Deleted account Cooperman
Registered user
This stuff works well on my mountain bike
I can assure you that the radiator was cleaned, entirely as recommended in the extensive book, taking care not to bend the delicate fins. I took care (naturally enough) not to use my jet wash on full power as that would just be silly, so I used it on a rather pleasing low pressure, as if watering vegetables.
What the same the same book does not tell you is to remove both the lower side fairings, the quite large plastic radiator grill (that resembles a back protector) and then dismantle the lower V shaped louvre grill.
In fact, and you'll have doubtless noticed that the same (well thumbed) Rider's Manual, is completely silent on how to remove the lower fairings at all, a task that BMW in their infinite wisdom obviously do not anticipate an owner needing to undertake, a simple washing of the upper part of the radiator (that open directly to the elements, bugs, flies and detritus of life) being apparently sufficient to keep the radiator radiating. A removal task that I will no doubt have to now perform on a regular basis if the lower completely obscured part of the radiator is to remain anything like clear. Hey-ho, such is life, a small burden perhaps for riding the damned thing extensively.
Obviously, the good folk at BMW had not considered the possibility of grot being washed UP from the road, past the obscuring lower engine louvre V shaped screen, where it lingers to accumulate unseen and untouched by the gentle watering hose.
Nor did they probably anticipate how the washing - with a gentle hose - the upper (exposed) part of the very large radiator would further exacerbate the problem by washing the bugs, flies and detritus of life further down to add to the unseen accumulation lower down, from where it cannot escape..
No doubt edition two of the Rider's Manual will have have an errata added to it.
So feck you and the horse you rode in on. Though thank you for your support, I'll wear it always.
Next please, nurse.
I think you have now got to the point where words will have to be had with Jeeves. These strict instructions listed in his routine for perhaps a tuesday, allowing sufficient time for the work to be completed in advance of any proposed Grand Tour the master may be conducting.
..would a mud flap/fender extender (I'm sure Bmw will think up a posh word for it)help stop the crud being thrown up?
This stuff works well on my mountain bike
Why should it show up in 'millions' of development miles?
For all you know the bike was run for no more than 200 miles at any one stretch and then the front stripped, clearing the small accumulation each time.
It first appeared as a problem with my bike after about 20,000 miles in one year. There is no other good reason to remove the lower radiator shields during that period and the accumulation is obscured.
It then occurred again within six thousand, a significantly different figure.
I now know the likely cause and am happy that I can deal with it in future. Getting hot under the collar or ranting about development testing (which usually opens up the door to nothing more than the 'not fit for purpose' brigade) does nothing.... Better to publicise the problem and let others possibly learn from it. Though as many owners do not do so many miles whilst a bike is in their hands, it's quite possible that they will never encounter it.
Park Lane are flagging it with Munich... Maybe there will be a re-design, that is if the bike remains in production.
An airlock was the best second guess but I was never really convinced as, if air can get in, surely water under pressure can get out.... And there were no telltale streaks of green fluid to be seen. The water pump is mechanical and ran freely in the Alps, there was no reason to suspect it might suddenly have failed.
Good point, well made
I have sacked the secretary.
Still no sign of my radiator crossing the German Sea