That snap on allen socket has seen some action too.
Final Drive Bearing 2010 GSA
- Thread starter MikeB-200
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- bearings final drive
Had my flange changed on Saturday. Similar comment made about my knuckle-joint 
They said the part alone was £500 although they also added that it wasn't urgent so not to bother yet.
Interestingly, my mate has just re-built his entire final drive and said that it was a right mess inside around the bearings from water penetration causing a lot of corrosion. Seemingly, this low maintenance malarkey come at a price!
They said the part alone was £500 although they also added that it wasn't urgent so not to bother yet.Interestingly, my mate has just re-built his entire final drive and said that it was a right mess inside around the bearings from water penetration causing a lot of corrosion. Seemingly, this low maintenance malarkey come at a price!
You have to laugh. German Panther tank - "final drive became the single major cause of breakdowns of the Panther tank" - you'd think the Germans would learn 
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panther_tank
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panther_tank
No effort required.
That's a chunky tool...
I cant understand why GS final drives cause so much trouble. With cars & vans they are forgotten, never have their oil changed and rarely cause trouble likewise other shaft driven bikes. Why cant BMW evolve and modify the weakness? I changed my final drive oil last week (2014 GS with 11,000 miles) and it came out black and very smelly + there was lots stuck to the magnetic drain plug. As much as I hate chains, considering the additional weight, cost and problems, I'm beginning to think BMW shaft drives could be more trouble than they're worth
Bendy toy
Registered user
The original oil always comes out looking nasty as the gears bed in.
Just change it for the proper stuff at every service.
Just change it for the proper stuff at every service.
simonisahome
Registered user
I've just had the rear flange changed under recall on my 04 1200GS and the FD oil was changed less than 1000 miles before that.
Before changing the flange I thought the FD was only getting warm but today after an enthusiastic ride of 30-40 minutes it was definitely hot. Hard to describe, you could touch the case and the center tube without burning your hand but it was uncomfortable to keep your hand there, especially on the center tube.
Is it me being paranoid? do the FD's always get hot? any thoughts on how hot should the FD get?
Sorry - I've just found a thread on FD temperatures and I'd delete this if I could find out how to.
Before changing the flange I thought the FD was only getting warm but today after an enthusiastic ride of 30-40 minutes it was definitely hot. Hard to describe, you could touch the case and the center tube without burning your hand but it was uncomfortable to keep your hand there, especially on the center tube.
Is it me being paranoid? do the FD's always get hot? any thoughts on how hot should the FD get?
Sorry - I've just found a thread on FD temperatures and I'd delete this if I could find out how to.
Check to make sure the rear disc isn't binding to much when on its centre stand perhaps?
simonisahome
Registered user
Thanks - I did look this evening whilst on center stand and the rear wheel spins freely. Looking at another thread it looks like I'm just being paranoid.
Another Bendy generalisation! My original oil came out clean and golden after 12000 miles. Facts are always better than folklore or opinion.
Alan R
Bendy toy
Registered user
Unless the oil was changed at 6K by the dealer.
No, because i've done all my own servicing since the initial 600 mile service. Sorry Bendy but you have offered unsubstantiated opinion as fact. How do you know ''the original oil always comes out looking nasty as the gears bed in.'' Do you/have you worked for a BMW dealer and done many first changes of R1200GS final drive oil?
Alan R
JimVonBaden
Registered user
The 1100-1150 FDs have be failing for years at a rate at east as high as the 1200. The new Wetheads seem to have fixed the issue.
Jim
Jim
JimVonBaden
Registered user
Comparing a car to a motorcycle is a false analogy. There are so many differences in design that one has very little to do with the other. Cars also go 100K miles on the plugs. Why do motorcycles not? How about valve checks and adjustments?
Jim
Cars have more complicated final drives than bikes (differential), have to cope with much more torque from Diesel engines and never have their FD oil changed. For this reason I would expect less trouble from bike FDs than cars. Most cars have hydraulic tappits which adjust themselves which aren't suitable for high revving engines hence why they're not suited to most bikes. My thoughts are that if other bike manufactures don't have problems with FDs neither should BMW.
FWIW I found the oil in my FD was heavily emulsified two services ago due to riding through winter floodwater and required changing. If you go fording etc the sudden quenching of the FD sucks water in past the seals.
At the previous service I dropped the oil into a clean jam jar and it was still spotless.
I replace my FD oil as a matter of course at every other service, a bottle of SAF-XO is good for four years of riding.
At the previous service I dropped the oil into a clean jam jar and it was still spotless.
I replace my FD oil as a matter of course at every other service, a bottle of SAF-XO is good for four years of riding.
Bendy toy
Registered user
The Yamaha Diversion 900 makes 90bhp, weighs 240kg dry and used a final drive gearbox that looks pretty much identical to any other (shaft drive) Japanese bike up to year 2000. It had the cush drive between wheel and FD.
I bought my bike at 33K miles and 10 years old. The FD oil was dirty and grey.
It was changed every 12K miles until I sold the bike showing 75K miles.
It never gave any problems whatsoever.
The oil was hypoid 80 or 90 but never smelly.
The Japanese FD has wetted bearings throughout. The BMW uses greased bearings in one or both outer bearings.
Solid lubricants used in assembly and for added wear resistance contain molybdenum disulphides. Are these the cause of smelly FD oil? Mine certainly stank at my first oil change but since then has never smelled than the usual cat wee of gearbox oil. I've not used MolyS lubes though I might add some.
Is the foul smell caused by sulphides?
My 1990 AustinRover Montego Perkins diesel turbo used the Honda 5 speed gearbox. It was "sealed for life" and ran for 140K with no problems. Haynes said it used 20-50 multi grade oil.
That car was a rust bucket but mechanically solid as a rock.
How does that square with a bike gearbox failing at 50K miles despite numerous oil changes with high spec oils.
I bought my bike at 33K miles and 10 years old. The FD oil was dirty and grey.
It was changed every 12K miles until I sold the bike showing 75K miles.
It never gave any problems whatsoever.
The oil was hypoid 80 or 90 but never smelly.
The Japanese FD has wetted bearings throughout. The BMW uses greased bearings in one or both outer bearings.
Solid lubricants used in assembly and for added wear resistance contain molybdenum disulphides. Are these the cause of smelly FD oil? Mine certainly stank at my first oil change but since then has never smelled than the usual cat wee of gearbox oil. I've not used MolyS lubes though I might add some.
Is the foul smell caused by sulphides?
My 1990 AustinRover Montego Perkins diesel turbo used the Honda 5 speed gearbox. It was "sealed for life" and ran for 140K with no problems. Haynes said it used 20-50 multi grade oil.
That car was a rust bucket but mechanically solid as a rock.
How does that square with a bike gearbox failing at 50K miles despite numerous oil changes with high spec oils.
Arfamow
Registered user
Me too.......
Just had the same experience with my local dealer - took the bike (2010 GSA with 28k on it) in for the flange replacement and came away on a loan bike while they ordered a complete new final drive unit. Initially it looked like a bearing replacement for £350, which was a bit of a shock, but I comforted myself with the knowledge that I've saved on dealer servicing since buying the bike, so was probably still well ahead. However, once the drive was stripped it was obvious - and I was there so did see it, that the hearing surface on the crown gear had worn, so even a new bearing was a simple push fit to install - and play was still evident. The bike was bought from a non-BMW dealer two and a half years ago, so no warranty there - I'm just going to have to rely on BMWs well publicised compassion and sense of fair play to help ease the £1350 pain. Or our holiday to the Manx GP this year, as I like to call my entire savings account.
Just had the same experience with my local dealer - took the bike (2010 GSA with 28k on it) in for the flange replacement and came away on a loan bike while they ordered a complete new final drive unit. Initially it looked like a bearing replacement for £350, which was a bit of a shock, but I comforted myself with the knowledge that I've saved on dealer servicing since buying the bike, so was probably still well ahead. However, once the drive was stripped it was obvious - and I was there so did see it, that the hearing surface on the crown gear had worn, so even a new bearing was a simple push fit to install - and play was still evident. The bike was bought from a non-BMW dealer two and a half years ago, so no warranty there - I'm just going to have to rely on BMWs well publicised compassion and sense of fair play to help ease the £1350 pain. Or our holiday to the Manx GP this year, as I like to call my entire savings account.
Bendy toy
Registered user
MikeyBoy might be able to help with parts and rebuild
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