Home tune-ups

[JerryAttrick]

Between the ordering and the delivery of our new 2010 K1300GT, our local dealership folded. I'm coming up on the first maintenance, but the nearest dealer is about four hours away.
My questions are:

• Would a DIY home job invalidate the warranty?
• Where can I get a list of the items covered by each scheduled maintenance?
• What special tools are needed?

My assets are:

• The BMW Shop Manual on DVD.
• A GS911 diagnostic plug-in with Blue Tooth feature.
• A new, fully-equiped motorcycle shop in the back yard (retirement gift to self).
• A few years experience as a professional motorcycle mechanic (long ago).

Thaks for your inputs,

 

[Semper_Fi]

Jerry - sorry to hear about your dealer - but looks like you got everything covered.

The only things I would add is an extraction device for the oil change.

The BMW tool for the brake fluid reserviors

and a motocycle lift if that is all ready included in your garage.

As to warranty, doing your own work should not affect your warrant, I do however keep the reciepts of the materials purchased.

For the 600 I had my delaer do it - got the stamp - then went home and lubed the splines.

I also use the recommended BMW fluids for all the bike, in or out of warranty.

 

[JerryAttrick]

A few F/U questions:

"...an extraction device for the oil change..."
I take it that it's not just a simple drain plug any more. I have a tool now for adding gear oil through holes in vertical surfaces. It's a big metal cylinder with the push/pull handle on one end, and a plastic tube on the other. A metal extension tube could be added for longer reach. Would that get it, or is there something better?

"The BMW tool for the brake fluid reserviors"
I'm clueless on this one. Can I just ask for one from Bob's BMW, and they will know what I need?

Will I eventually need a synchro tool for the throttle bodies, and what is your favorite brand?

(The shop already has the lift, a tire changer & balancer, and the front axel tool.)

Thanks again,

 

[Semper_Fi]

Merry Christmas!!

A few F/U questions:

"...an extraction device for the oil change..."
I take it that it's not just a simple drain plug any more. I have a tool now for adding gear oil through holes in vertical surfaces. It's a big metal cylinder with the push/pull handle on one end, and a plastic tube on the other. A metal extension tube could be added for longer reach. Would that get it, or is there something better?

The bike has a dry sump oil system which has a reservior tank. The instructions in the reprom has you pulling off the drain tube and do a gravity drain which can be messy. To get around that i got this Mighty Vac 7400:

"The BMW tool for the brake fluid reserviors"
I'm clueless on this one. Can I just ask for one from Bob's BMW, and they will know what I need?

This is what I am refering to with part number

Will I eventually need a synchro tool for the throttle bodies, and what is your favorite brand?

Don't know haven't gotten there yet....

(The shop already has the lift, a tire changer & balancer, and the front axel tool.)

Awesome - for front axle tool you mean to take the axle off or lift the bike up. You can not lift the bike up from the center (as i used to do on the RT) as the plastic and then the exhaust is in the way so you need this:

 

[GILLY]

Would a block of wood under the exhaust (like the collector or "header" under the engine), aided by maybe a floor jack keep the front end up enough to remove the wheel? I'll need to do a front tire early next season.

Gilly

 

[john1691]

Make a spacer to fit between the header and engine block, then shim it tight before lifting the bike by the header. I use an ATV lift and this works fine. I didn't use a spacer the first time and pushd the header up. I was able to get it back in place, but now use a spacer. I haven't bought the extraction device as of yet, just carefully spin the oil level tube down and let it gravity drain into my waste oil pan. Just plan on doing something else for an hour or so while it drains. Someone else had the idea of cutting a 2 liter bottle as a funnel to catch the oil when the filter is removed. I do this every time, but still manage to get oil on the header every time...............

 

[GILLY]

Thanks John. Can you get the spacer up there without taking the lower fairing off? I can't see where there would be space to insert a spacer, I can see what you are saying though and was concerned about it too.
Gilly

 

[JerryAttrick]

If you have a bike lift, you can strap down the back end of the bike, which gives you complete access to the front end. I did this on an R1150R tire change recently, and it worked fine. The Pit Bull tool is slick, but I don't do enough front wheels to justify the cost.
I used two straps so that if either failed, ...

 

[58058D]

I got the $100 model pit bull, not the BMW specific one. I use it on both style K-bikes and feel that it is SOOO functional it easily paid for itself the first time I used it. I do enough tire changes that at current dealer rates it paid for itself very quickly that way as well, but it is so functional and eliiminates the need to remove the fairing for these things.

 

[limecreek]

Make a spacer to fit between the header and engine block, then shim it tight before lifting the bike by the header. I use an ATV lift and this works fine. I didn't use a spacer the first time and pushd the header up. I was able to get it back in place, but now use a spacer. I haven't bought the extraction device as of yet, just carefully spin the oil level tube down and let it gravity drain into my waste oil pan. Just plan on doing something else for an hour or so while it drains. Someone else had the idea of cutting a 2 liter bottle as a funnel to catch the oil when the filter is removed. I do this every time, but still manage to get oil on the header every time...............

You are certainly not the first to find creative methods of holding the bike up for front wheel changes, but I just have to ask--why risk it? A proper wheel stand will cost $150-$200 and will support the bike without risk of collapsing the exhaust and toppling the $20K motorcycle.

I know this is a personal choice and I am not trying to single you out--just wanted to put the cost of the bike and the cost of the wheel stand into the proper perspective.

 

[Semper_Fi]

You are certainly not the first to find creative methods of holding the bike up for front wheel changes, but I just have to ask--why risk it? A proper wheel stand will cost $150-$200 and will support the bike without risk of collapsing the exhaust and toppling the $20K motorcycle.
.....

that's exactly the reason i got the pitbull, ymmv

 

[dwestly]

that's exactly the reason i got the pitbull, ymmv

+1 on the PitBull. We've got three of them. One is the model in the pic and handles the front wheel chores on all our bikes. We've also got one specifically for the rear of my Ducati 1098 and one for the rears of our Honda CBR600RRS and 1000RR. They are a little pricey, but definitely worth it. You're right, why risk toppling or damaging a 20K+ motorcycle just by trying to save a few bucks...?

 

[amiles]

Between the ordering and the delivery of our new 2010 K1300GT, our local dealership folded. I'm coming up on the first maintenance, but the nearest dealer is about four hours away.
My questions are:

As a guy who does all of his own maintenance, I would highly recommend going to the dealer for the first maintenance and to a lesser degree the subsequent ones. In the case of a (hopefully) good dealer, initial break in adjustments and inspections will be done at what I consider the most critical point in the life of your machine and it's warranty. Straightening out a problem early is always best.

A good shop will know what to look for and also what to watch for as time goes on. Government regulation (MagnusonÔÇôMoss) probably/hopefully protects you if you do your own warranty preventative maintenance, but paperwork from an "Official" dealer simplifies things.

 

[JerryAttrick]

Sounds like a good idea to go to a dealer for the first service.
I suspect some owes me a software update anyway.
Besides, what's the point of living in Florida if you don't take road trips in the middle of "winter"?

 

[Semper_Fi]

Sounds like a good idea to go to a dealer for the first service.

FYI

For the 600 I had my dealer do it - got the stamp - then went home and lubed the splines.

I suspect some owes me a software update anyway.

It's a recall the have to do it anyways

 

[GILLY]

You're right, why risk toppling or damaging a 20K+ motorcycle just by trying to save a few bucks...?

Answering your own question with that statement, a few hundred bucks is not "a few bucks", it's a bike payment for those of us that can't afford a GT without a payment book. "High aspirations, low budget".
If I can get it done without it (accepting a CERTAIN amount of risk), I will do it without it.
Unfortunately, after looking at the pretty picture of one in use, I probably SHOULD forget about doing it without a stand. Unless I can make something comparable, but probably more work than it's worth.

Gilly

 

[GILLY]

I got the $100 model pit bull, not the BMW specific one. I use it on both style K-bikes and feel that it is SOOO functional it easily paid for itself the first time I used it. I do enough tire changes that at current dealer rates it paid for itself very quickly that way as well, but it is so functional and eliiminates the need to remove the fairing for these things.

Do you have specifics on which model, and to verify it'll work on the front of a GT?
Advice on where to buy?
$100 wouldn't be "so bad".
Gilly

 

[john1691]

I pretty much just do this for oil changes, which require the bellypan to come off. I don't remove the side plastics. A full bike lift with the front tire lock would be sweet as the ATV lift has to be positioned just right to get the waste oil pan in the right place, just can't afford it right now.

Thanks John. Can you get the spacer up there without taking the lower fairing off? I can't see where there would be space to insert a spacer, I can see what you are saying though and was concerned about it too.
Gilly

 

[GILLY]

I'm lucky, the GT I can change oil just on the center stand w/o removing anything (or buying an oil extractor device)

 

[Semper_Fi]

I try to make things as easy as possible for myself when I work on the bikes or cars.....

Here is the link to pirates lair for the Pitbul if your interested.

They show the 1200 but it is also usable on the 1300

Pitbull Link