Would you do the 6k service before or after a 1500 mile trip?

[FLrider]

Bike has 5200 miles on it, runs fine (except for just tonight I lost my fuel gauge), rear tire is approaching the wear bar. Should be able to get 1000 more miles out of it.

 

Would you do the 6k service before the 1500 mile trip or after?

 

New rear before or after. Going to be in the hills as oppose to the flat lands of FL and sure would be nice to have more tread.

 

If I do it before, I have to go back to the dealer to have the service reminder light turned off.

[Paul In Australia]

If it was me I would get the service done, fuel gauge fixed under warranty and fresh rubber. Better to be safe than sorry.

regards

paul

[Rinkydink]

Get the new rear tire now... If oil has been changed fairly recently I wouldn't have a problem waiting until you get back. Even with a gas gauge I still use my tripmeter and your bike will still be under warranty when you return.

[moshe_levy]

Do it. And get the tire too. It might wear much faster than you're used to if you venture to an area with different asphalt compounds.

 

-MKL

[RedMac]

If it was me.. I'd at least get the new tire. Nothing like having good rubber on a long trip. If you are going to have the fuel strip fixed, I'd just have the 6K service done at the same time and save yourself a trip.

 

If you are going to wait on the fuel strip, then I'd have the 6K service done when you have that done....

[EddyQ]

Go for the service and the tire.

My '07 RT ran really nice after the 6Kmi service. Much smoother and easier on your hands.

[Sailorlite]

Has your dealer given you a mileage range for services to be performed? My service advisor once mentioned that I should do the regular services within 1,000 miles of the specified mileage. For example, the 6K service should be done after 5K and before 7K miles. This is so the factory warranty would remain fully in effect.

 

To me that seems like a reasonable range whether it's really enforceable warranty-wise or not. If you ever need the dealer in your corner for a warranty issue, having followed their service recommendations can only help.

 

Also, a good "tune up" now may actually make a noticeable improvement in your RT's performance - it's more than just an oil change.

 

Regarding the tire replacement, it's my experience that an upcoming trip frequently leads to what may be a "premature" replacement. Myself, I get new ones because the prospect of having to somehow get them while on a great ride is just too negative.

[lvnvbiker]

I would service it before the ride that way you'll have rubber and peice of mind both. Doing a service a bit early never hurts and having a light on my dash bugs the hell outta me as would the broken fuel gauge. I've had a fuel gauge go before and on a long ride when the mind wanders I would see the needle on E and my heart would skip a beat due to the next fuel being 80 miles or so ahead even though a second later memory would kick in.

[krussell]

I too would definitely get new rubber, and I would also service it. Otherwise I would spend the entire trip thinking about it. Make sure you get everything done in time to have a 100 mile ride or so after to make sure all is well and get the tires scrubbed a bit.

 

 

[KDeline]

Your bike will not blow up the second you hit the service interval, no matter what most think on this board. If it were me, I would get the tire, simply because I have been burned by that before, thought I had enough, went to cords and had to get a tire on the road. Expensive and a PITA. The service can wait till you get back.

[tallman]

Since it's your bike, I don't care.

 

If it were mine, I'd get new tire and change fluids/filter.

Why not enjoy the benefits on the trip?

 

Since it is a boxer and not a K, I'd do the above and valves/TB synch.

[Joe Frickin' Friday]

If it were mine, I'd get new tire and change fluids/filter.

 

And synch the throttle. And adjust the valves. Since the bike is almost brand new (only ~5K on the odo), these things are still unknown entities, in terms of how fast/slow they wander out of adjustment. If you've got 50K miles on the odo and you know from experience that your valve clearances don't change much over 6K miles, then you can feel comfortable delaying inspection a bit. But since we're talking about the very first 6K service here, it would be smart to check them out on schedule - or if not on schedule, then early instead of late.

 

As noted, you will need to visit the dealer to kill the service reminder light - but I think that can safely wait until after the trip (cover it with electrical tape if it's going to distract you during the trip).

[tallman]

If it were mine, I'd get new tire and change fluids/filter.

 

And synch the throttle. And adjust the valves. Since the bike is almost brand new (only ~5K on the odo), these things are still unknown entities, in terms of how fast/slow they wander out of adjustment. If you've got 50K miles on the odo and you know from experience that your valve clearances don't change much over 6K miles, then you can feel comfortable delaying inspection a bit. But since we're talking about the very first 6K service here, it would be smart to check them out on schedule - or if not on schedule, then early instead of late.

 

As noted, you will need to visit the dealer to kill the service reminder light - but I think that can safely wait until after the trip (cover it with electrical tape if it's going to distract you during the trip).

 

 

Ditto, I think.

"Since it is a boxer and not a K, I'd do the above and valves/TB synch."

[Joe Frickin' Friday]

Ditto, I think.

"Since it is a boxer and not a K, I'd do the above and valves/TB synch."

 

Sorry. I turn 40 in a couple of months; I think my brain has been shrinking.

[ScottM]

I faced the same decision last summer on my 12K service. I don't like to do too much to the bike before I head out on a long trip. I'd get the tire but leave the remainder for after the trip.

Scott

[tallman]

Ditto, I think.

"Since it is a boxer and not a K, I'd do the above and valves/TB synch."

 

Sorry. I turn 40 in a couple of months; I think my brain has been shrinking.

 

I've got boots older than that.

 

How close to BRR is the date?

Does this mean someone needs a party?

 

 

 

Or a spanking?

[FLrider]

Appointment set to replace tire(s) tomorrow. Have Bridgestones front and back. Back still has life, front has plenty of life but dealer said not good idea to mix treads.

 

He suggested the non b pr2's. He said harder center, softer sides is perfect for Florida riding since we don't have a LOT of twisty roads and tons of highway asphalt. Makes sense to me.

 

Also going to fix the fuel gauge issue. Hopefully it's simply a strip replacement.

 

Finally, he said if fluids look clean, leave them in and replace upon return, during the 6k service. Do TBS at that time as well.

 

Sounds like a plan.

 

I thought the price of the tires were a little rich ($500) for both including tax and labor, but, Being able to have it done while getting fuel strip done at same time is worth something to me.

[KDeline]

Appointment set to replace tire(s) tomorrow. Have Bridgestones front and back. Back still has life, front has plenty of life but dealer said not good idea to mix treads.

 

 

 

That's bull.

[jaytee]

Appointment set to replace tire(s) tomorrow. Have Bridgestones front and back. Back still has life, front has plenty of life but dealer said not good idea to mix treads.

That's bull.

 

I respectfully disagree. I know one of the fav's on this board is pilot road rear and pilot sport front, but the tire manufacturers spend a lot of time and money designing tread, compounds and profiles with the idea they are working together.

 

Are they stupid? I think not. None of us have the resources to do the detailed analysis to truthfully second-guess the manufacturers in this regard.

 

I agree with what the dealer said, "not a good idea to mix treads"

 

JT

 

...FWIW, IMHO, YMMV and all that.

[racer7]

Mixing tires from different categories is one thing but mixing sport touring tires with a different tread is no big deal.

I suspect most experienced motorcyclists have had mixed brands on the bike at one time or another without any issues noted.

On my RT I had a RoadSmart on the back and Bridgestone 020 on the front and the combo worked well enough though the RoadSmart is a better tire than the Bridgestone (and cheaper too). Had various mixes on other bikes with no issues. I wear mine out and don't always change as pairs so any time I change brands/type I end up with a mix for a while.

Don't worry about mixes.

 

And if service reminders are an annoyance, buy a GS-911 and set the thing however you want it. You can simply reset it for when you want to take it in or put in a value 5 yrs away and depend on your memory or written service records. Or you could learn how to service your own- the boxer is really very easy, one of the reasons I picked the bike in the first place.

 

Like virtually everyone else, I would not advise longer runs on rubber you expect to kill on that trip unless you make plans to have a tire waiting for you at an appropriate shop on that trip. DOES NOT have to be a BMW dealership- J brand sport tourers use compatible tires. Most shops will do tires while you wait in about 45 minutes. At my home location, I have the J-brands shop down the road pop on a tire while I'm doing some other service just by leaving the wheel and getting it latter. They are so close it saves me some time- faster than if I kept a decent changer in my own garage.

[Jim VonBaden]

If it were mine, I'd get new tire and change fluids/filter.

 

And synch the throttle. And adjust the valves. Since the bike is almost brand new (only ~5K on the odo), these things are still unknown entities, in terms of how fast/slow they wander out of adjustment. If you've got 50K miles on the odo and you know from experience that your valve clearances don't change much over 6K miles, then you can feel comfortable delaying inspection a bit. But since we're talking about the very first 6K service here, it would be smart to check them out on schedule - or if not on schedule, then early instead of late.

 

As noted, you will need to visit the dealer to kill the service reminder light - but I think that can safely wait until after the trip (cover it with electrical tape if it's going to distract you during the trip).

 

Exactly! Were it a 30K + bike, I would just do the tire and ride, but this is the first real service for the bike, so I would do it first.

 

Jim