nklr: i am pissed and yes i am yelling

[halvor.dan.jon@juno.com]

I am a new 2001 klr650 owner. The dealer strongly pushed the importance of a 500 mile first maintenance. Is there any reason that I can not do this on my own. Does doing your own service negate the factory warrantee? How good of an idea is it to extend the warrantee?

[Lawrence Risley]

To dtovb, I have an A15 with 7500 miles on it. 5 months listening to this message board. My first checkup at the local dealer here on Maui was an eye opener. Was so busy working, had to wait until 1000 miles to get to the shop, did an oil change myself at 500. Was quoted $210 by the service manager for the first checkup. He made it sound as though HE would go through the 'EVERYTHING' on the bike, and we agreed that this was important on a new bike. Before dropping off the bike, I noticed that the recommended items to be serviced at 500 included valves and balancer chain. Was feeling comfortable that my shiny new bike was in good hands. picked up the bike after the service, read the list, no valves, no balancer, no manager to complain to. Left the dealer less than pleased. They had charged me $210 to change the oil, check the air pressure in my tires and tighten the screws on the lenses. I then found this message board and discovered that there is a wealth of info for newbies to service their own bikes. At 2000 miles I changed my oil again and found that the kid that had changed the oil at the dealership had tossed out the oil supply tube with the filter and left my filter bouncing around in the motor for the last thousand miles. I confronted the manager about it, he claimed that they sometimes come from the factory that way. To make a long story short, do the maintenance yourself, or be very specific as to what a shop will do to your bike. These are great bikes, but beware crappy dealers! Get your stuff from Fred, he will steer you right. Do your valves, balancer, etc yourself. The feeling of accomplishment is worth it, and you will understand the bike, and it will likely last a lot longer. Pay attention to this message board, the old timers have plenty of info that will protect your investment. Its up to you, dealers don't have time to take care of your stuff. [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

[klxrider@webtv.net]

FWIW, My suggestion to anyone using a dealer for any service interval that includes the valve adjustment is to put a dab of paint or nail polish on at least one of the valve cover bolts before leaving the bike with the service dept. If the paint is undisturbed, point this out to the owner or general manager of the dealership, BEFORE you pay the bill and take delivery. Should get you the proper attention and a complete service for your money. just my .02 worth, Marshall in Shreveport, La '95 KLXC3 "Blackhorse" (to honor those who served)

[asbestosworkers]

Hi all: I just took my A-18 in for its 500 mile check up, that the mech at the local dealer advised between 6-800 miles. When I picked it up the bill was $89.68. Just wanted to know if this was an average price or if the dealer here stuck me. $70.00 labor, 3 qts oil, 1 filter, and 1 spark plug. I guess they checked the valves,brakes chain ect. I know my dr 200 was only $35.00 plus parts when I took it in to the honda/suzuki dealer. I will start doing all my repairs myself now, but wanted to know if I was robbed. Another question I have is where do the A-18,17, 16, numbers come from. I have figured out the reflect the year of the bike but would like to know where the come from.......Thanks.

[Jim Hubbard]

I'd be stunned if the dealer actually did anything besides the oil change for that price. But then I again, I don't trust anyone besides myself to even touch The Precious lest they soil its mechanical perfection. Jim A17(=2003, A18=2004, and so on.)

> -----Original Message----- > From: asbestosworkers [mailto:asbestosworkers@...] > Sent: Tuesday, June 08, 2004 8:57 PM > To: DSN_klr650@yahoogroups.com > Subject: [DSN_klr650] 500 mile service > > > Hi all: I just took my A-18 in for its 500 mile check up, that the > mech at the local dealer advised between 6-800 miles. When I picked > it up the bill was $89.68. Just wanted to know if this was an average > price or if the dealer here stuck me. $70.00 labor, 3 qts oil, 1 > filter, and 1 spark plug. I guess they checked the valves,brakes > chain ect. > I know my dr 200 was only $35.00 plus parts when I took it in to the > honda/suzuki dealer. > I will start doing all my repairs myself now, but wanted to know if > I was robbed. > Another question I have is where do the A-18,17, 16, numbers come > from. I have figured out the reflect the year of the bike but would > like to know where the come from.......Thanks. > > > > > List sponsored by Dual Sport News at www.dualsportnews.com. List > FAQ courtesy of Chris Krok at: www.bigcee.com/klr650faq.html > Unsubscribe by sending a blank message to: > DSN_klr650-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com . > > > Yahoo! Groups Links > > > > > >

[Norm Keller]

I'd be asking why you should pay for a spark plug at 500 miles since they should last thousands of miles....... If they broke the original plug, they owe you one gratis. If there was a problem with the old plug then warranty should cover it. That kind of charge really tends to make me suspicious. Norm --------------------------------- Do you Yahoo!? Friends. Fun. Try the all-new Yahoo! Messenger [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

[clutz003]

--- In DSN_klr650@yahoogroups.com, "Jim Hubbard" wrote:

> I'd be stunned if the dealer actually did anything besides the oil

change

> for that price. But then I again, I don't trust anyone besides

myself to

> even touch The Precious lest they soil its mechanical perfection. > > Jim > A17(=2003, A18=2004, and so on.) > > > > > -----Original Message----- > > From: asbestosworkers [mailto:asbestosworkers@y...] > > Sent: Tuesday, June 08, 2004 8:57 PM > > To: DSN_klr650@yahoogroups.com > > Subject: [DSN_klr650] 500 mile service > > > > > > Hi all: I just took my A-18 in for its 500 mile check up, that

the

> > mech at the local dealer advised between 6-800 miles. When I

picked

> > it up the bill was $89.68. Just wanted to know if this was an

average

> > price or if the dealer here stuck me. $70.00 labor, 3 qts oil, 1 > > filter, and 1 spark plug. I guess they checked the valves,brakes > > chain ect. > > I know my dr 200 was only $35.00 plus parts when I took it in

to the

> > honda/suzuki dealer. > > I will start doing all my repairs myself now, but wanted to

know if

> > I was robbed. > > Another question I have is where do the A-18,17, 16, numbers

come

> > from. I have figured out the reflect the year of the bike but

would

> > like to know where the come from.......Thanks. > > > > > > > > > > List sponsored by Dual Sport News at www.dualsportnews.com. List > > FAQ courtesy of Chris Krok at: www.bigcee.com/klr650faq.html > > Unsubscribe by sending a blank message to: > > DSN_klr650-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com . > > > > > > Yahoo! Groups Links > > > >

My 500 mile cost me about $280. Yeah, I know I paid too much and I should have done it myself but at this stage I have more $$ than time. I am pretty sure that they checked the valves as the return paperwork listed the clearances and when I showed up to pick it up at the agreed upon time the bike was still torn down.

[Stan]

This sort of stuff is only half the problem, it seems, as one hears a number of stories about the dealer forgetting to tighten the axle pinch bolts or something and the customer / victim discovering the fact on the freeway as their wheels are about to fall off. And stories of bike prep errors are legion. I have never let a dealer work on a bike of mine, not only to save money, which was a strong motivator in itself, but primarily because I knew that I would do a better job - with more thought and care (and perhaps skill, who knows) - than some guy whose hide won't be bouncing down the interstate if the pinch bolts are loose. Consequently, I have never had a mechanical failure due to wrenching error, even after those crazy all-night wrenching sessions when you crash the bike in practice and need to race the next day. For these reasons and others, I think KLRistas in particular, as the bike is so simple (right, Brian, Keith? , would do well to do their own wrenching and leave the bungling dealer shops to keep busy slapping chrome doodads and race pipes onto the rides of less clueful in-duh-viduals. -S Norm Keller wrote:

>I'd be asking why you should pay for a spark plug at 500 miles since they should last thousands of miles....... If they broke the original plug, they owe you one gratis. If there was a problem with the old plug then warranty should cover it. > >That kind of charge really tends to make me suspicious. > >Norm > > >--------------------------------- >Do you Yahoo!? >Friends. Fun. Try the all-new Yahoo! Messenger > >[Non-text portions of this message have been removed] > > > >List sponsored by Dual Sport News at www.dualsportnews.com. List FAQ courtesy of Chris Krok at: www.bigcee.com/klr650faq.html >Unsubscribe by sending a blank message to: >DSN_klr650-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com . > > >Yahoo! Groups Links > > > > > > >

[Guest]

Hello group, Well I just did my 500 mile service on my 05 KLR650, checked valve lash, adjusted balance shaft checked every nut and bolt and loctited the ones I removed to due the service work and also loctited the engine mount bolts etc. Did all the required services in the 500 mile schedule and then some. My Problem is that when I changed the oil into a clean pan it looked good, no metal particles but when I changed the filter there was a fair amount of metal in the housing and in the filter. Is this to be expected on a new motorcycle engine? What do I mean by a fair amount? Well it could probably fill a 1/2 a teaspoon or so. I am very familiar with engines in Cars, trucks, motorcycle two strokes and my Katana 1000F and my WR400 and I do not every recall seeing that much metal in any of my filters. I have rebuild quite a few engines, mostly in cars and trucks and my 2 stroke motorcycles and I am kind of worried about the amount of metal particles I got in this Brand New KLR. Is this Normal for this new engine? I saved the filter and a small oil sample which I will give to the Kawasaki dealership service dept and bring to my work and have a oil analysis done. I am going to change the oil and filter again in another 500 miles to see those results. Should I be worried ? Thanks, Magikmann [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

[Darren Clark]

I didn't see anywhere that much in mine. The only particles I found were when I ripped the pleated filter apart at 500 miles, even then it was a very small amount. I'd pull the filter in another 100, 200 miles and check it out again. If there's any significant amount of metal, have it checked out because something is grinding apart. BTW, my 3000 mile filter had almost no metal in it. Darren Clark 2004 KLR650 A-18 Magikmann wrote:

>Hello group, > Well I just did my 500 mile service on my 05 KLR650, checked valve lash, adjusted balance shaft checked every nut and bolt and loctited the ones I removed to due the service work and also loctited the engine mount bolts etc. Did all the required services in the 500 mile schedule and then some. My Problem is that when I changed the oil into a clean pan it looked good, no metal particles but when I changed the filter there was a fair amount of metal in the housing and in the filter. Is this to be expected on a new motorcycle engine? What do I mean by a fair amount? Well it could probably fill a 1/2 a teaspoon or so. > I am very familiar with engines in Cars, trucks, motorcycle two strokes and my Katana 1000F and my WR400 and I do not every recall seeing that much metal in any of my filters. I have rebuild quite a few engines, mostly in cars and trucks and my 2 stroke motorcycles and I am kind of worried about the amount of metal particles I got in this Brand New KLR. Is this Normal for this new engine? > I saved the filter and a small oil sample which I will give to the Kawasaki dealership service dept and bring to my work and have a oil analysis done. I am going to change the oil and filter again in another 500 miles to see those results. Should I be worried ? >Thanks, Magikmann > > >[Non-text portions of this message have been removed] > > > >Archive Quicksearch at: http://www.angelfire.com/ut/moab/klr650_data_search.html >List sponsored by Dual Sport News at: www.dualsportnews.com >List FAQ courtesy of Chris Krok at: www.bigcee.com/klr650faq.html > > >Yahoo! Groups Links > > > > > > > > > >