Should you get a non-dealer mechanic to do your motorcycle servicing? The Australian Competition and Consumer Act 2010 prevents automotive dealers from tying you into servicing or voiding your warranty if you service it yourself or have it done by a mechanic. Similar laws protecting consumers against restrictive trade practices, such as this, exist in many countries. However, your warranty can still be voided if you or your mechanic use inferior consumables (such as oils) or parts, or if the servicing isn’t as regular as prescribed in the manual, or if you don’t follow proper servicing procedures. So, should you take your bike to a non-dealer mechanic? There are many very competent motorcycle mechanics out there, but there are some dodgy ones, too. Knowing the difference can be difficult. Be careful to choose a mechanic with the right credentials and tools to service and repair your model. Not all mechanics are able to do all bikes. Ask to see their credentials.

Those who have them will gladly show you while those who don’t may get upset. Walk away if they get upset. If you trust your mechanic’s abilities, by all means get your bike serviced by them as often they will go the extra mile to do the right thing, personalise your experience and reward your customer loyalty. One such mechanic is Doctorate of Engineering Ozzy Graf, of Oz-Racing in Brisbane. The BMW Group University has recognised Ozzy as a Master Certified Technician and highly esteemed member of the BMW Motorrad Germany Service Organization.motorbike for sale dundee Obviously, he is an expert in BMW motorcycles, but he also works on other brands, excluding scooters, dirt bikes, Harley-Davidson.best ohv trails az He says he can also do warranty work and rectification after manufacturer safety recalls.motorcycles for sale bogota

“They cannot prevent you if you are qualified,” he says. “Because I’m a mechanical engineer I’m well and truly qualified. Engines are engines and it’s only the electronics that differs.” He says it can be difficult and expensive to get technical support from some manufacturers  without a “special relationship”. “I had to invest $80,000 in the software which costs $2500 a year to update and that does everything except Hyosung and Harley-Davidson,” he says.motorcycle helmet in uae The special software just to service Harleys is an extra $60,000. best motorcycle routes in cornwallHe also doesn’t do scooters and dirt bikes which need different software.moto stunt games wap

So ask your mechanic if they have suitable and the most recently updated software. Ozzy says some manufacturers are quite specific about parts and consumables while others aren’t. “For example, there are no restrictions on oil and air filters, but when you are using oil, it has to meet or exceed the manufacturer’s requirements,” he says. “I use Mobil 1 Race 4T fully synthetic oil and I won’t accept people bringing their own in as I can’t control what is in a bottle and if something goes wrong I’m liable for it.” He says he also won’t except spark plugs or other items customers have bought on the internet. “They sell spark plugs that are fakes, but they look the same and then when they fail they blame me,” he says. Ozzy says he used to have a lot of customers tell him that dealers had threatened them that they will void their warranty if it’s not serviced by them. “I point customers to Fair Trading and the Department of Consumer Affairs,” he says.

“They seem to have stopped now because like me are making a big noise about it.” Ozzy also does all the work himself and doesn’t employ any apprentices which he says are too risky. “It’s too dangerous to let an apprentice loose on a motorcycle. One crucial bolt not done up and you could kill someone. Insurance cost is also phenomenal.” So, if you are going to get a non-dealer mechanic to do the job, check their credentials, their software, their equipment, the consumables and parts they use, and who will actually do the work. Also ask them whether they guarantee their work. It’s a lot to worry about and it may be easier just to go to your dealer, anyway. Some manufacturers and dealers are now adding free services as a deal-sweetener when you buy your bike. And some manufacturers are now so aware that many riders now turn their bikes over every couple of years and are keen to gain your loyalty. To attract customer loyalty, some offer “goodwill assistance” above and beyond the terms of the warranty.

Read about DIY servicing here and read about servicing at a DIY garage here.Choose your meaning: ‘motorbike’, ‘motorcycle’, ‘motivated’, or ‘in motion’. In a way, the café is all of these. Espresso Moto is the brainchild of business partners Jordan Stubbs and Shannon Baier-Dry who, with their partners Nikki and Krista, came up with the idea of melding a bike shop and café – a first for the Gold Coast. It’s our own ‘Temple of Enthusiasm’. Motorbikes are everywhere: on cushions, pictures, paraphernalia and even behind the café clearly visible through the picture window. While you sit enjoying your Allpress coffee, you might watch the guys tinkering away behind the glass, restoring their old Honda. With plans in place for PBR (Palm Beach Racer) to host a fulltime mechanic, it’s only a matter of time… We find the guys ‘Palm Beach friendly’, greeting everyone as they enter. “How ya’ doin’ guys?” The waiter’s almost skipping.

Like I said, motivated! The café has been done over in an inexpensive but very effective fitout. It’s a very masculine space that is also light and clean; having a breezy beach industrial feel with corrugated iron, wood and steel held together by plumbing pipe. Grilled wild FNQ Barramundi, served on a delicate salad of rocket, roast cherry tomatoes, kipflers and parmesan, dressed with a delicious whole grain vinaigrette and caramelised lemon! @espressomoto "Oh, you know, just getting stuck into our new single origin from @allpressau! An extremely small batch from Ocotepeque in Honduras. Bacon and Egg Roll homemade granola with raspberry compote and vanilla scented yoghurt We check out the all day menu, then order and pay at the counter. When our meals arrive, they’re a pleasant surprise. The bacon and egg roll is packed with delicious lashings of bacon, two eggs, aioli and relish. Moreover, the roll’s amazing! Competitively priced, it’s one of the house favourites, along with the lamb sandwich, a crisp bun filled with a lamb patty, onion jam, gruyere cheese, and house aioli, served with dill pickle and rustic kipfler rounds.

Espresso Moto uses Allpress Espresso’s air-roasted Supremo House blend, earthy and sweet with flavours of cocoa, but there’s also a single origin on offer, this month the Patagonian. The exotic tea choices are enticing too: exotics such as Chinese white, Gyokuro green and their own House chai. Jordan tells us about the background to the café. “Shannon and I have both worked in the industry before,” he says. “Shannon owned Society in Cairns and I worked in the hotel industry. “You get sick of going to cafés where they just assemble dishes using bought ingredients: bottled sauces, poor quality bread… We wanted to bring great food to the coast, and we came up with the idea of a motorbike café. “Everything’s fresh, mostly made in house [including the excellent Granola I’ve ordered, served with raspberry compote and vanilla scented yoghurt], the tomato sauce, aioli, preserves, relishes and chutney, onion jam and mayo. We even put our own touches to the butter – whip, salt and roll it.

“What we can’t make, we source locally or from Brisbane. We’re using top quality ingredients. “Chef Glenn Burnett loves using the best: American smoked belly bacon, good gruyère cheese, the best bread we can find – it’s from The Flour Shop Bakery in Brisbane, crisped nicely in the oven before it’s filled…. There’s no penny snatching here. “It’s healthy wholesome food, roasted on the grill rather than deep-fried. We want to make ‘homestyle’ freshly baked food – simple food that locals can eat every day, food that’s not out of their price range,” he says. Shannon goes on to talk about the importance of good service and quality produce. “There’s a saying: ‘Service as good as your coffee and coffee as good as your food.’ That’s what you go out for: a dining experience,” he says. “We want the café and shop to be transparent, so that you can watch the action in the kitchen to see what the chef, barista and mechanic are doing.”

And that’s exactly what we’ve experienced: a transparent establishment trying to bring us the very best they can source, thoughtfully prepared with loads of positive vibes. No lip service here! It strikes me then that it’s not just the motorbike shop that is an art installation, rather the whole café; a living, breathing demonstration of the passion housed within. It’s a tribute to great food and café racer motorbikes. Stop in, and you’ll be unlikely to be racing off anytime soon! Where: 1389 Gold Coast Highway, Palm Beach Contact: Ph: 0401 911 990 When: Open 5am – 3pm for coffee, 7am – 2pm for food. Cost: Breakfast $9 – $20 In short: ‘Service as good as your coffee and coffee as good as your food.’ Along with other Gold Coast restaurant reviews you may also be interested to read: The 4217: Parradox Coffee Roasters, Salt Meats Cheese, The Brooklyn Depot and Cha (plus the best lobster pizza you’ll ever eat!) Sweets & Treats (where to find the best sweet treats at your local farmers market)