600 mile service

[bjhughes]

So where can we find the most current information?

I second that! My bike is a R1200S (not RT), but I did get a manual with it. It has the FD fluid change at 6K, as does all other references noted here. I'm not a BMW tech, so I'm not privy to service bulletins.

Not that it matters...my dealer says 6K...so be it. Any problems, that's what warranties are for.

It certainly can't hurt to do at 600 miles.

 

[cjack]

I second that! My bike is a R1200S (not RT), but I did get a manual with it. It has the FD fluid change at 6K, as does all other references noted here. I'm not a BMW tech, so I'm not privy to service bulletins.

Not that it matters...my dealer says 6K...so be it. Any problems, that's what warranties are for.

It certainly can't hurt to do at 600 miles.

New maintenance schedules just came out. They DO specify a 600 mile rear drive change now. I still don't see any later changes scheduled though.

 

[Retarded Jarhead]

I have been told that the change @ the 600 mile service is the only change "ever" required. The new service schedules seem to support this as it does not show up in any others.

FWIW - my $0.02 is that I will change the fluid myself and perform a through visual inspection at some interval yet to be determined. 12K or 18 K seems to have a nicering to it - just a SWAG at this moment however!

 

[deilenberger]

I have been told that the change @ the 600 mile service is the only change "ever" required. The new service schedules seem to support this as it does not show up in any others.

FWIW - my $0.02 is that I will change the fluid myself and perform a through visual inspection at some interval yet to be determined. 12K or 18 K seems to have a nicering to it - just a SWAG at this moment however!

EdZachery my feeling. I have the oil and have finished the rest of the 12K service.. so I might get to it within a week or two - or perhaps in mid summer when I get to 18k miles.. depends on if the weather is good for riding (rest of this week looks wonderful for NJ..)

 

[marcopolo]

Marco,

I went to the website and read the 600, 6,000, and 12,000 mile inspections plus the annual inspection for the R1200RT and none of them mention the final drive. The 12K+Annual says change the gearbox oil (then notes every 2 years or 40,000 kilometers) and front and rear brake fluids, but again, none of them even mention checking the FD level, much less changing it.

Am I missing something?

Good catch. The FD fluid change at the 1,000 KM running-in check is not shown on the 09/2006 version of the maintenance schedule on A&S BMW's website. It was first called for in a technical service bulletin beginning with model year 2007 bikes (which puts it right around September 2006). Once that one fluid change is done, BMW is silent on the need for any subsequent changes. I, for one, plan to change it at some "reasonable" interval, say every two years/40,000 kms (same interval as the gearbox). BTW, the specified fluid is Castrol SAF-XO (a 75W90 synthetic API GL 5). It is not available at BMW bike dealers in the U.S. BMW USA has a BMW-branded 75W90 synthetic which they recommend (forget those parts people at dealers who might offer you 75W140 -- that's not what's specified, but can sometimes be what they have on hand). If you're doing this yourself, one fellow in NC very recently obtained the Castrol SAF-XO at a Land Rover dealer.

 

[Yeti]

I did mine.

After much careful thought, I decided to do my own 600 mile service so that I could get more familiar with the bike. Using JVB's video, the Haynes manual and the BMW CD it was easy to do. No rocket science involved at all.

For those who asked, here's the latest 600 mile service checklist.

 

[professor]

Does it affect the warantee if you do your own service?

 

[jimvonbaden]

Does it affect the warantee if you do your own service?

No, simply keep your parts receipts, make notes of what you did, and be careful.

Jim

 

[professor]

Thanks, Jim.

I have your video so I should be able to get through most of it.

 

[TexasEtienne]

Does it affect the warantee if you do your own service?

Legally, it shouldn't. But, it's also not legal to rob a liquor store, and yet they get robbed every day. I'm presently being denied warranty service precisely because my scheduled maintenance was not performed by a "certified BMW technician". Eventually it will get resolved, probably in court. But honestly, if I had to do it over again, I'd just let them do the scheduled maintenance, then go take it apart and see if it was done to my satisfaction. Having maintained my own motorcycles, cars, airplanes, boats etc. for over 30 years, it hurts to say that, but eliminating the hassle factor when you need warranty service might make it worthwhile.

 

[jimvonbaden]

Legally, it shouldn't. But, it's also not legal to rob a liquor store, and yet they get robbed every day. I'm presently being denied warranty service precisely because my scheduled maintenance was not performed by a "certified BMW technician". Eventually it will get resolved, probably in court. But honestly, if I had to do it over again, I'd just let them do the scheduled maintenance, then go take it apart and see if it was done to my satisfaction. Having maintained my own motorcycles, cars, airplanes, boats etc. for over 30 years, it hurts to say that, but eliminating the hassle factor when you need warranty service might make it worthwhile.

It is because people allow it that it happens. You come in with a copy of the law, and demand they prove your home done maintenance caused a warranty issue and see how fast they change their tune.

The law is clear. You can do your own maintenance, and they must prove your performance of that maintenance caused the issue.

It is just this situation that has people afraid, and plays into the hands of disreputable dealers who want to force you to pay them to do work you are fully capable of doing yourself.

Jim

 

[RIDERR1150GSADV]

It is because people allow it that it happens. You come in with a copy of the law, and demand they prove your home done maintenance caused a warranty issue and see how fast they change their tune.

The law is clear. You can do your own maintenance, and they must prove your performance of that maintenance caused the issue.

It is just this situation that has people afraid, and plays into the hands of disreputable dealers who want to force you to pay them to do work you are fully capable of doing yourself.

Jim

+1

I let the dealer do the 600 mile service simply because they hook it up to the computer and take care of any faults as it is a new bike. After that one, I do all the maintenance myself.

 

[cjack]

The law is clear. You can do your own maintenance, and they must prove your performance of that maintenance caused the issue.
Jim

I wonder if this is true in other countries as it is in the USA.

 

[jimvonbaden]

I wonder if this is true in other countries as it is in the USA.

Good question. I was assuming, maybe wrongly, that he was in the US!

I know that some other residents of different countries have said no, but many in the US say no as well, ignorant of the laws here.

Jim