can't you just fix the flap in the open position? I thought it was only there for noise regs but I may be talking complete bollocks.
Exhaust flap drama. BMW aren't listening.
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Not an engineer but it does have other uses, such as torque and grunt etc.
Not according to the BMW techs I spoke to, it is only there for emissions and noise and if open doesn't impact the working of the bike at all. They normally fail in the open resting position. So if its stuck you can just leave it, but when you switch the ignition on, the flap goes through a test, so if its stuck it throws an error code, so if you take your bike to the dealer and they plug it in, they will know the flap is stuck. You can also just take the cables off, so the actuator moves, but it can spin too far as there is no resistance, so again error. I did see a company in the States makes a module you can plug in to fool the ECU. In a nut shell, if I couldn't get free replacement, I would have just boshed it out, but if you sell to a dealer, they are looking at £1300 to fix, so if buying used, make sure the flap works
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Not according to the BMW techs I spoke to, it is only there for emissions and noise and if open doesn't impact the working of the bike at all. They normally fail in the open resting position. So if its stuck you can just leave it, but when you switch the ignition on, the flap goes through a test, so if its stuck it throws an error code, so if you take your bike to the dealer and they plug it in, they will know the flap is stuck. You can also just take the cables off, so the actuator moves, but it can spin too far as there is no resistance, so again error. I did see a company in the States makes a module you can plug in to fool the ECU. In a nut shell, if I couldn't get free replacement, I would have just boshed it out, but if you sell to a dealer, they are looking at £1300 to fix, so if buying used, make sure the flap works
So not the same as the old yamaha Exup setup............
Recent 12k service on 2016 bike, showed an historical fault on the exhaust flap, never noticed, so they are replacing it, even though it’s working fine now.
Also replacing rear wheel bearing as there was play in that.
It surprises me that the extended warranty, if you purchase it, doesn’t include such things. New bikes now will have a 3 year warranty, but is corrosion and shock absorbers still limited to 30,000 miles I wonder.
Also replacing rear wheel bearing as there was play in that.
It surprises me that the extended warranty, if you purchase it, doesn’t include such things. New bikes now will have a 3 year warranty, but is corrosion and shock absorbers still limited to 30,000 miles I wonder.
Not according to the BMW techs I spoke to, it is only there for emissions and noise and if open doesn't impact the working of the bike at all. They normally fail in the open resting position. So if its stuck you can just leave it, but when you switch the ignition on, the flap goes through a test, so if its stuck it throws an error code, so if you take your bike to the dealer and they plug it in, they will know the flap is stuck. You can also just take the cables off, so the actuator moves, but it can spin too far as there is no resistance, so again error. I did see a company in the States makes a module you can plug in to fool the ECU. In a nut shell, if I couldn't get free replacement, I would have just boshed it out, but if you sell to a dealer, they are looking at £1300 to fix, so if buying used, make sure the flap works
Yep, the reason being that back pressure is largely governed by the header pipes and CAT, not the flap. Setting it permanently in the fully open position might make a small change in low down torque but its primary function is noise regulation.
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Makes sense.
The flap sticking is a well known fault. The design is flawed. Just because it is out of warranty is not good enough. It is not fit for purpose. How can it be when most do not reach 15k miles before failing.
Its fine leaving the cables disconnected but the bike is noisier when starting from cold and lower revs. sounds like a nail to be honest
Its fine leaving the cables disconnected but the bike is noisier when starting from cold and lower revs. sounds like a nail to be honest
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Eh... how can it sound like a nail? A nail doesn't make any sound.
Unless you managed to get a bucket full of nails and a trampoline, and a beautiful young lady assistant only wearing a bikini to hold the bucket of nails and jump up and down repeatedly.
I'd book a seat at that demo...
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Take them to small claims court, they won't contest it, you win happy days
Forgot you live wellsall
stop being "yampy: and "clarting" about, it sounds rough and not like I spent £15k "ackers". now i am "blarting" it is not working. Unfotunately i cannot "deaf it"
"Ta-ra a bit"
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Forgot you live wellsall
stop being "yampy: and "clarting" about, it sounds rough and not like I spent £15k "ackers". now i am "blarting" it is not working. Unfotunately i cannot "deaf it"
"Ta-ra a bit"
Read thread below, I know you can use a spanner..........
http://www.ukgser.com/forums/showth...st-valve-seizure/page7?highlight=exhaust+flap
Well, I didn't notice any difference noise wise, when the flap was stuck open. So think that is debatable, unless you have great hearing of course
Probably because it was working somewhat. when u disconnect the cables and the flap is fully open, below 2k revs its very noisy. You could of course be use to it?
Hi Jim, It is a common fault - ask the dealers - most people do not spanner their bikes and do not expect to pay £1500 for a replacement.No offense, but the only "drama" I see here is created by the OP. The bike broke, it is out of warranty. It is not a particularly common issue, so it is not an "inherent fault".
Fix the bike and move on. Complaining about it, especially as a first and second (only) posts, is just whining.
Jim
I didn't disconnect it, I found out it was stuck when I went for a service. Since then I have had two sets of headers, so no longer have a flap problem
Read thread below, I know you can use a spanner..........
http://www.ukgser.com/forums/showth...st-valve-seizure/page7?highlight=exhaust+flap
I can use a spanner
the point i am making is that for a Premium brand it should not need it. It would not be so bad if it was part of the service schedule
My Dec 2016 GSA is in for replacement headers and flap next month at the end of its warranty at 16,000 miles. I must admit it sounds slightly fruity as its stuck open and I like it. Not noticed any difference in performance.
Thanks for the help on future maintenance though. dealer told me it was inaccessible.
Thanks for the help on future maintenance though. dealer told me it was inaccessible.
I can use a spanner
That's true but the reality here, and it's not just BMW, is that many bikes these days require more rider/owner maintenance than is listed within the service manuals, as modern day owners manuals are a joke. They are not service manuals nor are they maintenance manuals. The difference, to me at least, between a service manual and a maintenance guide is that one targets specific dealer mileage related service items and one should be to target things that the owner/rider ought to consider to keep the bike reliable. We tend to do the easy things like checking tyre pressures, but no less essential is periodic inspection and maintenance of exhaust valves. We know there's an issue, so really surprised that people knowing this still go on until the point theirs fails.
I wonder how much of a reduction in failures would occur if everyone learned to wield a spanner again? It's only in recent times that bike owners, mostly the better healed ones, have developed an allergy to their own maintenance jobs, delegating such things to annual services where much of what is needed simply isn't done. You could (and I do) argue that the service should cover the inspection, cleaning and lubing of the exhaust valve. It doesn't, so they fail.
Whilst not much can be done out of warranty for things like failing info switches or ESA equipped suspension, there's plenty of relatively minor low cost jobs that should, but are not done by BMW. This is where owners can elect to do them at home and sit smug in the knowledge that their efforts make it far less lightly that such things will break. I do think that the exhaust valve is a point in case, as is regular brake cleaning and inspection, annual driveshaft removal, cleaning, inspection, greasing and re-fitting.
I'll be inspecting the valve on mine over the winter perhaps, cleaning and applying high temp nickel grease. Drive shaft will be dropped out for inspection next year.
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