Place to have my new bike serviced

[bmahf]

Hi all,

I am hoping this is the right forum for this question, but I just bought my new Vulcan 900 Classic (love it) off craigslist, and I want to get it serviced, but I don't know which are the better shops in the area. I know that both Greater Boston Motorsports (Arlington, MA) and Riverside Motorsports (Union Square, Somerville, MA) are Kawasaki dealers, so they'd know how to take care of it, but I was hoping to start a conversation about the pluses an minuses of both, or even to pull some other shop into the mix and compare. I really like the people at GBM. They all seem down to earth, friendly, and knowledgeable. I walked into Riverside once and didn't get the friendliest vibe from anyone but this one guy who sells Triumphs, so not what I need. The other side is that a friend of mine said he took his Honda 1300 cruiser to GBM and he said they didn't do a very good job on checking and topping up his fluid levels.

I'm looking for a place that's friendly, knowledgeable, and does a good job every time in the service area. I've looked online and seen people talking about their experiences in the sales departments of different shops, but I'm hoping to start a discussion on the service departments.

What do you think? Who's the winner here?

Thanks for your input...

[imstuner]

I had warranty work done at Riverside and they are ok. You should just do the basic service yourself.

[bmahf]

I had warranty work done at Riverside and they are ok. You should just do the basic service yourself.

Thanks. I would love to do my own work, but I'm new to motorcycles, and I think I'd rather my first servicing be done by a professional. On top of which, I don't have my own space to do the work like a garage or something. I'm parked on the street on a hill. I've done some stuff out there, but dealing with the fluids on the uneven surface, specially for my first time doing it, might be more of a problem than I initially want to get myself into.

Is it the case that everyone does their own work on their bikes?

[aldend123]

I think quite a bit of people do the basics. Brake pads, fluids etc. Even if you plan to have major work done with a shop, it would be wise to learn how to check and top off everything (brake fluid, clutch fluid, tire pressure, tire wear, coolant, oil, pad life remaining, chain slack and lubing, fuse swap) so that you will catch a problem as soon as it starts, and know how to temporarily address it. A service manual for your bike is a great place to get a lot of basic info, and perhaps provide a way to start reading about harder jobs.

I'm sorry I can't offer any advice, my favorite shop is at the end of my driveway. But when you say service, are you needing a scheduled maintenance, are you looking for someone just to to check it over and look for problems, or do you need something in particular fixed?

[imstuner]

What kind of bike do you have?

[OreoGaborio]

What kind of bike do you have?

Good question

I just bought my new Vulcan 900 Classic (love it)

[rg500]

If you go to gbm. Chris Tupta is a great mechanic.

[imstuner]

Good question

Crap ..... Sorry I was on my iPhone and should have scrolled.

[thephenommatt]

What kind of bike do you have?

Good question

I just bought my new Vulcan 900 Classic (love it)

Fixed...

I just bought my new GSXR1300R (BUSA)