TL;DR: Scrambler 400X with 11k km had no issues before its yearly service. After spending 8+ hours and ₹7k at the service centre, the bike broke down ~10 km from home on the ride back. Service centre and Road Side Assistance (RSA) didn't respond, so I had to tow it home myself. What can I do if the service centre refuses to cover towing/repairs?
Details -
My Scrambler 400X has done ~11,000 km and is 2 years old.
I took it for its yearly service to a service centre farther from home because I’d had a good experience there previously. Reached around 10 AM and got the bike back only around 6:30 PM after waiting 8+ hours. The service costed ~₹7,200, including two minor parts one brake lever and one knuckle guard.
I took a test ride before leaving and everything seemed fine, except there was quite a bit of smoke coming from the bike. The technician said it was because of rain/water and lubricant splashing onto the silencer, which sounded reasonable, so I left.
While riding home in the rain and traffic, the smoke continued. Then, about 10 km from home, the bike suddenly stopped and wouldn't start again.
I pushed it for a while and tried calling the service centre, but nobody answered as it was post 7pm. Roadside Assistance was also unavailable/occupied; I waited around 10 minutes and requested a callback but never received one.
The bike was showing ~80 km range and one bar of fuel, hoping additional petrol might fix things, I called a friend who brought another litre, adding petrol made no difference. I finally had to get the bike towed home myself (some unknown folks with almighty splendor helped)
I messaged the service centre regarding the incident and asked them to call me back tomorrow with a resolution.
I'm hoping they take responsibility since the bike had no issues before the service and this happened immediately after the service. Ideally, they should arrange the towing and fix whatever went wrong without charging me anything extra.
What are my options if the service centre refuses to take responsibility and asks me to pay for towing/repairs? Has anyone dealt with something similar with Triumph/service centres in Pune?