R1150 GSA SE Engine noise...any ideas??

Just paid £5500 for it, it is absolutely mint I am wondering if he had banged a tin of

Stp in it as wasn't a noise out of it when I bought it and only done a few hundred miles on it before it started knocking it's only 24000 miles and full service history

Fuckety,fuck.
Mebbs get a 2nd opinion on the noise b4 moving forward
 
There's absolutely nothing that can be said in a situation like this that can be any consolation! Definitely get a good mechanical ear to listen as you never know.

I had a major bottom end engine problem in my GSA and common sense said that I should have scrapped it and got something else, I decided as that the rest of the bike was good and I'd spent quite a bit on gearbox, clutch, brakes etc that I'd bite the bullet and get a rebuild...almost 15k miles it's still going strong and has only just slowed down on oil consumption.

Many thanks MB :thumb


I really hope that it's not as bad as it seems and you get sorted out...go visit an expert.
 
Replacement engines are plentiful, and if you're willing to tidy them up and replace a few parts with good ones from your old engine, can be very cheap:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/153060221852

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/192216995395

Looks a big job to replace the engine but its not actually that bad once you get stuck in. Just like a big lego kit, take loads of pics while youre taking it apart and then reverse the procedure. You will need a manual and a couple of torque wrenches. While a £3k rebuild would give you a nice fresh new engine, not everyone can afford to go down that route. Luckily for those of us that are often skint, there are alternatives :D

* edit * guessing the SE is a twin spark, in which case you may be a bit more, worth calling sherlocks to find out though.
 
Motorworks engines are £1600 and their only guarantee is that they will replace it if it's farked..you pay all the time and labour so it would be better right first time.
Sherlocks seem to run all their used engines first so maybe a better bet...and it is riding season after all.
 
So took it to bmw Friend of a friend mechanic,, he had a listen told me to go and get it up to temp came back and he said engine sounds sweet. I asked about the knocking whilst riding and he said def not crank. It is more pronounced coming down the box and accelerating, possibly cam end float ?? Unfortunately he couldn't ride it as was working but assured me he was twenty years time served and wouldn't think twice about riding it a thousand miles ! But make sure I had break down cover ��
 
So the engine noise is when riding and under load?
When checked at idle it’s quiet?
If I were you I’d take it back to the mechanic,get the motor hot and try to demonstrate the noise by loading the motor.
Put the front wheel against a kerb and try and ride up it under a light throttle,if the crank bearings are damaged it will should be easily audible.
 
So the engine noise is when riding and under load?
When checked at idle it’s quiet?
If I were you I’d take it back to the mechanic,get the motor hot and try to demonstrate the noise by loading the motor.
Put the front wheel against a kerb and try and ride up it under a light throttle,if the crank bearings are damaged it will should be easily audible.
Hi Mike
Tried that foot on the brake rev the proverbial south of it with it in first and ride the clutch and absolutely nothing
 
Replacement engines are plentiful, and if you're willing to tidy them up and replace a few parts with good ones from your old engine, can be very cheap:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/153060221852

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/192216995395

Looks a big job to replace the engine but its not actually that bad once you get stuck in. Just like a big lego kit, take loads of pics while youre taking it apart and then reverse the procedure. You will need a manual and a couple of torque wrenches. While a £3k rebuild would give you a nice fresh new engine, not everyone can afford to go down that route. Luckily for those of us that are often skint, there are alternatives :D

* edit * guessing the SE is a twin spark, in which case you may be a bit more, worth calling sherlocks to find out though.
I am just looking through old post and realised that had had notifications of replies so my apologies for not replying cheers for your input bike has been hiding for what I now know to be nearly 7 years 😂
 
A few hundred miles with low oil would be enough.
 
I have a similar problem with my O2 1150GS, it had 19k on it when I bought it, it now has 30k there is a knock from the RH cyl (Sitting on the Bike) when the bike gets really hot, I adjusted the tappets and the rocker shaft end float and changed the pushrods for steel ones, changed the LH cam chain tensioner for a Modded one and relaced the RH one and it still does it, I am beginning to think it’s the small end bearings
 
I have a similar problem with my O2 1150GS, it had 19k on it when I bought it, it now has 30k there is a knock from the RH cyl (Sitting on the Bike) when the bike gets really hot, I adjusted the tappets and the rocker shaft end float and changed the pushrods for steel ones, changed the LH cam chain tensioner for a Modded one and relaced the RH one and it still does it, I am beginning to think it’s the small end bearings
I had similar noises when hot on my 1150GSA SE. It was a worn input shaft.
 
Has your bike got the OEM crash bars ? Common source of undiagnosed knock is a fractured upper mount; hard to see with the tank on but worth checking.
 
Has your bike got the OEM crash bars ? Common source of undiagnosed knock is a fractured upper mount; hard to see with the tank on but worth checking.
This happened to my 02 R1150gs about 12 or 13 years ago. The top mount of the hepco and becker bars had snapped. Nasty vibes at higher revs as well. Swopped the bars for a set of Steptoe's head guards. Bike still purrs like a kitten at 80,000 miles.
 
I had similar noises when hot on my 1150GSA SE. It was a worn input shaft.
Funny you say that I haven’t ridden since covid and just getting the bm sorted after being stood! Clutch slave gave up the ghost abs servo not playing anymore but whilst I have been sorting through everything I have had it ticking over in a tin shed so noises are more pronounced and I can here a very similar noise from the gearbox as I get when riding and coming down the box with box under load, hope that is my problem but at 26,000 only not sure. Will update if it is may help somebody else. Have been using a lot of posts on here to diagnose abs fault and after speaking to a BMW tech via my mate have ruled out every option except knackered pump. Do thanks firstly to steptoe and others for all advice have decided to do away with the pump will let you all know how I get on 👍
 
Change the clutch. I’ve seen this myself and heard of it from others and I’m now convinced it’s the clutch shock absorption springs getting tired
Away this weekend bike fully loaded with camping gear and a fat bloke and clutch didn’t feel great, I’m going to have the box out. Going to check out the threads on throttle bodies as have def got those problems and I’m going to dump the £10 a litre fully synthetic box oil and get some of the proper stuff they put in the overhead crane gearboxes in the steel works 😂
 
Funny you say that I haven’t ridden since covid and just getting the bm sorted after being stood! Clutch slave gave up the ghost abs servo not playing anymore but whilst I have been sorting through everything I have had it ticking over in a tin shed so noises are more pronounced and I can here a very similar noise from the gearbox as I get when riding and coming down the box with box under load, hope that is my problem but at 26,000 only not sure. Will update if it is may help somebody else. Have been using a lot of posts on here to diagnose abs fault and after speaking to a BMW tech via my mate have ruled out every option except knackered pump. Do thanks firstly to steptoe and others for all advice have decided to do away with the pump will let you all know how I get on 👍
Removed the abs and bypassed using advice from step toes post and a couple of YouTube videos only issue I came up against was the braded lines at th joint beneath the tank are a little short but worked perfectly well and just have to tailor that a little to give a bit more slack. Took bike for Mot and all spot on, on brake test rolling rd. once again thanks to all.
 


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