Suzuki V-Strom (VStrom) Owners Club DL250, DL650, DL1000 & DL1050
Oily Rag - Dedicated to Pat, Greywolf. 26/06/45 - 04/06/18 => Oil/Lubrication => Topic started by: vstromspoon on June 19, 2017, 12:36:15
-
I've just changed my oil and filter on my crosser for the first time. And it made me wonder why I pay a garage to do my vstrom as it was that easy.
Do you think doing your own service makes the bikes value less?
Also do you think it puts people off buying a bike if it hasn't got full garage service history?
Cheers
-
Make your own service history. Keep a log of the service you perform with dates and mileage for each service. Also keep receipts for materials used like oil and filters. That will go a long way toward credibility. I'd rather buy a higher mileage bike with an owner based service history than a lower mileage bike with no service history or a dealer service history showing long periods of no interaction with the bike.
-
I'd rather buy a well documented self serviced bike than one that's just been and had a stamp at dealers. I don't trust the dealer will have done anything more than change the oil and filter.
I keep a ring binder with a list of what I've done, receipts for parts/consumables, date and mileage reading, and take photographs etc.
-
+1
I keep a spreadsheet with date/miles, what's been done, what parts were changed. I also have the receipts for materials and I write on them the date and mileage that it was carried out, so it all correlates.
My strom came with full service history, which is to say a full set of stamps in the book, that's all.
Not main dealer stamps though. No other information... it could mean just minimal servicing (oil & filter), or fully serviced to factory spec. Luckily the only thing that is critical, I think (depending on the mileage), is the oil change frequency.
I would say to anyone building a formal service history (main dealer or not).. keep all the receipts & reports that detail work carried out & parts changed!
However I would encourage people to do there own servicing if they can, main dealers charge too much, independent bike shops can be a good alternative. However if you're competent with motorcycle then do it all yourself.
Another way to think of it is this.. how much money do you stand to save by self servicing vs how much value do you think you'll lose. I think you'll soon have saved much more than you might lose in resale value.
-
Nothing wrong with self servicing when it's out of warranty. As I've got older I've stopped doing most things on the bike and getting my local independent to do it instead, time has more value, and I can't be doing with lying/kneeling on a cold concrete floor in winter.
If you are doing it yourself don't neglect servicing the brake calipers, and don't go doing something daft like starting it up before you have put the oil back in.
-
I would have given up doing my own work years ago if I hadn't bought a table lift for working on the bike in the garage. It made a huge difference in comfort. There's nothing like being able to sit down while doing much of the work and having access at eye level.
-
Being unable to start a new post, may I hijack this one.........I've just done my first oil change on my DL650, is that a magnet insert in the base of the sump plug ?.......Bob
-
The stock drain plug does have a magnet. You should be able to start a post by choosing the forum you want to post in, then choosing new topic.