Supplying Your Own Oil

Why not just do your own oil change then !!!
Save money, use your oil, job hopefully done right.

Servicing your own bike is part of the fun of ownership.

 

Never bothered with any servicing of my cars and bikes, just change oil regular and always keeping an eye on brake pads, etc, doing the work when needed.
But recently when I've needed work done, I've supplied parts and got them to do the work. Timing belt on the ST is a swine of a job, but not letting garage make profit on parts, labour charges are extortionate enough without giving them anymore of my Ill-gotten gains

 

My boss had her Mercedes SLK serviced by the Merc dealer last week. This week the oil warning light and the engine management light were flashing. A quick look under the hood and there was oil everywhere, some overpaid grease monkey didn't replace the dipstick back (it was still on the plastic tray under the hood) making a right mess of the engine compartment and almost no oil left in the engine, I didn't think think that was possible!

A few years ago, the Triumph dealer over filled the oil on my Speed Triple by over a pint, I siphoned it out myself - was the last time I let a dealer service any of my bikes

Goes to show, doing it yourself saves money and the job gets done right.

 

If I am going to supply my own oil, I will also supply my own wrench, and my own fingers to turn it. ...J.D.

 

Reminds me, my caravan had been professionaly serviced in CA, drove it 1400 miles home and noticed a bit of oil sepage at the pinion shaft seal. Went to check oil level and removed the plug. Oil gushed out. Drained 1.5 gallons of excess oil out of it to correct the level. Tech must have used the vent plug. No sepage from axle seals. Certified Grease monkey I'm sure.

Want it done right do it yourself if capable, good God I paid $140 for my triumph oil change just to maintain warranty wasn't a happy camper.

 

My thought is, if one is not up to changing his own oil, how is he qualified to specify what oil should be used ? I did very long distance commuting for decades. This almost demanded I buy a new vehicle now and then. The day I took ownership was usually the last time that vehicle would see a dealership. I was far too busy to go play games with the service writer and sit in a smelly service department waiting for "the patient" to be released so I could get on the road again. My commuter vehicles would last be, on average about 8 years and 230,000-240,000 miles. Did that right up tell the day I retired. I guess I am just an independent old fart. ...J.D.

 

When I purchased my 2018 Street Twin at the 1st 500 mile service I changed the oil myself plus lubed ad adjusted the chain. Then took the bike to the dealer to have them go over the bike for 'everything else', but do not change the oil or touch the chain as these were already done by me. Via this method the 1st service dealer cost was very low.

 

I guess my dealer is understanding. When I dropped off the bike at the dealership I just told them I already did the oil change and chain lube and adjustment. They never commented either way. It is not a must that the service be done by a dealer to maintain the warranty. I do everything by the book (owners manual) and keep detailed records.

 

I do all my own maintenance. I USED to keep computer records on everything. Not so much anymore. When I was doing 40k miles a year, and my income depended on it I cared more. I am getting lazy in my old age. Now if I put 2k a year on a vehicle, I had a busy year. ...J.D.

 

Absolutely agree, diy servicing is easy, far cheaper, very rewarding and you know it's done properly.

 

The first (proper) service on my SS is due at 1yr or 10k. I intend to change the oil and filter at 5k anyway (not far away) and it'll probably hit 10k long before next June so I'll be deciding what to do as the deadline approaches. For a LOT less than the price of a dealer service I can buy the consumables AND the Dealertool to reset the service indicator but that still leaves the warranty question of course. We shall see.

 

I had my 2016 Thruxton 1200 serviced recently at a Triumph dealership, it had barely been used over the last 3 years and the PO hadn’t taken it in for a service so it had missed a map upgrade and sidestand recall, otherwise I’d have serviced it myself, looking at the checklist on the Triumph site all they do is change the oil and put it on the datascan, everything else is just checks, when they’d finished it was given a clean bill of health, they said the hydraulic oil and coolant didn’t need changing, £146 , bit pricey for an oil change and map upload but not extortionate , the disappointing bit was a few days later when I found all 4 front calliper bolts were only nipped up, so do the dealers do all the checks on their check sheets?, of course they bloody don’t!
(Wrap on the knuckles for myself as well though, as a new bike to me I should’ve checked all the fasteners for correct torque before riding it).

 

And then there is the lovely old tale of the garage owner who booked a table at his local restaurant, run by one of his customers. He ordered steak and chips and gave the waiter a bag with three potatoes & a pound of raw sirloin beef. The waiter was dumbstruck and asked what was he supposed to do. “Give it your chef and ask him to use these but don’t charge me for any ingredients on my bill” said the garage owner. “If you have a problem speak with your boss he’ll understand as he always brings me his own oil and spark plugs when he delivers his car to my garage for a service!”

 

If that was the 500m service at the dealer you bought the bike from then the labour cost was included in the purchase price. Did the dealer stamp your service book to maintain the warranty?

 

Then ask for Racing at the dealer. Sorted.