Be warned Chiswick Honda (Hondas flagship store) arent very good!
The following problems on my bike were caused by Chiswicks poor workmanship;
1) front left disk basket replaced due to cast iron disk being mounted in the wrong direction and the left fork leg incorrected bolted to wheel spindle (butted to wheel spacer, forks not parallel and left caliper not parallel to disk).
2) brake fluid leak on banjo bolt on right hand brake caliper.
3) front right braided brake hose too long and is kinking when suspension compressed. Both hoses are too long.
4) rear shock mounting bracket (top to frame) loose with 2mm of play.
5) external rear shock resevior relocated due to rubbing on shock spring.
6) steel suspension linkage replaced as completely seized and bearing collapsed due to no grease.
7) missing exhaust gasket on left hand connecting tube at joint with headers.
All that and my bike isnt a year old yet!
Go somewhere else....
Dodgy Dealers - Chiswick Honda
I contacted those guy's when I was looking to buy a new storm, as there add said on the MCN web site, there prices would not be beaten, and after explaining to the pushy tw@ on the phone that I could buy a new storm for £700 notes less from my local dealer, he then had a go at me for wasting there time. One always appreciates good customer relations!!!!
"Always do sober what you said you'd do drunk. That will teach you to keep your mouth shut."
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bikerbikerbiker
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- Joined: Wed Jul 02, 2003 9:05 pm
- Location: Cyprus
Chiswick Honda's website says this: "We guarantee to match any price for a UK-supplied Honda." But when I rang and said that Noel Clegg Motorcycles, KJM Superbike and http://www.newbikes.net were all quoting stg7,999 for a new VTR1000SP2, and asked Chiswick Honda to match the price, they said they would charge stg8,999 because the bikes at 7,999 were not official UK Honda imports. I said the bikes were all UK-spec bikes. They said these three dealers wouldn't give me two-year warranties. I checked with Noel Clegg (ex-TT rider who now runs his own bike shop and paint shop) and his people said of course they'd provide a 2-year warranty. So I went back to Chiswick Honda, but they still refused to honour the guarantee published on their website. So I'm reporting them to Hammersmith & Fulham Trading Standards, and to the DTI. Anyone else who's had similar difficulties with Chiswick Honda is welcome to email me.
Chris
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bikerbikerbiker
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- Location: Cyprus
Dodgy dealers - Chiswick Honda
Yeah, Del, that's what I'm going to do - buy the cheaper bike from up North and be happy. But it's in the interest of every biker that dealers should be honest. So Chiswick Honda are going to get their collars felt by Trading Standards. And that could lead to no more overcharging for so-called "official UK bikes" that are just about indistinguishable from European or Australian models imported here. There's always a reason when companies tell porkies in their publicity material. I suspect the reason for Chiswick Honda's false claim that they'll guarantee to match any price for a UK-supplied Honda is that someone may be keen to cover up a price-fixing scam. Rags Pojival at the DTI is already looking into this matter (in a wider context than just Chiswick Honda: UK "official-import" cars and bikes are a whole lot more expensive than European ones across the board). If we can stop this nonsense, we'll all be able to buy cheaper bikes.
Chris
I called them when I was looking for me VTX1800 and they gave me all the flannel on the phone but they were prepared to match any price I could get. Eventually I haggled em on their X-demo that was up for £9,400 down to £8,000 and they would have sold me a new one for £9,300 which was they cheapest quote I had got else where.
I think your mean
Try motorcyclesdirect.co.uk and make sure you haggle and tell them what you can get one for ie 7999. They as far as I am aware are full UK spec bikes and not imported as KJM etc.
Del.
I think your mean
Try motorcyclesdirect.co.uk and make sure you haggle and tell them what you can get one for ie 7999. They as far as I am aware are full UK spec bikes and not imported as KJM etc.
Del.
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bikerbikerbiker
- Posts: 5
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- Location: Cyprus
Dodgy Dealers - Chiswick Honda
Del - Thanks for the info about motorcyclesdirect.co.uk: I'll give them a call.
You say you think I'm mean. No. It's mean to tell a lie. Chiswick Honda say, "We guarantee to match any price for a UK-supplied Honda." They say it in large type on their website, and they say it in their published ads. What they say is not true. They won't match the price. They've had a fair chance to take the lie off their website, but it was still there when I last looked.
If I succeed in breaking the "official-bikes" price cartel (bringing prices down by about 12.5 per cent on average), I hope you'll show me how un-mean you are by sending me a cheque for the difference between the new, low price of every new bike you buy and the old, high price you'll go on having to pay while the "official dealers" continue to get away with their racket.
You say you think I'm mean. No. It's mean to tell a lie. Chiswick Honda say, "We guarantee to match any price for a UK-supplied Honda." They say it in large type on their website, and they say it in their published ads. What they say is not true. They won't match the price. They've had a fair chance to take the lie off their website, but it was still there when I last looked.
If I succeed in breaking the "official-bikes" price cartel (bringing prices down by about 12.5 per cent on average), I hope you'll show me how un-mean you are by sending me a cheque for the difference between the new, low price of every new bike you buy and the old, high price you'll go on having to pay while the "official dealers" continue to get away with their racket.
Chris
tosh
Chris,
that tosh man, if you just buy the bike somewhere else then they won't sell any bikes at the higher price unless your mug enough to pay the price. Also it's probably better they are dearer cos their service is shite so the less bikes they sell the better. It's better with big differences in prices cos then you can get a great deal if you shop about, won't it be boring when they are all the same price everywhere. I'd still want it cheaper and would do some serious haggling, be firm you have the money and they want it.
As for your cheque, guess where that is!
Del. (Mr Honest)
that tosh man, if you just buy the bike somewhere else then they won't sell any bikes at the higher price unless your mug enough to pay the price. Also it's probably better they are dearer cos their service is shite so the less bikes they sell the better. It's better with big differences in prices cos then you can get a great deal if you shop about, won't it be boring when they are all the same price everywhere. I'd still want it cheaper and would do some serious haggling, be firm you have the money and they want it.
As for your cheque, guess where that is!
Del. (Mr Honest)
BikerBiker.
I bought my SP2 from Noel Clegg 2 weeks ago. He is a good guy and they are the sort of dealership that yopu want to do business with. I would have no problem recomending them. BUT. Be careful with your Trading Standards issue because the bikes are not UK spec. They are Australian spec. This means they are virtually identical to UK spec. There are only differences I have noticed so far.
1.) The Australians dont have an ON/OFF switch for their lights IE on all of the time. Also they have no PASS button to flash the lights.
2.) The Speedo is KMH only. The UK one is switchable between MPH and KMH. (Noel will fit a converter to MPH for £80)
If you are happy with these irrelevant details you can have a brand spanking new SP2 for £8k. Noel also gave me a good price for my Storm, so I reckon I saved £1300.
The bike has already been back to Noel for its first service and Noel is calling in over the weekend to pick up the standard cans for the Storm which he has sold already.
Ask yourself. What price would you rather pay and which dealer would you like to buy a bike from ? No contest. The only problem you will have is that your face will begin to ache because you just cant stop smiling !!
I bought my SP2 from Noel Clegg 2 weeks ago. He is a good guy and they are the sort of dealership that yopu want to do business with. I would have no problem recomending them. BUT. Be careful with your Trading Standards issue because the bikes are not UK spec. They are Australian spec. This means they are virtually identical to UK spec. There are only differences I have noticed so far.
1.) The Australians dont have an ON/OFF switch for their lights IE on all of the time. Also they have no PASS button to flash the lights.
2.) The Speedo is KMH only. The UK one is switchable between MPH and KMH. (Noel will fit a converter to MPH for £80)
If you are happy with these irrelevant details you can have a brand spanking new SP2 for £8k. Noel also gave me a good price for my Storm, so I reckon I saved £1300.
The bike has already been back to Noel for its first service and Noel is calling in over the weekend to pick up the standard cans for the Storm which he has sold already.
Ask yourself. What price would you rather pay and which dealer would you like to buy a bike from ? No contest. The only problem you will have is that your face will begin to ache because you just cant stop smiling !!
LOOPY
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bikerbikerbiker
- Posts: 5
- Joined: Wed Jul 02, 2003 9:05 pm
- Location: Cyprus
Loopy - Many thanks for your very helpful comments about Noel Clegg: they sounded pretty efficient when I phoned them and you've confirmed that they know what they're doing.
On the trading standards point, Chiswick Honda say they'll guarantee to match any price for a "UK-supplied Honda". It doesn't matter that the bikes supplied by Noel Clegg are Australian-spec - they're still UK-supplied because Noel sells them in the UK. The "always-on" lights on the Aussie models will soon also be fitted on all UK models because the Dismal Empire has issued a Direktiv to that effect. As for the speedo, this can be converted to MPH with a simple transfer costing three quid. Otherwise, the UK and Oz bikes are identical.
When I phoned Chiswick Honda, I said I'd let them charge me an extra 300 quid to take account of these trivial differences in spec between the UK and Aussie bikes, but they still wouldn't budge from nine grand against eight grand for Noel's SP2. I can't believe that such tiny changes in spec are worth as much as a grand. The fact is that Chiswick Honda won't honour their guarantee to match any price for a UK-supplied Honda.
So Trading Standards will be hearing from me when I get to the UK next week. Chiswick Honda are committing quite a serious offence. They could be heavily fined for it - no more than they deserve, I reckon. If we can drive the dodgy dealers out of business, the Noel Cleggs of this world - who deserve to do well - will prosper.
On the trading standards point, Chiswick Honda say they'll guarantee to match any price for a "UK-supplied Honda". It doesn't matter that the bikes supplied by Noel Clegg are Australian-spec - they're still UK-supplied because Noel sells them in the UK. The "always-on" lights on the Aussie models will soon also be fitted on all UK models because the Dismal Empire has issued a Direktiv to that effect. As for the speedo, this can be converted to MPH with a simple transfer costing three quid. Otherwise, the UK and Oz bikes are identical.
When I phoned Chiswick Honda, I said I'd let them charge me an extra 300 quid to take account of these trivial differences in spec between the UK and Aussie bikes, but they still wouldn't budge from nine grand against eight grand for Noel's SP2. I can't believe that such tiny changes in spec are worth as much as a grand. The fact is that Chiswick Honda won't honour their guarantee to match any price for a UK-supplied Honda.
So Trading Standards will be hearing from me when I get to the UK next week. Chiswick Honda are committing quite a serious offence. They could be heavily fined for it - no more than they deserve, I reckon. If we can drive the dodgy dealers out of business, the Noel Cleggs of this world - who deserve to do well - will prosper.
Chris
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LotusSevenMan
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