My V-Strom 650 goes in for 6th service: Overall cost & experience

The overall cost of the service, including the engine oil, coolant, brake fluid replacement, and wiring fix, came out to around ₹11,064.

BHPian Shankar.R recently shared this with other enthusiasts:

6th Service Experience of My Suzuki V-Strom 650 (3 years 6 months @10,500 km)

This is the sixth service for the V-Strom 650, but it’s the first one under my ownership.

I’ve been owning the bike for the last six months. The previous five services were carried out by the previous owner. Notably, the coolant and brake fluid, which are supposed to be replaced every two years, had not been changed. They were due in 2023 but were not replaced, citing low mileage as the reason.

The bike’s servicing had been done at the Suzuki dealership in Naraina previously. When I got the bike almost six months ago, the odometer was at 8,000 kilometers. As Naraina is a bit far from where I stay, I decided to get the service done at Path Pavers, which I find more transparent and easier to communicate with.

Two months ago, I had done a general check-up at Path Pavers before a trip, where I was told:

1. Brake pads were at 50%.

2. Tires still had about 10,000 kilometers of life left.

For this service, I decided to follow the maintenance schedule, which included:

• Engine oil change (I didn’t bring my own and left the recommendation to Path Pavers. They had Maxima 10W50, so I went with it). Was running ECStar
• Coolant replacement (Maxima coolant was used, being the only option available).
• Brake fluid replacement (if required).
• Throttle body cleaning.

I’m relatively new to the concept of servicing outside authorized service centers. Previously, I used to leave everything to the service center. However, after reading various Team-BHP service and ownership reviews, I decided to get more involved.

Wiring Fixes

The previous owner had installed a set of Chinese fog lights and Baja lights. The wiring was a complete mess. Path Pavers did an excellent job rerouting and neatly organizing the wires. Unfortunately, I didn’t take any “before” and “after” photos, but the difference is significant. One reason I prefer Path Pavers is that Suzuki service centers never seemed to care about addressing such minor issues.

Cost

The overall cost of the service, including the engine oil, coolant, brake fluid replacement, and wiring fix, came out to around ₹11,064.

Windscreen Extender

I’ve wanted to get a windscreen extender for a while. Path Pavers happened to have a Prospex windshield for the Himalayan 450, which was ordered for another customer. Though skeptical about trying a windshield designed for a different bike, I decided to give it a shot.

At the highest setting, the windshield works wonders. On my ride back, which includes around 15 kilometers of expressway, I could cruise about 10 km/h faster than usual without experiencing much wind blast. However, visibility is slightly compromised. The road about 10 - 20 feet in front of me is visible only through the clear lens of the Prospex windshield.

Conclusion

Overall, I’m happy with the service experience at Path Pavers. Their attention to detail, especially with the wiring, and their transparency made a positive impression. The new windshield has been a pleasant surprise, and I’ll continue to evaluate its performance in the coming rides. However, the thought of whether the correct model windshield would have been better is still running through my head.

Looking forward to feedback and suggestions from fellow Team-BHPians!

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