Pre-paid Maintenance Plan... Worth it?

AwesomeSauce · Post by **AwesomeSauce** » Fri Aug 19, 2011 5:44 am

I'm in the market for a new Buddy. Might be able to swing a fairly decent deal on a brand new Buddy 150 (if not that, then can definitely get a good one on a 125). I'm leaning towards the 150cc just to have a bit more power for the Seattle hills, also in case I'm on those hills with my wife on back.

Anyway... one of the dealerships (Ducati) I'm speaking with has an offer for a pre-paid maintenance package. I don't know anything about the costs of maintenance on a Buddy, so wanted to run it by you guys and see what your thoughts on this were. Worth it? Completely unnecessary?

(Link to image, since it's a large scan)
http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6196/605 ... c99d_b.jpg

Thanks for any help!

beastmaster · Post by **beastmaster** » Fri Aug 19, 2011 5:54 am

u no that might not be such a bad idea, your gona have to get them to do the first maintenance , period. And unless u are really mechanically inclined and plan on doing all the services your self your gona have to get them to do those also. oil change with gear fluid , if the need to inspect the carb or belt will run u 75$ and up , i would consider the 170 fi if i where you

bigbropgo · Post by **bigbropgo** » Fri Aug 19, 2011 6:30 am

I am eager to see others posts. But the maintenance is something you can learn. And save by doing so. But if you have no desire to do it than go for it. Not sure how old and how established the dealer is but that info might help make your decision. Hate to pay today if the dealer is gone tomorrow.

Post by **ericalm** » Fri Aug 19, 2011 6:40 am

Their maintenance schedule is a little more ambitious than most would recommend. In general, the first service is within the first 600 miles, oil changes every 2,000 miles and then a "big" service every 4,000. Still, even using this schedule, costs for 3 years of these services might exceed $725, depending on how many miles you put on.

What this does not say is whether or how much you'll still be paying for parts. An oil filter will run $10 or so, they may charge for a quart of oil, a belt will cost $60 (you'll need at least one in first 10K miles), rollers $35 (will need replacing 1-2 times in first 10K). It doesn't include the price of tires, $35-$70 each (you'll probably need to replace them both in 10K). So that's another couple hundred if you have to pay for all of that.

I'd check other dealers in the area and ask what they recommend for service intervals and what their average charges are for the first service, oil changes and the 4,000 mile "big" service.

neotrotsky · Post by **neotrotsky** » Fri Aug 19, 2011 12:50 pm

Outside of regular warranty work (if needed), I say either form a good relationship with a Genuine dealer or learn the basics of scooter maintenance yourself! These are very easy bikes to maintain, and things like an oil change take less than 15 minutes and can save you BIG bucks compared to what a dealership charges.

In my experience, 3rd party warranties and "extended service plans" are all just crap a dealership can scare new customers into buying that end up not being used at all. And, when you do, expect to find quite a few "hidden charges" and ways for them to nullify that extended service contract the moment you do ANYTHING yourself that can be traced back to you. Even if it's adding some bit of bling or changing a sparkplug without their written consent.

At least that's my diplomatic way of putting it

But, let me say that this doesn't mean work at a shop is all scams. Hardly! There are a couple of shops I have in good trust that I go to when a job is way out of my league (such as removing broken bolts out of aluminum engine blocks and re-tapping or, like on my GTS, when the fuel injection system developed a strange "bug" in the software that I didn't have the gear to track down). A well-educated mechanic and shop is well worth the cash. But, extended service plans for maintenance that you can easily do yourself is just adding extra costs you don't need.

jasondavis48108 · Post by **jasondavis48108** » Fri Aug 19, 2011 1:03 pm

I wouldn't do this unless you know that the shop will be there in three years and/or you really like the shop and just the mechs that will be working on your scooter. There are just too many things that can happen in three years. I also agree that most of the maintenance is not difficult to do yourself so once again, unless your trying to support your local shop so that they will be there when you actually need them,most maintenance is something that can certainly be done by the owner, at least the 1.5k ones. That way your only taking your scoot to the shop every 4k and at that point this is not a deal.

Mikie M. · Post by **Mikie M.** » Fri Aug 19, 2011 1:15 pm

Maintenance plans, pre-paid or otherwise? NEVER!

AwesomeSauce · Post by **AwesomeSauce** » Fri Aug 19, 2011 3:17 pm

Thanks everyone for the info. I never really figured in the idea that the dealer might not be there in 3 years. If I had to assume, I would say that it will be, bc they are the only Ducati and Genuine Scooter dealer in Seattle. And there are lots of both of those bikes in the city.

In line with that, they are the only authorized Genuine shop within reason that I will be taking my scooter to for maintenance and shop work. The closest shop other than that is about 45-60 minutes away. I also know nothing about maintenance (changing oils, filters, belts, etc), but I'm sure it's not too hard to learn.

Basically, here's the deal I'm weighing:

Shop #1 (Ducati, in town): Bike not on sale.. sticker price, maybe a $100-$200 less. But I get a $600 voucher for the store. I can use towards gear, or that maintenance plan, which would make the plan $125 from $725.

Shop #2 (the shop about 45 minutes away): They will sale me brand new Buddy 150 for about $800-$900 less (tag, reg, tax included) than Ducati. Then I could buy plan separately at $725 and save a few hundred bucks in the long run. But again, if plan's not worth it, then I won't bite.

Thanks again for all the suggestions

Tazio · Post by **Tazio** » Fri Aug 19, 2011 8:45 pm

I've had my Buddy for over 5 years and 7500 miles and haven't spent $725 for everything including dealer first service, regular self service, a new tire and crash repair. I do all my own work. It's very simple to work on the Buddy if you have a place and the tools.

Mikie M. · Post by **Mikie M.** » Sat Aug 20, 2011 1:45 pm

Tazio wrote:I've had my Buddy for over 5 years and 7500 miles and haven't spent $725 for everything including dealer first service, regular self service, a new tire and crash repair. I do all my own work. It's very simple to work on the Buddy if you have a place and the tools.

Well said, Taz. Doing your own work should be an appealing aspect of scooter ownership.

Meresankh · Post by **Meresankh** » Sat Aug 20, 2011 8:02 pm

Everyone brings up some good points. I have to say that I am in favor of the maintenance plan.

When I bought my first scooter, I knew nothing of how a scooter works. I also had no intention of doing my wrenching, so I added the maintenance plan to my payments.

It turned out to be the best thing for me. Over the past 3 years, my employment has either been spotty, or there was no money for repairs in the budget. Since my scooter is my daily driver, i couldn't wait to get repairs. Having the maintenance plan allowed me to take my scooter in for regular service & other repairs with out having to pay out of pocket. There have been times for me where the service plan has been a life saver. I have never had to pay out of pocket for parts with the plan. Of course, this was for my Honda.

Because I still have no desire to do my own wrenching, if I could purchase a service plan for my Buddy, I certainly would.

Post by **ericalm** » Sun Aug 21, 2011 3:37 am

Wrenching and DIY isn't for everyone and I know many who don't work on their own scooters. I didn't until the costs started racking up because I was putting on miles so quickly. Even then, with no mechanical knowledge or experience, I made my share of mistakes, some of which required professional intervention. Along the way, I discovered I really enjoy working on my own scoots.

But while I'd encourage anyone who's interested to give it a shot, I completely understand that some people just want to ride 'em, not fix 'em.

So. The value of the prepaid plan really comes down to how many miles you're going to put on the scooter in 3 years.

It's not always easy to estimate this. When I got my first scoot, I thought it would be a fun little weekend recreational vehicle. It wasn't long before I was riding everywhere, all the time, and looking for faraway places I could ride to.

MYSCTR · Post by **MYSCTR** » Sun Aug 21, 2011 1:38 pm

ericalm wrote:Wrenching and DIY isn't for everyone...

The value of the prepaid plan really comes down to how many miles you're going to put on the scooter in 3 years.

We enjoy doing a lot of things on our scoots yet we also like the peace of mind knowing that the engine is going to be reliable. This program looks good considering our first two years on scooters. The only downside is knowing how many scooters collect dust or are not ridden more than 1200 – 1500 hundred miles a year. Yes you would have peace of mind, yet to really get the value I would want to know that within the three years we were going to ride at least 12,000 – 15,000 miles. They include one tire change a year at no labor charge. Your front Maxxis tire will easily outlast the service plan, you can count on the rear Maxxis tire lasting 4,000 – 4,800 miles. Hint: Keep an eye on the air pressure stated on the Buddy and AVOID the new Prima white wall tires. The services are a little excessive, yet if they are including it in the deal, your bike will be well looked after and yes, will really last a long time. We didn’t see anything about labor only on Genuine recommended services so we would want to verify this deal would include the oil and any other parts Genuine suggested at their intervals as stated. Oh – buy local – the $600 is the discount and you are building a great relationship and they are insuring a long term customer which also insures they will be there in three years to take care of you. I like it.