Triumphrat

HkmadeCCC · 03-30-2012, 04:23 PM

Just got my Bonneville back from A&S Powersports for some warranty related repairs and wanted to post my experience. Short story for those who prefer to do something else with their time: Yes! I would bring my Triumph back to A&S for service in the future. Those who want more details, read on.

My Bonneville developed a slight oil weep in 3 different locations: the neutral light sensor, the crankshaft position sensor, and the oil cooler lines. I gave A&S a call and spoke with Valerie. She was very cordial over the phone and set up an appointment for me to to bring my bike in the following Tuesday (April 13th). She mentioned that the bike could be dropped off anytime before that, as well. I decided to take the bike to their shop on the Saturday before my appointment.

A&S is probably the most structured and organized dealership I've ever been to. My wife came with me to drop off the bike so she could drive me home afterwards. We stepped up to the service line and were greeted by Tim. We walked outside to my bike and he took done all the essential information needed for the service. We had a pleasant little chat about Triumph motorcycles while he typed up all my information on his computer. After he was finished, I handed him the keys and they wheeled my bike back into their service area from the parking lot.

Being my first time at A&S, I decided to visit their showrooms (it's always fun to throw a leg over a new bike). They carry Ducati, Triumph, and BMW. My wife was nice enough to wait patiently while I looked around. We were greeted by David when we went into the Triumph showroom. He and I had a fun chat about Triumph history. I sat on a few bikes, thanked him for his time and moved on to the Ducati showroom. I couldn't remember the name of the sales person in that showroom, but when he found out it was my first time at A&S, he got up from his desk and gave my wife and I a tour of their dealership. I was impressed that he was willing to do that as it was a unique experience that I've never had in any other dealership.

Overall, we had a great experience that Saturday bringing my bike in and visiting their showrooms. Their staff are very knowledgeable and seems to take pride in working at A&S.

The service work on the bike was completed on the 23rd (it took some time while parts arrived from England), but I wasn't able to pick up the bike until the 29th. After I picked up the bike, I went for a short ride and their workmanship looks solid. What's remarkable about my service is that they changed the oil and filter at no cost. Triumph America refused to pay for an oil change (part of the repair required that the oil be drained). I had received a call from A&S asking if I would like to purchase an oil and filter service. Seeing how the oil in my bike had only about 2,000 miles on it and that I have more oil at home, I advised them to dump the old oil back in. When I picked up the bike, I was told that they decided to do a full synthetic oil change with filter instead of giving my bike the old oil. I've heard of dealers who wouldn't think twice about changing that oil and slapping the bill on an unexpected customer when they came for their bikes, but not so at A&S.

Overall, I was thoroughly impressed with the commitment to customer service and the integrity shown by the staff at A&S. It makes a world of difference to a customer when a dealership is staffed by individuals who take pride in their work. A&S is an example of such a dealership IMO.

HkmadeCCC · 06-22-2012, 02:30 PM

[Update] 2 months and about 2,000m after receiving my bike from A&S, one of the oil cooler lines began leaking from the bottom washer of the left side banjo fitting. I gave A&S a call on the 19th and their service department wouldn't have time to look at the bike until the 29th. Not a problem for most people, but I ride my bike to work everyday on a 60 mile commute. While for the most part, I still agree with what I said in the previous post, I'm starting to get the impression that their service department is a bit stretched. Just for comparisons sake, I gave Elk Grove Powersports a call and they were able to look at the bike the following day. I contemplated bringing my bike down to EGP, but given the distance from my home and my wife not having time to pick me up, I decided to wait until next Friday to have my bike worked on.

Hope everything works out

HkmadeCCC · 07-03-2012, 01:58 PM

Got a call from A&S this morning letting me know that the work on the bike is completed (total of two business days that my bike was at the shop). When I dropped it off last Friday, the service rep told me that he would need to order parts for the repairs. He said he'll expedite the delivery so that I could get my bike back as soon as possible. Given the time that it took to wait for the parts, two business days turnaround is fast! I was not expecting a call from them until Friday so I was pleasantly surprised when I got a call this morning. It seems that as a result of the large number of riders who choose to bring their rides to A&S, it's not uncommon to be scheduled a couple weeks out for service. However, once they get the bike, they do work quickly to get it back on the road again

I'll posted again once I've picked up the bike.

HkmadeCCC · 07-06-2012, 01:10 PM

Picked up the bike on Tuesday afternoon. Riding it around town, everything seems to be in good shape. This morning, I rode the bike to work (~33 mile commute) and discovered that it is leaking at the same place. A&S sent me a follow-up email this morning regarding the service work. I replied to let them know about the continuation of the leak. Hopefully, this would get resolved soon.

HkmadeCCC · 07-06-2012, 08:14 PM

So I stopped by A&S this afternoon and explained the situation with the bike's leak. I speculate that the oil cooler banjo fitting may have been over-torqued from the factory and that the cooler itself may need to be replaced. My service rep was very helpful and was more than willing to take the bike in immediately. I left my bike at their shop and felt confident that A&S would resolve the matter this time.

Chuck95642 · 07-06-2012, 11:43 PM

Thank you for these reports. As a Triumph owner myself these types of reports about shops and customer to service satisfaction reports are very important especially since my Triumph is quite the Vintage Engine unit.

HkmadeCCC · 07-11-2012, 03:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chuck95642

Thank you for these reports. As a Triumph owner myself these types of reports about shops and customer to service satisfaction reports are very important especially since my Triumph is quite the Vintage Engine unit.

You're welcome Chuck! Hope you were able to find the help you were looking for with your vintage.

On a side note, got a call from the dealer to update me on the status of the repair work. Some parts will be arriving from England so it looks like my bike will be in the shop for a bit longer. Nonetheless, I appreciate A&S taking the initiative to call me with an update instead of me having to call them and ask.

Chuck95642 · 07-11-2012, 03:59 PM

Ya mine is still in build mode but once done I will be looking around at the various Triumph Shops. I just got a line yesterday on a company with 2 shops that do nothing but vintage motorcycle parts purchasing and searching the parts and getting them for you. Nice making new connections.

Hope your bike it back on the road soon.

HkmadeCCC · 07-24-2012, 06:50 PM

Been speaking with the service rep at A&S on and off each week to check in on the status of the repairs on my bike. As of today, they are still waiting for the oil cooler to arrive from Triumph with no indication of when it would arrive. Not sure if this long wait time is a problem from the manufacturer or the dealer's end. I'm really hoping that once they get the new cooler on the bike, I won't have to see that leak again for another 50k miles or more.

benbaboon · 08-23-2012, 07:22 PM

Find a good mechanic and stick with him... Stealerships suck. Just a training ground for mechanical noobies.