BMW R1200RT/R1250RT Forum

Spark plugs, air filter & valve clearances all have individual labour costs, that's why they have their own service code numbers,
https://www.ascycles.com/pdf/ServiceSch ... ervice.pdf

12 12 509 Replace all spark plugs
13 72 505 Replace air filter cartridge
11 34 502 Check valve clearance

The labour charge is based on an hourly rate where the AW = 12.00 for one hour. On the invoice below, the rate is £93.60 + 20% VAT = £112.32.

Perhaps BMW Motorrad should "take a leaf out of" the BMW car servicing approach & use "condition based servicing" (CBS).

"Maintenance is not necessary until such times as wear progresses to defined limits. This flexibility in defining maintenance intervals and the scope of maintenance work required means that only those components that the sensors show to be due for maintenance are serviced. In essence, this system allows each service to be tailored to the requirements of each and every BMW."

Hence, why change mileage related items before they are due.

My new dealer, only replaced as required, but the won't do the 12k bits at 8.5k. So I need to bring it back. But I will only get charged for the 12k bits they didn't do at this annual

Kind of agree with you David. Certain items are not effected by age. So for example spark plugs, air filters, brake pads. Others are such as engine oil and hydraulic fluid need changing with respect to time rather than mileage.

Mine will need its 3rd annual service in September when it will probably show about 10K.  It will get a 12K service and the clock will be reset to show 16k or another year before I need to darken the doors of the workshop again. 

It's about time that BMW Motorrad woke up and offered bespoke servicing based on actual time/mileage related service items,
rather than fixed price servicing based on 12 months or 6,000 miles.

I'm not sure you can relate the servicing schedules/requirements of a car with a motorcycle. 

It can't be that difficult, a motorcycle has a clock & an odometer plus an array of sensors.

Taking the engine oil change frequency as an example, temperature sensors include, ambient air, cylinder head, engine oil & intake air.
Lubricating oil performance is probably related to these factors, plus engine speed, stop/start etc.

If a bike is prepared for storage correctly, why would the oil & filter need to be changed if it was stood for 12 months.

I think it's all about the difference in the type of stress a very small engine producing a lot of power goes through and a car engine that would produce the same power but could be 4 or 5 times the size and would therefore be under very little stress.  The radiator alone on my car is half the size of the RT engine.

I have owned three RT's including our present Twin Cam. I have always had them serviced according to mileage, ie dealer serviced every 6000.  I have never been talked into the silly con of "yes sir, it needs a BMW Service and an Annual".
Having said that and by coincidence, my own annual mileage is around the 6000 mark. My last service at the dealers was carried out 1,500 miles "late". I have never had "my interpretation" of my bikes service requirements questioned, nor have I had problems having warranty work carried out, even outside the warranty period. I also carry out "interim" engine, gearbox and final drive oil changes myself.

My RT is 1170cc & produces 81KW, our Suzuki Swift is 1242cc & produces 69KW.

David. wrote: My RT is 1170cc & produces 81KW, our Suzuki Swift is 1242cc & produces 69KW.

Time for an upgrade.not

I'm not at all convinced of the need for such a rigorous service regime where the engine is concerned as many car engines are producing more power / litre than our BMW bikes, eg the Ford Fiesta in it's max form for the one litre turbo 3 cylinder makes 140 bhp and the Volvo 2 litre 4 cylinder turbo is over 320bhp and generally car intervals have got longer, 20k miles. Having said that I did a set of rear pads on a K1600 in a little over 4k, tyres certainly need looking at at 6k, maybe less. Oils have generally improved and engine temperature is much more controlled with water cooling and that improves the life of oil. I think the dealer network likes the income stream. Quality control is not good on the bikes as failures of parts are much more common on them than on cars.

Agreed.

My point was that car engines tend to be somewhat bigger in size to a bike engine.  Would hazard a guess that the Volvo one is twice the size and weight of a complete RT making it far more stress free and able to cope with longer service intervals.
Don't know I would go along with the belief that BMW build their bikes to a sub standard quality compared to their cars either.