LC Service intervals a disgrace

[JASONBC]

I agree with oldnfat, but BMW services are not the most expensive, I had (note I said had) a Ducati MTS 1200. The service intervals are every 7,500 miles, every 150000 mile is the desmo and belt service. My 150000 desmo service cost.......... wait for it...........£950 yes nine hundred and fifty english pounds. After I was revived with copious amounts of smelling salts, I sold the bloody thing.

Anyway new 1200wc on the way.

I wouldn't have thought thats expensive motoring if the belt lasts 150,000 mile

 

[Nutty]

I'm not mechanically minded, so for me to have the bike checked over once a year is not a problem. In the car, if something mechanical goes wrong, you just break down. On a bike it cold be a whole lot worse.

 

[BBB61]

Lot more people feeding from that £150 ish than just you. I dont work for a dealer. But I do run a business and my clients think like you do. No offence Bob.

There's a good reason people think like this David and that is because they are fed up of business's ripping people off with high charges for straightforward jobs and then making excuses to justify their excessive charges.

 

[freeloader]

The technicians are paid £30/40k per year.

Where?

Knowing a couple, I very much doubt it

Yup, this sounds like bollox to me too. I'd say...

 

[MKP]

I don't think that £950 after one hundred and fifty thousand miles is that bad to be honest.

GSTourer, thanks for pointing out that I have too many "0" on my keyboard.

 

[Little-Brit]

If motorcycling is to be encouraged there's three things the manifacturers can do to tempt people away from their cages: lower the initial purchase price, lower the running costs by increasing service intervals and get the avg mpg up to 60+

There are three things the customer can do to reduce the cost of motorcycle ownership: buy a less expensive model; choose one with modest service requirements; choose one with good fuel consumption. Honda's new 700 twin would fit the bill perfectly!

Why would you pay the best part of £15,000 for a motorcycle and then complain about the running costs?

 

[GSTourer]

GSTourer, thanks for pointing out that I have too many "0" on my keyboard.

I knooooow the feeling!

 

[Yellow Peril]

According to my dealer the bike is only 30% water cooled, so if the rad bursts on an off road course the bike can still be ridden. Therefore the service intervals are for safety.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

Stumpy you better read the Q & A with MCN and BMW you lose rad water the engine will seize.

I understand the bike will be 65% air cooled and 35% water cooled. If the water cooling system springs a leak will the motorcycle still have sufficient air cooling to get you home?
The official answer from BMW is no, without partial water-cooling you will damage the engine. The bike will obviously still start and run, but not for very long!


jan3113-bmw-r1200gs-your-questions-answered

 

[skywalker]

I have no doubt the new LC will be fantastic and the bike to beat for many years to come. However, what I simply cannot fathom is that with all the development and the finer tolerances allowed by water cooling, service intervals remain at 6K.

I can only reason it is a money making scam from what are already some of the most expensive service costs in the industry.

for a supposed high mileage bike...and for those of us who do high miles, this is mightily disappointing.....

....dumb on my part for thinking the money god would not dictate service intervals...i'm off back to the commune.

I take it you've seen the maintenance schedules then ?? Thought not! otherwise we wouldn't have had a post like this. The work remains the same which ever dealer you go to. Maybe the question you should ask is why the labour rates down south are more expensive than in the north ??

 

[skywalker]

What planet are U on ? Try halving your figures to be more realistic !!

 

[oldnfat]

I take it you've seen the maintenance schedules then ?? Thought not! otherwise we wouldn't have had a post like this. The work remains the same which ever dealer you go to. Maybe the question you should ask is why the labour rates down south are more expensive than in the north ??

Eh!

 

[Rasher]

What planet are U on ? Try halving your figures to be more realistic !!

Not that I like sticking up for stealers too often, but I would guess £20k - £30k is more likely wages ranging from a just qualified tech, to a fairly senior technician, I would expect regional variations as well, but at I can't see too many bike mechanics making £40k

There is normally a building which eats up money in rent, power, heating, rates etc. and BMW ones are bigger and "better" (or at least more expensive) than most

Then whoever picks up the phone to take bookings / answer stupid questions will not be bringing in any money, or if this is done by the mechanic it is dead time...

As is ordering parts, keeping the workshop clean and tidy, and any training (which may also incur a cost on top of lost time) and then holidays and sick days are paid for.

From experience in the trade I would say your doing well to (Honestly) book any more than six hours on a good day, and on a bad day you can have mechanics sat around earning nothing, this is where the bonuses schemes tend to kick in and turn honest folk into thieves as they need to bill 9 hours in an 8 hour day to earn a fair crust.

I think the £80 - £100 (+VAT) of most BMW dealers is excessive, I have a mate who is a truck mechanic and points out you can get 18 wheelers serviced for less per hour than most main bike dealers charge, and the space required to service a truck is significantly more, and the tools are also considerably more expensive.

£100 - No thanks, but if someone is charging £50 an hour for a qualified technician and doing a good job from well equipped premises your doing well IMO.

 

[JohnnyBoxer]

Don't BITE

 

[Deleted account 211025001]

one of the reasons that manufacturers like BMW have services intervals at 6,000 miles is due to brake pads wearing out before the service interval is up
this saves them a fortune having to replace discs and pads under warranty
any longer intervals would cost them plenty


simples

Are you serious

Do other manufacturers that have significantly longer service intervals use discs and pads that last longer than MBW ones

I'm at 50,000 miles and on only my 2nd set of pads on my 1200

Andres

 

[BBB61]

Are you serious

Do other manufacturers that have significantly longer service intervals use discs and pads that last longer than MBW ones

I'm at 50,000 miles and on only my 2nd set of pads on my 1200

Andres

I think Steve would be better placed than you Andres when it comes to having worked on a few thousand bikes in his career and seen for himself how varied brake pad wear can be from one rider to the next.

 

[cookie]

My pads have needed replacement in between services.

BMW would have changed early at service, but I always do the pads myself as and when.

 

[Deleted account 211025001]

I think Steve would be better placed than you Andres when it comes to having worked on a few thousand bikes in his career and seen for himself how varied brake pad wear can be from one rider to the next.

Absolutely, I'm aware of what Steve does for a living

However, whilst I can think of any number of reasons why 6,000 miles is the service interval for a Boxer lump brake pad wear seems a weird one to single out and is not one I'd have thought of for the reasons given

Andres

 

[BBB61]

I think the £80 - £100 (+VAT) of most BMW dealers is excessive, I have a mate who is a truck mechanic and points out you can get 18 wheelers serviced for less per hour than most main bike dealers charge, and the space required to service a truck is significantly more, and the tools are also considerably more expensive.

£100 - No thanks, but if someone is charging £50 an hour for a qualified technician and doing a good job from well equipped premises your doing well IMO.

And you have checked the labour rate at every BMW dealer in the country to verify your claims?

 

[JohnnyBoxer]

My pads have needed replacement in between services.

BMW would have changed early at service, but I always do the pads myself as and when.

Me too

 

[(RIP) Johno23]

I think Steve would be better placed than you Andres when it comes to having worked on a few thousand bikes in his career and seen for himself how varied brake pad wear can be from one rider to the next.

I'd be far more inclined to agree with Andres .The other explanation sounds absolute bollox, on a number of counts.Common sense will tell us that.