Bro, its a BMW

[PastorJay]

I ride with a good friend of mine who has a beautiful HD ultra glide. Last week as we were riding a bolt holding his shift linkage fell off, not really sure what you call it all I know is that was stuck in 6th gear. So he pulls out this massive tool kit and makes a quick temporary repair. He was so proud to be able to fix it on the fly. He says to me "you should really get yourself a tool kit like mine".  I say ":Bro its a BMW" 

i know it is wise to carry a tool kit but i could not resist. 

[MichiganBob]

On the other hand, I was shocked to find out that my dealer wants $965.00 out the door for the 12,000 mile maintenance service. Ouch. Yup, "it's a BMW."

[szurszewski]

You must ride some different sort of BMW from the kind I ride…

 

I can’t say I remember having a bolt FALL out of a shift linkage, but I’ve definitely broken one. Or two. Maybe. 

 

[TEWKS]

I don’t usually give my BMW too much praise. They have a way of keeping it real on ya, every now and again! 

 

Borrowed picture for the funny. 

[Red]

I think that final drive is toast! 

[Hosstage]

I have fixed a few broken Harley linkages with ty-wraps or bailing wire while on the road. It happens!

Good call giving your buddie some grief, it's your duty as a friend.

[Grouchy]

Never owned an HD so it might be worse, but I've never owned a bike that I trust less than my rt. Half my top box is taken up with tool kit, oil, plenty of duct tape and zip ties. Serious buyers remorse with this one😵‍💫

[Hosstage]

34 minutes ago, Grouchy said:

Never owned an HD so it might be worse, but I've never owned a bike that I trust less than my rt. Half my top box is taken up with tool kit, oil, plenty of duct tape and zip ties. Serious buyers remorse with this one😵‍💫

That's a bummer, takes the joy out of it.

For the record, my 22 year old HD has been dead reliable, 125,000 miles, and I beat hell out of it. Still do. It has been banged off the rev limiter thousands of times, ridden cross country multiple times, drag raced, you name it. The only time it stranded me was when the belt broke, and it was not the belt's fault. I would not hesitate to take it on a multi day trip.

It's nice to get lucky with a good one, any brand, frustrating when you don't.

[JamesW]

3 hours ago, MichiganBob said:

On the other hand, I was shocked to find out that my dealer wants $965.00 out the door for the 12,000 mile maintenance service. Ouch. Yup, "it's a BMW."

965 dollars!!  That is just ridiculous!  What does the 12K service consist of I wonder on one of these newer pieces of work that I will never in this lifetime ever own?  If you gave me a new BMW anything I would off load it in a New York minute!

[Skywagon]

My last BMW dealer check up was about a year ago.  I had about 24k on the clock.  Full service, fluids, valve check, and changing tires (I furnished tires - they mounted and balanced) was $819.  I nearly fell over then.  I only took it in because I don't do tires.  Everything else I do.  I'll find another way when these tires are ready for a change.  Houston dealer.

[Randyjaco]

I found Wild West Motoplex in Katy the cheapest for tires and mounting. I do my own wrenching

[Darbarian]

It can be challenging to recognize that EVERYTHING you measure in paper currencies is more expensive than it used to be. The central bankers (Feral Reserve and partners in crime) have been methodically stealing the value of them since they took control in 1913. They took the money via printing presses and bought darn-near everything of any value on Earth. Meanwhile, we ride the escalator DOWN and perceive prices as rising.  

 

Observe the HELP WANTED signs everywhere. Observe McYuck table-wipers pulling down $16 per hour. Imagine trying to retain competent motorcycle technicians. Gunna cost ya. 

 

It will not get better.

 

I promise it will get A LOT worse ... soon, and rapidly.

 

Brace for impact. 

[Hosstage]

Kind of negative in a thread about giving a riding friend a little grief for breaking his motorcycle...

[Cap]

12 hours ago, JamesW said:

965 dollars!!  That is just ridiculous!  What does the 12K service consist of I wonder on one of these newer pieces of work that I will never in this lifetime ever own?  If you gave me a new BMW anything I would off load it in a New York minute!

Yamaha dealers aren’t any cheaper.  A few weeks ago, my buddy took his ‘05 FJR to our local dealer because the fork seals were leaking and had contaminated the front brakes.  The cost to rebuild the forks was $700.  A bit of a shocker for a bike worth ~$3k.  The insult to injury was that he supplied the new brake pads that he just happened to have on the shelf.  He was charged a full hour of labor to install the pads on top of the flat rate for the fork R&R.

 

So, it’s a mixed blessing.  Having a local dealer is convenient for jobs that require special tooling, or for whatever reason you might encounter when you don’t have the time or space to do the job yourself.  But local dealers need to charge enough to keep their doors open.  At least with newer BMW’s, the cost of service is a smaller proportion of the vehicle’s value than with a bike like an old FJR.  You pays your money and you makes your choice.

 

cap

[RPG]

20 hours ago, PastorJay said:

I ride with a good friend of mine who has a beautiful HD ultra glide. Last week as we were riding a bolt holding his shift linkage fell off, not really sure what you call it all I know is that was stuck in 6th gear. So he pulls out this massive tool kit and makes a quick temporary repair. He was so proud to be able to fix it on the fly. He says to me "you should really get yourself a tool kit like mine".  I say ":Bro its a BMW" 

i know it is wise to carry a tool kit but i could not resist. 

He's obviously never seen the over-engineered BMW toolkits from the 70's. I doubt his factory Harley kit could compare......And his shift lever fell off. Too funny!

 

 

[JamesW]

30 minutes ago, Cap said:

Yamaha dealers aren’t any cheaper.  A few weeks ago, my buddy took his ‘05 FJR to our local dealer because the fork seals were leaking and had contaminated the front brakes.  The cost to rebuild the forks was $700.  A bit of a shocker for a bike worth ~$3k.  The insult to injury was that he supplied the new brake pads that he just happened to have on the shelf.  He was charged a full hour of labor to install the pads on top of the flat rate for the fork R&R.

 

So, it’s a mixed blessing.  Having a local dealer is convenient for jobs that require special tooling, or for whatever reason you might encounter when you don’t have the time or space to do the job yourself.  But local dealers need to charge enough to keep their doors open.  At least with newer BMW’s, the cost of service is a smaller proportion of the vehicle’s value than with a bike like an old FJR.  You pays your money and you makes your choice.

 

cap

 

 

I don't know about Yamaha dealer shop rates but I do know parts for my FJR, what few it has ever needed, are far far cheaper than BMW. A simple oil change at the nearest BMW dealer runs about $250 not that I would ever allow them to touch my bike. On the FJR a clutch pack is about $130 and takes about an hour to install yourself.  Try that on your BMW.  Now if I wanted the newer slipper clutch that's a bit more at around $300 but I'm happy with mine.  I think this year might be the last for the FJR from the sounds of things, too bad.  When I found my used FJR in 2016 with only 950 miles I wasn't really sure I liked the bike but it has definitely grown on me.  It was a left over 2010 and spent 4 years in a crate and two years in a show room in Kalispell, MT.  The original owner only owned it for one year so it was virtually new when I found it so I got a real cream puff having never been subjected to any abuse like so many used bikes often are.  Same story applies to my BMW which was part of a collection of BMW's.  I bought it in 2012 and put the first mile on it after I replaced the fuel pump and filter and cleaned the remains of the original gas from the tank and injectors.  This was the fuel BMW puts in when they run the final acceptance dino test before shipping from Berlin.  Was not pretty and didn't smell so good. 

[Hosstage]

38 minutes ago, RPG said:

He's obviously never seen the over-engineered BMW toolkits from the 70's. I doubt his factory Harley kit could compare......And his shift lever fell off. Too funny!

 

 

No factory tool kit with Harleys, load up your own. Mine consists mostly of a multi tool, some zip ties,  cell phone and a credit card.

[Skywagon]

James… I read an article somewhere a couple months ago… no more FJR. When I go to the local Yamaha shop over the last few years they rarely have one. They said they don’t sell so only take orders for them. Too bad as I like them. My best friend bought one new in 2014 and loves it. He traded in his UltraClassic 

[Miguel!]

1 hour ago, RPG said:

He's obviously never seen the over-engineered BMW toolkits from the 70's. I doubt his factory Harley kit could compare......And his shift lever fell off. Too funny!

 

 

 

What's the unnumbered tool between 19 and 21 used for? TIA. Miguel

[TEWKS]

17 hours ago, Red said:

I think that final drive is toast! 

More of a Flambé I think. 

[Rinkydink]

49 minutes ago, Miguel! said:

 

What's the unnumbered tool between 19 and 21 used for? TIA. Miguel

The lower end slides over tire iron or shock spanner. The top is for the lug wrench. Gives more leverage. 

[Skywagon]

6 hours ago, Hosstage said:

He's obviously never seen the over-engineered BMW toolkits from the 70's

 

Wish I had kept mine from prior RT's.  All you get now is tool to open the oil hole...which if the damn thing just had one like on a lawnmower I wouldn't need that tool.

[LBump]

On 9/15/2022 at 3:22 PM, TEWKS said:

I don’t usually give my BMW too much praise. They have a way of keeping it real on ya, every now and again! 

 

Borrowed picture for the funny. 

 

I need to agree. 

 

 

[Rinkydink]

2 hours ago, Skywagon said:

 

Wish I had kept mine from prior RT's.  All you get now is tool to open the oil hole...which if the damn thing just had one like on a lawnmower I wouldn't need that tool.

When I traded my ‘17 RT in on my ‘22 I tried to be a good boy and gave up my miniature oil filler wrench. The ‘22 only came with the torx screwdriver which doubles as an oil wrench. $16 for the miniature replacement. Grrrr. I am my own worst enemy. 

[Ponch]

[fatbob]

On 9/15/2022 at 12:04 PM, PastorJay said:

I ride with a good friend of mine who has a beautiful HD ultra glide. Last week as we were riding a bolt holding his shift linkage fell off, not really sure what you call it all I know is that was stuck in 6th gear. So he pulls out this massive tool kit and makes a quick temporary repair. He was so proud to be able to fix it on the fly. He says to me "you should really get yourself a tool kit like mine".  I say ":Bro its a BMW" 

i know it is wise to carry a tool kit but i could not resist. 

I do not do any Harley bashing myself.   I love my 4 current BMWs and ride 3 of them much more than my old Harley.  But I greatly admire the bulletproof old Harley that I bought new in 1988.   175,000 miles and 34 years later her primary started growling.   She is on my lift getting all new bearings in the primary and clutch.    

[Hosstage]

They are simple and robust machines. And no valve adjustments!

[Rougarou]

On 9/16/2022 at 5:09 PM, Skywagon said:

 

Wish I had kept mine from prior RT's.  All you get now is tool to open the oil hole...which if the damn thing just had one like on a lawnmower I wouldn't need that tool.

 

Use your key,......if you have one (fob won't do it).  Place the key in crossed sideways, viola', it opens.......that fancy little tool is not needed as the oil cap shouldn't be "that" tight,......just need something to wedge in the cap hole and give it a twist.  That nifty tool stays in the bag and hasn't been used in years.