flash412
05-07-2007, 02:36 PM
A little over a month ago, in this thread (http://www.bmwmoa.org/forum/showthread.php?t=16398), "Jim Von Baden" announced the release of his Service Maintenance DVD for the R1200 Series. Jim has sold many copies. I was offered a copy to view and asked to start a thread to review the DVD, snippets of which may be included in an upcoming article in the MOA News. So, if you've seen the disk and have an opinion or comments, positive or negative, please share.
My perspective is one of general mechanical competence for working on vehicles yet total ignorance as far as the R1200 goes. As I generated a Service & Maintenance DVD set for the F650, perhaps that makes Jim and me some sort of "peers." We both hope that others will generate this sort of material for other models of BMW, and other marques for that matter. It isn't hard to do.
Jim's material is well organized and generally presented in a clear and concise fashion. The lighting and sound are good. Except for the rare arm blocking a view of something, it is easy to see what is going on.
Occasionally the list of tools and materials for a given section flies by a little too fast. But hey, that's what the pause button is for. Once in a while I wished that a shot had been shortened in editing. Watching Jim screw in four bolts was not any more informative (to me) than watching him screw in one bolt and then tighten it to the proper torque. But that sort of thing can certainly be considered a matter of personal style.
I thought that the organization and presentation of the material was good. Having watched the DVD, I would have no qualms about tackling any of the items covered. I would recommend this DVD for anyone who owns an R1200 that has any interest in maintaining their own bike. Seems to me that by spending ~$25 (+ shipping), one could stop the dealer from charging a pantload of cash for normal, easily performed in the garage, routine maintenance. Besides, scheduling time in your own garage is generally a lot easier and more flexible than scheduling time at the dealership for maintenance. I'm all for motorcyclists NOT being credit card and cell phone riders. This DVD is a great leg-up for anyone who owns an R1200 and doesn't know what to do to get started. I would think that the cost of buying the DVD would be returned at least three or four times over the very first time you maintain your own bike instead of taking it to a dealer. Plus, the pride of ownership and your "Zen" with your machine would increase as well.
My perspective is one of general mechanical competence for working on vehicles yet total ignorance as far as the R1200 goes. As I generated a Service & Maintenance DVD set for the F650, perhaps that makes Jim and me some sort of "peers." We both hope that others will generate this sort of material for other models of BMW, and other marques for that matter. It isn't hard to do.
Jim's material is well organized and generally presented in a clear and concise fashion. The lighting and sound are good. Except for the rare arm blocking a view of something, it is easy to see what is going on.
Occasionally the list of tools and materials for a given section flies by a little too fast. But hey, that's what the pause button is for. Once in a while I wished that a shot had been shortened in editing. Watching Jim screw in four bolts was not any more informative (to me) than watching him screw in one bolt and then tighten it to the proper torque. But that sort of thing can certainly be considered a matter of personal style.
I thought that the organization and presentation of the material was good. Having watched the DVD, I would have no qualms about tackling any of the items covered. I would recommend this DVD for anyone who owns an R1200 that has any interest in maintaining their own bike. Seems to me that by spending ~$25 (+ shipping), one could stop the dealer from charging a pantload of cash for normal, easily performed in the garage, routine maintenance. Besides, scheduling time in your own garage is generally a lot easier and more flexible than scheduling time at the dealership for maintenance. I'm all for motorcyclists NOT being credit card and cell phone riders. This DVD is a great leg-up for anyone who owns an R1200 and doesn't know what to do to get started. I would think that the cost of buying the DVD would be returned at least three or four times over the very first time you maintain your own bike instead of taking it to a dealer. Plus, the pride of ownership and your "Zen" with your machine would increase as well.