Cheap plastic on 2014 RT

[kpax]

Has anyone else been thoroughly disgusted w/ the cheap plastic on the wethead? IE: Panniers don't feel light: they feel FLIMSY, as in if you accidently twist them while loading they'll break. And body panels: today after installing Ilium motor guards I noticed a big gap on the top LH side. The body work simply didn't fit right. So I removed the body panel. There are 2 tabs that slide into the radio control section. One of them broke, leaving a 1/4" gap. Lovely. This machine has 885 miles on it (I'm waiting for Russell to send me a saddle) so it has gone nowhere during the 2 weeks I've owned this mistake. Can't wait to see what the dealer says about this request as a warranty item. Oh boy.

 

Am I the only one who thinks this?

 

And headlights: 2 high beams: 1 low beam. now which do we use the most? Sorry I'd rather have 2 low beams, like the previous RTs. Anyone else ever loose a low beam light? Nice to have at least 1 available. Not any more. only high beams.

 

OK it runs fast, but will I get the predictable, maintenance free service out of this cheapened BMW I got w/ my 2 previous RTs?

[Aussiegazza]

Be very careful with putting screws into the aluminium engine etc.

 

If cross threaded, they give little resistance as you screw them in and ruin the threads. Will not tighten up when fully inserted.

 

Already put a M6 thread saver into one hole.

 

May just be me though.....

 

 

[92232]

My suggestion would be that you trade the RT in on a Harley since you are so displeased with the RT.

[Ponch]

My suggestion would be that you trade the RT in on a Harley since you are so displeased with the RT.

 

Well, I can almost guarantee he won't have a problem with plastic.

[Alfred02]

My suggestion would be that you trade the RT in on a Harley since you are so displeased with the RT.

+1

I whole heartily support your suggestion.

The bike doesn't appear to come up to his high standard. Please sell it to some fool who thinks that the bike is actually within reasonable expectation.

[Over]

This is my third RT and by far the best!

 

Never ridden a Hog, so cannot put an option forward.

 

 

[strataj]

Some may not like the new RT, but the experts think it's the best! http://www.motorcycle.com/shoot-outs/2014-sport-touring-final-smackdown-video . I agree with the experts

 

Jay

[Rob L]

I found 2 broken tabs on the left side lateral panel on my buy back bike. I repaired them using small steel angles that i made from 1/2" strap steel. I epoxied these to the panel and it works as well as the original and is a lot stronger than the plastic tabs. I know the frustration of broken parts on a brand new bike

 

I had the same thoughts about the lights. My 06RT had 2 low beams. I tried the new bike on a dark road and found that the lights work pretty well. I was surprised.

 

After a month of ownership and a couple thousand miles, I am happy with the bike. It is more comfortable and faster than the 06. Way more HP than I need! The bike rides better and has a lot of "toys". I think that after you get past your initial frustrations you will enjoy the bike. Good luck

[bdfbeemer]

My panels were replaced under warranty. Agree could be a better system, screws? Otherwise great bike. I have no compalaint with the side bags. Could be larger and top opening.

[Guest Kakugo]

Very interested about keep on hearing more in future months about these "small nags".

 

I really want my next bike to hold up well as my present Hexhead: I tend to buy bikes long term and, given some bad experiences with both Honda and Kawasaki, I want to make sure whatever I'll pick will be holding the miles well.

[Ponch]

Very interested about keep on hearing more in future months about these "small nags".

 

I really want my next bike to hold up well as my present Hexhead: I tend to buy bikes long term and, given some bad experiences with both Honda and Kawasaki, I want to make sure whatever I'll pick will be holding the miles well.

 

What went wrong with your Honda's and Kawasaki's?

 

 

[Guest Kakugo]

 

What went wrong with your Honda's and Kawasaki's?

 

 

My present big Honda has flaking engine paint. It would be normal had it been on front of the engine since I could blame road debris and the like... too bad it's on the back of the cylinder block.

It's a 2009 bike, less than half the mileage of the RT, always garaged, never ridden in Winter, always washed by hand etc.

I also have paint peeling from a couple points on the frame and the seat cover has a dull spot that should not be there and will probably turn into a cut further down the road.

Incredible bike to ride, but the quality is not as good as it should be.

 

The Kawasaki was my 2009 1400GTR (C14 to you Colonials); apart from the reliability/aftersale issues, in six months of ownership I had the paint on both sides of the fairing starting to have that "a thousand small scratches" look. The unpainted plastic lid on the glove compartment was flimsy to say the least. Some part of the bodywork started to rattle very noisily three months into ownership: never found what was.

The radiator was very exposed and with nothing between it and a costly repair/replacement. The oil sump was a catastrophe waiting to happen: I snapped three cooling fins on it and thanked I got away with it.

 

I do not expect a bike to look as the day it left the dealership after many, many miles, but these are things that are not supposed to happen, especially given the care the bikes were given.

[Ponch]

I've heard that honda had paint issues with newer goldwings, I wonder if it's across the board. As far as kawasaki goes, I found the paint on my 2007 nomad to chip and scuff easily. I think the japanese companies may be cutting corners to keep costs and prices down as they are the value proposition for a lot of riders.

 

If you are hitting the sump, then I have to wonder where the hell you are riding. Kawasaki would consider that abuse I would think. My nomad had a screen in front of the radiator, IIRC. I've heard the same kind of complaints about the K16 too.

 

Truth be told I've had fewer issues with japanese bikes, but there are differences I take into account. That said, my next bike will require less maintenance.

[mountainmann]

BMW uses all these little tabs and pins to reduce the time required to assemble the bike. Screws take too much time. This also reduces the time required to remove and replace panels during maintenance. Most dealers charge about $100 and hour. The benefit is that the new cost of the bike and the ongoing cost for dealer performed maintenance are both reduced, benefiting the bike owner. (Lower price and maintenance cost also help BMW sell more bikes.)

 

This is the reason for all the tabs and pins. If you are careful and don't break or damage these tabs and pins, they will work fine and shouldn't ever cause any problems. And they are a time saver. But I would worry about the tech at the dealer breaking them and not telling you about it. Personally, I would rather pay another $50 for the bike to pay for screws versus the tabs.

[Over]

Lower price?

My 600 mile service cost more than a 20,000 mile service on my VW pickup truck!

[Ponch]

Lower price?

My 600 mile service cost more than a 20,000 mile service on my VW pickup truck!

 

VW includes service for the first 36k miles here.

[terryofperry]

At least RobL and a few others gave an intelligent answer.

 

Bill Spurgeon and Alfred02, that is just a stupid statement. The OP has had a Hexhead, Camhead and now Wethead, while racking up 70,000 miles +/- in two (2) years on the Camhead. He does not need a lesson on BMW or Harley, but I'm guessing by your statements you know more than he regarding these bikes. Just because a magazine gave a bike that was specifically going to them, gone over beforehand to make sure it was tight, riding it for a few days a high mark does not imply the same from a random dealer. It is no secret BMW has cut costs regarding the switchgear, plastic, etc. and how many bikes were told to be parked for the summer? Yes, the motor and drivetrain may be better, time will tell.

 

You are both great ambassadors for this site, keep up the good will and childish remarks.

 

Terry

[mistral]

You know a guy should be able to state he is not happy with something on his bike without be told to buy a Harley. It seems if you do not want to join in on the love fest on the wet-head, well then buy something else. I have a cam-head and I will never buy the wet-head. The main reason they made it smaller, but there are other reasons.

[Alfred02]

At least RobL and a few others gave an intelligent answer.

 

Bill Spurgeon and Alfred02, that is just a stupid statement. The OP has had a Hexhead, Camhead and now Wethead, while racking up 70,000 miles +/- in two (2) years on the Camhead. He does not need a lesson on BMW or Harley, but I'm guessing by your statements you know more than he regarding these bikes. Just because a magazine gave a bike that was specifically going to them, gone over beforehand to make sure it was tight, riding it for a few days a high mark does not imply the same from a random dealer. It is no secret BMW has cut costs regarding the switchgear, plastic, etc. and how many bikes were told to be parked for the summer? Yes, the motor and drivetrain may be better, time will tell.

 

You are both great ambassadors for this site, keep up the good will and childish remarks.

 

Terry

You are entitled to your opinion as I am to mine.

I have worked on the Brick/Oilhead/Hexhead and now the Wethead removing the plastic on all of them.

Haven't broken the tabs as I can read the manual of how to remove the panels.

Side panniers flimsy? There is next to no difference to the ones of the Hexhead.

It seems to be the other way around.

BMW bashing is like a sport here and fully excepted. But if you actually disagree with the bashers you are the black sheep.....LOL

And exactly what is wrong with stating: "If you are unhappy with the bike...sell it and move on"??

[Guest Kakugo]

I've heard that honda had paint issues with newer goldwings, I wonder if it's across the board. As far as kawasaki goes, I found the paint on my 2007 nomad to chip and scuff easily. I think the japanese companies may be cutting corners to keep costs and prices down as they are the value proposition for a lot of riders.

 

If you are hitting the sump, then I have to wonder where the hell you are riding. Kawasaki would consider that abuse I would think. My nomad had a screen in front of the radiator, IIRC. I've heard the same kind of complaints about the K16 too.

 

Truth be told I've had fewer issues with japanese bikes, but there are differences I take into account. That said, my next bike will require less maintenance.

 

I suspect Kawasaki designed the sump that way to keep seat height to a minimum while increasing oil capacity as much as possible to improve engine cooling (no beating around the bush... that bike runs very hot). A couple of members on the European GTR board hit and break the sump and one of them posted the horrific pictures.

The sump was redesigned during the production run to fix this "issue" which I have never had or heard of on road bikes in my whole riding life. But that bike had a lot of details which seemed to have made into the production bike without too much thought being given about it.

 

Lack of radiator screen is a common issue on lots of modern bikes. Considering how much some metallic mesh is, that's plain ridiculous.

 

If we want to talk older Japanese bikes, especially Honda's, that's another matter completely. Apart from weak reg/rec and rusting exhausts, old Honda's had the best finish you could imagine. Thick paint coats, good materials etc.

[mneblett]

The sump was redesigned during the production run to fix this "issue" which I have never had or heard of on road bikes in my whole riding life.

BMW had a similar issue with the K12LT when it was first released.

 

The centerstand is bolted to the bottom of the transmission housing, on projections that point straight down below the engine sump. The stand/projections could hit things like speed bumps and railroad crossings and fracture the transmission housing. Surprisingly easy to do -- I touched down going over a tall speed bump at under 10 mph (fortunately, no damage). BMW scrambled to issue free skid plates to all of the owners.

[mneblett]

You are entitled to your opinion as I am to mine.

I have worked on the Brick/Oilhead/Hexhead and now the Wethead removing the plastic on all of them.

Haven't broken the tabs as I can read the manual of how to remove the panels.

Agree with all the above.

 

Side panniers flimsy? There is next to no difference to the ones of the Hexhead. It seems to be the other way around.

Disagree. I own both. The lids on the K16/R12LC bags are noticeably more flexible than the lids on the R12 hex/camhead. Still, I prefer the K16/R12LC bags for other reasons.

 

BMW bashing is like a sport here and fully excepted. But if you actually disagree with the bashers you are the black sheep.....LOL

Agree.

 

And exactly what is wrong with stating: "If you are unhappy with the bike...sell it and move on"??

Because you didn't say that -- you may have intended that -- but your actual statement came across very condescending/rude. I'm not surprised by the reaction.

 

FWIW, I have no problem with being direct, but like most things in life, presentation affects the reception.

[Alfred02]

Hello Mark

Nice Reply, no pun intended.

I traded in my 2005 Hexhead for the 2014 LC.

I actually rode in my Hexhead to the dealer, took my stuff out of the Side Panniers and transferred them into the LC Side Panniers.

So the comparison was as direct as you can make it.

Yes, the LC Panniers felt different, but not flimsier.

So we have different impressions of them, that's fine.

The outside lids of the Side Panniers are installed by the dealers when they unpack the bike. What I don't know is, if they have to drill the holes for the hinges.

A bit of sloppy work might explain different impressions that owners get, but flimsy Panniers is certainly not a common theme or complains by the majority of owners.

I am always astonished when new owners complain about parts that could have been easily noticed during the original inspection and demo ride "before" purchasing the bike.

And if the topic starter noticed that many "issues", then he should have never purchased the bike, full stop.

 

[lkchris]

BMW tries pretty hard to keep the weight of these bikes down.

 

This time they had to add radiators and water.

 

Unless you're really ham-handed there's no functional disadvantage to a "flimsy" saddlebag lid.

 

It's one of the downsides of DIY maintenance that you break things. Those with factory training and/or experience usually don't.

 

The era of fixing your Model T with baling wire is over and in fact NEVER happened in Germany. DIY maintenance gets little to zero consideration in design of German vehicles. The expectation in contrast is that maintenance will be performed by a trained professional.

 

In the world of high performance, expensive vehicles, none of them are built "heavy."

[Ponch]

BMW tries pretty hard to keep the weight of these bikes down.

 

This time they had to add radiators and water.

 

Unless you're really ham-handed there's no functional disadvantage to a "flimsy" saddlebag lid.

 

It's one of the downsides of DIY maintenance that you break things. Those with factory training and/or experience usually don't.

 

The era of fixing your Model T with baling wire is over and in fact NEVER happened in Germany. DIY maintenance gets little to zero consideration in design of German vehicles. The expectation in contrast is that maintenance will be performed by a trained professional.

 

In the world of high performance, expensive vehicles, none of them are built "heavy."

 

I would even go one step further. I would say they purposely design their bikes and cars not to be self-serviced. I wouldn't be surprised if the germans required that cars and bikes be serviced at a dealer for vehicles sold in german. So goes the nanny state/authoritarian mentality. Just saying. More power to companies that make maintenance simple.

[mneblett]

Yes, the LC Panniers felt different, but not flimsier.

So we have different impressions of them, that's fine.

The outside lids of the Side Panniers are installed by the dealers when they unpack the bike. What I don't know is, if they have to drill the holes for the hinges.

A bit of sloppy work might explain different impressions that owners get, but flimsy Panniers is certainly not a common theme or complains by the majority of owners.

I should have been more specific -- the actual lid is about as stiff, but when opening/closing the combination of lids/hinges/inner case flexes more.

 

For me, that's actually a good thing because I have to flex the lids a bit every time I open/close them so the front edge clears the K16's Wunderlich saddlebag bars.

 

My understanding is the hinges and cases are completely pre-drilled.

[SAAB93driver]

 

The era of fixing your Model T with baling wire is over and in fact NEVER happened in Germany. DIY maintenance gets little to zero consideration in design of German vehicles. The expectation in contrast is that maintenance will be performed by a trained professional.

 

 

Don't tell John Muir or any air cooled VW owner that.

 

[strataj]

It's one of the downsides of DIY maintenance that you break things. Those with factory training and/or experience usually don't.

 

The era of fixing your Model T with baling wire is over and in fact NEVER happened in Germany. DIY maintenance gets little to zero consideration in design of German vehicles. The expectation in contrast is that maintenance will be performed by a trained professional.

 

 

I don't agree with you, except there is no substitute for experience which is why the DIY takes the time to learn and at times makes a mistake. But the key is taking the time to do the work right not within a factory spec. I know my bikes have had better care because I did the work. I'm willing to take the time to get it just right.

 

After the shock replacement I got the bike home unable to find my pig tail, I removed the panel to find the panel wasn't installed correctly (the push bin wasn't used)lucky it wasn't broken. The pig tail was push up inside lose without a cable tie. FYI-I was at the dealership rode in with tow operator.

 

Years ago I had the dealer do the first Annual service to my 02RT, the clutch wasn't service, it was a dark mess the following year when I did it. I think this led to a short lived slave cylinder. What a job that is...

 

If you do your own work you know what was done and with what parts. I'm just saying.

 

Jay

[Jim VonBaden]

BMW tries pretty hard to keep the weight of these bikes down.

 

This time they had to add radiators and water.

 

Unless you're really ham-handed there's no functional disadvantage to a "flimsy" saddlebag lid.

 

It's one of the downsides of DIY maintenance that you break things. Those with factory training and/or experience usually don't.

 

The era of fixing your Model T with baling wire is over and in fact NEVER happened in Germany. DIY maintenance gets little to zero consideration in design of German vehicles. The expectation in contrast is that maintenance will be performed by a trained professional.

 

In the world of high performance, expensive vehicles, none of them are built "heavy."

 

I would even go one step further. I would say they purposely design their bikes and cars not to be self-serviced. I wouldn't be surprised if the germans required that cars and bikes be serviced at a dealer for vehicles sold in german. So goes the nanny state/authoritarian mentality. Just saying. More power to companies that make maintenance simple.

 

I have to disagree with this. When it comes to pure service items, the Wethead is easier by far than the Camhead, which is easier then the Hexhead (except the servo brakes).

 

Repairs? Depends. The Wethead has so far proven pretty reliable, with items like the switchgear being weak spots.

 

Jim

[Ponch]

BMW tries pretty hard to keep the weight of these bikes down.

 

This time they had to add radiators and water.

 

Unless you're really ham-handed there's no functional disadvantage to a "flimsy" saddlebag lid.

 

It's one of the downsides of DIY maintenance that you break things. Those with factory training and/or experience usually don't.

 

The era of fixing your Model T with baling wire is over and in fact NEVER happened in Germany. DIY maintenance gets little to zero consideration in design of German vehicles. The expectation in contrast is that maintenance will be performed by a trained professional.

 

In the world of high performance, expensive vehicles, none of them are built "heavy."

 

I would even go one step further. I would say they purposely design their bikes and cars not to be self-serviced. I wouldn't be surprised if the germans required that cars and bikes be serviced at a dealer for vehicles sold in german. So goes the nanny state/authoritarian mentality. Just saying. More power to companies that make maintenance simple.

 

I have to disagree with this. When it comes to pure service items, the Wethead is easier by far than the Camhead, which is easier then the Hexhead (except the servo brakes).

 

Repairs? Depends. The Wethead has so far proven pretty reliable, with items like the switchgear being weak spots.

 

Jim

 

I thought I had read that the WC needs special tools for valve adjustments. I think you've talked about this before. Theoretically the WCRT should be less maintenance, which is a good thing. Now if they could get rid of the service reminder, that would be a plus too. That said, it's not as simple as a Victory or Indian in terms of maintenance. Unless it's electric, I think those two are pretty basic, they way it should be.

[Jim VonBaden]

BMW tries pretty hard to keep the weight of these bikes down.

 

This time they had to add radiators and water.

 

Unless you're really ham-handed there's no functional disadvantage to a "flimsy" saddlebag lid.

 

It's one of the downsides of DIY maintenance that you break things. Those with factory training and/or experience usually don't.

 

The era of fixing your Model T with baling wire is over and in fact NEVER happened in Germany. DIY maintenance gets little to zero consideration in design of German vehicles. The expectation in contrast is that maintenance will be performed by a trained professional.

 

In the world of high performance, expensive vehicles, none of them are built "heavy."

 

I would even go one step further. I would say they purposely design their bikes and cars not to be self-serviced. I wouldn't be surprised if the germans required that cars and bikes be serviced at a dealer for vehicles sold in german. So goes the nanny state/authoritarian mentality. Just saying. More power to companies that make maintenance simple.

 

I have to disagree with this. When it comes to pure service items, the Wethead is easier by far than the Camhead, which is easier then the Hexhead (except the servo brakes).

 

Repairs? Depends. The Wethead has so far proven pretty reliable, with items like the switchgear being weak spots.

 

Jim

 

I thought I had read that the WC needs special tools for valve adjustments. I think you've talked about this before. Theoretically the WCRT should be less maintenance, which is a good thing. Now if they could get rid of the service reminder, that would be a plus too. That said, it's not as simple as a Victory or Indian in terms of maintenance. Unless it's electric, I think those two are pretty basic, they way it should be.

 

Special tools:

 

 

Seriously, it could not be easier.

 

Jim

[Ponch]

I guess BMW likes to complicate things.

[Jim VonBaden]

I guess BMW likes to complicate things.

 

Maybe, but there is often a simpler way.

 

Jim

[eej1]

I was never very good at synching the throttle bodies on my 2005 RT. Didn't even try to flush the brakes, but I guess I could have managed with more effort. Of course you have to change oil in both the motor and the transmission. Some how managed to get comfortable doing the valve adjustment. And I'd just cut off the old alternator belt, then wrestle on a new one, kicking the rear wheel in 6th gear per Jim's DVD. Never did have to change any brake pads in 80,000 miles, and had someone else put new tires on.

 

So now I have the 2014 model. Some things won't change, but I'd say it's going to be a lot easier to maintain.

 

I guess someday the valves will actually be out of spec and I'll have to make a trip to the dealer to buy shims. And I did have to buy a caliper, never had one of those before. I am comfortable giving the brake flush a try now, even though it seems to be just half as much work. 4 quarts for oil, none for transmission. Not sure when I should change the coolant yet. No alternator belt to replace.

 

But I did plunk down $450 for a GS 911 wifi so I can reset the service reminder. Still shaking my head over that one, but having fun learning to work on the new bike, and hoping I never get a fault code, even if that hexcode device was so pricey.

[Ponch]

I do everything myself except put the tires on the rims. Just not into it as much anymore and it takes time out of my schedule. If I was retired with my 5 kids out of the house, I wouldn't mind so much. That and a lift.

[Rob L]

I would be willing to bet that there is a way to reset the service reminder without a computer or 911. Probably not common knowledge yet. I had the same reminder with my VWs and learned a sequence of turning on the ignition and using trip and clock buttons to reset it. I am hoping that someone learns and shares this info in the near future.

[lkraus]

I would be willing to bet that there is a way to reset the service reminder without a computer or 911. Probably not common knowledge yet. I had the same reminder with my VWs and learned a sequence of turning on the ignition and using trip and clock buttons to reset it. I am hoping that someone learns and shares this info in the near future.

 

I believe BMW added the service reminder (dealer extortion light) back in 2008. No alternative reset method has shown up yet.

[strataj]

I would be willing to bet that there is a way to reset the service reminder without a computer or 911. Probably not common knowledge yet. I had the same reminder with my VWs and learned a sequence of turning on the ignition and using trip and clock buttons to reset it. I am hoping that someone learns and shares this info in the near future.

 

I picked up a GS911 from Ted Porter a week ago. This past weekend I got to use it. Wow that was easy and works great! Yep you do have a cost upfront but over time I'm sure worth it. I plan to include it with my tool kit while traveling.

 

Jay

[Rob L]

I believe BMW added the service reminder (dealer extortion light) back in 2008. No alternative reset method has shown up yet.

 

[PadG]

I thought I had read that the WC needs special tools for valve adjustments. I think you've talked about this before. Theoretically the WCRT should be less maintenance, which is a good thing. Now if they could get rid of the service reminder, that would be a plus too. That said, it's not as simple as a Victory or Indian in terms of maintenance. Unless it's electric, I think those two are pretty basic, they way it should be.

 

Special tools:

 

 

Seriously, it could not be easier.

 

Jim

Jim, I think that Ponch may have been thinking of a thread that I had also read a while back. The so-called special tool might have been something that somebody suggested to keep the cams locked together to keep their positions, when they are taken off to change the shims. Quite frankly, I don't see the needs for something like that at all, unless you are a novice at working on engines and wants to be very safe!

[PadG]

I would be willing to bet that there is a way to reset the service reminder without a computer or 911. Probably not common knowledge yet. I had the same reminder with my VWs and learned a sequence of turning on the ignition and using trip and clock buttons to reset it. I am hoping that someone learns and shares this info in the near future.

 

I picked up a GS911 from Ted Porter a week ago. This past weekend I got to use it. Wow that was easy and works great! Yep you do have a cost upfront but over time I'm sure worth it. I plan to include it with my tool kit while traveling.

 

Jay

Most likely, I will pick one up in the future as well, but how do you figure that it will be worth the money?

[eej1]

It will take a while for me to recoup the cost of paying the dealer to reset the service reminder, but it does eliminate the trouble of going there to get it done. Maybe some day if there is an easily fixed problem identified by the fault codes it will help. And now I have another cool tool.

[WDowdy]

It will take a while for me to recoup the cost of paying the dealer to reset the service reminder, but it does eliminate the trouble of going there to get it done. Maybe some day if there is an easily fixed problem identified by the fault codes it will help. And now I have another cool tool.

 

I agree with this, but it will not take me that long for a payback. The trip to the dealer is 200 miles round trip, I do all my own maintenance, so the only reason to go to the dealer is to get the light reset. Does not take many trips to pay for the gs-911 plus I get the benefits of doing my own diagnostics every 6,000 miles.

[PadG]

It will take a while for me to recoup the cost of paying the dealer to reset the service reminder, but it does eliminate the trouble of going there to get it done. Maybe some day if there is an easily fixed problem identified by the fault codes it will help. And now I have another cool tool.

Yeah.....that's what I thought! I feel exactly the same way. Just a tool to play with, with the side benefit of being able to reset the minder! So, I am just waiting to see if the reminder light is annoying enough. My '07 didn't have this "feature", and so I don't know what it looks like!

[strataj]

I would be willing to bet that there is a way to reset the service reminder without a computer or 911. Probably not common knowledge yet. I had the same reminder with my VWs and learned a sequence of turning on the ignition and using trip and clock buttons to reset it. I am hoping that someone learns and shares this info in the near future.

 

I picked up a GS911 from Ted Porter a week ago. This past weekend I got to use it. Wow that was easy and works great! Yep you do have a cost upfront but over time I'm sure worth it. I plan to include it with my tool kit while traveling.

 

Jay

Most likely, I will pick one up in the future as well, but how do you figure that it will be worth the money?

 

The cost of a service reminder is $50(some may want more)at the dealer, if you keep the bike 48,000 miles, it's paid for. If you ever have an ABS problem (a simple air bubble)it help diagnose. You can have up to 10 Vin numbers share the cost with others.

 

The GS911 does all kinds of diagnosing, you can help out others without using up any of the 10 Vin's ( the vin limit is just for service resets).

 

Jay

[strataj]

It will take a while for me to recoup the cost of paying the dealer to reset the service reminder, but it does eliminate the trouble of going there to get it done. Maybe some day if there is an easily fixed problem identified by the fault codes it will help. And now I have another cool tool.

 

I agree with this, but it will not take me that long for a payback. The trip to the dealer is 200 miles round trip, I do all my own maintenance, so the only reason to go to the dealer is to get the light reset. Does not take many trips to pay for the gs-911 plus I get the benefits of doing my own diagnostics every 6,000 miles.

 

Bingo

 

Jay