F-Bike DIY Maintenance

IF all goes well, I will be the owner of a 2014 F700GS low suspension with 3,800 miles by this time Saturday, Sept. 22.

Last night I found a detailed write-up of adjusting the valves. Compared with the tractor-like nature of the R1100 engine, it looks like a daunting proposition. Plus, a newer bike has a computer system that I'm afraid will trip me up — "Setting service-due date and service countdown distance" — if I attempt to do my own servicing, especially valve adjustments.

My question for those of you with F-bikes : Do you do your own maintenance, or take it to the shop? Or, a mix; e.g., change oil, filter, brakes, tires yourself, and take it to a dealer for major maintenance at 12K service intervals? Since the F700GS has only 3,800 miles on it, and I'm sure the valves were checked at the 600 mile service, I should have at least 2,200 miles to decide.

I've only got about 9k on mine. All on last years Euro trip. Changed oil and filter. All else still good. Probably dealer for the 12k service.

I've done my own, so far. Don't plan on changing, but you never know what the future may hold....

Stan

IF all goes well, I will be the owner of a 2014 F700GS low suspension with 3,800 miles by this time Saturday, Sept. 22.

 

Last night I found a detailed write-up of adjusting the valves. Compared with the tractor-like nature of the R1100 engine, it looks like a daunting proposition. Plus, a newer bike has a computer system that I'm afraid will trip me up — "Setting service-due date and service countdown distance" — if I attempt to do my own servicing, especially valve adjustments.

 

My question for those of you with F-bikes : Do you do your own maintenance, or take it to the shop? Or, a mix; e.g., change oil, filter, brakes, tires yourself, and take it to a dealer for major maintenance at 12K service intervals? Since the F700GS has only 3,800 miles on it, and I'm sure the valves were checked at the 600 mile service, I should have at least 2,200 miles to decide.

Evening Selden

I do all my own maintenance on my 800GS (about the same as the 700GS), some things are easy & others (like valve adjustment) are a real pain. You need to dig down through a lot of parts just to get to the rocker cover, then getting the cover out is more of a BIG pain, then IF it needs a valve shim the cam or cams need to be unchained & lifted.

The good news is once you get past the first valve adjustment & get the valves set correctly the 700/800 usually holds the adjustment for many many miles.

The early 700/800 bikes ate stators like a hungry kid eats popcorn but the later bikes with the opened up holes in the flywheels seem to last a lot longer.

Fuel tank outer seam cracking was another weak spot in the 700/800 GS but removing the little pressure valve in the vent line keeps the tank expansion to a minimum so that goes a long ways towards preventing cracking.

Fuel pumps are non anodized so they are another weak point but if the fuel is kept fresh & bike not stored with high alcohol content fuel the fuel pump issues are mostly preventable.

If you idle around town a lot then eventually the idle control valve will probably carbon up but it isn't a real big job to clean it.

The 700 bike is a nice little bike but really needs a skid plate added if going anywhere near off-road or even on unimproved public roads.

You can buy a Caterpillar yellow "O" ring to put on the throttle side that makes a great cheapo throttle lock (actually works better than it sounds).

I really like my little 800GS for off-roading & even around town commuter usage, you just have to get used to the low speed chain slap & neutral clutch rattle.