Cost of first service

I took mine in for first Service this past Monday June 13, the BMW website was not working and the service had to be finished on Thursday afternoon. The service wad done by Shawn Smoak of Pro Caliber in Vancouver Washington. The cost was just shy of 400.00. The bike runs much better now and I was totally happy with it before...
 
I took mine in for first Service this past Monday June 13, the BMW website was not working and the service had to be finished on Thursday afternoon. The service wad done by Shawn Smoak of Pro Caliber in Vancouver Washington. The cost was just shy of 400.00. The bike runs much better now and I was totally happy with it before...
Seems like a fair price and now you can really start the fun.
 
Random thoughts.....

Absent specific problems the first service is primarily engine oil, filter and final drive fluids, fondle her bits and let the mother ship's computer enjoy a secret handshake..

That said, some owners have the transmission fluid replaced as well, but it's pricey and not called for. There are any number of computer upgrades that may be downloaded depending on when your bike was built and they reset the next service warning. When considering all this and just my opinion, but I certainly wouldn't leave her parked for that length of time especially in prime riding weather. The break in service mileage isn't etched in stone so if you are only going to ride her a few hundred miles until the shop will see you you could continue to check the oil level is OK and just ride her. I personally would pick up a BMW oil change kit from the dealer and take the few minutes to change filter and fluids in the engine and final drive and snap a few photos of your work and keep the receipt if any future question arrises that a change wasn't made. I would not jump the gun on loading a tune. Bren recommended doing things after the first service for good reason and I would just enjoy stretching her legs more and getting to know her rather than possibly throwing away an early tune and paying more for such a short period of time (but I am a cheap, I mean frugal individual). Check her over like you should be doing already and just enjoy her. The Bren is great, but mine started and ran very well from the get go and was noticeably happier after the miles were added in reduced vibes, better sound and I used more and more of her RPM range too. The Bren will add to that, but you will also see noticeable "good stuff " as is.

Good luck and for the record, your shop is screwing the pooch as this is a very quick and easy service and regardless being their busy time of year they should be able to squeeze you in before that long a time. I guess a rider with a tire puncture or bad battery that gets towed in would have to wait months as well? I've had BMW, Harley and Honda dealers offer to help me on "off brands" while traveling so I would expect my own shop to give me the time of day and reasonable service after spending thousands of $$$ with them.
I think I'm going this route. Bob's Bimmer sells everything with shipping for $200; including the oil filter wrench. I am saving $180 + tax. Nothing against me local dealership; would support them, etc., but $180 bucks is a savings.
 
I think I'm going this route. Bob's Bimmer sells everything with shipping for $200; including the oil filter wrench. I am saving $180 + tax. Nothing against me local dealership; would support them, etc., but $180 bucks is a savings.
If you don't have a gs911 tool or similar (there is a thread on the forum) you may wish to pick one up at some point to reset service date and/or mileage and to read any codes that may show a fault in the systems (It pays for itself quickly too). I do most of my own servicing, but I did have the shop do the break in service because it was free ;) and then the first service (6,000 miles), as I wanted the fuel pump whine addressed (common issue and there is a service bulletin discussed on forum) and they would need to hook the ECU up to the Mother Ship for that and they could also check for any other updates. I had them do the whole service and it was approximately $400.00 which with valve check and everything wasn't too bad given how costly things are in general. I feel I have a real solid baseline moving forward being a new platform and I have all the service tools I need so I will likely just use the dealer if a warranty issue pops up to have the ECU updated if need be.

Enjoy working on her, easy access to components is one of the benefits of this platform!
 
Sounds like you are convinced! You don't have to use BMW's products but you do have to use products of equal specs or a warranty claim can be denied. So far I haven't been able to find a product (besides BMW's) that meets or exceeds their spec for the R18's final drive. It is your bike so have at it and good luck!!
Generic oils and a chrysler gear oil... both available from Amazon at much much much cheaper prices. I got liqui moly from Germany for 40 bucks for 4 liters (and I betcha its what is in the BMW jugs) and has the exact same lettter mumbo jumbo as the BMW oil and the gear oil is free :)

Secret Hint: be cool and go into a porsche dealer and tell them you're changing some box oil on a 1977 porsche and need good gear oil, better than the store. They will pump you a quart :) of 70 80 G3 for nuthin.
 
$490 CAD in Alberta, Canada last week. Some nice folks there but possible major issue(s) unresolved (engine whine and failure of clutch to disengage the gears completely, no indication of first gear after starting in neutral and then selecting 1st gear. (The "N" disappears, but the indication remains blank) - the mechanic wants more kms on the machine before they parlay with BMW. Fair enough I guess. The pillion bolt was removed and a BMW plug installed. (Looks good!) They did a nice job of washing the bike before returning it too me. I won't see them again until next season. This will be interesting, overall I am confident at this time.
 
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My local dealer quoted me $314 but when I picked up the bike they tried to charge me $419. I pulled out the e-mail quote they sent me and got the Daffy Duck act from the writer and service manager who had sent the e-mail.
Needless to say we are not off to a good start.
 
I have a similar issue with the gear indicator. If I move the bike an inch or two the gear indicator lights up.
OK, good idea. Normally I just let out the clutch and start to ride slowly into my lane. It is gravel so speed contral and navigation on this long wheel base machine mean my concentration is diverted from the indicator. Whenever I look after reaching the asphalt, it says "1".
 
My local dealer quoted me $314 but when I picked up the bike they tried to charge me $419. I pulled out the e-mail quote they sent me and got the Daffy Duck act from the writer and service manager who had sent the e-mail.
Needless to say we are not off to a good start.
The email quote they sent me was "zero" balance! What a joke!
 
400 dollars for an oil change is really crazy ! ! ! !

I agree but 1.75 hours at $125 an hour is already $212 USD. Add $15 for 'shop supplies' and then add in $75-$100 in BMW parts and you're at $325. It adds up very fast.

Sierra BMW is charging $82 for their oil change kit - https://www.shopbmwmotorcycle.com/products/bmw-r18-series-oil-change-kit you can get in-spec consumables for cheaper

Beemer boneyard has Liqui-Moly for $63 - https://www.beemerboneyard.com/r18allmodels2.html and for $94, they'll sell you what you need for at least a couple of final drive services.

I do support my dealers and give them a lot of money but I think it's the nearly 2 hours of labor which makes these a $400 service.
 
I have a similar issue with the gear indicator. If I move the bike an inch or two the gear indicator lights up.
I have tried rolling it forward a verys short distance, to no avail. But once I get under way the indication is there and operates normally thereafter.
 
Rather than create a new thread, I decided to make some notes here on the 6 and 12,000 mile services.

Air Cleaner; I love the sleek engine cases but the cases and the air cleaner are both difficult to remove. It is a one hour plus job and you are going to need some special long torx and hex tools. The brass fittings came out with the screws for the air cleaner housing and there is very little clearance under the tank to get to them in the first place. It did take me 2 hours to get it all worked out. I also spent $30 on some new tools. It goes back together way easier than it comes apart :)

Oil change: this was straight forward and one of the easiest changes ever. you need a low oil pan but big deal... it was $6.

I am an apple user and had to buy an android tablet and the software. You can get an android tablet for 50 bucks. The software was about $30. So far, I like it way more than the GS-911 (and I am a long time user of the 911). Service reminder and full diagnostics. With a reader you'll be out about $175 but that is going to pay off down the road.

My local dealer is not fair dealing. I do have my valve checks and tires done at a nearby old G&S dealer by appointment. The dealer always charges full retail for tires but installs them at no additional charge. The charged me 90 minutes for the valve check $140. I am pushing 60 and did not want to buy lifts a lift specific for the R 18. I have a wheel chock to stand it up for fluid changes.

Spark Plugs are easy peasy, get a spark plug puller and the CORRECT oil filter wrench from Bob's BMW. He has a kit with the correct tool for wheel removal for $50. You need to have the wheel puller in your bag (its tiny) in case you need another dealer to change a tire in an emergency. I use K&N filters that have a 9/16 bolt on the bottom for easy removal
The Transmission is another PITA. the drain and fill are both hard to get to. Don't make a mess; you have to fill slow and it takes 1.1 liters. It is an over 1 hour job because of the fill pace. You need a hair dye bottle or syringe to fill it. BMW's engineers intentionally put the fill plug beside half the wiring harness and under the outlet cover to make the bike sleek.

Final drive: be precise refilling! dont muck it up.

The brake service is best left to a dealer.... but it comes kinda speed bleedy. I use a mighty vac to do the brakes.

In short, its fun to get to know your bike but none of this work is easy other than the fluid changes. Just doing the fluids will save you hundreds of dollars a year and I do mean hundreds. I have always used a shared service model for caring for my BMW motorcycles; supporting both the old G&S dealer network and keeping the cost of ownership sane.
 
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