Honda Dealers.

[NoshowJones]

I have lost faith in the two Honda dealers nearest to me, and the one in my small town/village will not do any servicing on my Forza as it seems they only service smaller bikes like a Wave or Click. In two Honda agents I have been asked to go and sit in the shop away from the workspace.

Would it be a good idea to get a local motorbike garage who works on any bikes to do the oil and filter changes etc? Would he be able to order the parts and do the servicing?

[VocalNeal]

16 minutes ago, NoshowJones said:

In two Honda agents I have been asked to go and sit in the shop away from the workspace.

 

Quite common.

 

 

In our local "big" bike workshop they request we buy some of our own spares as they are not locally available.

[eisfeld]

I recommend servicing it at your local Bigwing and not insisting on standing in their workshop. Just let me do their job. Develop a relationship over time with the staff and mechanics. I have a good relationship at my local Bigwing for over 10 years and they have no problem with me being a bit in the workshop area. I trust them to do quality work and never had an issue with the results.

 

Bigwing mechanics have much better training than small Honda dealers.

[NoshowJones]

10 minutes ago, VocalNeal said:

 

Quite common.

 

 

In our local "big" bike workshop they request we buy some of our own spares as they are not locally available.

So you would have to go to the nearest city and buy the spares, that sounds OK. Do the Honda agents sell the spares to you?

[brianthainess]

39 minutes ago, NoshowJones said:

Would it be a good idea to get a local motorbike garage who works on any bikes to do the oil and filter changes etc? Would he be able to order the parts and do the servicing?

In short yes. Don't know the bike but does it actually have an oil filter? 

You could just buy a filter from your dealer, oil is oil init. 

[richard_smith237]

Is your Forza a new one ? 

Or did you purchase it second hand ?

 

It will be easier to sell on with an official Honda Service history (particularly if its still new).

 

If you are not bothered about that, then find a local shop and build up a relationship.

 

I suspect local Honda dealership doesn't want to service the bike because they are likely busy enough and / or with the extra 'tub' parts on the Forza its just more hassle to service for them (they are lazy).

 

 

Regarding purchasing spares: You should be able to easily get hold of any spares needed online (even lazada).

[richard_smith237]

42 minutes ago, VocalNeal said:

 

Quite common.

 

 

In our local "big" bike workshop they request we buy some of our own spares as they are not locally available.

 

Regarding this.....    I wouldn't want to sit there all day and watch anyway... So I can understand why they don't want you watching in a work-shop, especially as there is equipment in there that could end up hurting you. 

 

That said: We've just discovered damage to our car that highlights an important part of the servicing was not carried out leaving us in a potentially dangerous situations - Complaints filed to head office - Thus.... in the auto-industry, it seems people lie and cheat so much that we do actually need to be watching them... and, 'most' management are lazy and fail to put systems and checks & measures in place to ensure things are done correctly (or in my case done at all).

 

Its difficult until we find good people we trust - the issue is that this can be quite a S£it show anywhere. 

[NoshowJones]

3 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

Is your Forza a new one ? 

Or did you purchase it second hand ?

 

It will be easier to sell on with an official Honda Service history (particularly if its still new).

 

If you are not bothered about that, then find a local shop and build up a relationship.

 

I suspect local Honda dealership doesn't want to service the bike because they are likely busy enough and / or with the extra 'tub' parts on the Forza its just more hassle to service for them (they are lazy).

 

 

Regarding purchasing spares: You should be able to easily get hold of any spares needed online (even lazada).

Buying spares of any sort from Lazada?? With their crooked sellers?? If they did not have what you wanted then most likely would sell you something else in it's place.

My Forza is 9 years old and I lost the service book years ago. 56000Ks on the clock and the bike has never broken down.

[scubascuba3]

Don't be a PITA farang, they eventually get banned or ignored

[VocalNeal]

8 hours ago, NoshowJones said:

So you would have to go to the nearest city and buy the spares, that sounds OK. Do the Honda agents sell the spares to you?

 

Honda spare parts for small bikes can be ordered at the Honda dealer. Most Honda parts can be obtained from the biggest spares stockist and one smaller place. Yamaha with order spares. Kawasaki parts have to come from Lazada or the next biggest city dealership, but they will post/mail them. 

[Agusts]

With Forza it's a bit of a problem with Honda small bike dealers - also I don't think bigwing shops service Forza generally...

 

Most these Honda small bike dealers don't stock "old" Forza spares anymore, their mechanics hardly come across them, and can't be bothered anyway. Last time they wanted to leave my bike for a week to change water pump seal...!!!

 

Also Honda dealers only sell spare parts with installation labour cost added (in Phuket anyway), and for Forza this is quite an extra. You can find spare parts actual price on Honda website, +VAT. 

 

As a principal I never leave a Thai mechanic alone with my bike, don't trust them, so I hardly go to Honda dealers anymore - of course a new bike is different. 

 

As for Lazada, need to check the seller, the reviews and price. New seller with few reviews and under price offering is obviously a no-no. Otherwise I never had issues... 

[SAFETY FIRST]

Buy from Lazada, lots of vendors selling original products. 

 

Oil change and filter......do it yourself. 

 

 

[eisfeld]

56 minutes ago, Agusts said:

also I don't think bigwing shops service Forza generally

 

In Phuket Bigwing services Forzas.

[Agusts]

7 hours ago, eisfeld said:

 

In Phuket Bigwing services Forzas.

 

That's very good if they do, when I went there 5 years ago they pointed me to the opposite side of the street with a slight grin on their face...! 

 

Do they do old and new Forza models... ? This is for everyone or because you have a friend there ...?

 

I'm surprised as they shouldn't stock the spares..., say air filter, is not the same as any big bike or big scooter ..! They must go across the street to get that...!? 

[eisfeld]

1 hour ago, Agusts said:

 

That's very good if they do, when I went there 5 years ago they pointed me to the opposite side of the street with a slight grin on their face...! 

 

Do they do old and new Forza models... ? This is for everyone or because you have a friend there ...?

 

I'm surprised as they shouldn't stock the spares..., say air filter, is not the same as any big bike or big scooter ..! They must go across the street to get that...!? 

 

They do it for everyone. In the beginning Forzas were only sold by small Honda shops but it changed a few years ago. They had them in the showroom as well. They will service old and new I assume.

 

The service center across the street belongs to the same owner. Normally they stock regular service items like air or oil filters.

[richard_smith237]

On 3/23/2024 at 12:36 PM, NoshowJones said:

Buying spares of any sort from Lazada?? With their crooked sellers?? If they did not have what you wanted then most likely would sell you something else in it's place.

My Forza is 9 years old and I lost the service book years ago. 56000Ks on the clock and the bike has never broken down.

 

There's no issues getting motorcycle kit from Lazada...     not all sellers are crooked. 

In the past I've had numerous parts from there (replacement footpegs / radiator guard / Sump guard, adjustable brake and clutch levers, handle bar raisers)... 

...  Only a couple of times on Lazada I've received dodgy stuff (fake or the wrong item) or encountered a complete rip off (ordered a 4000 baht saddle and received a 20 baht phone case !!) - Returns were easy... and with the scam item, Lazada refunded the money without issue. 

 

I think it would be fine to service a 9 year old 56k kms Forza at your nearest 'garage' / bike workshop..  Its a matter of finding somewhere you can trust. 

[NoshowJones]

1 hour ago, richard_smith237 said:

 

There's no issues getting motorcycle kit from Lazada...     not all sellers are crooked. 

In the past I've had numerous parts from there (replacement footpegs / radiator guard / Sump guard, adjustable brake and clutch levers, handle bar raisers)... 

...  Only a couple of times on Lazada I've received dodgy stuff (fake or the wrong item) or encountered a complete rip off (ordered a 4000 baht saddle and received a 20 baht phone case !!) - Returns were easy... and with the scam item, Lazada refunded the money without issue. 

 

I think it would be fine to service a 9 year old 56k kms Forza at your nearest 'garage' / bike workshop..  Its a matter of finding somewhere you can trust. 

Thanks that's a help. But there is no way I will ever trust Lazada. I spent over 1000 Bt on a desk chair from them, they sent me a completely different one from what I ordered, when I wanted a refund all I got was lies about the seller, that he would contact me which he never. They even tried telling me I was too late. I complained within 6 days. I agree that all their sellers are not crooked, but too many of them are.

[bang saen guy]

Do not understand the reasoning. Forza is still a mini bike

[papa al]

3 hours ago, bang saen guy said:

Do not understand the reasoning. Forza is still a mini bike

It is 

not.

[bang saen guy]

8 hours ago, papa al said:

It is 

not.

Less than 500 cc is considered small according to cycle mags. 500 to 900 is medium.

[Agusts]

35 minutes ago, bang saen guy said:

Less than 500 cc is considered small according to cycle mags. 500 to 900 is medium.

 

It is true, only 300-350cc and many parts are very similar to say PCX (perhaps with the exception of a few, like oil filter...) , but Honda prices the spare parts and the labour cost similar to big bikes, a real rip off, while doing the work in small dealer wings, with incompetent, useless mechanics there...! 

 

(I might give their big wing a try now as someone mentioned above, they accept it in Phuket these days ...). 

Edited March 25 by Agusts

[alanrchase]

I take my CB300F to the local dealer and they do a "service" which consists of an oil and filter change. If I require spare parts that they don't have they order them for me. You can be caught out by not using the main dealer in town. My town has several Honda motorcycle shops but I need to use the main one to get a service and spares.

[MixPiano]

I'm somewhat surprised by what I read here. 

 

It's about time for an oil and filter change for my CB300R. I simply want to visit any nearby Honda workshop for this service. I live in central BKK and would go to Honda MC Racing either in Phra Khanong or the one in Silom.

 

Why should I want to wait in their workshop? It's just a simple oil change; any authorized Honda workshop should be capable of handling it, right? Is there anything I should be concerned about?

[Agusts]

Here some latest experience of my dealing with Thai mechanics, some of these at Honda dealer, some in other corner shops. Old model Forza 300 (2016) :

 

For oil and oil filter change, they never open the top oil tap, I know air gets in eventually, but even a child knows to drain car/bike oil must undo the bottom drain nut and top tap! They drain and close all, then open top to add oil...!!! They never change bottom nut washer either, it maybe 50b, I'm happy to pay.. . They never use torque ranch, specially on oil filter, it's alien concept to them...! 

 

They have no clue that gear oil change on Forza has 3 nuts, one is a guage nut, I have to insist on it, so they do it right...! It's 280ml, so 2 x 120ml and a little more..., they always want to put 2x120ml only..! 

 

Even after air filter change I have to check the screws, many times they leave one behind, it has 7 or 8 I think, they probably think why so many, doesn't need them all, yesterday happened again...!?!?!? (last time they left out one on my CVT cover even, that's still missing!) 

 

Almost 90% of the time they put too much oil, I keep saying wait until we start the engine, then check again, they don't listen..., and you know the consequences of too much oil in your engine at high revs...! 

 

No worries, it's only a simple service, good luck leaving your bike with these idiots... 😜

Edited March 31 by Agusts

[MixPiano]

8 hours ago, Agusts said:

Here some latest experience of my dealing with Thai mechanics, some of these at Honda dealer, some in other corner shops.

 

Thanks for your detailed explanation. Sounds indeed a bit scary 😂. I should at least check the visual indicator after they put in the new oil (after keeping the motor running for a few minutes). 

[Joshy]

On 3/31/2024 at 1:32 PM, Agusts said:

Here some latest experience of my dealing with Thai mechanics, some of these at Honda dealer, some in other corner shops. Old model Forza 300 (2016) :

 

For oil and oil filter change, they never open the top oil tap, I know air gets in eventually, but even a child knows to drain car/bike oil must undo the bottom drain nut and top tap! They drain and close all, then open top to add oil...!!! They never change bottom nut washer either, it maybe 50b, I'm happy to pay.. . They never use torque ranch, specially on oil filter, it's alien concept to them...! 

 

They have no clue that gear oil change on Forza has 3 nuts, one is a guage nut, I have to insist on it, so they do it right...! It's 280ml, so 2 x 120ml and a little more..., they always want to put 2x120ml only..! 

 

Even after air filter change I have to check the screws, many times they leave one behind, it has 7 or 8 I think, they probably think why so many, doesn't need them all, yesterday happened again...!?!?!? (last time they left out one on my CVT cover even, that's still missing!) 

 

Almost 90% of the time they put too much oil, I keep saying wait until we start the engine, then check again, they don't listen..., and you know the consequences of too much oil in your engine at high revs...! 

 

No worries, it's only a simple service, good luck leaving your bike with these idiots... 😜

I was going to make a thread asking about best places to go to get my bike serviced. However this has convinced me to invest in some basic tools and do it myself, its easy enough.