I sent my '07 Wee in for the scheduled 4,000 mile servicing and new tires. Due to the shop's busy schedule and my own, it went in at about 5,500 miles with an interim oil change by yours truly.

One of the things listed by the owner's manual at this interval is an air cleaner inspection. Due to the relatively remote location of the air cleaner, I was happy to let the dealer do this.

Last Sunday (9/9) I participated in a very dusty dual sport ride.

This morning, I had a free hour and decided to check out the air cleaner. It became immediately obvious that I was the first person to crack open the bolts used to secure the gas tank and related obstacles to the air cleaner, which was dirty and full of bugs. I cleaned it with compressed air and a shop vac with tiny attachments.

I took a close look at the 4,000 mile service reciept from the shop and saw an itemized list of services performed on my bike which included fluid checks, lights, etc. However, not included on this rundown was an air cleaner inspection.

Fair enough, they didn't do it and they apparently didn't claim to either. I paid $75 labor for this part of the bill. But, when you take your bike in to a Factory Authorized Service Center under the same roof as the dealer, shouldn't one expect that the service manual be followed a little more closely?

At any rate, Guess who's doing the wrenching on my bike from now on? Don't even mention my wife's Harley.

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Sent from my Hewlett-Packard 75C, using the Flying Merkel motorcycle app.

Stromin'Nroman NC28729, USA

DL650A K7 (Greywolf Moto Lab's R&D test mule) June 1, 2012 - present
DL650A K7 April 23, 2007 - January 6, 2012, RIP

"Look here brother, who you jivin' with that cosmik debris?" Frank Zappa, 1975

My dealer attaches a copy of the maintenance schedule to my receipt with all the specified items checked off.

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- Gary

Be Ashamed to Die Until You Have Won Some Victory for Humanity. ~Horace Mann

Red DL650K6

I've found that most auto service shops have their own version of the scheduled maintenance tasks, whether the shop is part of a manufacturer's dealer or an independent. So I've now taken to going over the list from the owner's manual with the service writer each time and comparing it to the shop's list. They're always different by at least 3 -4 items. I'm not surprised that it's not different for motorcycles.

With my rudimentary (and old) mechanical knowledge I can mostly make an informed decision. I can't even imagine how confusing this must be to the typical consumer - who to believe, the manufacturer or the shop?

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'07 DL650 ABS
'04 Yamaha V-Star 650 Classic Silverado (gone)
'04 Yamaha TTR225
'03 BMW F650GS (wife's)
'92 Honda XR250L
'86 Honda VT500c (gone)

Telling them specifically what you want done works the best. It shows you know about your bike and you're the one setting the expectation. For anyone who buys video games, it's the same as going to GameStop. You have to tell them the game you want and not let them sell you a pre-order, game guide, and membership card.

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2005 Honda Shadow Aero
2006 Suzuki DL1000
2004 Honda Shadow Spirit
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HOW TO SEARCH THIS SITE = http://stromtrooper.com/forums/showthread.php?t=23427

Maybe you should consider yourself lucky. There have been posts of dealers leaving off the gasket when checking/cleaning the airfilter, allowing at least some unfiltered air into the engine, perhaps for a long time if the owner doesn't think to check it. Don't know about the Wee, but on the V it's not terribly difficult to check this, especially after the first time (once you figure out where all the fasteners are and how to get to them), so I'd tell the dealer to leave it off the list and then check it myself.

So do all three of my technicians - Me, myself, and I!

NOBODY touches my bike except for tire changes, which I cannot do myself w/o a tire mounting system - and that's on the list. All the money you spend paying exorbitant dealer labor rates can accumulate some really nice tools in a fairly short amount of time.

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V-Strom - embarrassing squids since 2002.

DL1000K2 #938
Blue, of course!!


R.I.P Jason. You will be missed.

yes. and all of this assumes your dealer would have had your air filter element in stock. i don't know about the wee's, but no dealer around here and no dealer around HandyHiker's place (in ohio) had a DL1000 air filter in stock. i alway order two, just in case, and when the last one goes in, i order two more.

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Tá Gráin Agam Ar Thatcher Fós - I Still Hate Thatcher
98 XR400R-errr 416! plated and street legal dirt ANVIL
'03 Strom 1k. stealth strom. The BOILER