[domromer]

I'm planning on getting my 11k service done at a local shop here in town. I'm new to the area and don't really know the good shops from the bad. Just as a baseline what would most shops charge for the 11k service? I don't have the time or the inclination to do it myself so I figure it's time to pony up....just not too much.

 

[farmerlou]

All I did was change the oil and oil filter. You can do that yourself. Do the air filter next service when you check the valves.

 

[kick]

What's fair is their hourly rate plus parts. If all they did was work on V-stroms then maybe they could offer a price for X, Y or Z service packages.

 

[happypuppy]

I agree with farmerlou. Some easy stuff you can do at the same time is walk around the bike with a torque wrench and check everything and use locktite if needed. I learned that from my FJR, the side case fell off at about 10k due to the bracket coming apart. Now I check everything pretty often


Sent from my Motorcycle iPad app

 

[Stixx]

Dealers here suck. I took my wee to two different shops so far , the first one put four quarts of oil in and the second one , put in over three and change and charged me for four. The bike holds by spec two point six and so now I change my own. God help me if I need an expert. BMW service is expensive but at least they got it right on those. Suzuki dealers so far have not impressed me at all. :headbang:

 

[greywolf]

It's 2.9qts for the Wee if the filter is changed.

 

[Jeff Z]

More to it than changing the oil...

If there were more reputable shops, our idea of an "11k service" wouldn't be satisfied by an oil change. There's a lot more than just changing the oil. They're several preventive checks that ought to be performed, but pencil whipping is the norm so now many folks settle for doing the oil change themselves.

I'd take my wee a hundred miles to a shop that did it right - if I could just find one.

 

[kick]

I'd take my wee a hundred miles to a shop that did it right - if I could just find one.

I'm probably closer to 1600 miles from you. It's a nice ride though so see ya Friday?

 

[OydnaR]

depending on the labor rate, about 1hr + parts & chemicals ($100-125±)

is 11k and air filter service interval ? if so, add half hour or so

aside from oil & filter, fastner check, clean lube lever pivots, linkages, brake pins, chain etc at every 3500-4000 miles service

 

[MikeB]

Considering the cost of shop work as well as the general reliability of the 'Strom, I'm wondering whether the best strategy for the non-mechanically-inclined would be to change the oil and filters when needed and just skip everything else for 20-25K miles or so, and then sell the bike.

Seriously. Routine maintenance procedures performed at the dealership at recommended intervals along with bigger things like valve adjustment and TB synch could perhaps reach a couple grand in that time -- why not use that money (and proceeds from the sale of the old bike) and get a new one? I'd be very surprised if anything drastic would result from just doing the basic things anyone can do with the OEM toolkit. Yeah, your valves will probably be out of spec and the TBs out of synch, but very unlikely to a fatal, damaging, or even annoying degree.

The new owner will probably do all the major checks, adjustments and replacements anyway, just from an abundance of caution. Most of us do.

 

[chicago]

I had my valves/TB sync. and a few other things done for $288 at a dealer at 14k.
Oil changes, air filter, plugs, tires I do. If you don't want to remove the tank yourself then I suppose you could postpone air filter/plugs till the 14k valve adj. assuming you don't play in the dirt.
If I was buying a used strom I would want to see maint. records, particularly valve adj.

 

[spidrgr]

11K maintenance should only be oil and maybe oil filter. Air filter replacement would only come at about 15K. Changing oil and filter on the wee is so simple and requires so little time. Taking the time to bring it to the dealer or any other mecchanic for that matter and also, taking into account the time needed to retrieve the thing once the maintenance is completed will actually represent more time than doing it yourself.

Air filter, as well as plugs will have to be done at 15K, so will the valves. Plugs and air filter are easy. Better leave valves to someone who knows what he is doing. Once this first valve check/adjustment is completed, I personally believe you wont need another one for quite a while as the valve bedding and metal ''settling'' will be done.

 

[MikeB]

I had my valves/TB sync. and a few other things done for $288 at a dealer at 14k.

Are you sure he did more than CHECK those things? That seems VERY reasonable if actual adjustments -- especially valves -- were done. Heck, for that price I'd never do my own wrenching again. Where is this dealer located? I'm not that far away.

 

[OydnaR]

to all you DIYers out there

how much do you not understand the OP's original post

I don't have the time or the inclination to do it myself .

for some of us, out time is worth something and professional maintenance is more cost effective

I know that personally, I can drop my bike off at the dealer in less time than it would take me to get my own wrenches out and put away, the actual work takes a trained mechanic less time, and someone else is responsible for mistakes

I know that some of you consider wrenching a way of bonding with yer bike, yer really just bonding with yer wrenches, the only way to bond with a bike is with yer right hand

 

[Scott E. Bonds]

I would dissagree with the last post a little. Bonding comes from riding and washing and maintenance. Washing he said...yes sir, thats how you find small problems before they become large ones.

When you are at the back side of nowhere, the small amount of knowledge you gain from knowing where the spark plugs and air filter are even located as well as being able to pull the tank, could be the differerence between a long dangerous walk and returning to a stolen bike versus some wrenching on the side of the road.

That said. Plugs and oil should cost 1 hour as 1 hour is a typical minimum. To check valves requires pulling tank..so do air filter then also as well as the throttle body sync. This is about 2 to 3 hours shop time plus parts. labor will be about $75 to $90 per hour.

I would learn how to do plugs, air filter, and oil even if in the long run you plan on paying someone to do it sometimes also.

 

[OydnaR]

what part of

I don't have the time or the inclination to do it myself .

is it that you guys don't get

 

[Scott E. Bonds]

I can read sir. I answered his question at the end. And I gave him the same advice I would give my son or any friend...learn the basics for they may save you some day.

It goes beyond convenience and cost in my opinion. And, yes, its nice having somebody else responsible for mistakes when the bike takes a shit somewhere besides the comfort of your driveway or the dealers parking lot due to an experts misstake.


See posts....My dealer couldn't even figure out how much oil...see posts...my dealer put on the wrong chain and it feel off.

 

[OydnaR]

you assume that because someone chooses to pay a professional for routine service, that they can't do it in a pinch

bad assumption

like everyone else, you didn't even attempt to answer the op's question

 

[MikeB]

for some of us, our time is worth something and professional maintenance is more cost effective

Yes, now that you mention it it may make more sense to use that time to chastise the butler for not having my smoking jacket ready when I come back from the country club. The groom has also been slacking with the polo ponies, and come to think of it, the upstairs maid hasn't been spanked for while, so off I go....

Gads! To think that I may have neglected these important things just to save a few bucks on the bike.:mrgreen:

 

[Scott E. Bonds]

"That said. Plugs and oil should cost 1 hour as 1 hour is a typical minimum. To check valves requires pulling tank..so do air filter then also as well as the throttle body sync. This is about 2 to 3 hours shop time plus parts. labor will be about $75 to $90 per hour."

FYI......from my first post in thy thread.

Nuff said on my part. I stand by my recommendations. If the OP does not want to learn...thats cool. If he would rather pay and knows how to do it...thats cool too. Sorry if I gave him a little extra info in what I percieved was a non condencending way.