Are you your own mechanic?

[jfremder]

For me, working on the bikes is a necessity. I not only enjoy it, but have found I can often do a better job than I can get paying for it. I also couldn't justify a Beemer if I took it to the dealer for all the required maintenance. Thanks to this board, my 80k mi. R1150RT has only seen the inside of the dealship twice. The second time we were a couple thousand miles from home with a failed F/D.

 

I curious if I am the exception or the rule. How many of you go beyond changing the oil and do it all?

 

What service procedures scare you and why?

 

Or, why do you pay someone else to do it?

 

 

[Mr_Ed]

Not an unusual topic. A search will reveal that this pops up a couple times a year.

You'll find that many do their own tires, brakes, TB synches and valves.... I just do my own tires. I'm perfectly happy paying my local dealer to do everything else as I'd rather spend my time riding.

[RodB]

I also do all maintenance & repairs on my bike. I just could not afford to have someone else work on my bike at dealership rates.

We have access to the same repair manuals and specifications that the dealership technicians have, so there is nothing actually scary about the procedures.

What is a bit scary are some of the OEM part prices.

[Jerry_75_Guy]

When I actually get to ride enough to warrant scheduled maint. (grumble, expletive, fume..), I do everything. Hadn't a clue how at first, then our local dealer (good folks) went under, and it was sink or swim.

 

I'm very glad I learned, and almost all of it is easy.

 

Having seen a few pics, the possibility of doing a spline lube by my self gives me the willies; I'm sure I'd forget something.

[Allen Rowand]

I do everything I can. I'm in the middle of a 6k maintenance, and just replaced my throttle cables and installed stainless steel brake lines; I get to do my first solo TB balance Tuesday. I've also done all my own electrical mods.

 

That said, I recently took my bike to the dealer for a spline lube, main seal and new clutch. I don't have the time or tools to do work that intensive. Since I bought the bike with 70k miles on it, I knew that this work would need to be done and figured the cost into the "real" price of the bike. I'm still happy with it. It helped that my dealer has a winter special that gives 15% off parts and labor. Knocked $250 off my bill.

[marcopolo]

I do nothing on my RT but change the bulbs. I used to change oil/filter, but don't even do that anymore. I take mine to an independent BMW tech who used to be the head tech at the local dealership. I do this because I have no know-how and no real tools. Works for me.

[R80RTKen]

I do all but heavy engine work. I'm not a mechanic or a machinist. I'm good at troubleshooting and replacing parts. I'm good with carburators.

[murrayg]

I'm mechanically challenged. I swapped out my battery and thought I'd rather be doing somethingelse. My hats off to those of you who do our own work. I can't afford it either, especially since the economy killed my last job, and I had the bright idea to co-found a nonprofit in this recession, I ride anyway. True I don't ride far or as often as I like. I live close to a great dealer, Bentonville BMW and they have never gotten it wrong on my bike in ten years. If my dealer goes down. I'm buying something with a stronger dealer network. Again hats off to you for doing your own work. Can I bring my bike over.

[AZKomet]

I hate mechanic"ing" on cars or bikes, however, I hate the high service fees that are charged by BMW and others. Sheeeesh. And if I did my own work I would never get out of the garage. BMW reminds me of that Toad the Wet Sprocket song: "Something's Always Wrong"

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yp1ZGW9MdbI

[upflying]

I was always mechanically inclined. I've read every motorcycle and high performance car magazine I could since I was 10. I took and repeated the advanced auto shop classes in high school and enjoy working on and repairing anything mechanical. It gives me a sense of satisfaction of knowing it was done right with the side benefit of saving money. Working on mechanical objects is almost like mental therapy. I have restored several old cars and motorcycles from complete wrecks to show quality. Part of the reason why I chose my career (partially retired now) was due to my hobbyist interest in vehicles. I came from generation when it was ccustomary to have father's who passed their "Do It Yourself" skills to their sons. My RT-P has not seen a BMW dealer service shop except when a failed HES left me stranded far from home.

Maintenance of my BMW would not be possible without the resources of discussion boards like this. I will admit disassembling the internals of a transmission or engine is not something I would do on my bike. R&R of the major components is as deep as I would go.

As I get older though, lying on my back on a cold garage floor is getting more difficult. I can see a time when I eventually farm out maintenance due to deterioration of health and age.

I think the young generation today is completely lacking in practical life skills. Unless it is an iPod, iPhone, or some other techno geek object..they know nothing about how to keep a car or motorcycle running.

[AviP]

While I was born mechanically inclined, I never used to have the time to do it. But for the past decade or so, I have gone the DIY route and enjoy it far more. Perhaps it was the few bad experiences I had or the money spent or both that pushed me into doing it myself. I must say now that I'm statistically unemployed, it's been a great money saver servicing all the 5 vehicles in my signature. I safely save over $1000 annually and probably more like $2500 since they are all older vehicles and the servicing is usually the more serious kind. I just changed the rear pads on my PT Cruiser for $16.

 

This winter I have a rear caliper upgrade and a power steering problem that needs to be tracked on the Viper. The cost to me would be in the $1000-1500 range. If I was to go to a mechanic, it would be at least $2500.

[russell_bynum]

I do all the routine stuff myself. I would _probably_ send the trans to someone who knows what they're doing if it ever blows up, but otherwise, I'll do everything else.

 

Likewise with the cars.

 

My reasoning:

1. I'm cheap

2. I have yet to have a dealership (car or bike) service experience that left me feeling good about giving them my money.

3. If I wanted a job done half-assed, I could do it myself....I don't need to pay someone else to do it.

 

 

Now...that said, I think if I ever found a good competent mechanic, I'd be a bunch more willing to part with my hard-earned cash for some of the jobs. Sadly, the only really great mechanic I've known is no longer with us.

[Joe Frickin' Friday]

I do all my own stuff. Tires, brakes, scheduled maintenance, repairs, all of it. Well, almost all. My 1100RT never saw the inside of a dealership after its 18K service. DIY maintenance saved me thousands of dollars over the years, and I always knew whether the job was done right.

 

One other important benefit: knowing the bike inside and out enabled me to tackle three roadside failures over the years:

 

1. 2004, Cody, Wyoming: a separated fuel line inside the tank, resulting in total loss of fuel pressure. Egged on by a cadre of half-drunk BMW riders at the Un, I had no hesitation about pulling the panels and tank and finding/fixing the problem right there. Nearest dealership was Missoula, Montana, and it was a Sunday; if I had required a dealer to do the job, I would probably have missed at least a couple of days of the Un.

 

2. 2005, Ann Arbor. Shawn rode back from Virginia to visit his parents, and his HES died. We got his bike towed to my house, and started working on it in the evening. Quickly diagnosed the problem, and each of us ripped into his own bike: Shawn pulled the dead HES from his bike, and I pulled the good one from mine so he could install it in his bike. He was able leave town early the next morning. A dealer would have needed to order parts; with his tight vacation time available, he was considering buying a plane ticket home if we couldn't take care of it. Crisis averted.

 

3. Norwood Colorado, 2007. My old HES in Shawn's bike dies after two years of service with him. Wise man that he is, Shawn had packed a spare HES under his seat. Instead of getting an expensive tow up to Grand Junction and waiting several days, we swapped out his HES in the space of a couple of hours and continued our trip as if nothing had happened.

 

I'm on a new R1200RT now. I let the dealer do the initial 600-mile service, just so I could have it on record. But I'll be taking care of the rest of it.

[EffBee]

I guess growing up riding dirt bikes, and having my Dad say, "I'll provide the tools and advice, but you take care of what you ride," worked to my advantage. I was porting my own cylinders by the time I was 12 (the first couple with disastrous effect on the powerband before I learned the value of moderation). I read every motorcycle and automotive publication, especially the technical articles and sidebars. I'd much rather know how the new variable valve train works than whether or not they've added enough cupholders.

 

So far on all my bikes I've done everything that's required, although I did have the dealer do the services on my first RT through its warranty period. I was traveling a lot for work back then and it was a time issue.

 

As for what scares me? Nothing really. I'm always concerned when tackling a new job that I might forget to reattach or tighten something. But with the good technical manuals that are available, you just follow the steps, label everything and sequence it, then learn to count backwards and it all works out.

 

 

[Caddis]

I have never had a desire to work on bikes (or cars). I would much rather spend my time on other things that I enjoy. As a software engineer, it always reminded me of the old joke:

 

Q: How many software engineers does it take to change a light bulb?

A: Sorry, it can't be done. That's a hardware problem.

 

However, now that we have two bikes in the garage, I am starting to get interested in learning some of the simpler things - mostly for money and convenience reasons, but also so that I have a better idea how things work, and where to start looking when something goes wrong.

 

So far, an oil and filter change, replacement of broken fuel line quick disconnects, and a throttle body balance are about the extent of what I have tried. Next on my list to learn is a valve adjustment, which is starting to push the envelope on my nervousness about doing things myself. I think anything much more involved than that, and I will pay an expert.

[Mister Tee]

I'll do all the routine service, like oil, filters, plugs, brake pads, tranny fluid and final drive fluid, but I'll let the shop deal with anything more complex than that. Not becaue I can't do it, but I just don't have the time and I don't feel like going out and buying more special tools than I need to.

[Mrs. Caddis]

I'm glad Kevin is starting to learn a bit more about the bikes. At least he makes me do my pre-ride check myself (most of the time). I think we both would be more inclined to tackle a few more maintenance items if we had a tech day to go to. [hijack] So, are there any mechanically inclined folks in the Denver area willing to share their knowledge? I'll bring food....

[ratfink]

So far I've managed to do most of the work on my bikes myself.

 

This includes: throttle cable replacement, HES along with building a timing light, fuel filter, valve adj., throttle body adj.and brake pads.

 

For tires, I take the wheels off and deliver them to a dealer

for mounting and balancing. I've had good luck with both motorcycle dealers and Cycle Gear when it comes to tires.

 

Even if all you do is a thorough cleaning of your bike periodicaly, it will help you spot minor problems and rectify them early instead of too late.

[moshe_levy]

I used to be my own mechanic. Used to do all my own maintenance and repairs on my Harley and Airheads. These days, with a new baby girl and a hectic work schedule, I have about 5 spare seconds per week. And given the choice between riding and wrenching, I go with riding every time. I'm lucky enough to live quite close to Tom Cutter's shop, and even have a local BMW dealer nearby for backup as well. So beyond fluid changes, I haven't picked up a tool in awhile!

 

-MKL

[SageRider]

Being self employed, it tends to depend on if business is real busy or not.

 

If not busy, then I do everything short of major rebuilds.

 

 

If busy, in to the dealer it goes. Consideration:Sierra BMW has a truly great service department, so trusting that the job will get done right is not an issue with these folks!!!

 

Tires, I change myself regardless of how busy I am due to the flexibility of changing when necessary vs a scheduled appt. at the dealer, 50 miles away. It also makes it economical to dismount/remount tires as needed to get maximum use while not having to change tires on the long road trips.

 

[markgoodrich]

I do every bit of the maintenance myself. Then I take the bike over to Limecreek's house and have some guys fix what I did wrong. Bike runs great all the time.

 

Seriously, I attended a couple of Lime's tech days, learnt all the simple stuff (6k and annual), bought the few tools necessary, and spend a morning every now and again doing it. I'm currently in the final stage (last couple thousand miles) using my bike as a guinea pig to see what happens if you skip a 6k service, i.e. go 12,000 miles. Bike is still running great, mileage hasn't suffered. Why am I doing this? Dunno. Seemed like a good idea at the time.

 

Why do all you guys who responded replace throttle cables?

[BalancePoint]

Don't do it all, but I do as much as I can, and I keep learning. Painfully slow and twice or three times, but I'm making progress. I ask a LOT of questions. My K bike is a little bit more of a challenge after the oilhead. Valve adjust might just have to go to the dealer... this time.

[Aluminum_Butt]

Am I my own mechanic? Not exactly - but I'm cheap and I know how to read instructions. Fortunately through the folks at this site and others, I've learned to do fluid changes (oil, FD, tranny, coolant), brake flushes, brake pads, and tire changes. I've got two similar bikes, and I know I've saved thousands by doing the work myself. It's also nice not to have to worry about scheduling at the dealer - I work on it when it's convenient.

 

But, I'm no mechanic. I will probably do my next valve inspection, but if they're out, I doubt I'll try the valve adjustment - too much to go wrong. And I'd have to head to the dealer in a hurry is something really went wrong.

 

 

 

 

[mikeR1100R]

I have done everything so far except tires and front wheel bearing replacement. I do the tune ups, brakes, fuel filters, fork seals and various farkles and modifications myself. I know I won't be doing clutch or transmission work. I know it is out of my skill range and it is not worth it to go through something like that especially if I may never have to do it again.

To qualify my above statement, I have done most of my own tune up and maintenance at the famous New England Tech Daze with the help of many others with more expertise than I have. Without question, that is the best way to learn how to do it and enjoy a great social occasion at the same time.

[Huzband]

Except for warranty work, yes, I do it all.

 

3. If I wanted a job done half-assed, I could do it myself....

 

Now that there is downright funny.

[Tony_K]

Except for warranty work, yes, I do it all.

 

3. If I wanted a job done half-assed, I could do it myself....

 

Now that there is downright funny.

 

Russell's statement may be funny but in actuality it quite apropos.

When you are in control of how the work is done and are fully aware of what works and what dosen't one can make a consious choice to do work half-assed.

 

 

[Schooly]

I have done the fluids, brake bleeds, valves and TB sync. What scares me the most is trying something without having observed someone else do it first. I just got a Clymers and pretty good start on tools. Hope to gain more confidence as time goes on.

[Selden]

I have done everything so far except tires and front wheel bearing replacement. I do the tune ups, brakes, fuel filters, fork seals and various farkles and modifications myself. I know I won't be doing clutch or transmission work. I know it is out of my skill range and it is not worth it to go through something like that especially if I may never have to do it again.

Thanks for saving me the effort -- I couldn't have said it better. The only thing I can add is that I enjoy knowing how things work, and knowing how the bike is put together gives me a sense of security on long rides: I know that maintenance has been done properly, and if something goes wrong, I can probably deal with it. BMW dealers are a lot farther apart than Harley or Honda dealers.

[Dave_C]

For me, working on the bikes is a necessity. I not only enjoy it, but have found I can often do a better job than I can get paying for it. I also couldn't justify a Beemer if I took it to the dealer for all the required maintenance. Thanks to this board, my 80k mi. R1150RT has only seen the inside of the dealship twice. The second time we were a couple thousand miles from home with a failed F/D.

 

I curious if I am the exception or the rule. How many of you go beyond changing the oil and do it all?

 

 

 

What service procedures scare you and why?

 

Or, why do you pay someone else to do it?

 

 

I agree. I do fear the brake bleed, though.

[Boone60]

As a broke teenager I did whatever needed to be done, but as I aged my bkes started be worked on at a shop. I'd like not to be afraid of working on my bike,so I've started doing what needs to be done on my RT.

 

The picture shows what some words Whip got me into (with great results)!

 

[Deadboy]

My 04 has 60K and hasn't been to the dealer since the 600 mile service except for a fuel line recall. Thanks to the folks here I am pretty confident with just about anything and after doing a spline lube on the K75 I don't see why a clutch would be out of the question, or at least the labor to get to it....

 

I actually did a rear tire on the K75 today in preparation for a visitor who will be riding with me to Vegas for the Hall of Fame induction ceremony next month. Then for fun I mounted my gps on the RT next to the V1 on the RCU shelf and will wire it up tomorrow.

 

Call me nuts but I really enjoy it, and being able to leave the house with fresh tires every time I am going on a trip is a great feeling, as is the savings and the confidence. Changing a shredded alternator belt in a rest stop in upstate New York was a bonus and took about an hour instead of waiting for the tow truck and trying to find a dealer.

[russell_bynum]

Except for warranty work, yes, I do it all.

 

3. If I wanted a job done half-assed, I could do it myself....

 

Now that there is downright funny.

 

It is...but that was actually my logic that got me started in all this stuff. Every time I've taken a car or bike in for work, it's come back half-assed. Fasteners aren't done properly. Body panels/trim are out of place. Several times I've found evidence that the job wasn't even done at all. Stuff isn't done when it's supposed to be done. They don't call you to tell you its done. etc.

 

I figured I can do at least that well on my own and save myself the time and aggravation.

 

Then I discovered that (for the most part) I enjoy it. And with things like the valve adjust and tb sync on the oilheads, I can do damn good job of it and make my bike run better than any dealership ever had.

 

 

[twocyl]

I'm lucky, I guess I was born with a wrench in my hand. Been working on autos since I was 10, for a living since 1966. Bikes are simple beans compared to today's autos. Can't think of anything on a bike that I couldn't make happen in my garage(some subletting to a machine shop included). As time passes the garage is becoming better equipped for cycles, needed special tools, air lift, tire changing/balancing equipment, syncing tools and looking into what is needed to dio the electronics on these newer Beemers. Actually, jumping into oilheads from airheads has opened up cycle electronics to me and I'm interested to learn everything I can about that. Can't be that much different than autos and that's my specialty in that field. It may become a retirement income thing in the not too distant future, but at the very least it's great way to spend a snowy day with friends in the 'man cave'.

[eddd]

You are supposed to do maintenance???

 

Wow...I guess I need to read that book thing that came with the bike.

 

 

[doc47]

Mark, replacing throttle cables every 60K is good prevention. The two short side cables don't usually crap out but the main throttle cable is a frequent cause of roadside breakdowns. Seen it many times.

 

Mechanism is that the cable sheaths are teflon-lined. The lining wears through and 1. the cable loses its adjustability, and 2. it frays, then breaks.

[Tapatio]

 

Just started doing my own maintenance at 36k. Thanks to Jim VonBaden's video tutorials it was easy and rewarding. I was lucky enough to get a good deal on a Twinmax from a board member, Robert S. My dad owned a service garage for many years so monkey wrenching is in my blood. Don't let fear and trepidation keep you from doing your own maintenance, it is actually quite easy.

 

 

 

[Dan M]

No one has put a wrench to any of my bikes after delivery besides me. At least so far, bought my first street bike in '75.

That said, many modern bikes need specialized equipment or software that is too costly to buy for non-commercial use.

I see the day coming when I have to hand something over to a dealer.

[Matts_12GS]

I always did my own maintenance simply because that allowed me to spend more on other stuff. I like the time and attention as well as the knowledge that I was able to handle something on the side of the road if I needed.

 

Besides, I find that garage therapy is a nice way to relax...

[tallman]

Depends.

On a lot of things, yes.

On some, no.

 

2 really bad shoulders limits some things (tires, for example)

 

Russell,

Please define "half-assed".

Is that anything like "half" a hole?

[Matts_12GS]

Please define "half-assed".

Is that anything like "half" a hole?

 

Yeah, you should know that one Tim, it's s Semi-Hole...

[AviP]

The picture shows what some words Whip got me into (with great results)!

 

I'm more fascinated with the loader than with the tire changer.

[louisvillebob]

I do all my own, except major stuff, like tranny rebuilds. (Remove and ship to someone like Bob Clements, reinstall. There's a certain satisfaction to knowing how ur bike works, that it's well cared-for, and that u can handle an enexpected maintenance event. Working on the bike on a lousy weather day helps keep me sane.

[tallman]

Now Matt, 2009 isn't quite over.

But remember, the Seminoles are the only tribe to never surrender to the US government.

The government gave up and declared the war (the most costly $$$ up to that point) "over".

The Seminole nation traces its roots back through thousands of years of evolution and pride, even to the point of learning how to survive and prosper in a swamp.

 

Gators, on the other hand, are prehistoric reptiles who have recently been beset with a myriad of problems including,

"These data suggest that the differences in sex steroids and phallus size observed in gators from Lake Apopka are not limited to that lake"

This tragedy, small penises has had a serious effect on all gator males for the past 20-30 years.

We are all hoping this doesn't lead to a further devolution of the small brained species.

[SageRider]

Gators, on the other hand, are prehistoric reptiles who have recently been beset with a myriad of problems including,

"These data suggest that the differences in sex steroids and phallus size observed in gators from Lake Apopka are not limited to that lake"

This tragedy, small penises has had a serious effect on all gator males for the past 20-30 years.

We are all hoping this doesn't lead to a further devolution of the small brained species.

Seems like a stimulus grant may be in order here....

[Matts_12GS]

Seems like a stimulus grant may be in order here....

 

[EffBee]

Seems like a stimulus grant may be in order here....

Don't count on it. Recent experience says the results fall far SHORT of expectation.

[SageRider]

Recent experience says the results fall far SHORT of expectation.

I thought that was the case with all stimulus grants...

[David13]

The only thing I don't do is tires.

I like the challenge of doing something I haven't done before. But I've done just about everything.

I never have much faith in the 'perfessunal' shops & mechanics. They seem to goof up regularly and not want to warrant or fix their work.

So when I do it I know it's right, and I warrant it 100%, or I do it again.

More than 40 years ago I did my first clutch & transmission rebuild. It was humorously easy. And fun.

dc

[Haynes]

The only thing I don't do is tires. ....

Me too. Being a retired mechanic I can usually complete most jobs without trouble.

I couldn't afford to own and run a BMW if I had to pay for servicing as well.

[Deadboy]

Tires are so darn easy that I can only wonder why I didn't start doing them sooner. Once the dealer wanted $30- $50 more per tire than I could get them for online and another $30- $40 to mount them I invested in the needed equipment.....now the UPS truck brings me tires I didn't even order as my friends have all caught on and have them dropped shipped to my place directly.