Service intervals

After recently passing my test, I've been reading the thread "Help - Advice
please" on here with interest (I also liked the z750s at the motorshow).

Anyway, can anyone tell me what routine service intervals are for modern
motorbikes these days (the main Japanese brands), and if they have changed
much in the last 10 years? What kind of money am I likely to pay for a service?
I'm afraid that despite generally being technically competent, I have no
experience of doing my own work on cars/bikes other than changing the occasional
bulb/tyre (and the headlight once after an embarrasing accident).

If I bought a brand new bike, do they have to have a first service very early
on (like 500/1000 miles) like a car and is this usually free from the dealer
who sells the bike or from any main dealer (I've seen some cheap pre-reg
500cc bikes but they're quite a distance from me).

 

Thanks. So if I buy from a dealer miles away I'll have to budget on the cost
of a 400 mile round trip (may as well just ask them to do the service before
I take it home) or labour for a service nearer home.

Is there a maximum time between services too for new bikes, to keep the warranty
valid - If I only do 4000 miles a year am I still potentially looking at
needing two services?

How about changes in the last 5-10 years. I know that cars recently have
gone up to 20000+ mile service intervals in the last 5 years. Do older bikes
have more frequent service intervals (something I'd have to budget for if
I do decide to geta n older bike). Though obviously, skipping one wouldn;t
be a warranty problem.

 

Most Jap bikes are around 3.5k to 4k miles. There are a few
exceptions.

Anything from 100 quid for a minor to 400 quid for a major. Plus
parts.

Either.

 

David Mahon emerged from their own little world to say

most makes have a service at 600 miles. The labour for this service is
*usually* covered in the purchase price but you need to ask whe you sign
the order form. You will have to pay for consumables like oil & filter.

Service intervals vary between makes. Honda specifies a minor service at
4000 mile intervals with additional items at 8000 mile intervals. Some
models have even more items at 16,000 mile intervals.

Not Jap, but for information, BMW service intervals are 6000 & 12000.

Prices vary considerably with location. A recent survey on a forum for my
bike indicated that a 6k franchised dealer service[1] can cost from £130 to
£240 depending on where you live. Whilst service costs in SE England are
generally higher this is not a hard fast rule. The most expensive 6k
service was done by a dealer in Geordieland IIRC.

[1] 2 hours labour plus oil & filter

 

I "negotiated" [1] a completely free first service when I purchased the
V-Strom.


[1] basically I asked if it was free - only found out later that normally
labour would be but parts weren't but I got a 'deal' - not worth a great
deal but still useful

 

Kawasaki (ER5):
600 minor £15
4,000 minor £55
7,500 major £140 (inc new tyres)
12,000 minor £150 (inc new tyres)
15,000 major £190 (inc new tyres)
20,000 minor £99
24,000 major I'll tell you in 3,500 miles

 

I know, was just being sarcastic.

12 months won't be so bad.

Be nice if I could find the information for different bikes on the net, but
the manufactuerers aren't all forthcoming with it on their websites.

 

Ben emerged from their own little world to say

IME if you buy a bike from a dealer then it is only that dealer that will
do the first service "free" as the labour charge is included in the
dealer's mark-up on the sale. The fee is sometimes separated out in the "on
the road costs" that appear on the invoice.

Any other franchised dealer can do the service from a warranty point of
view but will charge full labour rates unless they have an arrangement with
the selling dealer.

This was certainly the practice when I worked for a Fiat franchise many
years ago.

 

Buy an older bike, do the oil changes yourself and only take it to a
dealer for valve clearance checks. Works for me.

 

Buy an older bike, do the oil changes and valve clearance checks yourself.
If it's a camshaft out job then take it to a dealer for valve clearance
adjustments . Works for me.

 

Depends on the bike though - for instance the SV and GSX-R I had were 4000
miles and 6 months.

The Strom is 4000 miles and 12 months.

 

David Mahon emerged from their own little world to say

Possibly. I like to support local dealers as much as possible. I've always
bought bikes from a dealer within a 40 mile radius. Of course, having
Bristol, Cardiff & Gloucester in that radius helps. I might even pay a
couple of hundred pounds more for a bike from dealer that I have a good
relationship with.

Most manufacturers insist on an annual service to keep a warranty valid.
4000 miles a year on a Honda would require just one service. You would
alternate between minor/major services each year.

Yes, some older bikes require more frequent servicing. For example, my 1993
Honda Dominator required a service every 4k with an intermediate oil change
at 2k.

 

dwb emerged from their own little world to say

Is that unique to the Strom or have Suzuki finally worked out that nobody
is going to service a bike when it's sat in the garage over winter?

ICBW but I suspect that they have altered the service schedule for all new
bikes sold after a certain date.

 

Same for my 2003 gixxer thou.

--
_______
..'_/_|_\_'. Ace (brucedotrogers a.t rochedotcom)
\`\ | /`/ GSX-R1000K3
`\\ | //' BOTAFOT#3, SbS#2, UKRMMA#13, DFV#8, SKA#2
`\|/`
`

 

Buy an older bike, do everything yourself or farm out to trusted hands
if busy, avoid dealers like the plague they are. Works for me.

 

My new car says it doesn't require a service until 30,000kms...

 

Yes, the first free service is usually around the 600-mile mark.

Bike engines are in much higher states of tune than (most) car engines,
so require more frequent servicing. As others have said, 4,000-mile
intervals are common, but recently this has been stretched to 6,000
miles for some bikes. Usually there's a major service every other one.

Some bikes are ridiculously easy to service (singles, quite a few
twins, Harleys, Moto Guzzis, etc) and some are horrendously awkward
(Honda vee-fours come to mind here). Yamahas have an advantage in that
the five-valve cylinder head used on a lot of them doesn't require a
valve check for as much as 28,000 miles, although when valve time comes
around it can be really expensive.

Ducatis can be expensive - they need painstaking servicing and their
Desmo cylinder heads are time-consuming to re-shim. But the basic cheap
Ducatis are actually quite cheap to run.

So budget as little as £100 for a minor service on an everyday bike,
and as much as a grand for a major overhaul on exotica.

If you like getting your hands dirty, buy ssomething from the 1980s or
earlier: much more home-mechanic friendly.

really, though, most modern Jap bikes require minimal attention. Honest.

 

My local dealer is lovely. I have no problems giving them money as I know
they will do a good job.

 

As is mine (well 20k miles) - for a diesel I was surprsied about this - I
can't imagine what the oil will be like after that 20000 miles though

 

Trans:

"Buy some old piece of shit and bodge it to keep it running."

And *some* dealers are excellent.