Bloody Exhaust Flapper Valve

[Bigcats]

Went out for a spin today (30 miles or so and mostly motorway).
Stop to fill up not far from home and when I went back to start the bike bloody 'ENGINE! Have it checked by a specialist workshop'. message popped up. Bike ran fine going home.

Bit of searching and yep its more than likely that the exhaust flapper valve is not operating correctly.

Straight onto YouTube to the Just The Way It Is page and watched his excellent video on the flapper valve and how to maintain/unseize it. (really worth doing if your bike is laid up for winter)

Hour and half later and all unseized and fault cleared once the valve started moving again. All it took was some copper grease and kids paint brushes for getting the grease into the right places (they have come in handy so many times).

So if you get the above fault pop up its truly worth checking the flapper valve and use his video to get it sorted it was extremely easy to do.

1200/1250 GS Watercooled

Info, photo's, tech talk etc.

www.ukgser.com

 

[siddo]

Went out for a spin today (30 miles or so and mostly motorway).
Stop to fill up not far from home and when I went back to start the bike bloody 'ENGINE! Have it checked by a specialist workshop'. message popped up. Bike ran fine going home.

Bit of searching and yep its more than likely that the exhaust flapper valve is not operating correctly.

Straight onto YouTube to the Just The Way It Is page and watched his excellent video on the flapper valve and how to maintain/unseize it. (really worth doing if your bike is laid up for winter)

Hour and half later and all unseized and fault cleared once the valve started moving again. All it took was some copper grease and kids paint brushes for getting the grease into the right places (they have come in handy so many times).

So if you get the above fault pop up its truly worth checking the flapper valve and use his video to get it sorted it was extremely easy to do.

1200/1250 GS Watercooled

Info, photo's, tech talk etc.

www.ukgser.com

Or you could lube it to stop it seizing.

 

[rjwojcik]

I like his video's, he explains things in ways I can understand.

You say the error disappeared once you lubed the valve, I always thought you needed to have it reset to clear the error.

 

[GSADavidZH2]

I had this happen several times over a 3000 mile period. It kicked off when on the way to the ferry and decided to sort itself out the following day. Fortunately the extended warrantee covered it, so a replacement set of headers fitted. The error would clear off the screen, but now doubt the ECU would store the error.

 

[Bigcats]

I like his video's, he explains things in ways I can understand.

You say the error disappeared once you lubed the valve, I always thought you needed to have it reset to clear the error.

So did I but once I freed it and restarted the bike to make sure it moved etc the message was no longer in the CC message area and the engine light went off so God knows.

Though I will point out it hadn't fully seized but was quite difficult to turn

 

[Bigcats]

Or you could lube it to stop it seizing.

No on the user maintenance list though is it.....

 

[Deleted account 250319001]

This issue is predominantly caused by short trips, Or starting and not riding to normal operating temperatures. When the bike is started, Look under the bike, By the exhaust valve, You'll see an egg cup full of water drain from the valves weep hole. If the bike is turned off before this water has had time to evaporate, It will sit in the exhaust and corrode the surfaces. Since my first GS in 1999, I've never done that. A good tip all those years ago from Steptoe. A good pointer for me that this is true, is that I've had three GSA's in the last 9 years, Covered over 200000 miles and not one exhaust valve has seized.

 

[Buttertub]

This issue is predominantly caused by short trips, Or starting and not riding to normal operating temperatures. When the bike is started, Look under the bike, By the exhaust valve, You'll see an egg cup full of water drain from the valves weep hole. If the bike is turned off before this water has had time to evaporate, It will sit in the exhaust and corrode the surfaces. Since my first GS in 1999, I've never done that. A good tip all those years ago from Steptoe. A good pointer for me that this is true, is that I've had three GSA's in the last 9 years, Covered over 200000 miles and not one exhaust valve has seized.

That's a good bit of advice and would seem to explain why my GSA 6 year flapper is fine. I only start mine when its out for a ride and that's enough to get everything up to temp. My flapper squeals a little with ignition turn on, but it works fine and been doing it for years.

I'll still going to give a going over though in spring as per vid as i've bought all the stuff, so it wont do any harm

 

[Deleted account 250319001]

That's a good bit of advice and would seem to explain why my GSA 6 year flapper is fine. I only start mine when its out for a ride and that's enough to get everything up to temp. My flapper squeals a little with ignition turn on, but it works fine and been doing it for years.

I'll still going to give a going over though in spring as per vid as i've bought all the stuff, so it wont do any harm

Once it fails, And you apply any lube, its always going to be a problem. Never start the bike unless its going to be run properly. The tip I was given for my 1150, Was due to a separate gearbox, Which if not run properly, could create condensation within the inside casing. That same problem now refers to this exhaust valve. I bet many have never noticed the water under their bike when its first started. ?

 

[G&T]

I’ve had this problem on a previous bike and it always went on a decent run. I’m using graphite spray as per ‘Just the way it is’, on a new bike so let’s see. I still can believe this known issue has gone on so long by BMW.

 

[Bigcats]

This issue is predominantly caused by short trips, Or starting and not riding to normal operating temperatures. When the bike is started, Look under the bike, By the exhaust valve, You'll see an egg cup full of water drain from the valves weep hole. If the bike is turned off before this water has had time to evaporate, It will sit in the exhaust and corrode the surfaces. Since my first GS in 1999, I've never done that. A good tip all those years ago from Steptoe. A good pointer for me that this is true, is that I've had three GSA's in the last 9 years, Covered over 200000 miles and not one exhaust valve has seized.

Yeah I must admit as I live in a city and don't own a car. I do short rides around town etc but its mostly ridden to work which is 14 miles (half city and half motorway)
But I haven't owned the bike from new and have put more miles on it in the last year than the original owner did it 3 years so I'm sure that didn't help. Mine was seized but it certainly wasn't easy or having a full swing.

He even says in the video its important for the bike to be run in the full rev range once a month

 

[Deleted account 250319001]

It was much cheaper for BMW with the Hexhead, as the valve was separate within its own casing, so when it failed, That individual part was changed, But now, its the whole header. Which doesn't make any sense. I'm sure there will be bikes that fail, even if always run properly, however, that vast majority of failures will be because of the water sitting issue.

 

[Bigcats]

It was much cheaper for BMW with the Hexhead, as the valve was separate within its own casing, so when it failed, That individual part was changed, But now, its the whole header. Which doesn't make any sense. I'm sure there will be bikes that fail, even if always run properly, however, that vast majority of failures will be because of the water sitting issue.

Road salt certainly won't help plus I live by the sea

 

[Alan R]

It was much cheaper for BMW with the Hexhead, as the valve was separate within its own casing, so when it failed, That individual part was changed, But now, its the whole header. Which doesn't make any sense. I'm sure there will be bikes that fail, even if always run properly, however, that vast majority of failures will be because of the water sitting issue.

My understanding is that the valve is there to comply with noise regulations in some markets. The reason for the change to a valve incorporated into the header pipes, is to make it harder to tamper/remove said valve.
I notice that the orientation of the valve fitted to the new 1300’s has the axis horizontal rather than vertical: pure speculation on my part, but could this be to allow drain off of whatever contaminants cause corrosion/siezure to the valve spindle bearing surfaces?
Note: the ‘just the way it is’ video is quite convincing in the potential cause of corrosion being from the outside of the pipe rather than internal combustion products.
Alan R

 

[GrinningGSer]

Every November , I copper grease my flaps, top and bottom , plus a dollop of copper grease within the top spring. Some have said that there’s a better high temp grease but it has worked for me over 10 years. That said , it has all gone at each renewal.
Note ; the flap is very crude , with a friction fit and has no proper bearings.

 

[casbar]

This issue is predominantly caused by short trips, Or starting and not riding to normal operating temperatures. When the bike is started, Look under the bike, By the exhaust valve, You'll see an egg cup full of water drain from the valves weep hole. If the bike is turned off before this water has had time to evaporate, It will sit in the exhaust and corrode the surfaces. Since my first GS in 1999, I've never done that. A good tip all those years ago from Steptoe. A good pointer for me that this is true, is that I've had three GSA's in the last 9 years, Covered over 200000 miles and not one exhaust valve has seized.

The issue is not caused by predominantly short trips. All our blood bike fleet have had at least 2 sets of headers and they certainly do not do short trips. I have had new headers on two of my bikes and again, I don't do short trips, I never take the bike to the shops.

 

[hawkeye]

Once it starts seizing its a never ending job. This happened on my 2019 R1250GS just out of warranty, so lubed and freed it, all good for about 6 months, did it again, lasted about 4 months etc etc and in the end I got the hump.

So bought an exhaust valve eliminator from Healtech, dead easy to fit, you unplug the flapper valve plug and plug the eliminator in, stops all those messages and you never have to worry about the exhaust valve again (neither does it affect your MOT, as mines gone thru an MOT twice since fitting no issue). Slightly noisier on start-up for a minute or so, then no difference in the exhaust note. About £40, part number ESE-BM1

https://www.healtech-electronics.com/products/ese/

 

[casbar]

Once it starts seizing its a never ending job. This happened on my 2019 R1250GS just out of warranty, so lubed and freed it, all good for about 6 months, did it again, lasted about 4 months etc etc and in the end I got the hump.

So bought an exhaust valve eliminator from Healtech, dead easy to fit, you unplug the flapper valve plug and plug the eliminator in, stops all those messages and you never have to worry about the exhaust valve again (neither does it affect your MOT, as mines gone thru an MOT twice since fitting no issue). Slightly noisier on start-up for a minute or so, then no difference in the exhaust note. About £40, part number ESE-BM1

https://www.healtech-electronics.com/products/ese/

Yep that is a good solution. But if you trade with the mothership, they will plug your bike in and even if you reconnect the flapper valve, if it isn't working or throws and error, they will know. I will def go down the emulator route if my valve fails again though!

 

[Hann]

^^^can they tell if a valve eliminator module has ever been fitted even if the exhaust valve itself is working without any problems?

 

[casbar]

^^^can they tell if a valve eliminator module has ever been fitted even if the exhaust valve itself is working without any problems?

No, don't think they would know, but if you have had an eliminator fitted, then the valve will probably be stuck from lack of use. So would need freeing off. Also a colleague of mine had the warning light on and then freed the valve off and the light went off, that is new, usually you need to reset the light with a gs911 or something, so not sure if there has been a software update.