6000 mile service at Thompsons

[Mr.Chips]

On a Monday morning, too!

 

[loonymoon]

On a Monday morning, too!

 

Just be careful of your skirting boards...

[Big Ears]

I shall be doing just that later on!!!   

[loonymoon]

Well I'm sitting in a cafe in Maidenhead. Eventually I got here after a catalogue of disasters.
Firstly a completely dead scooter. I'd left the boot open since Sat! Then I found the optimate but it refused to charge the battery! Then I remembered there were some jump leads in Jason's car so I got them and jump started  the scooter. Then I found that the headphones I was going to use for the sat nav were broken! Lastly i shut the front door leaving my purse in the house. Not wanting to turn the scooter off I had to try to undo the keyring to get the door key off.
Must admit while I was riding through the traffic in the M25 roadworks I was wondering if I should have gone to Thompsons after all! However, Scootercafe is a delightful little shop. Crammed with gorgeous Vespas but larger scooters too, including a rather tasty Nexus 500. It's a tiny shop from the outside, but bigger than you'd expect inside. Obviously run with enthusiasm which is nice to see.

[poldark]

Despite the frustrating start I hope the day gets better and things go smoothly now, I bet the ride back will be a breeze and the weather's even looking up.   

[loonymoon]

I'm back home now.

Yes The weather cheered up, though still chilly.

In the end it was lucky I decided to get the scoot serviced a bit early (27000km instead of 30000km) as the HT lead was knackered and apparently was only hanging on for dear life!! I'd thought the scoot had been running a bit lumpy but it had been for sometime. I put it down to belt and rollers. I was lucky as it could have gone at any time and probably on the motorway.

 I didn't get either belt or rollers changed. Mike showed me the belt which looked almost new, no cracks, stretching or any signs of wear. He said it was up to me if I wanted to change it - it would be £38 ish +VAT .

I didn't see the point as it really hardly looked worn - I compared it to a new one just to make sure. Also the rollers weren't worn either - no flat spots. He and the mechanic said the 400's and 500's don't seem to wear the rollers very much - he said it depended how you rode though but in general they have this dilemma each time they do a 6000 mile service as the belts really aren't that worn at all, but if they don't change them and they break then it looks bad for them. In this case it was my decision, but I don't have too many qualms about it.

Total including replacement HT lead was £178.93, including £105 labour. I'm not sure how long he was working on it but it was probably about 2.5 hours at least.

Afterwards it felt lovely and smooth again. I took a wrong turning at the M4 roundabout but was glad I did as I ended up on a jaunt through Windsor and Runnymede which was lovely. I did get stopped though as they were doing a road census they wanted to know where I'd come from and where I was going!

Nice day in the end.

[Big Ears]

I knew you'd be well looked after.   

It's just a shame I could get there to effect an introduction. The gas man did indeed cometh as expected and wenteth once the job was doneth. 

[poldark]

Total including replacement HT lead was £178.93, including £105 labour. I'm not sure how long he was working on it but it was probably about 2.5 hours at least.

One wonders what you'd have been charged for the same work now at ScooterPower and whether you'd have been given the choice on the belt/rollers?

[loonymoon]

One wonders what you'd have been charged for the same work now at ScooterPower and whether you'd have been given the choice on the belt/rollers?

Possibly not, the HT lead added about £8 to the bill which, without that, would have been spot on the estimate he gave me. Even if I'd got the belt changed it would have still been a lot (£60ish) cheaper than scooterpower's price of £299.

[Big Ears]

I just wish Mike would service my Burgman. I did ask, but he said he'd be concerned about the lack of any specialist tools and knowledge.  Fair enough.

Personally, I'm not sure we'd get the 650 through the door!!   

[loonymoon]

, Have to say I did wonder how they manage with the GP800, but I guess it's not as wide as the Burger. Tiny little space for the workshop -strictly one bike at a time in there!

I did think about buying the Nexus... but I asked the trade in price on mine...only £1k!! Ahem, maybe not then as the Nexus was a lovely Mk1  2006 with 10,000 miles but I didn't think it was worth another £1850 over my X8, which I have grown to love. It may not be as sexy, but it's almost as good to ride and a bit more practical!

[Dave Milnes]

..I didn't think it was worth another £1850 over my X8,

Oh yes it is!! The ride would be vastly superior too, almost as good as a Tmax. The X8 may have more storage space but how many times do you fill it?

[loonymoon]

Quite often actually! .

I know a lot of people don't rate the X8/Evo very highly but I do like it very much. I have ridden a Nexus for about an hour and I did like that very much too. The X8 doesn't handle as well but it does handle quite well, certainly a lot better than I thought it would before I rode it. The ride is a little choppy fron the front end, and does jar a little over bumps but that's the only thing I'd really change about the way it handles (other than the scary worn MGS tyre thing but hopefully I've fixed that).

The nexus is FAR better looking but I do often use the storage in the X8. Everyday I use the underseat for my handbag, work clothes, shoes, sometimes lunchbox, and sometimes other bits and bobs, which all fits in the front section. When I'm at work I leave my helmet, gloves, neck scarf and hi-vis waistcoat in there.  In the rear compartment I carry a scooterbag with essentials like waterproof trousers, tool kit, spare gloves etc. It's nice to do all that without needing a top box.

[loonymoon]

I've heard on the grapevine that Dave, the excellent mechanic at Scooterpower formerly Thompsons is leaving and possibly going back to working on cars. Big shame!

[johnp]

I heard this aswell, aparrently no new buisness is coming in and he is fed up of sorting electrical problems out.

[Dave Milnes]

Why, has Solo been going there?

[loonymoon]

.

Not surprised they're not getting new business, I haven't even been there since it was Thompsons. I looked at their website when I was considering buying the XEvo but it put me right off buying from them I'm afraid. If it was still Thompsons I'd have bought it from there without a shadow of a doubt.

[Stephen19]

.

Not surprised they're not getting new business, I haven't even been there since it was Thompsons. I looked at their website when I was considering buying the XEvo but it put me right off buying from them I'm afraid. If it was still Thompsons I'd have bought it from there without a shadow of a doubt.

Crumbs - just as I am getting around to have a service at place that I thought was called Thomsons! Are they worth using still as no one else around Watford area... Thanks S

[poldark]

In a word - NO.

Options are:

First Line (Arnos Grove) not Piaggio official but well recommended here.

Palmers (Hemel H) newly Piaggio and bit of an unknown for servicing

CBS (Whitton) very well recommended but little way for you

Scootercafe (Maidenhead) well recommended and good value, but also quite a ways to go.

Anywhere else people??

[loonymoon]

I just had my first service at Palmers, it was £104.38, which is perhaps a bit pricey but included £36.04 for the oil and £60+VAT for labour, they also included a full health check tick sheet. The price was probably partly my fault as i didn't negotiate the first service into the purchase deal. A normal service is about £180 there (as opposed to £299 at the garage formerly known as Thompsons).

Palmer's master technician, Carl seems a nice bloke and looks experienced and professional (i.e. he's not a spotty oik greasemonkey).

[julian]

Options are:

First Line (Arnos Grove) not Piaggio official but well recommended here.

Palmers (Hemel H) newly Piaggio and bit of an unknown for servicing

CBS (Whitton) very well recommended but little way for you

Scootercafe (Maidenhead) well recommended and good value, but also quite a ways to go.

Anywhere else people??

Walton Road Garage (Hampton Court) have been good to us. We have also had good experiences at CBS but they are another 20 minutes or more away.

I would avoid Ewell Scooters now as I have had problems with them getting parts etc.

[Stephen19]

I just had my first service at Palmers, it was £104.38, which is perhaps a bit pricey but included £36.04 for the oil and £60+VAT for labour, they also included a full health check tick sheet. The price was probably partly my fault as i didn't negotiate the first service into the purchase deal. A normal service is about £180 there (as opposed to £299 at the garage formerly known as Thompsons).

Appreciate the tip off to Palmers. Going to try them out next week as website looks good and had good personal contact on email and phone so far. First impressions commendable. Plus they are nearest. Will report back as and when.
Stephen

[Stephen19]

OK. It passed its MoT at Palmers but in doing the service they busted the thread on the sump plug. And they dont have a replacement to hand. So I had a lift home and we wait to see how fast they can get a new one that will fit. They considered taking off a new Evo but not sure if that will fit my Honda sump...anyone know?
And how best for them to get a replacement that will fit - where to best source?
Thanks for any tips I can pass back to Carl. He was most helpful and these things happen I guess. I can live without bike til next week.
Stephen

[loonymoon]

Was the sump plug done up too tight at the previous service?

When I took my X8 to Maidenhead scooter cafe, they said the sump plug was done up way too tight and they nearly busted it trying to undo it I saw them and they nearly pulled the bike over they had to apply so much force to it.. The previous place to tighten the sump plug was.... ahem... Thompsons.

[Dave Milnes]

Same thing happened to Julians' old 250SL.
There is no need to heave on them as they have a copper washer. Just nip them up and check them after a while for signs of weeping. If they are dry leave well alone. They are the sort of thing that always seems tighter when trying to remove them they are when you fit them.