This past Friday had the 18K service performed. This is the last scheduled service before the end of the 36 month warranty in June. In keeping with my "experimental" plan to let someone else work on the bikes, I informed the dealer I wanted a new rear tire, and to change out the chain/sprockets. I told them what tire I wanted, but did no research on current pricing of the tire. They told me they would have the chain and sprocket in stock. I expected this experiment would cost me, but damn, I learned some lessons that day.
When I arrived they had me sign off on the $1,350 cost before they started the work. Ouch, that's about $350 more than I anticipated, but okay...I signed the paperwork. I jump in the truck with DM who followed me the 2 hours to the dealership and we head to our next MD based appointment. 20 minutes later the phone rings. The dealer informs me they had the estimate wrong, the continuous chain will require them to remove the swingarm and take an additional 90 minute of labor. Holy %$#!. I inquire about condition of existing set (no, I hadn't checked). Service guy said it will make it to the next valve check service in 6K miles, but the set will be spent at that point. I tell him to skip it on this visit.
When I get back the bill has dropped to $710, which included the new rear tire, installation, $50 shop supplies, and tax. So the change of a chain/sprocket would have cost $610 + an additional 90 minutes at shop rate, so I'm guessing that's a minimum of $800 to replace chain/sprocket. Experiment over! I'll change it myself, use a crimp on chain the way I always have in the past, and use that $500+ savings somewhere else. Looking at the tire change, buying it the dealer was an additional $25 cost, and $50 install. I can live with that. But the chain/sprocket cost has inspired me to break out the tools again.
As far as the bike itself...I love this little bike, and DM could not be happier with it. If DM elected to stop riding I would not keep it, but I still think it's a wonderful bike. Light, zippy, quick, refined, dare I say luxurious, super maneuverable. A stable bike she's ridden for over 700 miles in a day, then got up early and did it again the next day. It will motor along with the cruise set at 85 MPH (out west) and never feel that it's being pushed...although the MPGs do plummet at those speeds.
Reliability has been excellent, but not perfect. We did have a non-repeated issue with the left handlebar cluster with all buttons dead. No horn, highbeam, turn signals, nothing. I just happened to be riding it in for the valve check that day. By the time the service guy checked the bike everything worked perfectly...of course We also had an issue with the cruise control not engaging for a full day while on a cross country ride. They day before we had ridden in frog strangling rain for a long time. The cruise started working the second day after the rain. Again, that was a one time issue and the reason I went back to that far away dealer on Friday. I wanted to log that problem with them to have a paper trail that I reported an issue with the left cluster on every visit when the bike was under warranty. Will it help..? I hope not to find out. Otherwise, the bike has been flawless.
Great little bike that I don't think DM will ever get rid of until she decides she's done riding two wheels. Fortunately, I think that's still off in the somewhat distant future.