Triumphrat

sbpark · 02-18-2008

Does anyone know of a good mechanic here in the Denver area? i know service is expensive, and i'm not cheap and don't mind spending the money, just feel like i'd get better service going to a more "mom & pop" place that likes to work on triumphs instead of taking it to a big dealer where they may not really care about paying attention to detail and can tell me whatever they want and charge whatever because i don't know any better.

also, what is the deal with warranty and servicing the bike? do i have to take it to an authorized dealer for service and maintenance so i get the dealer's stamp in the handbook that proves it was done so i can be covered if a warranty issue comes up later? for those of you living in the denverr area is there a dealer that you prefer, and if so why? i bought my bike from one of the two triumph dealers in town. i received quotes for service from both dealers, and price was pretty much the same at each place. (i did like the fact that there are people that work at the one dealership that actually race thruxtons) when i bought the bike i was treated alright by both dealers, i just got a better deal from one over the other (after a ton of haggling).

i want to do whats best for my bike, so any suggestions are appreciated. thanks in advance.

johncrist1 · 02-18-2008

What do you need to do? Most of the maintenance is pretty easy to do yourself.I wouldnt take my bike to a shop just because I would rather spend my money on something else. I bought mine at Erico because Foothills BMW was ignoring me while I was sitting on new bikes with a pocketful of cash. So if I had to take it to one it wouldn't be the BMW dealer.

sbpark · 02-18-2008

i ended up getting my bike from erico too. initially foothills gave me a better deal, but when it came down to financing it would have cost more in the long run. their financing was wierd. i guess they only deal with two lenders, but erico really did work with me and had no problem calling the same people i have my auto loan through (HSBC) and getting me a loan. not sure why foothills didn't want to do this. eventhough i think erico wasn't that happy with me when i walked out the door because i pretty much lowered my payments by just over $100 a month. i got rid of a lot of the fluff they tried to add in, and just before i signed on the dotted line i had them go through everything and explain it to me, and got rid of all of it except the gap insurance. i can unserstand why they weren't very happy though. they are there to make money, and i was there to get a good deal, which in the end i feel i did. i have to say they really did bust their asses working with me and they have some parts guys that are really nice, and the girls that work in accessories are great too. as far as foothills goes, i have onnly been their once for a part (aside from trying to buy a bike there initially) and was treated well there too. i don't know how to work on the bike, and unfortunately don't have the facilities to do it because i live in downtown denver. even if i did know how to do my own maintenance, i am not sure how this falls under being covered under warranty, should a problem arise down the line.

Nate501 · 02-18-2008

Quote:

Originally Posted by johncrist1

What do you need to do? Most of the maintenance is pretty easy to do yourself.I wouldnt take my bike to a shop just because I would rather spend my money on something else. I bought mine at Erico because Foothills BMW was ignoring me while I was sitting on new bikes with a pocketful of cash. So if I had to take it to one it wouldn't be the BMW dealer.

Whatever you do...don't take it to Foothills BMW. Those guys are crooks...especially Matt in sales...

Take it to Erico. There is also a mom and pop style place in Broomfield that specializes in foreign bikes. Can't remember the name. If its just the service, do it yourself...you'll save a ton.

As far as the warranty, just keep the receipts to prove the maintenance was done. That's all you need.

Gretsch · 02-19-2008

WOW! I had a completely different experience with erico. They played games with me on pricing etc. I've also heard that their service department was poor. I can tell you that I had some mod's done before I got the bike and Foothills was cheaper than erico.

I'm not sure if it applies to the service department but, I guess erico has some deals right now.......

sbpark · 02-19-2008

yeah, i have heard good and bad stories about both dealerships, and like i mentioned before, so far i've been treated pretty well by both. the one thing though that is maybe making me want to go to foothills over erico is because my buddy bought a thruxton from erico about a year before me, and they roped him in with all the extras like warranty and the service plan. basically the service plan takes two years worh or service and loads it on a prepaid card. so all you have to do is show up, drop off your bike, and its deducted from the card. they tried to sell this to me, but i really saw no savings in "prepaying my serivce that way, plus it's actually costing more because it's money that was being financed, so why wold i want to pay interest on that money? anyway, by buddy went for that option, and then soon after moved to los angeles, so the money he had already spent on the service plan was a wash because he's no longer in colorado. i asked them if he could transfer the prepaid card to me since i recenty bought a new thruxton from them and he now lives in LA and they told me no. personally i think it's crappy business and they could have done something. erico is minutes from my place and it would be way easy to drop it off there for service and walk home, but just based on principle i may just go to foothills.

Ridge · 02-19-2008

I bought mine at Foothills, had them do the initial 500 service and later fix an oil leak under warranty.

Kevin, the service manager, is a stand-up guy and runs a good shop. I do most of my own maintenance now, but I wouldn't not hesitate to have them work on my ride If I couldn't do it myself.

I haven't dealt with Erico.