Owner Maintenance

[leadfoot]

I recently had my 600 mile maintenance performed on my 08 RT. I was less than pleased with the work performed by this dealer. When I purchased the bike I made an inquiry regarding my services, and when I took the bike in for service, the 600 mile was about 100 dollars more than quoted, and they needed the bike cold, when I was initially told all it would need was a fluid change, not a valve check. I left my home at 3:30 AM, rode 310 miles, waited 7 hours for the service, and got home at 10 PM that night. I wrote down 4 questions that I wanted answered by the tech upon completion, and had to chase him down afterword for an answer. I told them the headlight was too high (beam), and they forgot to adjust it. I asked if my book was stamped, was told yes, only to check before I left, it was not, so I got it stamped. The seat was not even placed in the same position as when I arrived. While each of these issues seem rather small by themsleves, the sum of them made me feel like stopping 10 miles down the road & checking my bike out, and I did! All seemed OK.

I will get to the point. I have performed all my maintenance on my Electra Glide, and feel that with some exceptions, I can do all the work myself on this bike. Intent is to get a manual first. I am going on a 4500 mile ride in a few weeks, and I feel if I change the oil prior, and do a valve check I will not have any problems. The valves sound rather loose, and the bike does a lot of backfiring on decel. Is this normal for this bike? I want to cover all bases, I am an excellent mechanic, and I feel very confident in my work. Do many of you perform your own maint, and if so, what do you think the difficulty level is?

I know this is long-winded, but I wanted to state my reason before the question.
Thanks!

[tomm51]

I bought ten oil filters when I bought my bike.I also paid the $70 for the oil filter wrench.Beemer boneyard now will sell you one for about $20.I change the oil often,Three times counting the 600 mile service.Now I have close to 6000miles and will change it every three thousand miles.This is about as easy as it gets to change the oil on the RT.As for the backfiring mine don't.Maybe next time drive three hundred miles in the other direction and try a different service department.I like the mechanic at mine but they are just to backed up for speedy service.

[deilenberger]

To answer your question - maintenance on the bike is a piece'a cake. On an RT there is a bit of plastic to get out of the way.. so it's a bit more work than on a Roadster or GS.. but still easy compared to most bikes.

Just make sure you have the right tools (lots of torx drivers, torque wrenches, normal stuff) and manual, CD/DVD or something for the torque settings and proecedures. Jim VanB's DVD is a good starting point - but double-check all the torque numbers in the factory manual. You'll also need something like a TwinMax to balance the throttle-bodies (although I've never had to touch mine - once I adjust my valves they are right back to perfect..)

Aside from warranty stuff - I do all the maintenance on my bikes.. I enjoy doing it, and that way I know it's done to my standards. I do it with BMW parts and fluids purchased through the dealer so I have a full record of it being done in case it ever comes up for a warranty claim (which I have had zero on the bike in 17k miles..)

BTW - it shouldn't be backfiring or popping through the exhaust.

[JimVonBaden1]

To answer your question - maintenance on the bike is a piece'a cake. On an RT there is a bit of plastic to get out of the way.. so it's a bit more work than on a Roadster or GS.. but still easy compared to most bikes.

Just make sure you have the right tools (lots of torx drivers, torque wrenches, normal stuff) and manual, CD/DVD or something for the torque settings and proecedures. Jim VanB's DVD is a good starting point - but double-check all the torque numbers in the factory manual. You'll also need something like a TwinMax to balance the throttle-bodies (although I've never had to touch mine - once I adjust my valves they are right back to perfect..)

Aside from warranty stuff - I do all the maintenance on my bikes.. I enjoy doing it, and that way I know it's done to my standards. I do it with BMW parts and fluids purchased through the dealer so I have a full record of it being done in case it ever comes up for a warranty claim (which I have had zero on the bike in 17k miles..)

BTW - it shouldn't be backfiring or popping through the exhaust.


Thanks Don.

The only torque value that is off is the rocker arm endplay. It is supposed to be 20nm not 40nm for the three Torx bolts.

Jim :brow

[airoilheadbeemerguy]

This is an excellent forum for getting help. I'm a competent home mechanic and with a Haynes/Clymer manual will do just about any work including engines. Just did my own 20K km (12K mile) service on my '07RT, saved enough money to break even on new Metzlers that went on today. The maintenance schedule was kindly posted on line for me to be able to complete this service. My dealer's work is up to par although it is no longer a place where rider camaraderie mixes well with the pure business ethic that seems to be the norm as dealers expand manufacturer lines etc. :buds

[daddyal]

I'm new to the BMW scene, but after watching my dealer service my GS at 600 and 6000 miles (and buying Jim's dvd). I've done my next two valve adjustments.
After all it's 300 miles to the nearest dealer. And yeah, I think I do a better job.

[leadfoot]

I'm new to the BMW scene, but after watching my dealer service my GS at 600 and 6000 miles (and buying Jim's dvd). I've done my next two valve adjustments.
After all it's 300 miles to the nearest dealer. And yeah, I think I do a better job.

Yeh, 300 miles to the dealer I bought my bike from, and I was not entirely pleased with the service. I second that, I know I can do a better job on my bike. I will tackle anything with good instruction and the proper tools. And when something gets over my head, I will take a deep breath, and get on this forum for some guidance. (Guess I need to buy that DVD), anyone have a link to it?

[ylexot]

Yeh, 300 miles to the dealer I bought my bike from, and I was not entirely pleased with the service. I second that, I know I can do a better job on my bike. I will tackle anything with good instruction and the proper tools. And when something gets over my head, I will take a deep breath, and get on this forum for some guidance. (Guess I need to buy that DVD), anyone have a link to it?

It's in JimVonBaden1's signature :deal

[rangerreece]

It's in JimVonBaden1's signature :deal

Thanks for that highlight, it steered me to Jim's site and I just ordered the dvd, hope it helps because torque charts are elusive creatures; oh so elusive.

[PlaneGeek]

Thanks for that highlight, it steered me to Jim's site and I just ordered the dvd, hope it helps because torque charts are elusive creatures; oh so elusive.

I did my 6K last month and it was a breeze (with the exception of the crappy plastic oil filter wrench the dealer sold me). I did it all with Jim's DVD - awesome - and the Haynes Manual that you can get at a great price on E-Bay. For the torques, Jim's DVD & the Haynes have them all. Plus those color wiring diagrams are fantastic.:bow

[The_Veg]

You can also find torque values here: http://www.r1200gs.info/misc/torque.html

And +1 for JVB's DVD. :thumb

[PGlaves]

I am an advocate of owner maintenance - provided you have a good manual, have decent tools, and know your own limitations. And, provided you have the ability to be careful, meticulous, thorough, and patient.

Most shop techs don't have the luxury of the time it takes to do all the little things an owner can do while working on a bike. Cleaning threads, thoroughly cleaning exterior parts, removing corrosion, repainting a battery tray, cleaning electrical connections just because the tank is off and they are "right there", etc.

Maybe as much as 50% of the time I spend when working on a bike involves these kinds of tasks that are not purely essential to the service I am doing. And few of us want to pay the shop rate to have these extra things done.

Which is probably the main reason we (Voni and I) get high mileage out of our bikes. The process of taking care of all the little things before they become big things doesn't really cost much except time. And time is available if it is the owner's time, but expensive when it isn't.

[47512]

100% agreement with Paul, it is all the little things that a dealer tech can not take the time to do, I know because I was one, both auto, and motorcycle for many years. Jobs are tracted by 10 ths. of a hour. A good shop knows how it takes to do a specific job, thats what you get charged for, and the tech gets paid for. Unfortunately the motorcycle business is not the hobby shop business it used to be. I have a R75/6 with 168,000 miles on it and a 75 Norton MKIII with 87,000 miles. I bought both new and have done 100% of the maintance and repairs plus the little things, and it is the little things that have kept these two machines running with out issues for the past 30 plus years. New motorcycles need much less maintainence than the older ones, but it will be the little things that will keep them on the road years from now, and those little things the owner can generaly do him or her self. A drop of oil, a dab of grease, a small adjustment, touch the fasteners with a wrench once in a while. Works for me.

Ken G.

[TGA57589]

I find it absolutely out of the question what BMW has done to Hexhead owners with the $60 oil filter wrench. I got everyone's shorts all bunched up when I stated that I used a Purolator filter on my '07 RT. I get the filters for around 4 bucks and bought a stamped steel filter whench for 4 bucks as well. What I think will happen down the road is the way of the older machines is this: we will continue to ride the bikes we have now and only then will it be acceptable to use other than a BMW filter. Take notice too that your BMW filter has an odd number of bumps or flutes as they may be called to accept a filter wrench just to make Auto Zone or Advance wrenchs obsolete. I do like my dealership mechanic that he was so cool as to tell me to save my money and not buy a CANBUS charger after I already had a BMW gel-type battery charger. I added a wire harness (with an in line fuse) from a battery tender right to the battery and used plastic ties fastening it to the frame real clean like so it is right next to the rear wheel out of the way but there when I need it.

[leadfoot]

I find it absolutely out of the question what BMW has done to Hexhead owners with the $60 oil filter wrench. I got everyone's shorts all bunched up when I stated that I used a Purolator filter on my '07 RT. I get the filters for around 4 bucks and bought a stamped steel filter whench for 4 bucks as well. What I think will happen down the road is the way of the older machines is this: we will continue to ride the bikes we have now and only then will it be acceptable to use other than a BMW filter. Take notice too that your BMW filter has an odd number of bumps or flutes as they may be called to accept a filter wrench just to make Auto Zone or Advance wrenchs obsolete. I do like my dealership mechanic that he was so cool as to tell me to save my money and not buy a CANBUS charger after I already had a BMW gel-type battery charger. I added a wire harness (with an in line fuse) from a battery tender right to the battery and used plastic ties fastening it to the frame real clean like so it is right next to the rear wheel out of the way but there when I need it.

I think it is great that you have a mech that hooked you up with a way to save money in the charger dept. Should be more like that out there. I think some will have issue with a non-BMW filter, but each owner ultimately chooses the route they take when they make these choices.

It seems that BMW is not the only manufacturer that is intent on making the do-it-yourselfers obsolete. In this day with computer generated maintenance messages on our cars, 100K tune ups, it seems this is the way of the future. I think it is great as long as the unit is under warranty, but when we have to perform some work ourselves after that warranty expires we are up against a wall. Ultimately the choices are, get an extended warranty, pay more for something that a warranty would have taken care of, buy a new vehicle, or just give it a good old try ourselves.

Don't get me wrong, I absolutely love the fact that I can get on my bike and hit the road virtually worry free, but in the end it comes with a cost, which I am willing to pay for now. My hopes are that by the time my bike comes out of warranty, the tools to perform complete maintenance are available to me, and I am up to speed on the work.

Looks like we all have to be self sufficient to a point if we want these new bikes to be keepers. Maybe that is why I kind of envy the airheads, with the carbs, and repair it on the road- bikes. I really like to tinker, and with my 08 all I can do is farkle, so I guess an oldie may be in my future.

[47512]

I have to sympathize with many of you that would rather do your own maintance, know it's a hobby, enthusiast thing. And there many things an owner can still do to a new vehicle. But new vehicle electronics is not one of them. And yes I agree that manufactures tend to do things to generate service business for their dealers, they are there to make money, and with the fancy big operations dealers are required to have now they have to make alot of it. I have a friend the has a Honda, Kawasaki, Suzuki business, it cost $20,000 to put the key in the front door every morning, this is not a hobby shop business. A big HD dealer is in the same boat, A BMW dealer mabe to a lesser degree. And a big issue with the motorcycle business is the liability issue. If you do something to your motorcycle that causes a crash, whether your fault or not you know who is going to take the hit. I have seen people put brake pads in backwards and wonder why they have no brakes, this is not common but it happens. I am quite shure there many that are well qualified to take care of their own machines, And there is sadafaction in doing it right. But for every one that is qualified to do their own service there are 20 that are not, I have seen both sides. I was a tech for 40 years, now retired, I started when the motorcycle business was a more hobby shop inviroment, and moved on to the automotive world where I could make some money and support a family. I still take care of my old motorcycles whitch I enjoy. The two new ones I have, I do minor maintance the rest I let the dealer do. I would rather ride them than work on them any more.

Ken G.