PDI - What does the dealer do?

[alan sh]

Everytime I look at my bike, I find more things the dealer or Yamaha either didn't do or did badly. So, does anyone know how the bike arrives from Yamaha and what the dealer does before he hands it over?

Thanks

Alan

 

[ionbeam]

 

[RonBB]

Great answer ion. Ride safe.

 

[alan sh]

He fits the front wheel??? Oh sh** - I'd better check that out....

 

[ionbeam]

He fits the front wheel??? Oh sh** - I'd better check that out....

:lol:
You've been warned! He may also add fluids and runs through a check list confirming all the major items are present and fastners are there and tight.

 

[Niehart]

In the Seattle Metro area, there is a company that sets up motorcycle for many of the dealerships & many different brands.

 

[ELP_JC]

Besides building the bike (obvious), they're supposed to check a ton of things but none of the many dealers I've bought bikes from ever did. I have a copy of the FJR assembly manual, and it even calls for dealer to adjust levers, bars, seat, etc. for the customer, check synch, throttle play, bleed brakes and clutch, etc.

Most of that stuff is on the PDI dealers make you sign. None was checked on my FJR, but I did it myself. Actually, I torqued the wheels and brake parts myself right there, since my life literally depends on it. I've found loose bolts and nuts before, so I'm not taking any more chances. Stuff is usually tightened properly from the factory, so you have to watch what dealers assembled. On the other hand, bikes are rarely adjusted properly from the factory (throttle free play, synch, etc), so somebody needs to do that, and that person is me. Later.

JC

 

[SR-71]

I was surprised to see the front wheel had to be installed too. Maybe I better go check the torque on those bolts! Perhaps they were able to make the overall crate shorter with the front wheel shipped disconnected.

I can't describe exactly what's involved with getting a FJR ready from the crate (although the pictures tell a good tale), but I did have my Busa delivered to my house in a crate, and I put it together myself. It's really no big deal. The $300-$500 the dealerships charge for prep is nuts, although a great money maker for them. I'm sure once someone has built a few, it goes really fast, (especially if you have a air-drive racket to get the frame apart quickly - lot's of 12mm bolts!)

From the time the truck delivered my Busa in a crate, to the time I fired it up... about 50 minutes, and I've never put one together out of a crate before. All that was involved was to install the battery, windshield, mirrors, brake/clutch handles, peeled the protective plastic off of a few parts (seats, cans, etc), and bolted on a small section of fairing on the bottom. Then I checked the brake and engine fluid levels, tire pressure, and chain slack, put some gas in it, and fired it up. That's it.

It looks like there might be a bit more to building a FJR, but not much more. I wish I could have built my '07 FJR. Given the chance, I'd much prefer to built it myself.

SR-71

 

[kawabeemer]

There are at least two different steps in the process of getting a cycle out of the crate and then prepping it for delivery to a customer. Generally the bikes you see in a show room are not ready to ride. Most won't have a 'live' battery.

Most bikes arrive in some sort of crate, most with the front wheel off. The front axle is actually bolted down the the pallet the bike is sitting on/in. Usually there are a number of nylon straps hold the bike down to the crate bottom. The FJR has a metal 'crate' with a cardboard box covering the metal box. Notice that there is actually a metal strap that is attached to the handle bar grip.... the exact setup varies depending on the brand and the model. Some of the Yamaha dirt squirts actually come two to a crate.

Some one has to pull the FJR out of the crate and install the front wheel. The saddle bags actually come in a seperate box. The lock sets come with the bike so the person uncrateing the unit has to add the locks to the bags and put them on the bike.

At this point you should have a unit that looks like an FJR ( all of the pieces are there and you can roll it around on it's own wheels ). The guy who uncratted the unit is supposed to check off the info on the PDI ( pre delivery inspection ) form showing what he did.

The 'real' PDI occurs when a bike is sold and is to be delivered to a customer. The tech will pull the battery from the unit, prep it (ie add acid, or whatever is needed), then put the battery on a charger of some sort. While the battery is charging ( and the buyer is doing paper work ), the technician will check the oil, coolant, final drive oil, tire pressure, fill the gas tank, etc. He will also look the bike over to make sure the bike was uncratted properly. When the battery is charged he will install it, and then, in a decent dealership, actually do a test ride to insure the bike is ready for the buyer. Most of the technicians I have worked with take pride in their work and want the customer to get a properly setup machine.

When the tech is satisfied the that bike is ready he will then fill out the portion of the PDI that he is responsible for.

 

[painman]

He fits the front wheel??? Oh sh** - I'd better check that out....

Ah, yea you better. I got 3 miles from my dealer when I picked it up new and was running out of gas. Got home and the bolt that holds the front wheel on was only holding on by 2 threads and upon further inspection which wasn't too difficult to see, some ******* had throughly scratched my windshield trying to clean the cosmolene off with no cleaner what so ever. At least they gave me a free 600 mile service which I made sure it was done right. And that was the last time my bike was serviced at a dealer. Make sure its right yourself and take care of it yourself. PM. <><

 

[TruWrecks]

Check it. Ride it. Check it again. Don't trust someone else to make sure it's done right unless you really do trust them, or you're a really big fool. It's your life on the line, not theirs.

 

[stormrider]

very cool photos.

Learned something today (now I am done)

thanks

 

[NoCage]

Everytime I look at my bike, I find more things the dealer or Yamaha either didn't do or did badly. So, does anyone know how the bike arrives from Yamaha and what the dealer does before he hands it over?
Thanks

Alan

Here's a list someone compiled for Gen I bikes. These are things you should check after dealer prep.
FJR Delivery Checklist

tire pressure 42 / 42 (this may vary based on rider weight)

Steering head nut torque

oil and coolant levels

glove box operation (key has to be in ignition & on to operate)

tool kit under the seat

all the nuts and bolts (to make sure there is nothing missing / loose)

Move the windshield around and make sure the plastic screws are tight.

Extra side case lock

6 color matched hole fillers for when bags are removed

Bag liners

rubber bungee thingy that I was told holds the U-lock under the seat

6 clear 3M stickers for paint protection on the rear panel under the bags (if your dealer didn't install them)

extra key with code tag,

Check the suspension settings - ask them what they have set it to.

Alignment of the dash panels

allen screws that are on the painted surfaces should have clear plastic washers

Check for any scratches on the body paint and wheel rims from shipping straps.

Check that all lights work (hi/lo, turn signals, stop light, hazard, alert panel lights, etc).

Manuals - owner's manual, and manual for the bags.

Ask about screws holding the locks for the side cases - were they properly installed with lock-tite. You may want to ask the service manager or assembler if they applied the thread-locking agent to the bag locks as stated in the manual for the bags.

 

[ELP_JC]

Having assembled my '07 (and changed panels), the front wheel has to be installed in the crate, but the front needs to be lifted. Dealer has an engine crane to accomplish that. After front wheel is on, then bike can be pushed out of the crate. It took 2 guys pushing the bike while I was mounted on it (barely tiptoeing). I also uncrated my '00 Busa, and it was a piece of cake compared to the FJR.

Finally, the battery comes installed from the factory; you just need to connect the cables. Oh, and besides checking the front axle, also check the caliper bolts folks. If you have a wobble, I bet the front suspension wasn't compressed before tightening the pinch bolts, so redo that step as well. Later.

JC

 

[Knifemaker]

From what I have seen or read, after assembly from the crate, the service guy will do the following 10 things:

1. Loosen the steering head.

2. Remove the expensive moly grease from the drive spline and dab on a tiny bit of white lithium grease.

3. Replace all the throttle springs with stronger ones. (They do this to every bike)

4. Remove the loctite from the screws that hold the locks on the bags and re -install them.

5. Hide the little frame covers you use when you take the bags off. Sometimes they "find" them for you.... sometimes not.

6. Same as 5 above, but with that "extra" lock.

7. Take the bike for a 140mph 5 mile test ride.

8. Spin the "wheel of bolts"... which has a list of all the bolts and fasteners on the bike. After the "winners" are picked , they carefully re-install them either finger tight or to an improper torque value.

9. Purposely damage some small part and bet on how soon you find it.(Then when you do make sure to tell you it's "backordered" and may take "awhile"

10. Order the wrong service manual for you.

KM

 

[clutchless1]

No damn wonder my heated handgrip on the right side of my bike was shorted out. These pictures are nice clean and clear, I can see where the handgrip is clamped using a metal clamp in this made for shipping the FJR from the factory. When I got my bike I asked the salesman about what looked like little cracks in the rubber, he looked and didn't know what caused it, before I knew it he had just about everybody who worked for the dealership out there looking at this. These pictures explains what made the marks as well as why I may have had a problem from the very beginning.

I just want to thank whom ever it was that took these pictures, just by doing this you answered a question I've had that no-one from Yamaha could answer.

 

[Huck Fonda]

Knifemaker, that's one of the funniest and most frighteningly accurate things I've read in a long time.

Good post....dammit.