Dealer vs self servicing
 

This has got me thinking. How many of you out there service your own bikes and them that, like me, get a dealer to do it, and out of those, how many times has you bike broken down/failed to start/ gone worng in general?

I'll start:
Bike K1 SVS
Mileage 42000
Dealer serviced from new
Used all year round (Been off road for 6 months last year due to work)
Faults
Rectifier
Battery x2 (One was second hand)

I voted from "new", but it was out of warranty when I got it. Had FSH until then though.

Re: Dealer vs self servicing
 

These are the details of my SV before I sold it to Grinch.

Bike 99 SVSX
Mileage 28,500
Had dealer stamps until I got it second hand, then I did it. (Got it serviced once by Willshers in Southampton).
Used all year round
No faults ever. Always started.

Re: Dealer vs self servicing
 

Still starts now... due a service soon... I'll be doing that, though I have a mate who'll be sorting the brakes/fork oil/carbs.

And

Bike SVSK1
33,000 from 3 miles new.
Had 2 dealer stamps from MCC, 1 at Willshers, and a couple from a local mech. The rest is from my mate who stamps the bike for me, with a mix of my own servicing and his.
No faults...
Always starts (apart from when I left the parking light on)

2000 X SVS

Dealer serviced from new, 35K on the clock

Problems

Wiring loom rubbing on frame, few puffs of smoke from around headstock, blew main fuse.
Regulator / Rectifier failed, stalled bike on roundabout avoiding a car and couldnt restart it.
Wet front plug, fixed by fenda extenda.
Its been through two speedo sensors as well.

Thats the only times its let me down. Apart from that its just general wear and tear. Also had seized front and rear calipers recently that needed a strip and rebuild.

DR350 - dealer stripped sump thread on 600 mile service
Honda Hornet - dealer destroyed speedo with jetwasher on 4000 mile service
SV650 - dealer lubed chain to excess with engine oil, contaminated tyre on 600 mile service.
DRZ400SM - not had service yet, but several things missed on PDI that have had to be sorted.

We are talking about one of the souths biggest dealers here....

As you'd expect I prefer to do my own servicing beyond the first free (sic) one, at least it gets done properly for my own peace of mind.

13K Miles. Dealer serviced from new, even slightly more regularly than the service schedule says (due to getting it done 500 miles early as I had tyres changed the same time).

Problems:

2 x not starting when the bike was wet. Disconnecting the battery for 5 minutes remedied it both times. Could possibly be the datatool duo immobiliser. Occured twice in quick succession after first service. Has not occured again since second service.

Gear lever falling out after first service. This is an isolated incident and has never happened on any other K3-K4, ever. :^o

2 x Mystery clutch slip. Both times resulted in needing roadside recovery. Second time the clutch was completely cooked. New clutch seems to of remedied the problem, touch wood.

Scottoiler delivery tubing broke shortly after a dealer install. My reinstall (different routing so less rubbing on swingarm) fixed this.

Snow plough broke due to the weight of the touring scottoiler (at the time it was fitted this problem wasn't know and to be fair, once I knew I didn't change it till it broke). Replaced it myself and relocated the basic sized oiler to a new location.

Bike has a fender extender, is ridden in all weathers and has the odd extra home oil change and all simple things like replacing broken indicator's/bar ends, fitting hugger, etc. are done by me. Now I've got the new Haynes for it, as soon as it's out of warranty, I'll do most of the servicing myself and just take it to the dealer for stamping, chains and sprockets and things like valve clearance checks.

Bike SVS Y

Mileage 35000 ish

Regularly serviced by dealer

Used all year round (although not so much in the very depths of Winter these days!)

Faults - replaced reg/rec and rear shock, also gone through a couple of batteries. (Pretty good all in all!)

Dealer until warranty ran out... 2000 W Reg

Mileage about 18k now, used all year round for commuting

Faults - None since I got it with 3300miles on it

Had my last SV serviced once (before it got trashed), the latest one I'm doing all by myself (even easier now Haynes have the manual covering the pointies). Have had the odd bolt go missing, things not tightened up properly, etc. when I've got it serviced by a dealer - at least I'll do it right, even if I'm slower.
Satisfaction at doing it myself is worth more than the money. Would still go to a tyre shop and do the ride in/ride out thing rather than remove the wheels myself.