First 600 mile service

[carolinakid1]

What can I expect to pay the dealer for the initial Kawasaki 600 mile servicing of a 2007 (it is new) Nomad? Is there anything in particular that I should look for after the servicing is done?

[Cajunrider]

Carolina, It cost me $126 for the 600 mile first service. I have read where it all depends on your dealership. Some have paid more and some less. Ask them to be sure to clean the oil screen and to change your final drive oil. They are supposed to do this but I would remind them. I had the 600 mile service done by the dealer and have performed all of the services since.

[AlabamaNomadRider]

I bought a 2007 Honda VTX in April '08 and they recommended doing the first service. I let them do the service and it was around $100 more or less can't remember for sure.

Bought the '08 Nomad this April and one of the guys that knows pretty much everything about servicing the bikes told me I could do the first service myself.

I did the first and all services since. Saves a bunch of money and helps to gain experience in doing things to your bike.

[jamiep24]

110 bucks

[macmac]

Don't know, the dealer has never seen my bike since day 1... They never will either.

[dandantmm]

Unless you are just totally mechanically challenged or can not physically get down on the ground, I agree with the others...do it yourself.

[pirate]

I was told, by my dealer, to save my money and do it myself. I did, and have ever since.

[macmac]

Resting a bit.

What this 600 miler is, is a glorified oil change. Nothing more nothing less.

The dealer will drain the oil from the wriong place. A drain bolt not the lowest point or the best place to drain the engine oil.

Therefore the dealer will not clean the screen which is most important. The screen strainer will be loaded with bits of gasket and gasket sealer and only God knows what else.

The so called real drain has never once been out of my bike, and probably never will be. What for?

So what you do is get the bike warmed up some, or all the way and then drain the oil on the side stand laying in a big hunk of cardboard.

Loosen to almost removed the filler plug. (more on this in a bit)

Find the screen drain on the left side behind the side stand. It takes a 17 mm wrench. Note the order of the screen and the spring. It is possible to install it wrong.

The good thing is this bolt has 4 slots and so you can loosen it, to allow time for the draining to take place. Why you can even sort of aim, and so controll the flow into a drain pan.

Let it drain out. While it is drop off the left side saddlebag with a 10 mm wrench, getting ready to drain the rea gears box. For this you need a special tool and the same one to fill the engine oil.

This isn't a costly tool by any means. Go to any car parts store and buy a few 1'/2 inch fender washers. Not flat washers, fender washers!

These fit as well as the dealers special tool does, DO not Use a large screw driver! You may need to use pliers on this the very first time, on the fender washer that is.

Once the engine has drained un-do the oil filter and dump that into your drain pan. A strap wrench works well on that, and by now the cat should be cool.

Proceed to cleaning the strainer, with carb cleaner, and get the junk out of it. When you have install it correctly open end inner most. Do not over tighten the plug bolt. When it stops you stop.

Install the new filter. The filter should hit down by hand and take no more than 1/2 turn. If you tighten it past that much tight you will live to regrett it.

Go on to drain the rear gears box. A helper here at 150 pounds or more is good. The helper will sit on the pillion seat, and lower the suspention enough to place a 12 mm wrench on the drain bolt. The filler plug should be loosened so air can pass.

Have what ever is your favorite gear oil on hand. A quart will do this 4 times.

The book is wrong and this takes the oil you will add with a hunk of 2x4 under the side stand flat ways down. If you add what the book says you will drown the pinion gear seal, and you will get gear oil leaking at the far end of the drive shaft. I will bet good money on it. If you fill this look with a good light when about 5.5 ounces has gone in. You will see the fluid level with a internal shelf in the filler opening.

Apply anti seize to the threads on this plug and the engine oil plug, and do up the rear gears box filler, of course after installing the drain plug.

Install the engine oil with the bike level to the middle of the windowm no higher. When the oil is hot it will appear in the window as full.

Install the engine filler plug, and start the engine, running it for a minute. Shut the engine down and wait a minute, and then check in the window with the bike level.

The rest of the 600 mile is visual inspection, and testing brake bolts and other bolts you can see to be snug.

There will probably be a loose one you don't see and the dealer won't see either. That would be the less than finger tight radiator drain bolt, so go snugg that up and snug up all the coolant clamps you can find.

You can send me that check now

[dogdoc]

I spent about $125 and it was the worse $$ i've ever spent. I have never been back to dealer except to get a safety inspection annually.

[kawbuc]

MacMac is right , glorified oil change. My dealer didnt even do that right. Had oil leaks , and nothing was done but the oil change. I ended up changing it again right after the service because i wanted to make sure everything was done right.
If you can do it yourself , do it.

[dogdoc]

My bro dealer in OK stripped the drain plug threads which ruined it from that point on til my brother noticed it on the next oil change he did. Had to have it fixed with a insert and now he uses the screen plug