7,500 mile/12 month Service Intervals

[Gassoon]

The details are yet to emerge of any conditions of the service interval - eg, fully synth oil 'needed'.

It's my belief that the Suzuki quality of finish is
(a) exaggerated to the status of 'mythic' ie, it exists, but not as great a difference as is widely stated (and re-stated, and re-stated and...so on!). I've had all sorts of bikes (except Kawa) and the wee is just about up there with its contemporaries. Bikes' finishes seem to have become poorer over the years.  

(b)The finish is anyway of secondary (or even third or fourth-ondary!) importance to me in a bike - (especially since I like washing me bike!) certainly the slight difference in the Suzukis wouldn't stop me buying one (though it is just my opinion, others have a equal valid, opposite opinions!). But that's what its about, the forum, discussion involving opinions being hoyed aboot!

In terms of servicing, I would probably change the oil (using non-synth) every 4k anyway, old habits and all that!

[loggamatt]

Looking at North American prices, the DL1000 makes a lot of sense... significantly cheaper than all the competition. Bet they'll sell loads of them over there. As Gassoon says, finish isn't necessarily the end of the world... the problem is that people don't want to buy a bike with poor finish when they could have had a bike with good finish for the same money.

If I buy a budget bike, I don't mind a slightly lesser quality finish because I can look at it and say "well, that's why it was such a bargain!" and I'm happy.

Only, in the UK market the DL1000 isn't priced as a budget bike. You know, I really think it's a bit overpriced... have I mentioned this yet?  

[Fatbelly]

Let's be kind. Thank you Suzuki, it's nice to know you listen to us.

[Jacko]

Yes, of course. There's a wider picture here that Suzuki had to take into consideration, now they've moved to 7,500 mile service intervals they will come in for a lot of criticism if, in future, they launch new or heavily revised models with anything less. So, not only their new 1000 but all Bandits and GSXFs, GSXRs and the cruisers will all, from here on, be expected to have much longer intervals. The only models that may escape are the small bore stuff like the Inzuma and perhaps the Burgmans (Burgmen?).

In spite of that obvious loss of revenue for the dealers they still raised the interval inline with rivals. Nice work Suzuki.

[Oop North John]

In spite of that obvious loss of revenue for the dealers they still raised the interval inline with rivals. Nice work Suzuki.

Personally I won't mind too much if they don't lose too much money on the servicing ie half as often to the dealers but nearly twice the cost IYSWIM, as I easily do more than 3500 miles per year. That scenario won't be as popular with those who do less than 3500 miles per year though!

[UK_Vstrom650]

I wash my Glee and ACF-50 it all the time but even so the nuts are discolouring and bits are furring. All my previous bikes were Yams and used through winter (inc. my chrome laidened cruiser) and they never had this issue Does put me off...

Anyway, if I were looking at one I'd be happier with 7,500 miles - it's more realistic for riders who use them all year round    

Surely the service costs will just be the same as the old 24 month, e.g. I paid £220 for the 7,500 Glee service, which includes the same checks as the 4,000 service plus a few additional checks (I paid c. £400 for two services last year which included 2x oil / filter changes, 2x panel /tank removals, 2x brake cleaning, 2x bolt tightening etc where most of these will now be done only once... (assuming the dealers actually do all of this anyway?)

[Gassoon]

I must admit my old Yamaha XJ's were really sound, no rusting, furring anywhere and used all year round in those days. But a Honda VFR obtained an white bloom on its alloy overnight once!

I must admit I'd love Suzuki to just go that step further in this new relationship with their fans and potential customers, and explain in more detail how they arrived at the new SI figure of 7,500, technically...welcome though it is, and if they had realised prior to punters feedback just how important it could be (eg, to distance tourers) and in their purchasing decisions  C'mon Suzuki!

[Brockett]

My other V twin the VTR Honda requires an oil and filter change at 8000 miles.
Its not a low revving slug so I can't see that it munches it's oil less that a 'Glee' or 'V' does.

[Jacko]

Yes, and you'd expect the Firestorm to be harder on its oil than the Glee due to the increased torque.

They all err on the side of caution though, some just a little more than others. I'd like a kit that tells me when my oil is about buggered, I'm willing to bet that when you pour it away at 3,500 miles it's hardly got going at all.

[KLV-Rider]

I want one, needs to be cheaper though!    

[SimonW]

Let's be kind. Thank you Suzuki, it's nice to know you listen to us.

Maybe they did. Curiously the manual I saw had 3,500 intervals in it with a loose sheet inserted at that page showing 7,500. So the interval was changed or decided after the manual(s?) was/were printed.

[Juvecu]

Changed because of pressure on them to have a longer service interval.

[SimonW]

..which then begs the question as to how much testing went into the decision and how much of it was governed by pressure. Will we see some tired old engines a few years down the line because of it?

[Jacko]

Curiously the manual I saw had 3,500 intervals in it with a loose sheet inserted at that page showing 7,500. So the interval was changed or decided after the manual(s?) was/were printed.

Which leads me to believe the Glee would be fine with those intervals too, they've been churning out the 3,500 tickets for years without even bothering to check, and now we have the evidence.

Will we see some tired old engines a few years down the line because of it?

I'm looking at it the other way, as above, the engines will have been capable of more than 3,500 for some time, they were just happy to copy/paste the service schedules from earlier bikes. Now, with other manufacturers pushing Adventure bike service intervals, they had to come clean.

[Juvecu]

Which oil do they specify for the Veek's 7500 service interval?

[SimonW]

Don't know, sorry.

[Jacko]

We need a Veek owner.

Juv, Suzuki have always shied away from fully synth oil, saying it isn't recommended, and their dealers don't use it. I can't see how they can then say that the magic of fully synth has now allowed them to increase service intervals. Questions are begged as a result. My money's on semi synth.

[Juvecu]

Semi-synth is dinosaur goop with no more than 30% synthetic oil. Normal dinosaur goop lasts about 1500 miles in a bike engine before it's been sheared enough to lose lubricating qualities. Obviously this differs from bike to bike and we're talking bikes where the engine and gearbox oil is shared. You could say that after 1500 miles only 30% (max!) of your oil is still doing the job properly. Obviously it's not quite as simple as that, but I'm making the point that unless the oil is changed to something better a 7500 mile service interval on semi-synth oil is likely not the best thing for an engine like the one in the Veek.

[Jacko]

If that's the case then type of lubricant is critical.

What does it mean then, if what you say about semi is true, that Suzuki have just upped it without proper testing? Are we looking at a scenario where Suzuki may have raised the service mileage, knowing that it could cause problems, but hoping that bikes are out of warranty by the time those problems arise, merely to make the bike more marketable?

[mr_diver]

my old man's Deauville took the same amount of oil as my Wee yet was Oil and filter every 8k miles... and spec was Seni Synth 10w-40 same as the strom