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$50.00 a quart!

motodan

Active member
Service manager tells me my $24.95 a quart rear drive fluid has been surpassed by BMW's own new rear drive lube for the K1600. The new BMW recommended gear lube for K1600 is $50.00 quart. Not sure what change interval is, but only "life time" fill would be acceptable....Oh wait...they already did that once, didn't they?
 
Rear drive oil is expensive, however the dealer only uses a small portion of the container ( measured in CC's). The kicker is when they do a service, they charge you for a full bottle as if it comes from the parts department.

Can't speak specifically for the 1600's since no idea how much is needed, but you can go to the parts counter and buy yourself the quart. When it comes time for service, bring your bottle and tell them to use your oil so there's no rear drive oil charge. They return the unused portion when you pick up the bike.

This isn't the same as trying to bring the dealer your own crank case oil from Walmart to save money. They use like a fifth of that rear drive fluid ( if that) from that bottle for a service. Not sure if some dealers only charge you for the portion used, but I know some charge you for the entire bottle.
 
Well I feel good about my dealer now. My itemized invoice for my 600 mile service shows .1 quart of gear oil. They break it down to the tenth of a quart. Next time you go for a f/d service, TELL them you want the rest of the bottle. If they are going to charge you for it, they have to give it to you. If they don't give it to you make them show you how they used the whole thing on your bike.
 
Exactly

And that's what I do...I buy a quart and use it 180cc at a time. If I go for a dealer service, I bring the bottle along...never had a problem with dealer over it. However, when it gets to $50.00 a quart I may keep it in my bank's Safety Deposit box between services.
 
Black Gold, Texas T, and the first thing You know ol' Jeds a millionaire. :brow At $50 a pop make that a Billionaire. :D
 
My dealer is using up a significant supply of the old (but still worthy) BMW FD oil, and charged me $6 for the fill at my GT's 600-mile service. But at checkout, he proudly showed off a bottle of the new stuff...at $47.95 per quart. Miracle formulation? Maybe, but in small print on the back of the bottle, still 75-90 weight gear oil.
 
I wonder if BMW has thought of BMW-branded-gasoline available only through authorized dealers at $12/gal. Sad thing is, some people probably would swear by it. :bottle
 
$50 per quart rear drive oil.

The cynical truth is that BMW has a hard core group of Koolaid drinkers who believe that ANYTHING that says BMW on it must be the best in the world and they exploit them. They are most probably related to the group of people with no German blood who try to "Out German" folks at BMW Motorcycle and Car Club events. That having been said, the best course is to do your own research and buy the best oil you can find. You may wish to look at products from Pentasynth (sp?) and Red Line Synthetic. Finally, oil is still cheaper than getting flatbedded 150 miles through the desert for a final drive rebuild.

Regards,

Will3hawks
 
Rumor has it that this same fd oil is available at Range Rover places forabout $20.
Haven't confimed it but wouldn't surprise me given the markup on BMW parts.
 
Service manager tells me my $24.95 a quart rear drive fluid has been surpassed by BMW's own new rear drive lube for the K1600. The new BMW recommended gear lube for K1600 is $50.00 quart. Not sure what change interval is, but only "life time" fill would be acceptable....Oh wait...they already did that once, didn't they?

I really don't know what oil BMW uses for FD in K1600 bike. The oil is probably very very special. I think they are pumping it right out of the President Medvedev's office. But I don't think that special BMW oil specs are better than just a SYNTHETIC Amsoil. Here is the description for the Amsoil rated 75-90 for a 12 bucks a quart.

Product Description: Severe Gear?« Synthetic Extreme Pressure (EP) Gear Lube 75W-90
AMSOIL Severe Gear?« Synthetic Extreme Pressure (EP) Gear Lube is a premium-grade gear oil specifically engineered for maximum performance in severe duty applications. This state-of-the-art AMSOIL formulation features an exclusive blend of high viscosity, shear stable synthetic base oils and an extra treatment of high-performance additives. AMSOIL Severe Gear Synthetic EP Gear Lube maintains its viscosity for long-lasting protection against metal-to-metal contact. The proprietary AMSOIL additives form an iron-sulfide barrier coating on gear surfaces, providing the ultimate line of defense against wear, pitting and scoring. AMSOIL Severe Gear helps prevent ÔÇ£thermal runawayÔÇØ ÔÇö a phenomenon caused by a lubricantÔÇÖs inability to control friction and increased heat under high-stress conditions. By controlling thermal runaway, AMSOIL Severe Gear?« Synthetic EP Gear Lube inhibits rapid lubricant degradation and component damage. Equipment runs better and lasts longer with AMSOIL Severe Gear Synthetic EP Gear Lube.

Performance
AMSOIL Severe Gear provides performance beyond that possible with conventional gear oil. This AMSOIL custom product offers superior gear and bearing protection, better friction and heat reduction, increased efficiency and extended service life.

Temperature Extremes
AMSOIL Severe Gear EP Gear Lube excels in hot and cold temperature extremes. By design, it resists breakdown from high heat, preventing acids and carbon/varnish formation. Its wax-free construction also improves cold-flow properties, improving fuel economy and cold weather shifting.

Applications
AMSOIL Severe Gear Synthetic EP Gear Lube is excellent for severe applications, such as towing, hauling, steep-hill driving, commercial use, plowing, racing, off-road use, rapid acceleration, frequent stop-and-go operation and high ambient temperatures. Higher horsepower, towing and hauling capabilities of modern vehicles make turbo-diesel pick-ups, SUVs, vans and delivery/utility vehicles especially prone to severe service. Other severe-duty vehicles include light, medium and heavy-duty trucks, buses, heavy equipment, 4X4s, tow trucks, race cars, tractors, and motor homes.

Superior Film Strength
Controls Thermal Runaway
Rust and Corrosion protection
Reduced Operating Temperatures
Improved Efficiency
Longer Oil, Seal, & Equipment Life

50 bucks for a quart of oil.::laugh
What is next? 500 dollars for a very special 6 spark plugs?:dunno
 
...my Dealer is selling the Castrol 75W90 Synthetic for $47 a litre (they put a white sticker onnthe proclaiming "for BMW"). Guess that makes it worth more 2X what Auto Value sells it for...
 
$$$!

Put more $$ into oil R and D, it couldn't be the FD design and parts failing. Its got to be the oils fault, so we must redevelope it more, even to 50 bucks worth.! Boy, is somebody being spoonfed something. The same marketing department has brought us 25$ oil filters,etcetc.....:(. Ugly! Ya'll keep eat'in this, not me:). Change only happens when they notice the dollars don't go there anymore!:banghead Randy
 
I chuckle every time I read someone's complaints about the exorbitant costs to service and maintain a $25,000 motorcycle.

Guess you should have bought the Kawasaki Concours instead. Then you'd have $10,000 left over for parts and fluids.
 
More Expensive is not necessarily Better

IRT Office Impersonator's comment - I have an old college buddy who is a very successful plastic surgeon in northern NJ. He deals a lot with what he calls the Wall Street Vanity Trade. He charges an obscenely excessive rate for his butt and boob lift and nose job services because he says if he charges a reasonable, lower rate, he'll lose business because those folks will assume he is less competent than the higher-priced docs. In his defense, he charges way less, and sometimes nothing at all, for more difficult cases such as mangled hands (the biggest challenge) and torn-up faces, especially if the victim is a child or a working stiff who cannot afford to pay the vanity trade fees. Does this not ring a bell with those who think they should pay $50/qt for oil because they paid $26K for the motorcycle? What, then, should someone pay for Ferrari engine oil?
 
Knowing what we know and hearing cases like this, why would anyone allow the dealership to do basic maintenance to their bikes? Aside from the first required service of course. Given the amount of FD oil used why not replace the oil 1x per year or bi-yearly? I don't buy that 1x for the life of the bike or 1x per 100k miles. For the price, do it yearly, it can only help.
 
You'll Void your Warranty!!!!!!

If you don't use the reccommended oil in the FD or elsewhere your WARRANTY will be voided by The Fueher!!!!!!:bolt
 
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