7.5K service price £350+VAT+parts!!!!

[Kevin]

Will you also mention the stupid low fuel warning system please.

As I said once before: I'd love to know who the genius was at Kawasaki who decided that once I was low on fuel the bike would flash ***LOW FUEL*** at me, removing the range, showing me the gear I'm in only if I happen to be looking at it when it flashes on and removing access to any of the other useful information in the top of the display.

Kevin

[Barry7]

Don't forget, the screen bracket breaking, tyre pressure sensor battery replacment, Bla Bla Bla.

At this point the Kawasaki staff will adopt a glazed look, because they don't give a fly fig about that sort of thing.

If you have a problem write to Kawasaki customer services, thats what they are for!

If they get enough reports of the same problem they may just do something about it, but the poor chumps at the bike show will just pay you lip service, and forget all about it.

[mattye]

Hi all,

Cheers for all the replies to my original post.

I've decided to take the GTR to a local family run garage (run by father and two sons.) every 7.5K who have quoted me £130 - £150 for the 7500 service items without the plug change. This seems a bit more realistic.

On the strength that all the sales hype about Iridium plugs is that you pay a premium for longer life and better performance I'm going to have the plugs 'checked every' 15K (ie every other service) and changed whenever they look like they need doing.

This would seems to make sence to me and to keep the GTR on the road as much as possible whilst keeping everthing maintained.

By the way, the original Kawasaki dealer who quoted £350+VAT+parts has declined to offer a price for the service without the plug change and has also declined even to do the service without the plug change. Doesn't seem like looking after your customers to me.

Warranty issues - cross that bridge if I ever get to it.

[Rusty]

Amazed ! Why would a dealer in these hard times turn away anyone who wants to spend their money ? If you want a service without the plugs then that's exactly what you should get .. no wonder these places are going out of business  :(

[Martin#30]

By the way, the original Kawasaki dealer who quoted £350+VAT+parts has declined to offer a price for the service without the plug change and has also declined even to do the service without the plug change. Doesn't seem like looking after your customers to me.

I have a little sympathy with the dealer here, even though I agree with you mattye and LR that changing the plugs at only 7,500 miles seems excessive to we owners.

The fact is that Kawasaki explicitly state that the plugs need changing at 7,500 miles. The dealer has to respect that statement from Kawasaki, and not encourage you to cut corners that *may* impact on the brand.

Kawasaki, like any manufacturer, knows that whole life costs do factor into our perception of the bikes. They are not specifying a plug change at 7,500 miles purely to line the pockets of their dealer network, they are doing it because their intensive durability testing prior to releasing the bike showed some sort of issue that could arise and that would be a problem later.

Now my beef comes from the fact that every manufacturer sets service intervals based on the most abusive, ham fisted, mechanically unsympathetic possible rider. That is why the 3,750 mile service interval is there (final drive oil, not engine oil) and that is why the plugs need changing at 7,500 miles.

The solution is condition based servicing like most cars seem to have these days. Monitor cold starts, monitor fuel usage, monitor revs used and determine servicing based on that.

Martin.

[Kevin]

<snip> Now my beef comes from the fact that every manufacturer sets service intervals based on the most abusive, ham fisted, mechanically unsympathetic possible rider. That is why the 3,750 mile service interval is there (final drive oil, not engine oil) <snip>

If that was the only reason BMW, Yamaha and Honda would set similar service intervals. They don't so there must be more to it.

Kevin

[Mogster]

here's a thought... the GTR has 2 'ECO' settings, the automatic one and the one ya turn on ya self...now i is wondering does the plug change have anything to do with the 'leaner burning' engine maps?....do it make the plugs run hotter. therefore impacting on the overall life of them.

I would imagine in testing, as most of the GTR's market is not designed around our congested little island, the bike is ran for very long periods with the either eco setting engaged.

[Martin#30]

If that was the only reason BMW, Yamaha and Honda would set similar service intervals. They don't so there must be more to it.

Kevin

Each bike has a different level of engineering, potential for abuse, and expected target market.

Taking extremes for illustration purposes, a 1200RT could reasonably be expected to attract a more mature, mechanically sympathetic audience. In addition, it's heavily governed (electronically) old technology engine is well proven in life.

Our GTRs could well be expected to attract riders who prefer a sportsbike style, and use the top end horsepower. Additionally, the varaible valve train and shaft drive are relatively new technology for Kawasaki.

Thus our service intervals are shorter.

Martin.

[Ubertours]

That still doesn't explain why the plug manufacturer sells iridium plugs specifically to save on maintainance and says that they are good for at least 50000 miles!!!

[Rusty]

" A R1200RT would reasonably be expected to attract a more mature, mechanically sympathetic audience " ....... Not in The Met they don"t  !!!!!!  ;D ;D ;D

[Kevin]

<snip> Our GTRs could well be expected to attract riders who prefer a sportsbike style, and use the top end horsepower. Additionally, the varaible valve train and shaft drive are relatively new technology for Kawasaki.

Thus our service intervals are shorter.

Martin.

Who prefer a sports bike style more so than, say a VFR1200 owner? A quick Google suggests the service interval for that is 8000 miles.

Kawasaki have had shaft drive bikes for years.

Kevin

[Martin#30]

Kevin,

To me, a VFR1200 is an excellent development on proven technology (V4, VTEC, C-ABS etc) sold at a fairly premium price in a market that Honda has a significant presence and loyal customer base in.

Kawasaki has built a bike with some industry wide ground breaking technology (K-Trac), and a fair chunk of technology new to Kawasaki (combined braking, variable valve control etc). It has launched that bike in a relatively new segment to Kawasaki, at a comparable price to the Hondas and BMWs.

They cannot deliver more (notice that this does not necessarily mean better) bike, for the same money, in a smaller potential market without sacrificing something. My feeling is they don't have the budget to do the extensive durability testing that Honda and BMW could do, so they have to play safe with their service intervals to avoid a warranty fed financial disaster (Bimota V-Due).

I would hope that after the bikes have been out there for a while, they will feel confident enough to extend the service intervals.

Personally, I think Kawasaki got the balance right. If they had reduced the new technology, or increased the price to allow better engineering/testing and longer service intervals, they would have struggled more.

Martin.

[Mogster]

ooh i think Honda are more than capable of letting the customer do the extensive testing rather than spend there own money.

I know this as i had the misfortune to own a Honda VF1000F... :( :( ...bloody thing spent more time having the Cams and tentioners replaced than it did being ridden.

[Winston Smith]

ooh i think Honda are more than capable of letting the customer do the extensive testing rather than spend there own money.

I know this as i had the misfortune to own a Honda VF1000F... :( :( ...bloody thing spent more time having the Cams and tentioners replaced than it did being ridden.

A few years ago that though!

[fred24]

I have a little sympathy with the dealer here, even though I agree with you mattye and LR that changing the plugs at only 7,500 miles seems excessive to we owners.

The fact is that Kawasaki explicitly state that the plugs need changing at 7,500 miles. The dealer has to respect that statement from Kawasaki, and not encourage you to cut corners that *may* impact on the brand.

Kawasaki, like any manufacturer, knows that whole life costs do factor into our perception of the bikes. They are not specifying a plug change at 7,500 miles purely to line the pockets of their dealer network, they are doing it because their intensive durability testing prior to releasing the bike showed some sort of issue that could arise and that would be a problem later.

Now my beef comes from the fact that every manufacturer sets service intervals based on the most abusive, ham fisted, mechanically unsympathetic possible rider. That is why the 3,750 mile service interval is there (final drive oil, not engine oil) and that is why the plugs need changing at 7,500 miles.

The solution is condition based servicing like most cars seem to have these days. Monitor cold starts, monitor fuel usage, monitor revs used and determine servicing based on that.

Martin.

There is nothing in the handbook to say that the final drive oil has to be replaced at 3750mls its 7500 same as everything else that has to be changed.

I still think the 3750ml interval is an inspection and the actual service interval is 7500mls. Neither off which has to be done by a Kawasaki dealer to maintain the warranty it just has to be serviced/inspected in accordance with their procedures.

So having the bike serviced by a dealer every 3750mls but not changing the plugs at 7500 does invalidate the engine warranty.

Servicing the bike yourself and changing the plugs at 7500mls keeps the warranty valid