though now dealerships here are now saying if they don't do the recommended service, the warranty will be voided... add the fact that we're no longer allowed to watch the work done to confirm quality and competence, not all that confidence inspiring.

Inspiring! Thank you.

The best experience l have had, is to use a work shop that doesn't sell bikes at all, that only does mechanical work, rebuilds, and servicing. It still costs decent money, a lot of money for the big service, but because their reputation as a business, depends on offering a limited range of services done properly, they do the right thing by you. In my country, a dealership who sells Triumphs can sell what ever other bikes they like so long as they can jump through certain hoops and pay the right money to house the makes on their showroom floor. The closest Triumph dealer to me also sells, the big four Japanese brands, moto guzzi, Triumph and HD. All these brands and perhaps a few l have forgotten) can be serviced at this premises. There is a sort of observation deck above, and to the side of the service area so you could stand there all day ogling the workers (in your case fixing everyone's bike except yours). They must have people qualified to do every brand and every past and current model in each brands range in that workshop. Lucky the reference material is good. I won't take my Triumph there though (if l have it that long disappointed so far), as there is a dealership not much further away, which has some of the same bikes, but about 4-5 makes the other one doesn't sell, so if something major has to be done, l might take it to them. Having said that, l once saw a 2000 and something model Triumph at a Kawasaki dealer, waiting for a part. Apparently there was a Triumph mechanic now working as mechanic in a Kawasaki dealer, and it made me realise that older mechanics looking for a change of scenery may take specific make and model servicing skills to a completely different make and model dealership.

In the motorcycle news years ago there was an article about wheels falling off BMW motorbikes on their way home from a dealership in Birmingham. What was more worrying is the fact that this happened after they had previously reported it! My local BMW garage sold me a bike with a one year warranty, when the gear box got stuck in 4th they dealt with it under warranty, claiming they had replaced the gear box which they obviously had not and charged the warranty company over £1,000. Soon after the owner lost the franchise from BMW, however I have not and will not own a BMW again. As you so rightly stated you can only come to a conclusion based on your own experiences. I have had many bad experience at different dealers so tend to try and service all my bikes myself.

The 'main' reason I purchased a motorcycle (Carburetted, Second-Hand) was because I knew I could do most of the maintenance myself, thus keeping costs down & affording me the ability to sustain personal transport on the public roads; My budget is severely limited and so avoiding Dealership/Garage overheads (whenever possible) is pretty crucial to me - this is something I could never acheive when I owned a car due to engine access restrictions etc. also I have no A-Frame or Car Ramping equipment at my disposal. :)

Took my bonnie to dealer (100 mile round trip) to get recommended arrow remap after fitting tec exhausts. Ran well on way down after fitting. I swear it was in workshop 5 minutes. Ran like a bag of nails on way home . Took it back (another 100 mile trip) and no improvement. I ended up biting the bullet and having power commander and dyno done by brilliant guy in Malton. Wow what a difference,worth every penny. I will never darken the door of that dealership again!

I bought a one year old Yammy XJ9 back in 1985 and did everything myself until I sold it last year. In those 33 years I changed a few fork seals and the universal joint as well as oil, filters, brake pads, tyres etc. It had nearly 100k on the clock by the time I sadly let it go and was a brilliant piece of kit. The only time I took it to a bike workshop (not a dealer, but an independent) was for a carb balance now and then. Once my new bike is out of the 2 year warranty period I will do my own maintenance on that. Until then I will take it to my independent workshop who is approved to do official servicing.

I really enjoy servicing my bikes, I did train as a motorcycle mechanic for Kawasaki back in the 80s went on to different things, but a bike is a bike, look after it and it will look after you. Took my Ducati for its first service in May, spotted some fella test riding it in shorts and t-shirt made me think If he don’t care about himself is he going to take care with my bike. When I got home found they had scratched the fuel tank looked like someone had been careless with a screwdriver and overfilled with oil. Never been back and service it myself

I’ve had plenty of good and bad experience at dealers; on my last bike the oil was routinely under filled because you needed to check the level warm and upright, not cold and on the side stand. I agree with the comment below that working on your own bike is therapeutic and as much part of the experience as riding. Plenty of help on RU-vid and owners forums. If you’re new and lacking confidence there’s probably someone in a local club willing to help. I’m always surprised how many riders don’t seem to know how to lube a chain or even check tyre pressures, let alone do an oil change. I would urge any rider to get a solid understanding of the basics at least

I've had a similar experience with the Triumph dealer I bought my 900 Street Scrambler from. They stamped the service book but there was no evidence they'd lubricated the chain or even changed or checked the oil level and filter. Fortunately I managed to do it myself before permanent damage was done to the engine.

I worked in a dealership, not motorcycles, in the 70's. I saw all that and more. I spent a long time checking out dealerships before buying my brand new bike and so far I'm very happy. I know it goes on still in Brisbane, so I was very wary. That said; there is no stand-alone Triumph dealership in Brisbane, to my knowledge. The only stand-alone BMW dealership is part of a BMW car dealership. The other one is part of a Harley Davidson Dealership. I recently bought a Triumph Tiger 800, I was charged for 1 hour of labour at the first service, which took over 2 hours, I watched the mechanic he was working on the bike the whole time, The only perk he got was a test ride. Afterwards, I talked about changing the gearing we had a long chat about the bike I think he owned a similar model. They sold me a 15 tooth sprocket for $20. The mechanic gave instructions as to fitting and torque setting. I was talking to enthusiasts the workshop was clean and tidy. I could do the work myself, but I think I good mechanic who's always looking at those bikes should have a deeper & broader knowledge. The trick is finding one.

I got fed up with dealerships about 2 years ago. I bought my 2nd bike, a GS500 (which I still ride almost 3 years later) and naturally it being a 14 year old bike, it had some things that needed to be done to it. I was working part-time and I remember going to the mechanic to fix one thing, only to have another thing break shortly after. I've had my bike overfilled with oil, had been sold 2 year old, dry tires, and was charged with a valve clearance check I later found out no one actually did. I stopped coming to the mechanic and lo and behold - it stopped being a lemon! It's been dead reliable ever since! I do most of the basic work myself, and for the more advanced things (like timing chain replacement) I have a friend who's a roadside mechanic that helps me out. I'll totally go do a mechanic's course after collage. I don't indent on working as one, but I want to be fully independent and if I'll ever need to do some serious work on a bike, I'll know how.

Spot on advice.

Absolutely right. But it can be a lot harder for sportsbike owners. The manufacturers seem to delight in making fairings a complete nightmare to remove. The best fairings were on the Ducati 916 and MV F4: they used zeus fasteners, which were a doddle. Just about all nowadays need about three sizes of allen key, and use tons of them - ridiculous.

Here here, I’m with you on that! 🍻

This does inspire. And I’m in total agreement. Your videos have helped tremendously and I haven’t even picked up my t100 yet from the dealer as its rightful owner. Next month. I do have a question. Maybe you have addressed it in older videos. Do you think its good to do the first 500 mile service yourself? It may affect the warranty not sure. Your thoughts on this would be helpful. And if you recommend i do it what videos of yours should i look for? Thanks

Mr. Stuart I totally agree with you, its not only for motorcycle its even for car service. I'm planning to change my stock exhaust with BC for my 2015 T100. Do I need to any thing to remap in EFI? I tried searching online but couldn't find any useful information, you advise and guidance is highly appreciated.

I am revisiting this video, I thought I would comment about the rise of the dedicated dealership/s. I visited , with a friend a Harley Davidson dealer in Alicante, I then knew where all this corporate showroom display comes from...When I was looking to buy a new bike in 2014 the first dealer I perused was Triumph. It was awful, a few token bikes, not very helpful staff.....Maybe they were transitioning...I went to Honda and bought a VFR 800..... Now the dealership is transformed with accessories and 'bling' items hanging on the walls.. Clothing, Helmets etc! plus a greatly improved model display. The workshop is in a separate building and looks clean and very professional. If the dealer had been like it is now I would probably bought a Triumph...As it is, I now own a 2014 Street Triple 675 bought second had in 2016. As regards maintenance I do anything mechanical where a spanner is involved. I change oil and other liquids, I changed the fork oil a few months ago...I had to buy a front paddock stand, the type that fits under the lower fork yoke. I do everything except major work Ie: valves, changing plugs, cam drives etc!. The reason for this is I don't have a garage... A bike Barn... so don't feel inclined to strip the engine outdoors... where dust and dirt can ingress the motor. Otherwise I pride myself on doing my own maintenance, very satisfying and money saving.

My first post secondary education and profession was Automotive technician (seen my share of horror stories when working at dealers) So I will always do my own maintenance ect. I have also learned alot about motorcycles from texbooks and your channel! Triumphs dealer model is truly dreadful we have lost our local dealer because it didn't follow Triumphs newer idiotic ideas! The dealer was a true "good days" bike shop since 1981! Cheers

I have a 2018 Street Twin. The Rod broke. I rode it another 50 miles. I dropped the oil. Spark Plugs. Drained the tank. The bike had 600 miles. I'm lucky I didn't go over the handlebars. 🙏🏻

Things must have changed, because there are three dealerships in the SW and Central Ohio area that sell new Triumph's on the same floor as other motorcycle brands. MOTOHIO, Iron Pony and CCM to name those that I can think of off the top of my head.

Only take my bike to dealers for replacement of tyres these days. Got sick & tired of overfilled sumps & over tight oil filters so learned how to maintain the bike myself ,oh and bought myself a torque wrench & service manual.

I've just heard that heard that in Australian, in regard to avoiding, voiding the warranty of your vehicle, the work has to be done by a qualified mechanic. You don't have to have your vehicle serviced by a dealer, but. Does anybody have any more information?

Sir I totally agree with you. I have met some of the crankiest mechanics at the motorcycle repair shop !! I do my own maintenance on my Triumph Thruxton.. that's not the only place where the technicians screw things up , I just got home from the dentist a few hours ago from getting a tooth extracted. Went and laid on the sofa for about an hour and half , got up from the sofa to replace the bloody gauze , and then it hit me ! Oh shit , he removed the wrong Damn Tooth...everyone including my wife sees I'm upset and cursing the world , they just laugh there asses off. True story as I sit here writing this comment.. Unbelievable thanks for the video.

@4:30 That seat looks supremely comfy. Is it standard or aftermarket (and which aftermarket)? Thanks. Completely agree about servicing. I've had terrible service through the years with my cars. So I'll probably do my own servicing on the T120.

You make some great points Stuart. You didn't mention warranty issues which is a key reason why many people use a dealership for a brand new bike. However, once that warranty is over, then game on. DIY is the way to go. Perhaps for those who are not as confident, get together with a few mates and help each other out. Great social activity!

couldn't agree more!!!!! not just bikes, cars too. Dealerships are complacent. Money alone is a good reason to do the maintenance yourself, riding bikes has become such a luxury, it shouldn't be like this.

I must say, thanks for all the help over the years. Another reason to work on your bike is out of necessity , I live hundreds of miles from a dealer, making transporting the bike really really time inefficient

After over 30 years of BMW ownership, due to poor service,I am going to get rid of my beloved GS1200, feeling my next bike will be a privately bought Bonneville, keep up the video's

I agree, doing your own servicing is rewarding and saves you money, plus, you know it has been done. Depending upon the bike, a competent mechanic should be able to do a first service in under an hour.

I used to take my bike in to get it serviced, but now i do it myself using the Haynes book and asking other bikers.

I have to say that having worked in the trade all my life and 30 years of that in a big dealership although only as a humble parts guy even if I could afford it I would still all my servicing and as much else as I can myself. Granted I have a friend who works as an independent mechanic who I turn to from time to time and damn good he is too, as he has to be.

Hi, Stuart! Do you use a moto lift for your bike? I have the same sump guard as you (Motone Sump Guard), and am in search for a moto lift that can be used without removing the guard. Thanks!

My local dealership quoted £246 for a annual service for a Honda, it took 30 mins to get a quote from them, they were more interested in trying to sell me a service plan at great cost. Previously they had a knowledgeable service receptionist, he had been replaced by a silly Katie Price look a like with no experience. Finally they quoted £246. I travelled 29 miles and paid £113 from another main dealer who cared. The dealer I bought from gets no more business from me

Probably everyone's got some of these stories. Yeh, I learned early and the hard way. Now I wouldn't attempt to rebuild the engine/transmission, but never needed to. I let my Honda dealership do most of the work on my first bike. A CL100s, the S meant restricted to 5 HP, instead of the 11 it should be. After I turned 16, and could legally have it unrestricted, I took it to the dealership and when I got it back, I was $100 poorer, but the bike didn't seem to have anymore power than when I first got it. Now, the restriction was done by having a longer than normal carburetor slide, and was removed by taking out the slide, and grinding off the extra part. Like I said I could not tell that it had any more power at all, but it DID have one new feature! Under full throttle the top of the carburetor would pop off, and the slide would come out the top! Just put the bike in to WFO mode. the first time this happened I was accelerating up to a T intersection, and it came out just as I was about to brake. Bike had no kill switch, and ignition switch was up under the tank. Very exciting. Seems that the shop cross threaded and stripped the top of the carb so it would pop off at the most interesting times, until I took it back, and made them fix it. BTW, they insisted I had to pay for the fix. When I got my next Honda, I had them put on higher handle bars (Hey, I was young...) And to do it, they had to replace all the of the cables and brake lines with longer ones. Ok. When they routed the new brake line thru the front fender. They somehow bent the metal loop on the fender which held the brake line so it rubbed the sidewall of the front tire they had put on just a few weeks earlier. Luckily, I noticed it before I had a catastrophic blowout. Took it to the shop and asked them to replace the tire since it was new, bought from them, and ruined by their negligence. They insisted on only allowing me a pro-rated discount on a new tire. After that, I bought some tools, and started learning how to do it myself. Found it very handy. Being able to patch a tire on the side of the road, or other small things paid off. Not to mention the knowledge and skills gained and money saved. Thus my first two bikes were Honda's. My next 3 were Yamaha. Sorry for the length.

Very good video👍 thanks for sharing! It makes me want to start working on my new Bobber Black on my own instead of leaving it to some mechanic.

Just bought my first new vehicle (bike) and coming up to first service time. I've always serviced my own bikes & cars. I'm mulling over whether I want to do the first service. My concern is that should I need to claim on the 2 year warranty at any time, they may get funny with me if I haven't got the stamp in the book. Depends how much they quote me for the service. A friend of mine had his KTM booked into the service department of the dealer where I bought the bike. It was booked for 8:30. Eventually at 11:30 they wheeled it into the workshop. It reappeared after less than an hour, and they charged him 3 hours labour. I will not be using their service department unless they give me a fixed price and that price is reasonable!

Can l ask you about the Triumph in your workshop that has the Speed Twin tank badge please? Is it standard and if not, can l ask where you got it from?

I had similar experiences with 2 Harley Davidson dealer workshops in Austria...

Wow, now I'm worried, I bought my Street Twin in July and a service was done on it (I have the stamp on the book as well) which means it should be good for winter, but it doesn't say what service was done, I think I'll go to the dealership and ask them exactly what was done, because now I'm thinking maybe I should just do oil, brake and coolant fluid myself just to be on the safe side....

Dealers have you by the ball's with regard new bikes or cars. . . You need those service stamps in the book and this does bring extortionate amounts of money to the dealer. . . General maintenance yourself is essential to keep costs to a minimum.

I live 200 miles from the Kawasaki dealer. They sell all sorts of brands and I assumed they wouldn’t be an expert on kwakas. So decided to do the basic routine stuff myself. Bought myself a Haynes manual. I won’t try anything too onerous

WTF I got and ad and immediately got another and it said 2 of 2 ads??? What is this? I never got this before. Great video btw I’m looking into getting a Triumph Bonneville

It's very frustrating how some dealerships have such little regard for our bikes, as you say family owned dealerships seem few and far between. Personally I do all servicing myself, I'm not quick but I know it's been done. It's for that reason I like to get bikes that have the locknut style valve clearance adjusters but those engines are getting harder to find. For me I can't wait for electric bikes to become more 'available' as servicing is even easier. Incidentally I bought a brand new Honda (NC750X) a year ago from a Honda dealer that had a very good reputation. However I found them completely hopeless, from ordering the new bike to the first service. Not sure if I'm unlucky or that it's the norm these days. Thanks for the video Stuart, fascinating stuff.

Don't worry, just found your video on it and realised it is on a later model bike anyway.

Certainly agree with you Mr Fillingham, took my 2017 Triumph Bonneville for its first service, cold rainy morning got there 9am, first bike on the schedule, signed in and dropped off, one hour I was told 'Go have coffee and breakfast next door, we'll call when it's ready ".... Ok, off for coffee and bacon and eggs, waiting for the call, hour later no call, ok, I'll go for a walk, 3hours later," your bikes ready", ok, go back,' What was done? "..." Oh, we check everything first service".. "So, changed the oil?".. "Oh no, that's second service"...'"Hmmmm, ok, how much?"... "$375 thank you".... WTF....... And I never went back, went home and looked after the bike myself.

I hate dealers. Bike ‘and’ car. They’re all appalling. I never take a bike in and every time I’ve had to take a car in I’m disappointed 9 out if 10 times.

Dealership mechanics are not infallible from making mistakes. Many years ago I had my Kawasaki Z650 service by a well known Kwack dealership in Nottingham. A few days after the service I noticed a few drops of fresh oil on my garage floor, very unusual for a Japanese bike. On looking underneath the bike I could see fresh oil dripping from the drain bolt. The drain bolt itself was only just (and I mean only just) screwed into the drain hole - it was only about half a turn of the threads from parting company from the bike and letting the oil deposit itself all over the road. I obviously tightened up the bolt correctly and thought I would speak with the dealership about this. This was pretty much a waste it time as all the guy did was shrug his shoulders and say “well you caught it in time didn’t you”. My advice is kit yourself out with some half decent tools, no need to be Snap-on quality, stuff like Bergman tools are readily available from the Autojumble, and procure a decent workshop manual. Leave some of the more specialists jobs to the dealer - I always service my Goldwings myself but leave the balancing of the carburettors to the dealer. Luckily I found an ex Honda trained guy who set up on his own and I trust him to carry out this work in a professional manner. He is also a fair bit cheaper than the main dealerships.

Funny, I just received an email from my dealer reminding me service was due. In checking the maintenance schedule, the only thing I don't have the tools for is the throttle body sync (although I know how to do this on BMW's). I think I'll spend my money on more Motone bits :-)

Here in the United States Triumph is sold with other brands such as Indian,BMW and Ducati