1150 GSA - Whining Drivetrain

Jens Kristensen

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I have a 2002 1150GSA that have done about 61000 miles. Over this driving season it has developed a whine from the drivetrain. I need help to identify where the whine comes from before I just tare the entire drivetrain apart.

The whine is very audible under steady cruising speeds og 50+mph in 5th and 6th gear, and feels louder when it’s under extra load, such as carrying a pillion. The whine seems to tone down under acceleration and deceleration and is not hearable at lower speeds.

Are there any checks I can do in order to identify the components that needs changing, or may it be a matter of simply adjusting something?

Thanks in advance 😊
 
Try looking here:

Steptoe

Thread 'How to check your Final drive bearing - 1100/1150'

Going on a trip and worried about your final drive bearing ?. The one that can fail.

This won't help with a sudden collapse, but most of them aren't, they're a gradual process.

It'll cost you a final drive output seal, about £15-£20, but if your off on your holidays or a long trip it must be worth it for peace of mind.

Remove the rear wheel - drain the final drive oil.

Here's the seal your looking for.



Remove the seal.



Now examine the bearing...
 
That's my reaction too; likely the FD.

It's a longshot, but sometimes heavy tyre cupping can throw up some strange noises - what is the tyre condition F&R?

Don't forget pillion riders tend to whine occasionally too, but they can easily be left at home.
 
Jens Kristensen said:
I have a 2002 1150GSA that have done about 61000 miles. Over this driving season it has developed a whine from the drivetrain. I need help to identify where the whine comes from before I just tare the entire drivetrain apart.

The whine is very audible under steady cruising speeds og 50+mph in 5th and 6th gear, and feels louder when it’s under extra load, such as carrying a pillion. The whine seems to tone down under acceleration and deceleration and is not hearable at lower speeds.

Are there any checks I can do in order to identify the components that needs changing, or may it be a matter of simply adjusting something?

Thanks in advance 😊
Click to expand...
Funningly enough I heard my final drive today. I was doing 50mph and it got louder in a turn , with more vibration through the bars . Think I’ll check the oil too
 
jetjock said:
Funningly enough I heard my final drive today. I was doing 50mph and it got louder in a turn , with more vibration through the bars . Think I’ll check the oil too
Click to expand...

Check Tyre pressure
Check tyre for cupping

Then Check oil if no probs above
 
Here's a couple of pointers... I had a whine from my drive line... Tyres? FD? Sometimes I noticed it more than others... Then during maintenance I changed the oils and noticed extra debris on the magnetic FD plug... Checked deeper and yes, the FD big bearing was running rough...
eBay spare later that needed a new big seal haha... This gave me a chance to compare... Original FD still had complete bearing cage but was definitely rough next to it's replacement...👍
Today a new tyre from my hard wearing cheaper but grand CST rear... In it's final weeks it felt vibey especially when leaning and was similar to the FD issue... New tyre and back to smooth.
FD check is easy if you take the wheel off and rotate the drive by hand with a wheel bolt... That's when I really felt the roughness. Steptoes seal check is an easy one as well to look for it breaking up... It's an easy seal to replace...👍
 
Oil looks fine in both gearbox and final drive. I'm changing my tires today anyways, so that can hopefylly rule out one of the potential issues.

If the final drive needs overhauling, do i need to buy the entire kit with both the big and smal bearings and all the seals, or is it only one of the bearings that tend to fail? Becaus at 60£ it sounds cheaper than the "complete FD bearing overhaul kits" i see online.
 
Jens Kristensen said:
Oil looks fine in both gearbox and final drive. I'm changing my tires today anyways, so that can hopefylly rule out one of the potential issues.

If the final drive needs overhauling, do i need to buy the entire kit with both the big and smal bearings and all the seals, or is it only one of the bearings that tend to fail? Becaus at 60£ it sounds cheaper than the "complete FD bearing overhaul kits" i see online.
Click to expand...
I'd check it for roughness and pull the seal as per Steptoes check... another trick it to pull the FD off and rotate by hand at input and output...
My failure didn't show any play and the bearing was complete but obviously the ball bearings had reached the end of their life...
 
you have the oil out ?
calliper off , wheel off , clean area , undo ring bolts , it either comes out with the crown wheel , ( harder )or just bearing and case .(easy )
there'll be a thread somewhere on how to do it .
easy = pry out seal , heat case with h/air gun , tap out bearing , get new one out of the freezer ( you put it there yesterday , in a plastic bag ) , drop it in . squeeze seal in , in a vice with some wood , screw it all back together .

or take it to an adult .
 
theoneandonly said:
you have the oil out ?
calliper off , wheel off , clean area , undo ring bolts , it either comes out with the crown wheel , ( harder )or just bearing and case .(easy )
there'll be a thread somewhere on how to do it .
easy = pry out seal , heat case with h/air gun , tap out bearing , get new one out of the freezer ( you put it there yesterday , in a plastic bag ) , drop it in . squeeze seal in , in a vice with some wood , screw it all back together .

or take it to an adult .
Click to expand...
Is it the large or small diameter bearing that usually needs changing?
 
theoneandonly said:
you have the oil out ?
calliper off , wheel off , clean area , undo ring bolts , it either comes out with the crown wheel , ( harder )or just bearing and case .(easy )
there'll be a thread somewhere on how to do it .
easy = pry out seal , heat case with h/air gun , tap out bearing , get new one out of the freezer ( you put it there yesterday , in a plastic bag ) , drop it in . squeeze seal in , in a vice with some wood , screw it all back together .

or take it to an adult .
Click to expand...

Bearing in the Freezer the day before :D

You need a brevile type sandwich toaster, I bought mine years ago for £3 at a boot sale specifically to be kept in the garage to heat bearings of all sizes and big enough for gearbox end covers and final drive covers. Absolutely perfect for the job ..
 
its the hub/bearing carrier that needs to be in the freezer overnight ,put the bearing in the oven for 15 mins ,then pick the bearing out of the oven with some pliers and drop it onto the freezing hub carrier and leave to cool ,then reassemble
 
my first 1 failed @48k ...in Italy . ( you don't know what has happened in the first 48k )
after that i decided to change them every 50k ,
i service my own bikes , i gave the bearing a "life" , and change it when it gets to the end. that way it should always be reliable . i will do a check during a service , but only from the outside , for play.
it might seem over cautious , but it works for me , plus , when it went , i had to get a van out from Rimini to get me , pay the driver and his fuel , lose all day at the side of the road , Sunday kicking my heels , Monday in the workshop , by 4 o'clock i was riding it .
i change all the oils at the same time , plus i service every 5k miles not the 6k that BMW say.
 
Just dropped the gearbox oil from my GSA, a bit dark, but can’t see any sparkles or bits of metal

IMG_7232.jpeg
 
Nippy Normans supply Touratech, Wunderlich, Desert Fox and many other makes of accessories.
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