This is my 2nd fuel filter change each at 25k. My dealer, each time, after having everything apart, tells me I need to replace a few internal plastic parts which were ruined by bad fuel. Total bill over $300. 2011 Road Glide and I use Shell Premium.

 

Having been in the car biz for 27 years, I can tell you with certainty, that as a bike/car ages, when you tear in to a repair there's a good possibility that some of the more fragile parts will be brittle/worn from things like heat, time, friction, etc. There's also techs that have learned from experience that certain parts removed during a repair could fail after the component is replaced/repaired. Think of it this way, if you have to replace a water pump, and you must remove the timing belt to do so, if there are considerable miles on that belt you should replace it. In many cases you're not paying any more labor, because those parts had to be removed anyway to perform the repair. So what you end up with is a larger parts bill. All technicians I've ever worked with are paid on labor hours only. They stand to gain nothing by replacing those additional worn parts, except a possible comeback because those worn parts aren't replaced. I don't mean to be so long winded, just thought I'd try to let you see it from the techs perspective.

 

Thanks, more research confirms your post.

 

Yes, the internal hoses do become very brittle. Ethanol in the fuel doesn't help matters either.