The big one.

[Lonewolf]

The big service, 18k is due, or should I say overdue as I slightly overlooked it as the bike has now done 19300 approximately.    The bike is scheduled to have a new set of plugs (6), valves doing, engine oil, oil filter, air filter, brake fluid change, final drive oil change, general health check etc and any software updates which may be due. Fearing the worse I got a quote from my local BMW dealer and was pleasantly surprised, £570 all in.


So this got me thinking, how does this compare with the Kawasaki 1400?  Purely for experimental purposes and to quash malicious rumours that if you own a BMW you have to bring more wallet (for example), I got a quote, like for like from an authorised Kawasaki dealer. The quotes were almost identical with the Kawasaki coming in at between £580 to £600.


So in reality the service costs of each bike are extremely comparable which is good to know and reinforces what I have experienced during my ownership of both bikes. 

[PRD]

Unfortunately not a fair comparison. The major service, shims etc, is due on the gtr at 24000 miles. In other words you can do a third more miles before the big one so therefore you can keep your wallet in your trousers a bit longer.

[Lonewolf]

You're missing the obvious, two thirds of 24 is not 18, however that's not the point. The mileage is not the element I'm comparing, it was the cost of the major service which is virtually almost identical making both bikes affordable to own and maintain.

[PRD]

A third of 18 is 6 therefore you don't have to pay for a big service for another 6 thousand miles on a GTR. Must be more economical then.

[Rynglieder]

.....Or arrange for you baby sister to get a job at a motorcycle dealership.

I planted mine in one over twenty five yaers ago and have been "looked after" as family ever since as long as I book in when the workshop is quiet.

Mind you, four MOTs and all fall in December now.

The GTR passed its first one last month by the way, so all good 

[Lonewolf]

A third of 18 is 6 therefore you don't have to pay for a big service for another 6 thousand miles on a GTR. Must be more economical then.

The mileage is not the element I'm comparing, it was the cost of the major service which is virtually almost identical making both bikes affordable to own and maintain.

[Lonewolf]

.....Or arrange for you baby sister to get a job at a motorcycle dealership.

I planted mine in one over twenty five yaers ago and have been "looked after" as family ever since as long as I book in when the workshop is quiet.

Mind you, four MOTs and all fall in December now.

The GTR passed its first one last month by the way, so all good 

Very cunning and devious, but highly effective, I like your style! 

[PRD]

Of course the mileage is important. If a major service has to be carried out earlier then it is more expensive to run. Surely you can see that!

[ChrisB]

Price comparisons are useless if you don't like the bike (for whatever reason) being compared. Surely a more useful comparison would be the total service costs over the estimated period of ownership, in years or miles. So a fair comparison might be a BMW/GTR/FTR/moped or whatever your selection, owned from new for 50,000 miles and include all services between 0 and 50k, as in that period some bikes may only need 2 big services and others need 3. Car leasing companies cottoned onto this years ago by ensuring replacing the vehicle at "x" miles when "x" is the service point before the first big one. Bank fleet cars had massive stickers on the dash instructing the user NEVER to exceed 13000 miles without
contacting their fleet department.

[Lonewolf]

I think people are thinking way too deep into this thread. 

[Rynglieder]

I think people are thinking way too deep into this thread. 

The problem is that when it is cold and wet in January and people are not tempted out on thier bikes, we have too much time to think 

[PRD]

Price comparisons are useless if you don't like the bike (for whatever reason) being compared. Surely a more useful comparison would be the total service costs over the estimated period of ownership, in years or miles. So a fair comparison might be a BMW/GTR/FTR/moped or whatever your selection, owned from new for 50,000 miles and include all services between 0 and 50k, as in that period some bikes may only need 2 big services and others need 3. Car leasing companies cottoned onto this years ago by ensuring replacing the vehicle at "x" miles when "x" is the service point before the first big one. Bank fleet cars had massive stickers on the dash instructing the user NEVER to exceed 13000 miles without
contacting their fleet department.