drive belt longevity

I have a 2016 F800GT that just turned 25K and noticed that BMW recommends a belt replacement every 24K to the tune of $500 plus labor! This, to me, is outrageous! How can other manufacturers fit their machines with belts that last twice that long and even more and BMW cannot? I also discovered that their are NO aftermarket belt replacements on the internet. So, what gives? Has anyone used their original belt for 30K, 40K or more without failure? I would like to know because I, for one, do not intend to replace my belt every two years (12K per year) for that kind of money! Input and advice would be appreciated...

belt

On the F800ST it is 36,000 miles. Check the F800 forum for more info.

53274 said:

I have a 2016 F800GT that just turned 25K and noticed that BMW recommends a belt replacement every 24K to the tune of $500 plus labor! This, to me, is outrageous! How can other manufacturers fit their machines with belts that last twice that long and even more and BMW cannot? I also discovered that their are NO aftermarket belt replacements on the internet. So, what gives? Has anyone used their original belt for 30K, 40K or more without failure? I would like to know because I, for one, do not intend to replace my belt every two years (12K per year) for that kind of money! Input and advice would be appreciated...

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Relax … a bit. Situation is not as dire as you initially fear. Typically, the belts last longer than the book predicts. I have over 30K on mine and no sign of wear or stress yet. I simply have the dealer tech (Engle's in KC) pay attention and check it every time I have it serviced. (No, I don't do my own wrenching.) Lots of riders on the F800Riders.org site have experiences of much longer belt life. Seems that BMW is a tad pessimistic--probably has to do with liability issues.

BTW, cruise over to F800Riders.org and read a bit. That site is (almost) exclusively for the F-bikes, and it has a more European flavor, while this site is for the BMW brand overall and is primarily US and Canadian riders. Plus, posters on this site tend to focus on the boxer engine and might "seem to ignore" the other BMW engine styles. At least one former MOA F-bike poster has had his feelings hurt by this inattention and quit his MOA membership over it. I, obviously, use both sites (about equally); this site for overall riding discussions and the F800Riders site for bike-specific discussion. They are both invaluable to me.

Good luck.