milleplod
Active Member
....does anyone else enjoy trawling eBay, Amazon, et al, looking for car (and bike) related bargains?
I've recently picked up a genuine BMW oil filter, in a tatty box, for my bike for the princely sum of a fiver, delivered, and a Mahle air filter, unboxed, for the same price. And I found that the fuel filter that BMW assured me was only available from them at £23 was the same as the one fitted to multiple Fiats/Alfas...that cost me £9. I also found 4 NGK plugs for it for a tenner.
For the R500, I've just bought Borg and Beck branded air and cabin filters, 2 of each, for £23 all-in. I also found Mercedes Newcastle selling 5ltrs of MB-'branded' 229.5 oil for £17.99 - 10ltrs plus postage was £42, which seemed reasonable enough. Oh, and I won a never-used, 3-week old Duracell battery, complete with purchase invoice, for under £50, which saved me a fortune!
My wife says I'm a tight git, but I enjoy it. To have the bike serviced at BMW each year would cost £200 - £350, depending on which one wanted doing. It usually costs me under £60, even if I do the gearbox and final drive oil as well. The R500 is due a service by the end of August, I want to have the autobox fluid done too, so collecting a few bits and pieces will, hopefully, take the sting out of it a bit. That's assuming the indy doesn't tell me to do one when I turn up with my own stuff!
Pete
I've recently picked up a genuine BMW oil filter, in a tatty box, for my bike for the princely sum of a fiver, delivered, and a Mahle air filter, unboxed, for the same price. And I found that the fuel filter that BMW assured me was only available from them at £23 was the same as the one fitted to multiple Fiats/Alfas...that cost me £9. I also found 4 NGK plugs for it for a tenner.
For the R500, I've just bought Borg and Beck branded air and cabin filters, 2 of each, for £23 all-in. I also found Mercedes Newcastle selling 5ltrs of MB-'branded' 229.5 oil for £17.99 - 10ltrs plus postage was £42, which seemed reasonable enough. Oh, and I won a never-used, 3-week old Duracell battery, complete with purchase invoice, for under £50, which saved me a fortune!
My wife says I'm a tight git, but I enjoy it. To have the bike serviced at BMW each year would cost £200 - £350, depending on which one wanted doing. It usually costs me under £60, even if I do the gearbox and final drive oil as well. The R500 is due a service by the end of August, I want to have the autobox fluid done too, so collecting a few bits and pieces will, hopefully, take the sting out of it a bit. That's assuming the indy doesn't tell me to do one when I turn up with my own stuff!
Pete
Last edited: