Feedback needed: 600 mile service.....DIY or bring it to the dealer???

[lthj75]

Thanks!

[duckbubbles]

I say, at least initially, take it to the dealer if you trust them. They look at these bikes all the time and probably know more about them than most. They have access to all the diagnostic equipment from BMW, plus access to technical help. Most owners aren't competant enough to deal with the newest line of bikes.

 

Plus any warranty issues that may arise.

 

You hear on this board that every dealer is a lying cheat who steals your money and screws up your bike.

 

Only experience with your dealer can let you decide. The problem with BMW's is there isn't a dealer convenient to all parts of the country.

 

It's still your decision.

 

Frank

[Boffin]

I would counsel having the dealer do the 600, then DIYing the rest. The 600 mile service is the only one where the head gets re-torqued and it also gives the dealer opportunity to snug down any other bits that may have loosened off.

 

Andy

[tomk99r11]

Gotta agree with you Andy. If issues arise later on that might have been caught or at least suspected at the first service, warranty coverage will be less of an issue, vs doing all DIY.

[lthj75]

Thanks all.......stealership it is! For the 600 mile one anyway.....

[smiller]

If there are any actual problems in evidence then I would certainly let the dealer look at it, otherwise there's absolutely no reason why a skilled home mechanic can't check the bike over, change fluids, retorque the heads, etc. just as well as the mechanic at your dealership... in fact an appropriately skilled owner owner might well do a more comprehensive job than the dealer. The only real issue is whether doing the service yourself might somehow compromise a future warranty claim. Since the chances of this are rather small I would personally consider the cost of a dealer 600-mile service as a rather high insurance premium and not much else (since I would have to check everything myself anyway to be sure that it was done correctly, hence no real labor savings.)

 

But everyone's situation and skill level is different and most seem to like whatever comfort factor that can be obtained by letting the dealer look at it.

[Marty Hill]

Most owners aren't competant enough to deal with the newest line of bikes.

 

Since hundreds of us service the new bikes I wonder where you got this info?

[Mudman]

Marty,

 

I think he is referring to the many methods promoted on the internet that cause other problems as opposed to the factory methods that when done competently lead to a machine that runs as designed. Many are doing the maintenance, but that doesn't mean everyone is competent at what they are attempting. Some procedures require test equipment that is not available to the DIY owners. How do you deal with those items?

 

IMO, The best course is if you want to work on your bike do what your skills and knowledge allow and blend that with dealer work on the stuff you don't have the correct tools, skills, or knowledge.

 

Respectfully,

[Marty Hill]

I say again, hundreds of us do all of out service on the new bikes. I don't have the time to debate this nor do I know which tasks you refer to. They must not apply to my bikes.

 

I will now leave on a trip.

[Mudman]

Have a great ride

[Bob Palin]

I will now leave on a trip.

That would be inadvisable, the BMW sky might fall on you.

[duckbubbles]

Thousands out there versus hundreds equals "most".

[chrisolson]

Not all of us live in an RT centric world any more .... there is a new K parallel universe where life is more complicated for DIY'ers

[Stan Walker]

new K parallel universe where life is more complicated for DIY'ers

 

But, not in the oilhead forum, we don't care......

 

Stan

[ratfink]

When I buy a neww bike I try to get the 600 mile service included in the sale price. Either at no extra charge or at a discount in order to seal the deal. Depends a lot on what model you are negotiating on and the dealers desire to move the bike. End of the month is good time to do this as they are trying to make their quotas.

 

Regards,

RT fink

[ShovelStrokeEd]

Not all of us live in an RT centric world any more .... there is a new K parallel universe where life is more complicated for DIY'ers

 

Not really, the K engine is just an engine. Access is a little more complex and you need a shim set if you are going to adjust your valves but, a motor is a motor. Ditto the rest of the bike. Canbus is nice, it cuts down on the size of the wiring harness. ESA? Don't have it and, based on the number of issues I'm reading about, wouldn't want it.

 

There are certainly dealers out there with well trained, competent technicains. I have found that BMW is well above the norm when it comes to this. Go to a multi-line Japanese bike dealer like I just did and watch as the guy locks up your rear wheel do to a misplaced spacer and spends 2 hours figuring that out and then mounts your front tire backwards, screwing up the spacing on that wheel and has the front brakes lock up on him. 7 hours to change oil, filter, air cleaner and 2 tires. They charged me flat rate but, I was in the middle of a trip and lost a days travel, not to mention the hotel bill. Mechanic admited he had never worked on a Blackbird before, or any bike with the linked braking system. Give me a factory schooled BMW tech any day.

[chrisolson]

But, not in the oilhead forum, we don't care......

quite true...got confused about an oilhead still new enough to need a 600 mile check

[tom collins]

i want the dealer stamp in the book on the first one because it is far and away the most important. i don't want them to ever have that excuse to deny a warranty claim (i know, it should make no difference, but i am paranoid about such things after spending that kind of jack). i then took care of the rest until this last one, the 24k and had a shop do it, just to have things checked by another set of trained eyes. they did do a couple of minor things i had missed over time.

just my opinion.

 

tom collins

[SAAB93driver]

I bring it to the dealer for the 600 mile, first 2 bikes it was included anyway at no charge (i'm sure I paid for it somewhere). After that I do most of it myself save the service on the servo brakes. Anyway, my experience is the dealer is easier to work with on problems and scheduling of routine items (tire changes on short notice for example) if you are a repeat service customer. I'm not making excuses and maybe it shouldn't be that way but that is my experience.