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Why don't dealers set Sag on customer's new bikes?

V

Velocess

Active member
Joined
Jul 30, 2015
Location
SANTA CRUZ
Moto(s)
'02 CR250R
Just curious why this does not happen as part of the delivery of a new bike. With the benefits from a safety & fun aspect I would think it would be a universal procedure.
 
Motorcycles are sold with Generic Settings.
Customize: you can do on your own /set the handlebars, the controls, foot height, suspension spring rate, sag.
—• setting the sag will tell if you need to change the spring rate:
 
I've often wondered this myself. I asked a dealer to adjust the handlebars on my brand new FJR1300 and they told me that I should ride it for a while before making any adjustments. It was obvious that they were way out of alignment so I had to insist. They barely took the time to show me a few controls. When I bought a new DL650, they handed me the keys and said it's parked out front. I even had to go back the next day to get the owners manual. On the other hand, when I bought a BMW, the saleman spent quite a bit of time showing me how to configure and operate all the electronics.
 
There is absolutely no reason beyond poor customer service to not set such simple things as sag, handlebar, shift and brake lever, etc.
 
The majority of the bikes sold don't have enough suspension settings to properly set sag, so my guess is that's why.
We, here on BARF, buy the 'special' bikes with premium suspension, so we need to know how to do that ourselves.
 
I think it’s primarily because it’s so simple to do by the owner. And traditionally, most bikers could turn a wrench. We used to be different from car buyers back then. If you bought a motorcycle, one had to be able to wrench on it as well. It was expected that you had to have some skills back then.

Now we have motorcycles that can easily go 100,000 miles or more with the simplest bit of maintenance. And that has opened up the market to people who can’t wrench.
 
Because service and sales staff deal with customers daily and become jaded about people?

I figured out early how to be the customer a staffer would like to deal with. Being genial and polite while doing just a little 'alignment and redirection' got me to my goal more often than being a dick or dork while on the sales floor.

Customers are not all treated alike. Work on achieving 'dude' status in the shop you frequent because customers get remembered. For good or ill.
 
Nah, the dealer assembled the bike out of the crate. Liability commenced then.
 
So what if the buyer is outside the weight range of the stock springs?
Dealers don't want to respring/revalve on their own dime, or own custom suspension settings if the customer doesn't like them.
 
Thats a good point. I suppose an un-informed buyer would be concerned. An informed buyer would know the rear suspension will need to be upgraded and that the dealer has no responsiblity to do this.
 
You missed the correct answer; money. The mechanic needs to clock the time and get paid, the dealer needs to mark up that cost and add it to the bike's price. It would/could create an expectation that such things are free, ya know, forever. All bike brands sales are way, waaay, way-the-fuck-off- as seen by the closures of many and minimal staffing for those on CPR. If its so important, then go find an independent mechanic to dial you- if you can find one- they'll likely do a better job and teach you how.
 
Seems like a missed chance to build customer loyalty, I know shop time is money and that's where they make their profits, but, some basic setup on the bike would go a long way. Once upon a time when I worked at a bicycle shop, we'd spend a good 30 minute to an hour with anyone who bought a bike from us getting them fit on the bike. It had the nice side effect that they often ended up buying accessories from us as well.
 
I 've got two points on this,

I did buy a monkey that I was too heavy for the weight specs, by 40#.

I did rent Harleys before I bought one, I tried a low rider and a Fatboy,
I adjusted the bars, mirrors, n' levers, on the low rider, before I rode it. I like levers inline with my arm.
Not rotated up.
 
Probably the same basic reason that car buyers don’t get the seat, steering wheel and mirrors adjusted. That’s for the buyer to do. And if they are too stupid to do those things, it’s on the buyer, not the seller.
 
Just curious, have you guys bought a high end bike with adjustable suspension and asked and they said no. Or just rode off and not bothered to ask? My guess, 99% of people don't bother to ask?????
 
My R1200RS has electronic suspension. No adjustments beyond a push of a button.
 
I think it should be on the dealer to point those things out, not necessarily do it for them... unless it's a service fee. I disagree with ST Guy's stance of "That’s for the buyer to do. And if they are too stupid to do those things, it’s on the buyer, not the seller." I don't think it's (always, possibly not even "mostly") stupidity... it's usually ignorance. IMO, some/much of that ignorance is due MSF/CMSP not even covering a lot of areas important to day-to-day riding, like basic suspension characteristics (or riding in traffic/freeways). I think it's crazy that we, as a nation, have so many world-class/world-leading laws around safety in various aspects of life or work but we have (essentally) 3rd-world requirements around driver/rider training and certification for the daily activity we're most likely to injure/kill ourselves or others while performing (even more so when considering that only ~15 hours of group training are required to get permitted/licensed to legally go buy a H2R, Panigale, R1, etc as one's first bike)

But I digress.... I am torn between seeing both sides:

1) The business needs to limit its liability, so at minimum, all bikes should be set to the same factory-provided specs/settings. If the new owner is riding away on it, rather than having it transported, I think some of that liability should extend to making sure the customer is AT LEAST informed about what's needed to reasonably-dial-in their bike before leaving, especially for riders that deviate from the default physical assumptions (Which I believe is typically around ~155lbs and ~5'10)
1a) A particularly light/heavy and\or tall/short rider might be at risk on their ride home if the bike isn't dialed in.
2b) My 701 Sumo was setup borderline dangerously, for me, when I bought it - super prone to headshake. I traveled to San Diego to buy it; if I'd ridden it home, rather than hauled it, there's a reasonable chance I'd had at least one tank-slapper by the time I got home. But I was experienced enough to know better than to ride a brand new bike that far the day I got it (and without the tools to make all the adjustment)

2) There are too few legal/training guardrails for new(ish) riders buying and riding off with too much bike. That said, it's not necessarily the dealership's job to talk an 18y/o first time rider out of buying a 1000cc rocket.
2a) I do think that dealers should have a moral imperative to (roughly) gauge the skill of a customer and, if nothing else, inform them of the risks of jumping straight to the top of the (performance) line models if they've never ridden something with even half the power.
2b) I don't think the dealer should be responsible for the customer's decision AFTER they've informed them (in simple terms) of the relative risk of a big, fast bike with suspension setup for some built very different from them... especially if the person's experience amounts to passing the MSF/CMSP.

3) Given the above, I think it's a very good business practice to at least point out the settings/adjustments that're important to a given bike's handling and ergonomics. If legislation is the answer, I think;
3a) Riders should be required to have AT LEAST as much moto-specific training/education as autos. Both should be greatly expanded from what we have currently - we should strive to be more like Switzerland than our current training requirements of, "Can you read that sign over there and can you fog a mirror?"
3b) Dealers should be required to have documentation of informed consent. Basically a form signed by the customer(s) that says, "We have informed the customer of a, b, c, ..., z details regard the safe operation of their new bike". This way, at least the otherwise ignorant/stupid rider can't claim ignorance, and had the opportunity to either request paid setup or have the bike hauled home/away so they can safely learn to ride it before hopping on the freeway and creating a potential hazard to the rest of us.

/soapbox
 
Well, of my 4 new bikes, its never been offered, never been mentioned, 2 of them BMWs. I've also never touched my suspension settings on any of them. Can't say I know what I'm missing.

I have electronic adjustability on my 750, but I've never fiddled with it. I'm a one up rider, so just haven't bothered.
 
berth said:
I've also never touched my suspension settings on any of them. Can't say I know what I'm missing.
Click to expand...
Remind me to give you a wide... you... if I see you out on bumpy/technical old roads 😁
 
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