6k maintenance on an 03

[rando]

Okay, I'm about 90% sure I'm buying an 03 LT with 6400 miles. The 6k hasn't been done yet. So what should I consider having done for the 6k on a 3 yer old bike. Put in service 12/03. That's a lot of sitting this bike has done in that time. Should I do any extra?

Rando

[mpillis]

I would replace the brake fluid if it has sat that long.

[rando]

Thanks. That's probably a good idea.

rando

[McAllister]

And maybe the coolant. And don't forget the clutch fluid when you change the brake fluid. All three fluids are time changed based, not milage based.

[Daman858]

Yep, like the others I would suggest that all the fluids get changed. Also, a new battery might be called for and get ya a Battery Tender with it. Keeps the thing charged and in good shape. A bad battery will cause all kinds of weird stuff to happen and ya might not know it is bad until yer stranded somewhere.

Then, when yer done all that, give her an Italian tune up and ride her like ya stole her. LT loves it up around 3500 RPMS and up!

[rando]

an "italian tune up"? Whassat? I do have a battery trickle charger, not an "official" battery tender.

Thanks guys
rando

[danbrown]

yes i agree with daman. i would get a new battery. like he said with a battery with low voltage the LT does weard things. like you use the front brake the last few feet coming to a stop at a light the lights on the dash flash on and off -the tachometer and speedometer needles fuctuate from peg to peg.then when you pull the clutch in the engine stalls. BTDT. i think a battery tender is better than a trickle charger. with a battery tender as the charge comes up in the battery the tender automaticly lowers the chargeing rate. as for the tune up take it out on the big road and hammer on it.

[Daman858]

Rando...

A Battery Tender is a brand of charger. It will not overcharge the battery and will keep it in good shape. Just do a Google and pick the lowest price. Many places sell them. There are about a zillion of them on eBay right now. The Plus you can use on your car, garden tractor, etc. The Jr. fits right under the LT seat but it does not have enough power to charge a dead battery. Used mostly to maintain a charge during non use time which is what you want to do.

If you have ever seen a clip of an Italian race car driver in a Ferrari, then you'll know what an Italian tune up is. Take the sucker out and let 'er rip!
Don't worry about the buzz at 4000 to 5000 RPMs...they all do it!

[rando]

Yeah I knew a battery tender is a brand name.

And I'll probably do the italian tune-up, before I can get a service date. I swear, I keep hearing weird stuff about these bikes and service. With my Suzuki V strom, I just rode it and called and got a date quickly to get it serviced, if I didn't want to do it myself.

I'm starting to wonder if it's worth it. But the only alternatives are the yamaha venture and HD electras or gold wings. HD and yamahas are cruisers. don;t really want a cruiser-style bike.

Gold wings? Honda shop on every corner. Of course, the local Honda shop is on my $h!t list and will not get a dime of my money, so I'd still have to ride 45 minutes to the next one, instead of an hour for te BMW. But an independent shop can do Honda work. But the indy shop around here won;t touch a BMW. And a used wing is way more expensive than a BMW, if you can find one. Everyone says the price on this LT is great, but look on ebay - they rarely hit 10K for an 03. Most don;t make reserve.

Is the BMW such a prima donna that you can't just ride without having a service appointment made? Or that you can't ride it till the battery is dead, like any other bikes? My suzuki, in 3 years never even had so much as a weak battery. Of course, when I got it there were multitudes of strom owners telling horror stories of clutches and buffeting and I never had either of those problems. Mine was VIN #00086 - one of the first 100 made.

Don;t get me wrong, I like the features, safety, comfort, convenience, of the BMW. However, I'm not a rich guy. I am mechanically inclined enough to do most of the service work, but I can't do all of it, obviously, since I can't check Moditec or whatever it is.

I think I may need some encouragement here. I love the looks and feel of the BMW sitting still. Haven't ridden one yet. Not even that worried about the ride. Everyone says its good. Top heavy till it gets going. I know all that - have researched it.

Sorry guys, just venting and know you all are trying to help me here.

I'm excited about the bike - it just seems like it has to go be serviced all the time, not leaving time to ride. Why does a bike need new clutch/brake fluids? A car doesn't require it and uses same fluids?

rando

[Daman858]

Rando,
Stop worryin', dude! This LT is a wonderful machine and you can beat the crap out of her and she will come back for more. It has many more features than your other bikes so ya gotta keep up on the issues. You will find that the ABS brakes, fer instance, are outta this world!

Get the 6K done at the dealer, have him check the Motornic and off ya go. Then, get a set of Paul's service videos and the rest is easy. The 12K service is not all that difficult, just keep track of the screws and bolts and where they go.

Go look at a Mercedes or BMW car...brake fluid flush each and every year!

[rkirker]

Can also get a Clymer now for about $40 on line I use that for maintenance now and have not found any errors in the book yet.

Just get/ride it !!!
:bmw:

[rando]

Thanks guys. Still thinking I will buy this one, unless something really weird comes up.

I've talked to some other bike owners and they are telling me similar things about their service requirements.

Thanks again.
Rando

[nplenzick]

I would have the dealer do the 6000 mile check up....it really shouldn't be much in the $$$ way.......maybe a few more bucks because of the brake fluid change. Then at least you'll know if dealer is a good one or not. It's the 12000 mile check up that cost some money. By that time you'll get more familiar with the bike and you can decide on wether to do your own maintenance or not. Like a bad Honda dealer there are of course bad BMW dealers, and Ford, Chevy, Porsche, etc. In my area I can go to three dealers within 25 miles of my home, yet I go to the one that's 68 miles away ( Hermy's in Port Clinton Pa.). They treat me wonderfully, their prices are reasonable, and their workmanship has been great. Makes me wish I can find a Ford dealer who'll treat me the same.
Like your V-Strom and the forum you visited, you'll hear many problems about one 's chosen bike. For the most part I believe that the problems only occur in less 5% of the bike owners. I know when I have a problem or question I turn to those right here.
By the way which V Strom do you have? I'm thinking of a 650 when they come out with ABS this fall. Looking for a smaller bike to run around in and one that would take up less space in the trailer when I'm a vendor at some of the rallys and shows that we do. My 1200 GS didn't work out for me.

[rando]

I think I agree. Let the dealer have a look and get a "baseline" on how the bike is and so we'll know. The warranty doesn't expire til December, so I have a few months left for things to crop up and get fixed. I've heard all good but one person about the dealer closest to me, 65 miles.

I had a 2002 DL 1000. Mine was one of the first ones and had NO problems. I would like to have a 650 strom for a second bike myself. I wouldn't think of any strom as a small bike, especially when packing a trailer around it.

[nplenzick]

I would like to have a 650 strom for a second bike myself. I wouldn't think of any strom as a small bike, especially when packing a trailer around it.

Try packing everything around an Lt and you will soon come to realize a 650 V Strom is a much smaller bike. I'd still take the LT to the smaller rallies which allot of the time my wife comes and we can get some ridding in or when we are combining rallies with vacation. But for those other times when I have a mad dash to the post office and get back before my booth opens that 650 could be an ideal bike for me. Plus one of the companies that I'm dealing with makes a great deal of soft luggage that the Strom would be very good at show casing. Can't wait to test ride one this fall........if I can find a dealer who'll let me.

[rando]

Yes a strom is a smaller bike compared to the LT. good luck finding a dealer, but if you;re at bike rallies, the demo area?

And if you can showcase a product, so much the better....

rando