$13 spark plug - I won't take it anymore!

[Allred]

I have faithfully supported my local BMW shops, both authorized and independant, through ownership of 8 or 9 Beemers over past 10 years or so. I recognize the value of local expertise and the convenience of on-hand parts.

But today after paying more than $13 a piece for a couple of BMW sourced NGK (made in Japan) spark plugs, I think I passed a watershed. This after paying more than $21 for an oil filter, and more than $25 for an air filter in the last few days as part of a 6,000 mile maintenance.

I have more years of mechanical involvement in motorsports than I like to admit. I have a well equipped, enclosed, heated, well lit, comfortable workshop and a multitude of tools. I have lots of experience maintaining and repairing all sorts of motorabilia, some of them quite sophisticated. And I hesitate to estimate how many dollars I've spent on parts over the years. Marketing hype aside, I think I know the value of a spark plug or oil filter.

I've worked hard all my life, and have been fortunate to arrive at the station in life where I can afford my hobbies. However, I have not become so comfortable that I can overcome the resentment at paying through the nose.

:mad:

So....I've ordered my own motorcycle lift, and hence forth, will once again be doing most of my own work, and OK with buying maintenance supplies sans the BMW label, and parts from a more reasonably price supply chain when possible.

If this becomes problematic, I suppose my run of Beemers may come to an end in favor of some other brand more reasonably priced.

$13+ for a BMW labeled japanese spark plug, indeed!

[pkpr1998]

Maybe I should be paying more attention to my service bills!

$ 13.00/plug is a bitter pill to swallow. I call for pricing anyway before having my bike serviced at the dealer. At this point, I felt like their rates have been very reasonable. I have heard though that they have gone up tremendously due the fact that they are now on the BMW computer, or something like that.

If that's the case, I will either have to bear it or do what you may do, get a jap bike that is not that expensive to maintain.

I need to add one thing, this is the sweeeeetest bike that I have ever ridden. It is as smooth as a baby's bottom at 100 mph! Great protection, good fuel economy and lot's of farkles! :D

It would be HARD to give her up and go back to a cruiser, or even a Wing!

[PATTERSON]

Bob....

I'm also fed up with the prices you talk about......

You've written a very good letter, and I think you should send it to BMWNA.

[BecketMa]

Quite a few years ago, I posted that one might support your local dealer by sourcing parts on line, and then simply sending the difference to your local dealer as a gift.

Paying someone $60/hr to take off tupperware or change oil has always been a non starter for me.

I remember when I lived in MA, during the 80s, the local HD dealer charged about 1/4 of their labour rate to do oil and filter changes. Seems they hired a "non-mechanic" to do simple stuff.

Bob, 00 Leaky Type (trany leak)

[hschisler]

... Paying someone $60/hr to take off tupperware or change oil has always been a non starter for me... $60/hr? My local BMW's shop rate is $95/hr. That's why I've been taking it to a BMW shop that is over 1.5 hours away; their shop rate is $55/hr, with the same level of quality work and appointments scheduled more easily/conveniently... and they give me a loaner while mine is in the shop. My local dealer needs to "get with it" in this area.

[munson]

So....I've ordered my own motorcycle lift, and hence forth, will once again be doing most of my own work, and OK with buying maintenance supplies sans the BMW label, and parts from a more reasonably price supply chain when possible.

I have been doing all of my own maintenance for years now, thanks to some really great guys I have met through this forum. I usually get my parts from Chicago BMW. (Search the forum for alternative spark plugs.) I bought my lift with the money I saved, and my back thanks me! Working on my bike is like therapy for me. It's an escape from the hassles at work.

I supported my local dealer by buying my fourth bike from him last Saturday. And I gave my salesman, service manager, store manager and mechanic $25.00 gifts cards for their favorite restaurant.

[MikeERideWNC]

You guys have motorcycle dealerships close to you?

How cool would that be?

I have one, (Suzuki, Kawasaki, Aprillia) within 20 miles. I wouldn't use their mechanic if my life depended on it. Much less give the crooked owners a dime.

It is 115 miles in any direction to a BMW dealership.
It is not worth the trouble to schedule an appointment, ride to the shop, drive home, wait several days, drive to the shop, ride the bike home.
Even if I screw up and don't have a part, I can get it shipped overnight and still save more time and money over the dealership.

[zippy_gg]

I wouldn't use their mechanic if my life depended on it. Good point!:rolleyes:

[mwnahas]

$60/hr? My local BMW's shop rate is $95/hr. That's why I've been taking it to a BMW shop that is over 1.5 hours away; their shop rate is $55/hr, with the same level of quality work and appointments scheduled more easily/conveniently... and they give me a loaner while mine is in the shop. My local dealer needs to "get with it" in this area.

So which is the good Dealer Howard? We lost a $60/hr one near Youngstown.

[vano]

I did my first Oil change Air Filter and got a filter wrench for the grand total of 79.00 at BMW of Atlanta after they helped my off the floor I drove the 115 miles home.


VanO

[hschisler]

Quote:
<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=6 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=alt2 style="BORDER-RIGHT: 1px inset; BORDER-TOP: 1px inset; BORDER-LEFT: 1px inset; BORDER-BOTTOM: 1px inset">Originally Posted by hschisler

$60/hr? My local BMW's shop rate is $95/hr. That's why I've been taking it to a BMW shop that is over 1.5 hours away; their shop rate is $55/hr, with the same level of quality work and appointments scheduled more easily/conveniently... and they give me a loaner while mine is in the shop. My local dealer needs to "get with it" in this area.

</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>So which is the good Dealer Howard? We lost a $60/hr one near Youngstown.Mathias BMW, in New Philadelphia.

For the record, note that I said the more-expensive local shop's work is fine, it's just so much more expensive and it takes longer to get an appointment, AND they don't give loaners. Why can their insurance company prohibit it (as they tell me), but others' don't?

I bought my LT from the local dealer. Don't know what will happen for the next one. Their parts guy is top-notch and truly customer-oriented.

[rkimmel2]

Dealers have rarely done anything for me without my paying a silly price. Found a local V-twin wrench who said he would be happy to work on my bike because he liked it and money was money. I have had great service from him at great prices and no longer have to go 150 miles for service. In addition, when he buys the parts, they cost about a fifth of what the dealer charged!

I bought my first BMW in 1969 and can say that I have almost had it after 40 years of riding. The new Voyager is looking better and better to me.

[LarryP]

$13 a plug? That's only a $12.50 profit. What ya complaining about :p

[Allred]

I work slow. :)

But after three evenings, an hour or so each, and Thanksgiving morning, maybe three hours, faithfully following the BMW Service II outline and the BMW Motorrad Service & Repair DVD, I completed the 6K maintenance on my '04 R1150RT. Only the Modi-tec fault code & bleed check needs to be done, and I've arranged with the independant shop to accomplish that.

I feel like I know my bike better now. I used Mobil 1 sythetic oil, as well as synthetic trans & FD lube. They meet or exceed BMW specs as far as I can tell, and cost about half as much. Next time I'm going to use Beemer Boneyard's 12K service kit to save compared to BMW's spark plug & filter costs.

On Monday, next, my motorcycle lift arrives. After set-up, my shop will be pretty complete. My K1200LT is only 400 miles from its 36K service, so soon I'll tackle that. It is really quite enjoyable work. :thumb:

I'll continue to use my local dealer and independent shop from time to time. Maybe for mechanical work that is beyond my desire to tackle, riding gear, or for tires, as long as they're only reasonably more expensive. They're great people, whom I like a lot. But no more premium+ double or triple prices for oil & lube, plugs, filters, etc!

I feel a lot better today, than yesterday. Maybe the rant, and the do-it-myself did me some good. :rolleyes:

[Stixx]

BMW's are expensive toys. Get over it. I drove Mercedes for years and settled for smaller more efficient Euro cars, Volvo and Mini Cooper )another BMW in different wrapper.

European cars offer a level of satisfaction not available and they will insist on you paying for it. Call it WWII reparations or whatever. Just accept it or move on to some jap bike with less persona non gratus. The truth of the matter is don't wimp your dealer out. You can't operate a shop in America on good will and no profit. The dealers are dropping like flies and it ain't cuz they don't want to make a profit. But it is a difficult thing to make a profit in selling and servicing high end motorad.

I am sure some dealers are worse than others but I know enough inside scoop on what it takes to get good people to work on bikes and what it cost for insurance and leasing space and so forth and it is a really hard thing to make it in this market so don't be surprised to pay a LOT for BMW anything.

Hell my jacket cost four times what any other jacket I ever owned did but it does things none of my other jackets do so I can take it or leave it.

Same thing with any hobbies. You could make a case that your two hundred dollar guitar has six strings and does the same thing my four thousand dollar one does, but you would be mistaken and there's the rub.

My motto is , if you want to play you got to pay and while I think anything with a propeller on it is at least four hundred percent too high, I still will pay the ransom to ride the most satisfying RT on this planet.

Just playing devils advocate. Never mind I constantly am amazed by the latest price on apparel for my BMW.

Go figure

[zippy_gg]

$13 spark plug?
Not much to complain about if like me you drive an Audi A6 2.7t Quattro that takes 6 of these plugs!:eek: That is the price to pay for performance.
On the other hand I also perform all the maintenance on the Audi as well and only pay the exorbitant price for parts but save on labor ($130.00/hour at Keyes Audi in Van Nuys).
Riding and driving what you really like... Priceless!;)

[MikeERideWNC]

My motto is , if you want to play you got to pay and while I think anything with a propeller on it is at least four hundred percent too high, I still will pay the ransom to ride the most satisfying RT on this planet.

Must be nice to have disposable income, during these hard times.

[jayjacobson]

I have faithfully supported my local BMW shops, both authorized and independant, through ownership of 8 or 9 Beemers over past 10 years or so. I recognize the value of local expertise and the convenience of on-hand parts.

But today after paying more than $13 a piece for a couple of BMW sourced NGK (made in Japan) spark plugs, I think I passed a watershed. This after paying more than $21 for an oil filter, and more than $25 for an air filter in the last few days as part of a 6,000 mile maintenance.

I have more years of mechanical involvement in motorsports than I like to admit. I have a well equipped, enclosed, heated, well lit, comfortable workshop and a multitude of tools. I have lots of experience maintaining and repairing all sorts of motorabilia, some of them quite sophisticated. And I hesitate to estimate how many dollars I've spent on parts over the years. Marketing hype aside, I think I know the value of a spark plug or oil filter.

I've worked hard all my life, and have been fortunate to arrive at the station in life where I can afford my hobbies. However, I have not become so comfortable that I can overcome the resentment at paying through the nose.

:mad:

So....I've ordered my own motorcycle lift, and hence forth, will once again be doing most of my own work, and OK with buying maintenance supplies sans the BMW label, and parts from a more reasonably price supply chain when possible.

If this becomes problematic, I suppose my run of Beemers may come to an end in favor of some other brand more reasonably priced.

$13+ for a BMW labeled japanese spark plug, indeed!
+1, Bob! AND if you are that rich, why not give it to charity instead of for some overpriced kraut parts?

[rkimmel2]

Must be nice to have disposable income, during these hard times.

Good point! Certainly a better point than settling for paying reparations to folks who decimated the planet and threw millions of folks into ovens.

[lovetomotor]

Good for you; I passed that milestone a few years back also. You can mail order those parts through Bob's BMW for a fraction of the cost. The reatail prices at the BMW Dealer Shops is outrageous!

[BecketMa]

After seeing threads that the SplitFire I presently use are no longer made, I scanned a plug site to see what plugs there are for the LT. I saw some that indeed do list for $13!

http://www.sparkplugs.com/

Bob