After getting to San Jose on some well spent tires Sunday, I had to wait until today to put a call into San Jose BMW in the hopes that they would be able to get me set up with new tires and back on the road. We happened to have a break right around 9am when the shop opened, so a quick call indicated that they would fit me in since I was traveling, and to come on in. As we hung up, Dan says something like “I’ll see you in a few minutes”, so I decided not to press my luck and to get the bike up there sooner rather than later. I headed right up there.
San Jose BMW is just a short run from the office, so I’m there in no time. Dan is tied up when I get there, so I get turned over to Pete. Pete agrees that while the schedule is busy this week, they can get me worked in for a tire change since I’m traveling. After a quick check of the computer, we decide to go with Metzler Z6’s since I’ve used those on the ST, they didn’t have the Bridgestones in stock, and I didn’t really have a strong preference on what to try next. They indicated that they stock more Metzlers because they’ve been a favorite for other R12RT riders who visit the shop.
Getting the work order set up, they did a quick search for any outstanding recalls affecting my VIN number … uh oh … there is one. Turns out my VIN number matches a recall from March of last year … a recall affecting 64 bikes where clutch components can come loose while the motorcycle is in operation. The loose parts could exit through the engine casing, causing a wreck. Hmm … that’s no good. A quick call back home confirms that they don’t have any record of this recall having been done either; another quick Internet search confirms the recall as well. No problem says Pete, they can still get the work done before I need to get back on the road … in fact they’ll get started on it today. So their off and going.
San Jose BMW seems to be one of the most communicative service centers I’ve dealt with. They’ve called 3 times this afternoon to update me on progress. The last call, they suggested that since they were in the clutch replacing all the components except the friction plate itself, if I wanted to replace the plate and essentially have a completely new clutch … for just the cost of the plate (no labor for the teardown, etc), they would put in a new plate. You bet … over 9000 miles on the bike, some of it spent learning to ride a dry clutch, it beats me having to pay the 6+ hours to have a shop tear into the bike down the road. The bike should be back together sometime tomorrow.
They even gave me a loaner bike while they worked on mine. (that’s a subject for another day)
So by the end of the week, I should have my bike back … new clutch, new tires, and ready to ride back home no worries.
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