Wow! 6k service

[Steptoe]

I telephoned BMW customer service and queried if I did it myself would it invalidate the warranty. "No" was his reply as long as you use genuine BMW parts and the correct lubricants, .

That is correct.
I've never had a problem with any warranty claims on bikes i've serviced, and i'm one of the longest independant BMW garages, 24 years and still counting .
Forget the scare stories you may have been told about having to be VAT registered etc etc, it's just not true.

 

[Rasher]

How much is a OE chain and sprockets on a Yam and how long can you expect them to last

It has a shaft, Nick Saunders managed 51,000 miles in twelve weeks on an early model Tenere, be very lucky to get that out of the latest GS FD.

I would expect the Yamaha shaft to last at least 100k, maybe much more, certainly not worth worrying about and I do not feel the need to try and prove it may work out a fraction cheaper than replacing chains, these things should last almost forever.

I think the original post was about first service cost of a GS, so debating FD prices and how long Yamaha chains last is a bit off-topic.

On topic, do people not ask about service costs before buying

 

[APE]

Fair enough never even seem the Yam I'm sure it's very nice - albeit with slow steering. btw you raised the the point on £1500 FD repairs - have you thought about switching over to a tenere website

 

[Neil W]

£302 at Motorrad Dalkeith yesterday for a 6000 mile service

 

[MacFarlane]

Another free bump for Mick, did my 1200 for £190 for the 24K service this year.

I'm no tight but a wee bit careful with my money.

Quote above was for a 24K service in 2011, service this year was 28K and it cost me £155 at my local indy

 

[Myke Rocks]

Fools and their money are easily parted.

The trade in value of my GS at a shade under 4 years old was less than half the new price, can't see it faring much worse than that.

Not that I buy bikes to make money on, which is lucky as I have never made a bean on any of 'em.

With the 6k service being about half of what people seem to pay on the BMW I should save quite a bit on servicing over the 4 years, and without having to worry about a £1500 FD failure.

Although if the dealer is honest up front about service costs and does the job properly I have no problem with their charges, just no longer wish to pay such high amounts.

Good points on resale value with BMW stamp, but with Japanese bikes I find not having a franchised dealer stamp is less of an issue, so if I do self service the bike I am not undoing half the savings by massively lowering resale value like I would with a BMW.

Pays yer money and all that, or not as the case may be

Buy privately, sell privately, service it yourself.
Ok, so a dealer will offer you £1000 less if you trade in.
In my case my bike would be serviced at least twice a year. I have it 4.5 years.
At BMW dealer prices that is around £2700.
It costs me Under £35.00 to service it myself.
That is a total cost of £245
Difference: £2455

Need I say more?

Myke

 

[Time Traveller]

It has a shaft, Nick Saunders managed 51,000 miles in twelve weeks on an early model Tenere, be very lucky to get that out of the latest GS FD.

I would expect the Yamaha shaft to last at least 100k, maybe much more, certainly not worth worrying about and I do not feel the need to try and prove it may work out a fraction cheaper than replacing chains, these things should last almost forever.

I think the original post was about first service cost of a GS, so debating FD prices and how long Yamaha chains last is a bit off-topic.

On topic, do people not ask about service costs before buying

I asked before buying an approved used a couple of weeks back. The prices being quoted here are substantially more. We shall see!

 

[Rasher]

It costs me Under £35.00 to service it myself.

I assume you never change the oil filter, spark plugs or air filter then, in fact your not exactly going to town on the oil at £35.

Over the 24k "service cycle" I think you need two plug changes (2 plugs a time = 4 plugs = @£50, four oil filters (@£30) and a couple of air filters (Another £40) and four lots of oil (£120 for cheapo stuff) and two FD oil changes (£10 for oil & seals) plus whatever the alternator belt costs for the 24k one.

Prices are my guess as I no longer have any BMW service receipts, but I reckon an average cost of £60 - £70 for parts, works out similar for my Tenere.

Taking that into account anything under £250 per service average over the cycle is not so bad, especially if all the work is done properly.

I suppose the older the bike gets the less the history price differential balances things out, and I assume an Indie history will value quite close to franchised dealer price, whereas home servicing will limit your buyers pool and those happy to buy a self serviced machine will expect to pay less.

If you look at it another way as cost per mile then servicing is 3p to 6p a mile depending on where you go, and under 1.5p if you do the work yourself, still compared to the 12p+ per mile we pay for fuel and the 3p per mile for tyres servicing costs are actually a small percentage of the total running cost.

I am not so bothered about the cost to have someone service my bike, just more concerned as to if the work is done properly. If I had an operation like ABW / Steptoe near me and knew my money would get some specialisy knowledge that may go beyond what the book say's (for example knowing to occasionally lube the shaft, put some grease on the UJ's etc.) that would be perfect.

My old Kawasaki guy did stuff like this, he would always grease the headstock bearings the first time he saw a bike as they were always dry from the factory, saving his punters an almost certain premature failure (and larger cost) it is that attention to detail and knowledge I am happy to pay a pro for, not to half arse the job as fast as possible - I can do better than that myself.

 

[Myke Rocks]

Buy correctly.

I assume you never change the oil filter, spark plugs or air filter then, in fact your not exactly going to town on the oil at £35.

Over the 24k "service cycle" I think you need two plug changes (2 plugs a time = 4 plugs = @£50, four oil filters (@£30) and a couple of air filters (Another £40) and four lots of oil (£120 for cheapo stuff) and two FD oil changes (£10 for oil & seals) plus whatever the alternator belt costs for the 24k one.

Prices are my guess as I no longer have any BMW service receipts, but I reckon an average cost of £60 - £70 for parts, works out similar for my Tenere.

Taking that into account anything under £250 per service average over the cycle is not so bad, especially if all the work is done properly.

I suppose the older the bike gets the less the history price differential balances things out, and I assume an Indie history will value quite close to franchised dealer price, whereas home servicing will limit your buyers pool and those happy to buy a self serviced machine will expect to pay less.

If you look at it another way as cost per mile then servicing is 3p to 6p a mile depending on where you go, and under 1.5p if you do the work yourself, still compared to the 12p+ per mile we pay for fuel and the 3p per mile for tyres servicing costs are actually a small percentage of the total running cost.

I am not so bothered about the cost to have someone service my bike, just more concerned as to if the work is done properly. If I had an operation like ABW / Steptoe near me and knew my money would get some specialisy knowledge that may go beyond what the book say's (for example knowing to occasionally lube the shaft, put some grease on the UJ's etc.) that would be perfect.

My old Kawasaki guy did stuff like this, he would always grease the headstock bearings the first time he saw a bike as they were always dry from the factory, saving his punters an almost certain premature failure (and larger cost) it is that attention to detail and knowledge I am happy to pay a pro for, not to half arse the job as fast as possible - I can do better than that myself.

Oil: Fully synthetic.
Oil Filter: Spurious.
Spark Plugs: As required. Bugger BMW's suggested intervals. I have changed one set 2 years ago, when the bike started to miss. They are rated at 40,000 miles, so I am not going to change for the sake of it.
Air filter: Not dirty enough to change, so I am not going to change for the sake of it.
Final drive: Only 35,000 on it. Never looked at it yet, never mind change the oil. If you have a good one, you have a good one. Oil change as per mfr's original spec. I.E. Never.
Gearbox oil. No leaks, so do not look at.
Brake fluid change: Never. Waste of time and effort.
Brake pads: Rears with tyres, fronts once. (Sintered)

Current R1200RT is the least expensive bike to service I have ever owned, with the only breakdown items so far (7 years) being 1 off fuel pump controller and 2 off windshield brackets. ( Large screen). Replaced with U.S. Sourced replacements which are cheaper than BMW & do not break.

No: My service costs are nearer a true cost than your estimates.

Myke

 

[illustratedman]

Oil: Fully synthetic.
Oil Filter: Spurious.
Spark Plugs: As required. Bugger BMW's suggested intervals. I have changed one set 2 years ago, when the bike started to miss. They are rated at 40,000 miles, so I am not going to change for the sake of it.
Air filter: Not dirty enough to change, so I am not going to change for the sake of it.
Final drive: Only 35,000 on it. Never looked at it yet, never mind change the oil. If you have a good one, you have a good one. Oil change as per mfr's original spec. I.E. Never.
Gearbox oil. No leaks, so do not look at.
Brake fluid change: Never. Waste of time and effort.
Brake pads: Rears with tyres, fronts once. (Sintered)

Current R1200RT is the least expensive bike to service I have ever owned, with the only breakdown items so far (7 years) being 1 off fuel pump controller and 2 off windshield brackets. ( Large screen). Replaced with U.S. Sourced replacements which are cheaper than BMW & do not break.

No: My service costs are nearer a true cost than your estimates.

Myke

Remind me never to buy a bike off you, your costs may be low but the bike is not being serviced anywhere near the schedule, alright i'll admit some of it is changing stuff for the sake of it with the service schedule, but i think you'd be surprised at the shite that came out if you changed the final drive/gearbox oil. You can hardly compare your costs to a bike that is actually serviced properly.

 

[Myke Rocks]

I generally don't sell bikes.

Remind me never to buy a bike off you, your costs may be low but the bike is not being serviced anywhere near the schedule, alright i'll admit some of it is changing stuff for the sake of it with the service schedule, but i think you'd be surprised at the shite that came out if you changed the final drive/gearbox oil. You can hardly compare your costs to a bike that is actually serviced properly.

I ride them hard and into the ground. Difficult to do on a BMW.

Improperly serviced? I think not.

BMW unintentionally proved that changing the oil in the rear hub has nothing to do with the failures, which would appear to have been be related to manufacturing tolerances. So, as I said, I have stuck to the original spec, which is sealed for life. I obviously have a good rear hub.

I live in the real world, and pay real money for everything I buy.
Nothing done on tick, if it goes wrong, it is my expense. I am not going to pay someone to mince round my bike with one hand on his hip and a ostrich feather duster in the other just to keep up an overvalued service history.
I buy without regard to service history, and sell (if I do) in the same manner. Everything I do (servicing wise) is a balanced judgement where the economics and reliablity are balanced against the cost.

Bearing the above in mind, I have yet to take the rocker covers off to check the valve clearances. Why the hell should such a well built, understressed piece of equipment need valve clearences checked so often?
Even a pushrod 997 Ford Fester, with an engine which dates from 1955, and sounds like a diesel with the big ends gone, is only scheduled to have very irregular valve clearence checks.

Yes, and I go round Europe on it once a year at least regularly hitting the rev limiter through the gears.

Price compensates. Fools and their money are easily parted.

Myke

 

[Rasher]

Improperly serviced? I think not.

Most would probably think so, but as long as your happy

I actually agree in principle with many of your thoughts, but for the £3 it costs for FD oil I would not take the risk, the reward is a £25 saving over 100,000 miles - hardly a huge saving compared to the £1000 cost of a new FD.

And the extra half hour it would take to check the tappets surely is not a hardship, and you could easily confirm if they do not move after a couple of services and either leave them altogether or check them every 12k or 24k.

Assuming they do not move because the bike is modern - so is the FD / EWS and FPC but it don't stop them being shite.

I agree air filters can be checked and plugs left until they give an issue without a huge risk to the machine, but in my mind compared to the savings of doing the work yourself (i.e. not paying the close to £100 an hour labour rates BMW dealers seem to demand) is where the real gains are to be had.

And for me I also like to know the work Myke never does has been done, and a pretty little stamp only implies it should have been done, whereas if I do it myself I know it has been done.

As for buying a home serviced machine, your relying on the honesty of the seller - no better, or no worse than relying on the honesty of a dealer in my book, both are trying to convince you the bike has been well cared for, the difference is one is a pro at this game, I tend to find genuine owners are easy to distinguish from iffy ones, this seems much harder with dealers.

 

[illustratedman]

I serviced my bm myself also, but i did check the valves every service, they were out, only a little but they were out as was the throttle body balance doing it properly was still under £100 with filter changes

 

[Time Traveller]

With all my vehicles I keep a log book - no not the DVLA thing - I mean "Captains Log star date whatever..."

In it goes everything. Everytime I check tyre pressures, record tread depth, home service (and I staple the genuine receipts in it), everything, good and bad goes in, together with a date and milage.

With my new Mazda 323, every fill up went in too - my son has that now (it 10 years old now, and has kept the tradition...its actually quite interesting to see mpg and price of fuel etc) - its too difficult on the bike frequency of fill up and touring with gloves and rain and stuff...

BUT the bottom line is that every second hand bike I have sold on the new user has a full record of blown rectifiers, unusual chain wear etc etc. its never been a problem to sell, even when I traded into a dealer I got full whack.

I shall do the same with my GS too. (only had it a week, and now away on business for a couple of weeks...weathers lovely in San Francisco BTW :cool )

 

[Steptoe]

...its actually quite interesting to see mpg and price of fuel etc) -

Jesus H christ, pass me the pills.

 

[Time Traveller]

Jesus H christ, pass me the pills.

LOL

 

[Reckless]

My 2011 GS was serviced at 6000 miles by Balderston in Peterborough on Wednesday last week. Final cost was £233 for the service which included a brake fluid change and a gearbox oil & filter change. Overall, I was very happy with Balderston's continued excellent service.

 

[Jonnybiscuit]

Posted earlier that my Duc (1198s) "big" service was quoted at £600+ (JHP Ducati Coventry). Just picked it up and the bill was for £435
Nice surprise for a change

 

[ozzie]

My 2011 GS was serviced at 6000 miles by Balderston in Peterborough on Wednesday last week. Final cost was £233 for the service which included a brake fluid change and a gearbox oil & filter change. Overall, I was very happy with Balderston's continued excellent service.

They charged me £388 with a rear tyre fitted and I supplied my own oil, B***tards

 

[Rusteeeeeeeenuts]

That is correct.
I've never had a problem with any warranty claims on bikes i've serviced, and i'm one of the longest independant BMW garages, 24 years and still counting .
Forget the scare stories you may have been told about having to be VAT registered etc etc, it's just not true.

I really don't understand this, I remember reading in the auto press that you may service a car youself so long as you use the manufacturers approved parts and oil and carry out the service to their instructions or whatever.
So why does my local car dealer insist that I use a VAT registerd garage to service all the cars and vans I've had over the last 6 years to maintain the warranty? When warranty work is needed they ALWAYS ask if the car/van was serviced at a VAT registered garage and manufacturer approved parts and oil used? If I carried this service out myself and I wasn't VAT registered where do I stand? (I am actually VAT registered) but Jo Bloggs isn't - so you can see what i'm getting at.
It seems daft that you may service your own vehichle and not be VAT registered but a garage must be, according to my main dealer. Surely the same rules apply for a bike?
Surely Steptoe must be right but it's bloody confusing haha.
As Steptoe says,this sounds like a load of shite.