Cost of oil change

[bpdchief]

Am I the only one getting a quote of $100 to change the oil in the GZ? Oh, on Wednesday they only charge $49.95 ! :poke2: If they had a smiiley face bent over getting in the ass I would click on it!!!

[raul10141964]

I do it my self the cost about $25

[jonathan180iq]

$25? For 2 quarts of oil and a $3 filter? What kind of stuff are you guys using?!?

I've heard of $100 oil changes from our Canadian members, but what kind of ludicrous lie are these shops selling people that makes them think an oil change has a value of $100.... even on a car? I mean, even at $30, they are making a killing. It's a 10 minute process in a shop... It might cost $10 in parts and then $20 in labor if they are assholes... That's still only $30.

Go to Walmart and buy yourself some oil and do it yourself. You don't have to change the oil filter every time. (I would do that if your bike is brand new, but not once she's broken in.) And you can buy oil filters in bulk from Amazon for almost nothing.

Geeze. I feel for ya, man.

[Jake777]

I'm not sure how much it would cost in my area but I do know it is much cheaper to do it yourself. The suzi takes just over 1 quart of motorcycle oil to make it happy. I went ahead a bough 3 quarts of oil and two oil filters. That ran me about $50 if I remember correctly and probably would've been even cheaper if I bought it online. Then I just simply changed the oil and filter. It is VERY VERY easy to do, especially if you have a service manual or whatever. Took me probably like 30ish minutes the first time and I'm 16. I found that if you cut a 1 gallon milk jug in half it makes for a perfect oil catcher :cool: make sure you have some newspaper or something (I used blood tarp things from the hospital that I got from my sister who works there that worked like a charm :lol: ) down underneath the bike because, chances are you will spill oil somewhere during the process :tongue: Good Luck!

[jonathan180iq]

And there's this:

viewtopic.php?f=8&t=566 (http://gz250bike.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=566)

[Water Warrior 2]

Am I the only one getting a quote of $100 to change the oil in the GZ? Oh, on Wednesday they only charge $49.95 ! :poke2: If they had a smiiley face bent over getting in the ass I would click on it!!!
That is just too outragious to qualify as only being greedy. The filter is a common item used in various machines and the oil is cheap enough to beat that $50 Wednesday price very easily. For $50 I could buy the oil, HiFlo HF 136 oil flter, new tools to do the job and a large aluminum turkey pan to catch the oil. Oh yeah, and a small funnel to use when pouring the oil in the bike. Also works when pouring the used oil in an empty bleach bottle for disposal.
The last time I needed a filter for Lynda's GZ the local Yamaha dealer was out os stock. No problem, just a short jaunt down the street and the Kawasaki folks produced one.
Do consider doing the oil change yourself if you have that option. You will have a lot more gas money in your pocket.

[dentheman]

I had the oil and filter changed on my Shadow 3 weeks ago. I tried to do it myself, but couldn't get the drain plug loose, so I took it to my favorite mechanic who is just starting his own shop after working at the dealership for several years. Of course I had my own oil and filter and he said "bring 'er in!" when I called. He also asked if he could check the bike over, I said "sure". He checked tire pressure which was OK, then sprayed lube on the sidestand pivot and clutch and brake lever pivots. Once finished, he said "That didn't take long, how's $10 sound?" It sounded just fine!

If he will do it for $10 it is worth it to me so I don't have to get on the ground, then try to get up, not having to discard used oil, and for keeping my hands clean.

[frempath]

My mechanic charges $40 for filter and synthetic oil and does it while I am at work.
Maybe a touch high, but he does me right with the rest of the work he does.

As to the comment about not changing the filter, I grew up working in the family truck stops and doing on farm services. Yes, yes you absolutely need to change the filter every time. The filter contains the contaminates you are trying to get rid of and if you don't change the filter it also contains a significant amount of contaminated oil. When you mix your new oil and contaminated oil together all you get a fresh batch of rotten oil running through a contaminated filter. This only wastes your time and money. No this is not anecdotal, this is the result of testing provided by API for a court case in which my family was involved.

With Regards,

[Water Warrior 2]

There are pros and cons concerning a filter change every oil change. Bikes are the only vehicle I know of that suggests skipping a filter change. I am sure Suzuki has their reasoning.

[dentheman]

My Shadow owner's manual recommends oil AND filter be changed every 8,000 miles. That seems like a long interval to me.

[blaine]

My Shadow owner's manual recommends oil and filter be changed every 8,000 miles. That seems like a long interval to me.
I always change my oil & filter (bike & car) every 5000 KM (3000 Miles.
:) :2tup:

[Skunkhome]

If I spend more than $12 on an oil change it has more tan 1 cyl. On the other hand when I change the oil in my Sprinter the oil alone cost me about $100.... That's 14qt of euro blend synthetic.. It has a change interval of two years or 10k miles.

[alantf]

It has a change interval of two years or 10k miles.

My Citroen has a change interval of 10,000km and the Citroen dealer charges €40, but we do so few miles in the car that this is only every couple of years. The bike, on the other hand, needs changing every 5,000km and the price is only 50 cents cheaper.

[Water Warrior 2]

Do you have the option of a different shop for maintaining the bike? That sounds a little harsh for an oil/filter change.

[alantf]

Not really. There are only a couple of bike shops within a reasonable distance. I'd do it myself, but I've got osteo arthritis in my shoulder, so it's a bit difficult getting under the bike.

[Water Warrior 2]

Not really. There are only a couple of bike shops within a reasonable distance. I'd do it myself, but I've got osteo arthritis in my shoulder, so it's a bit difficult getting under the bike.
The beauty of our later years in life. Smart enough to do the job but not able to move well enough. Laying beside a bike or under a cage used to be fun and provide a sense of accomplishment. Now it just plain hurts and is very tiring.