Gear box oil leak

[Starman]

This is all very scary, mine was in for 2 days, but leak has started to appear again. This was after the rear diff was replaced. All very well cos it's under warranty, but I reckon soon there are going to be a few second-hand GS12s on the market when the first 2-year warranties begin to run out.

I have done a poll whether people would buy another and most would - I would too - particularly when the 2 year warranty runs out, cos it'll be bloody expensive to have to pay for these repairs yourself and hopefully the latest production models have had these problems sorted out........

So it's off to the dealer (again) to get the leak repaired (again).

Martin
54GS12

 

[Tim Cullis]

JDH, Don't do it, there are better bikes for less money, check out the Caponord ,Tiger, & Varadero but wait for the 1050 tiger in 2007. If you go ahead with the BMW make sure you don't have Servo brakes, order the Non ABS version, better still cancel the order.

Oh, and join the Luddites. Alternatively you could read the article in BIKE last month comparing the KTM 950, 1200GS, the Tiger and the Varadero. KTM came top, 1200GS second, Tiger/Varadero lagged faaaar behind.

 

[JDH]

This is all very scary, mine was in for 2 days, but leak has started to appear again. This was after the rear diff was replaced. All very well cos it's under warranty, but I reckon soon there are going to be a few second-hand GS12s on the market when the first 2-year warranties begin to run out.

I have done a poll whether people would buy another and most would - I would too - particularly when the 2 year warranty runs out, cos it'll be bloody expensive to have to pay for these repairs yourself and hopefully the latest production models have had these problems sorted out........

So it's off to the dealer (again) to get the leak repaired (again).

Martin
54GS12

On the point about latest production models hopefully having these problems ironed out, can anyone tell me if in fact this is the case. My dealer told me that there isn't any difference between the latest 2005 models and a 2006 one. I had originally ordered my bike for Feb/March 2006, but dealer has said it is coming early and I can have it at the end of this month. He also said there will be a 3% price increase in January which I will have to pay if I take delivery after end of December. I'm assuming therefore it's a 2005 model. TBH, if there are any differences in the bike (other than the price) I would insist on getting a 2006 model as per my original order. Any advice/information gratefully received.

 

[birdseye]

Just been out to peer at my bike in the garage. There is a dewdrop of clean oil at the engine gearbox join under the bikes and a smearing of dirty oil in that area. very thin dDark line going perhaps a quarter of the way up the join.

Does this sound like the problem you all have had? Anyone got any photos of the symptoms of confirmed bad seal?

Anybody have to argue to get the work done?

 

[Engineer]

Just been out to peer at my bike in the garage. There is a dewdrop of clean oil at the engine gearbox join under the bikes and a smearing of dirty oil in that area. very thin dDark line going perhaps a quarter of the way up the join.

Does this sound like the problem you all have had? Anyone got any photos of the symptoms of confirmed bad seal?

Anybody have to argue to get the work done?

These are almost exactly the same symptoms that I had. There is a photo on www.advrider.com somewhere but I can't find it at the moment - I will have a look for it tomorrow and post the link here.

I had no problem getting the work done - Balderston of Peterborough were extremely helpful.

 

[GSmonkey]

Just been out to peer at my bike in the garage. There is a dewdrop of clean oil at the engine gearbox join under the bikes and a smearing of dirty oil in that area. very thin dDark line going perhaps a quarter of the way up the join.

Does this sound like the problem you all have had? ?

yep, sounds about right. You never seem to get a puddle of oil under the bike it just smears itself around and sometimes runs down the shaft.

 

[GSmonkey]

I had assumed that it would be done under warranty - if your bike is less than 2 years old it should cost you nothing. Aren't all 1200GS's less than 2 years old?

...yes, mine has been done under warranty. My point is, *I* wouldn't pay for it to be fixed unless it contaminated the clutch. Fingers crossed it won't happen again

 

[plasmatron]

I don't suppose anyone could be kind enough to post a photo of this leak between the engine and gearbox... I'd like to do a thorough check for peace of mind's sake but I'm not entirely sure I know what to look for based on these descriptions....

cheers...

 

[CONWISE]

2004 Model
10,000 km picked up today by the dealer for Gear box oil leak.

Here we go again!! A never ending story called R1200GS.

 

[Engineer]

I don't suppose anyone could be kind enough to post a photo of this leak between the engine and gearbox... I'd like to do a thorough check for peace of mind's sake but I'm not entirely sure I know what to look for based on these descriptions....

cheers...

I can't post pics because I'm not a site sponsor (perhaps I should be) - however here is the link to the Advrider site which has pics.


http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=91873&highlight=transmission+leak

 

[birdseye]

Interesting. Mine doesnt look as bad as those piccies, bur I have a drop of clear golden oil right down at the lowest point of the joint underneath the bike. Nothing on the ground

 

[GAG]

I can't post pics because I'm not a site sponsor (perhaps I should be) - however here is the link to the Advrider site which has pics.


http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=91873&highlight=transmission+leak

Yes thats what mine looked like, but also with a covering oil film underneath.
Went to the dealers yesterday, he had already ordered the parts including a new front engine cover due to corrosion.
Gave my thier demo 1200gs, late 2004 and yes thats the same.
Should be ready to pick up by the end of the week

 

[Denis]

Gearbox oil leak

Can I reverse this thread a little and ask A) does anybody with a 1200gs not have an oil weep / leak / smear on this joint (see photo)? B) Has it caused anyones clutch / gearbox / driveshaft etc. to fail?

 

[Engineer]

Interesting. Mine doesnt look as bad as those piccies, bur I have a drop of clear golden oil right down at the lowest point of the joint underneath the bike. Nothing on the ground

Mine wasn't as bad as the pic but I did have a 'single drop of clear golden oil' on the lowest point of the gearbox. (there is a little rounded bit that sticks out lower than the rest of the gearbox - just out of view in the Advrider pics).

 

[GAG]

Can I reverse this thread a little and ask A) does anybody with a 1200gs not have an oil weep / leak / smear on this joint (see photo)? B) Has it caused anyones clutch / gearbox / driveshaft etc. to fail?

Just had a phone call from the dealers, the gearbox input shaft sealing ring has failed. What he was worried about when I phoned a couple of days ago was if the seal was suddenly to fail completly then oil might be thrown onto the back wheel, and that was why he advised me not to ride the bike, if this was to happen then it might cause cluth or even gearbox failure.
prevension is better than cure.

 

[birdseye]

Can I reverse this thread a little and ask A) does anybody with a 1200gs not have an oil weep / leak / smear on this joint (see photo)? B) Has it caused anyones clutch / gearbox / driveshaft etc. to fail?

I think I'm right in saying that cars used to be (maybe still are) BUILT WITH A SMALL DRAIN HOLE AT THE BOTTOM OF THE BELL HOUSING TO DEAL WITH (apologies - hit caps lock) and seepage that does occur, and certainly the car in my garage at the mo has some very minor seepage from diff housing and gearbox output shaft. Of course, you dont see those bits on a car because of bodywork.

My ST1100 pan euro also had a bit of seepage from the bevel box. So I dont think the 1200GS is unique

 

[Jimb]

JDH

CANCEL IT, I was lucky I caught my 1150 early and the clutch is OK, the parts are £63 and labour is £550 if out of warranty, BMW know of the issue and don't want to know.
Don't fall for the hype, and the crap spouted by journo's who don't know their arse from thier elbow, spend £3500 less and put some of the change into some decent suspension and any bike will ride well.

Read all the threads on the failures with the 1200 in particular but other BMW's and make your judgements in the light of facts not opinions, there is enough damning evidence on this board alone and then check out Advrider.com, then seek out other user forums for other bikes and see for yourself.

I guarantee that when the euphoria of the new bike has worn off and you start to experience failures and have to have yourself and the bike recovered you will begin to realise the mistake you have'nt yet made.

I speak from experience, I have "only" had 3 failures with my 1150, Final drive oilseal failure, shaft drive pivot bearings, and now the Crankshaft & gearbox oilseals failure, when I was buying my 1150 there was a gent on this board called The Sanguine who had horrendous problems with his BMW, I just wish I had taken his advice and never bought a BMW, its easy with hindsight but the prospect of a new bike clouds your judgement and The Sanguine was right, DON'T MAKE THE SAME MISTAKE,

 

[BRRT]

Still leaking

click click!

interresting thread, includes picture.

http://www.ukgser.com/forums/showthread.php?t=31144

Bart

 

[JDH]

Are we sure the GS1200 isn't made by TVR

JDH

 

[GSmonkey]

When I originally picked mine up there was a black line between the engine / gearbox and when I queried this, the garage (Vines) told me that this was some joint compound being squeezed out. It has never really failed on the vertical section of the joint only on the underside. I only took mine in after there was a secondary leak on the bevel box, this coupled with the leaking oil from the box running down the shaft ended up covering most of the back of the bike in a film of oil/dirt if i didn't wash it for a couple of weeks.

The easiest way to spot the leak (and how I spotted it was getting more of a concern) was to leave the bike unwashed for a few weeks (I'm sure that's not a chore!!) and see where smears of oil/dirt accumulate.

My mistake was to degrease all the areas with gunk the week before I took it to the garage for its previous service. This time it went it without being washed for 2000miles and you could certainly spot the source of the leak!!!