Excess gearbox gasket sealant showing, is this right?

[HH007]

Hi, Prospective LC GS owner looking for advice. Looked at a bike yesterday ('15 TE <7K miles). All seems right except I noticed there was quite a bit of sealant (looked like new, light grey colour sealant) at the engine/gearbox join. I touched it and easily came off onto my fingers. Made me suspicious as the bike hasn't had a new engine/gearbox apparently, or any work done that would mean the gasket/seal needed replacing.

I would have thought from new the surplus sealant would have at least washed or worn off but conceivable that the bike has only been ridden in dry and stored in a garage. Do all the LC bikes have this sealant showing? Am I worrying about nothing?

Thanks.

 

[Nice 'n' Fat]

I've seen it on others

My current GSA had similar when I bought it at 1100 miles

 

[Neil W]

Like that from new, or at least mine was .................. quality bit of kit

 

[HH007]

Thanks. I'm on the paranoid side after reading some stories about oil leaks. Seems this is normal then and not a concern.

 

[Nice 'n' Fat]

Oil leaks? ............ Where?

 

[Paul G (BHT)]

.... Am I worrying about nothing?

Yes.

.... Seems this is normal then and not a concern.

Yes.

.... after reading some stories about oil leaks.....

Eh?

 

[HH007]

Thanks. So, no (or very rare) oil leak problems with the LC GS? Or is that sarcasm? I'm new here...

 

[Nice 'n' Fat]

Not sarcasm, a genuine question. Where are these threads on oil leaks?

 

[X21ekx]

Bought mine with 1500 miles on mines the same

 

[HH007]

Perhaps my mistake. May have been posts about the air-cooled engine.

 

[EVskiy]

Hi, Prospective LC GS owner looking for advice. Looked at a bike yesterday ('15 TE <7K miles). All seems right except I noticed there was quite a bit of sealant (looked like new, light grey colour sealant) at the engine/gearbox join. I touched it and easily came off onto my fingers. Made me suspicious as the bike hasn't had a new engine/gearbox apparently, or any work done that would mean the gasket/seal needed replacing.

I would have thought from new the surplus sealant would have at least washed or worn off but conceivable that the bike has only been ridden in dry and stored in a garage. Do all the LC bikes have this sealant showing? Am I worrying about nothing?

Thanks.

What ever you do, do not be tempted by pulling in it to remove, as it'll leave a void for moisture to sit in and potentially start the dreaded corrosion


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[thebuyer]

Oil leak ...

Might help keep the corrosion at bay

 

[JerseyNeil]

As others have said the grey sealant is normal. Some of mine has come away whist cleaning it. It is just excess that 'squelched' out when the casings were originally put together.

Im not picking it out but if it comes away when cleaning I can't get too excited.

 

[ChazzyB]

That is the result of a goodly application of BeemerBond at the factory.

Both GSs I've owned have had it at some case joints.

 

[Steptoe]

Better to have too much than not enough.

 

[Paul G (BHT)]

Better to have too much than not enough.

I remember many years ago rebuilding a 750/4 motor, not many miles after the rebuild the motor started getting very tight.

I got it home and decided to drop the sump so see if there were any signs of the cause in there..... the oil pickup strainer on the bottom of the oil pump was covered in Blue Hylomar that had been washed off the inside of the engine casings, it was causing oil starvation.

There's too much and then there's TOO much..... in my defence I was only 18 and still learning

 

[dave hendy]

No oil leaks and doesn't use any either, Bmw got that right...........

 

[HH007]

Thanks all, very helpful.

Only question in my mind now is it's out of warranty and wondering if I'm likely to incur any costly repair bills, or are these generally as reliable as other bikes?

Nothing done on the bike except services and a software update apparently.

 

[autogs]

if i was in the market for a 2nd hand l/c i would def buy from dealer to get the approved used bike 2yr warrenty

 

[MrMcNamara]

Thanks all, very helpful.

Only question in my mind now is it's out of warranty and wondering if I'm likely to incur any costly repair bills, or are these generally as reliable as other bikes?

Nothing done on the bike except services and a software update apparently.

Just bear in mind the vast amount of these machines out there vs faults blown out of proportion. If there is an issue, BMW service second to none, I had an engine / gearbox at 4500miles more because I could than needed too, no other issues since. clean by hand, dont jet wash, spray key areas with ACF 50 occasionally, spray down with WD40 after cleaning & enjoy a fantastic machine (noisy / gearbox crappy) but overall brilliant

Oh & dont forget to lube the splines on the drive shaft occasionally