LH cam chain tensioner

Wrigsby1

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I have had the latest of my 4 R1100GS's for coming on a couple of years and now am sticking with it after trying the latest and greatest (from Honda) which just confirmed to me I already have the best bike for me...

I have had the LH tensioner start up rattle before and when this ones hot have the same thing again... I'm not really bothered if it doesn't result in any damage and even then it seems an easy enough fix... So is there any lasting probs if you leave it as it is... It's only for a few secs on start-up from warm...

I'm not going to be a Oilhead Luddite but I do love the 11 and have even found the sense in the 5 speed box... I always loved the no compromise design and even now find things like the clocks to be spot on in design... I used to sell the 11/1150's and for a while thought they were now past it but now I am totally satisfied with the balance of what it does... Simple and bullshit free with little reason to trouble anyone other that the odd parts bloke... And without that feckin superiority complex of modern GSing...:D No faux RTW stickers for me...:thumb
 
Wrigsby1 said:
I have had the latest of my 4 R1100GS's for coming on a couple of years and now am sticking with it after trying the latest and greatest (from Honda) which just confirmed to me I already have the best bike for me...


I'm not going to be a Oilhead Luddite but I do love the 11 and have even found the sense in the 5 speed box...

I always loved the no compromise design and even now find things like the clocks to be spot on in design...

I used to sell the 11/1150's and for a while thought they were now past it but now I am totally satisfied with the balance of what it does...

Simple and bullshit free with little reason to trouble anyone other that the odd parts bloke...

And without that feckin superiority complex of modern GSing...:D

No faux RTW stickers for me...:thumb
Click to expand...

Good man, my thoughts exactly, about 1100GS's and my 1150GSA..............proper good bikes, finished off and functional
 
I have to say that previously, my one gripe with the 1100Gs, was the snatchiness at low revs and was steeling myself for the cost of a carb conversion. I love all the rest as per previous posts.

Having fitted one of GSJohns chips, the transformation has been amazing. It would be interesting to compare a carb converted bike vs. a rechipped one
 
1100/1150gs both suffer from what I refer to as the Honda Deauville effect.
From the outside looking in its easy to say eeehhggh I'm not sure what the fuss is about. Odd looks, a little quirky etc etc.
But then you step onto one and oh my! The ride, the feeling, does absolutely everything better than your Yamaha/duccatuzuki squirt thrusters cock jet X1!.

And behold the Honda Deauville effect.
Just to clarify, first had this experience in hands deauvlle hence the name, we can can consider a change if required!


Sent from my HTC One_M8 using Tapatalk
 
Absolutely agree. Bought my 1150 GSA last September after 6 years with a CBR 1000. Half the horsepower, doesn't accelerate as quickly etc. etc, but what a fabulous machine to ride all day, over any road, in any weather. Last of the old school bikes; properly engineered, good build quality and no CANBUS to throw a hissy fit if I change the headlight bulb. For me the 1150 is also a better looking bike than the 1200 and I can forgive the quirkiness because once you ride it you realise that the quirkiness is there for the good old fashioned, logical german reason that it just bloody works! (although the indicator switches are just plain wierd!)
 
It seems your question got lost in the rest of your post. If you leave the LH tensioner as is, you run the risk of destroying the tensioner rails, part number 2 in the diagramme. The swap to the updated tensioner is easy enough and not terribly expensive.

B0004778.png


Bohdan
 
Agree with the above. Although only lasting a few seconds the cam chain is thrashing around (relatively) uncontrolled for that short period. The accumulative effect can't be good. Swapping out the tensioner is relatively easy, no need to remove the throttle body, with the correct socket/extension you can JUST get in there.
 
4ndy.jones said:
1100/1150gs both suffer from what I refer to as the Honda Deauville effect.
From the outside looking in its easy to say eeehhggh I'm not sure what the fuss is about. Odd looks, a little quirky etc etc.
But then you step onto one and oh my! The ride, the feeling, does absolutely everything better than your Yamaha/duccatuzuki squirt thrusters cock jet X1!.

And behold the Honda Deauville effect.
Just to clarify, first had this experience in hands deauvlle hence the name, we can can consider a change if required!


Sent from my HTC One_M8 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...


Spot on
 
gonzomup said:
It seems your question got lost in the rest of your post. If you leave the LH tensioner as is, you run the risk of destroying the tensioner rails, part number 2 in the diagramme. The swap to the updated tensioner is easy enough and not terribly expensive.

B0004778.png


Bohdan
Click to expand...

trickytree said:
Agree with the above. Although only lasting a few seconds the cam chain is thrashing around (relatively) uncontrolled for that short period. The accumulative effect can't be good. Swapping out the tensioner is relatively easy, no need to remove the throttle body, with the correct socket/extension you can JUST get in there.
Click to expand...

Thanks gents, that's what I had heard from someone who had a failure on a R1150RT... I was just seeing if this was a widespread view amongst the Oilhead folk...:thumb
 
Just a note on the general GSatisfaction...;)

Torque where you need it and less gear changes than my old R12RT, far less than the uber-torquey but 4 cyl Crosstourer, and a spot on balance into corners of engine braking and brakes in necessary... I have a standard exhaust but a mild John fae Greece chip upgrade... top gear down to 1500... The paralever/telelever balance is just what I want... the luggage can be abused and still be fine, it has THE BEST toolkit ever... Best beak...:D

Mine is scruffy and I was going to tidy it, but why? It's only paint and that doesn't make it go any better...:thumb

11's can be a bit jumpy but this latest one is the best one I've had and the other bits make up for the odd cough... Old but gold...:thumby:
 
I'm a bit confused, I replaced one of the tensioners (number 11 on the diagram) quite a while ago the one that sits below the barrel. I was under the impression that because of its position the other one was OK as it was, is that the case or should I replace that one as well?
 
Wrigsby1 said:
Just a note on the general GSatisfaction...;)

Torque where you need it and less gear changes than my old R12RT, far less than the uber-torquey but 4 cyl Crosstourer, and a spot on balance into corners of engine braking and brakes in necessary... I have a standard exhaust but a mild John fae Greece chip upgrade... top gear down to 1500... The paralever/telelever balance is just what I want... the luggage can be abused and still be fine, it has THE BEST toolkit ever... Best beak...:D

Mine is scruffy and I was going to tidy it, but why? It's only paint and that doesn't make it go any better...:thumb

11's can be a bit jumpy but this latest one is the best one I've had and the other bits make up for the odd cough... Old but gold...:thumby:
Click to expand...


Nice summary
 
Nah, they are poo.

Old, wheezy, heavy lumps of pig iron which can only be admired by a bog eyed luddite. I'd have a WC in a heartbeat but I just can't afford one. Every time I see one I am so jealous that the rider has been so successful in life and has obviously achieved the heady heights of being accepted by BMWs PCP department.

So for now I will have to suffer the indignity of riding an outdated steed whilst I slog away at work to try and climb the ladder of success until one day I can get walk out of the showroom with my accepted finance deal and have the means to pay for BMW servicing. I can't wait for the day when I can afford to retire my tool box and let a kid fresh out of school charge me £80 an hour to learn his trade.
 
Rugged Path said:
Doh!
All threads on the subject of tensioner replacement is for the top one. The bottom one has never been an issue as far as I know; nor been queried on the need to replace.
Click to expand...
Actually double DOH!!! It was the Left hand one I replaced not the bottom one, must have remembered it being under the tele lever arm.
 
Flipfly said:
Nah, they are poo.

Old, wheezy, heavy lumps of pig iron which can only be admired by a bog eyed luddite. I'd have a WC in a heartbeat but I just can't afford one. Every time I see one I am so jealous that the rider has been so successful in life and has obviously achieved the heady heights of being accepted by BMWs PCP department.

So for now I will have to suffer the indignity of riding an outdated steed whilst I slog away at work to try and climb the ladder of success until one day I can get walk out of the showroom with my accepted finance deal and have the means to pay for BMW servicing. I can't wait for the day when I can afford to retire my tool box and let a kid fresh out of school charge me £80 an hour to learn his trade.
Click to expand...


Piss






Taker
 
We oilheaders have a biking Buddhist edge... A kindly eye, a peaceful smile without malice but inwardly always thinking "What a twat" about everyone else...:):)
 
Nippy Normans supply Touratech, Wunderlich, Desert Fox and many other makes of accessories.
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