Maintenance Plan Change

[Ken Bazeley]

I have just received a "Vehicle Recall Notification" from BMW concerning all R1200 and R1250 (K5x series) bikes.

It details a change to the maintenance plan as follows (and I quote).

• Replacement of the cardan shaft every 60,000 km (cardan shaft mileage, not vehicle mileage). This replacement will be carried out at the expense of BMW Motorrad over the full vehicle lifetime.
• Maintenance recommendation every 20,000 km: check cardan shaft health (new tester-led diagnostic method) and grease splines. This recommendation is not standard content of the maintenance plan and will only be carried out at your request. A refusal on your side will not be documented in the service history.

Sounds fine to me although I don't understand why greasing the splines isn't just added to the maintenance plan.

Oh, and there's a wee insert for your bikes manual too.

Hi, Just joined the site, and i wish i had earlier, Like you i had a letter form BMW regarding recall of my GSA, to fit the new cardan shaft, my bike has completed 36k, the dealer checked on Friday 26th April 2024, rang to say they put my bike on a high speed test and it was fine, so no new shaft! the whole episode has now undermined my confidence in my bike, I wide fully loaded with gear + my wife as a pillion. covering many miles in France and Spain.
I will be going to see the dealer Monday to ask for a replacement, will see how that goes. Regards Ken

 

[Santa-2512]

That's an excuse to ride even more! I got a new one on the last recall as i was over the mileage threshold, so in a couple of years i'll get another new drive shaft for free.

In your dreams matey
Have you read the small print

It,s 30k cardon miles, not 30k road miles

What is a cardon mile??

 

[Ken Bazeley]

Thank you for your reply, my GSA has done 36K miles after a test (no replacement) they told me to come back in 12k to have it checked again, 1 mile out of the dealership it could give out, bike still in dealership, looks like i will have to take it up with Motorrad Nick Cranmer head of customer support, see what he has to say on the matter. Cheers Ken

 

[TechnoGSA]

Interesting. I was under the impression that at the stated mileage the shaft would be changed, regardless of condition. It's supposed to be a preventive/service life thing. The first change at the mileage is a free shaft but you might have to pay for the labour. Consequent changes are all at cost as is the inspections before change milage, if you want them. I've not read any small print, don't remember their being any, on the latter I received. Obviously this isn't a recall it's a service regime change.

 

[Morety]

The letter is crystal clear. Cardon shafts TO BE REPLACED at 60,000Km (approx38K miles) Cardon shaft mileage carried out AT THE EXPENSE OF BMW MOTORRAD. Nothing in there about "depending on condition" or "parts only" It is a definite "will be replaced at dealer cost (they claim off the mothership) so any dealer not complying with that is in breach of the maintenance plan service requirements (franchise conditions) and the matter should be taken up with Motorrad UK if a replacement isn't done.

I think the whole Cardon shaft mileage isn't clear but refers to the actual miles the shaft has been fitted for, so if from new, it is vehicle mileage and at 38K miles, would be replaced again at a vehicle mileage of 76K miles, so they are really the same thing. Why couldn't they just have said "every 38K miles".

 

[Ken Bazeley]

Interesting. I was under the impression that at the stated mileage the shaft would be changed, regardless of condition. It's supposed to be a preventive/service life thing. The first change at the mileage is a free shaft but you might have to pay for the labour. Consequent changes are all at cost as is the inspections before change milage, if you want them. I've not read any small print, don't remember their being any, on the latter I received. Obviously this isn't a recall it's a service regime change.

Hi, im visiting my BMW local dealership tomorrow, where my GS currently is. they are doing an Mot as well as the recall, two things were supposed to happen according to BMW, fit new cardan shaft and put in a hole with grommet to drain the bottom of the shaft. The dealership said my cardan shaft is ok, but this is not the point, if after 36k miles it has to be replaced then replaced it will be !!! wish me luck, will report progress in the week, regards Ken

 

[TechnoGSA]

Having now re read my letter I'm in agreement with @Morety the shaft and labour are at BMW expense as is the new grommet and crrclip recalls. Some dealers hate warranty or recall work as they only get set rates and it takes up workshop time. They'll do anything to get out of doing it. Hopefully BMW franchise conditions will be better than Jap ones. That said costs are biting every business at present, I'm hearing stories from BMW franchises that I've never heard before!

 

[DJ123]

The letter is crystal clear. Cardon shafts TO BE REPLACED at 60,000Km (approx38K miles) Cardon shaft mileage carried out AT THE EXPENSE OF BMW MOTORRAD. Nothing in there about "depending on condition" or "parts only" It is a definite "will be replaced at dealer cost (they claim off the mothership) so any dealer not complying with that is in breach of the maintenance plan service requirements (franchise conditions) and the matter should be taken up with Motorrad UK if a replacement isn't done.

I think the whole Cardon shaft mileage isn't clear but refers to the actual miles the shaft has been fitted for, so if from new, it is vehicle mileage and at 38K miles, would be replaced again at a vehicle mileage of 76K miles, so they are really the same thing. Why couldn't they just have said "every 38K miles".

The trickiness is in the wording of the replacement shaft which is the shaft's mileage, not the Bike mileage or the service number you are now at. EG if you're at service 6/36K miles but have only covered 24K miles - the shaft is not due for replacement.

For instance, mine was replaced at 38K miles under the last recall. This means the shaft is not due a replacement until another 36K miles has lapsed - which for my Bike will be at 74K miles, out of sync to the every 36K miles service bulletin, which would otherwise have it at 72K miles.

 

[DJ123]

In your dreams matey
Have you read the small print

It,s 30k cardon miles, not 30k road miles

What is a cardon mile??

The small print is 'referenced to the distance over which the component was in use'.

In my interpretation, the 36K miles lifetime is based on the miles it has covered not a generic 36K mile service where the Bike has only done 24K but is on its 6th Annual service.

 

[Santa-2512]

The small print is 'referenced to the distance over which the component was in use'.

In my interpretation, the 36K miles lifetime is based on the miles it has covered not a generic 36K mile service where the Bike has only done 24K but is on its 6th Annual service.

The clue is in - "interpretation"
your interpretation and the motherships interpretation may well be worlds apart - and as much as you may not like it. Its there terms and conditions , not yours

My interpretation would be that the shaft change cannot / will not be any earlier than the displayed mileage , irrespective of time / age / service history

 

[Watty100]

2017 RT serviced at Sytner Wolverhampton on Wednesday, came out with a new shaft fitted.
21,350 miles old.
I'm happy with the service received but not the best advert for BMW design and quality control.

 

[DJ123]

The clue is in - "interpretation"
your interpretation and the motherships interpretation may well be worlds apart - and as much as you may not like it. Its there terms and conditions , not yours

My interpretation would be that the shaft change cannot / will not be any earlier than the displayed mileage , irrespective of time / age / service history

Which is what i said......

 

[Ken Bazeley]

The trickiness is in the wording of the replacement shaft which is the shaft's mileage, not the Bike mileage or the service number you are now at. EG if you're at service 6/36K miles but have only covered 24K miles - the shaft is not due for replacement.

For instance, mine was replaced at 38K miles under the last recall. This means the shaft is not due a replacement until another 36K miles has lapsed - which for my Bike will be at 74K miles, out of sync to the every 36K miles service bulletin, which would otherwise have it at 72K miles.

 

[Ken Bazeley]

Interesting the difference in response at various dealers, the one i go to (locally) told me it will be checked again in 12k and replaced if it is necessary. problem is if they don't do it at 36k miles for me 12k is 4 years as i have two bikes and use them each on foreign trips and im not getting any younger.
Thanks again

 

[Ken Bazeley]

2017 RT serviced at Sytner Wolverhampton on Wednesday, came out with a new shaft fitted.
21,350 miles old.
I'm happy with the service received but not the best advert for BMW design and quality control.

Yes over the years there have been issues with BMW models, if they do the work then that's good, but not a lot of help if your in southern Spain or France. will see how i fair tomorrow and post the outcome, thank you for taking time to reply. Ken

 

[wessie]

Interesting the difference in response at various dealers, the one i go to (locally) told me it will be checked again in 12k and replaced if it is necessary. problem is if they don't do it at 36k miles for me 12k is 4 years as i have two bikes and use them each on foreign trips and im not getting any younger.
Thanks again

I would take what you have been told with a pinch of salt. If you are not doing 6000 miles a year, surely you will have some sort of service in those 2 years? My expectation from reading the service bulletin is that the cardan shaft will be replaced once the bike has gone past 60,000km approx 37500 miles. For me, this would be at the next time after this mileage that the bike goes into a workshop even if that is for a "low mileage" annual service. I know someone with an RS who does his own servicing. He has done over 40,000 miles and has had his shaft changed without any query even though the bike has not been near a dealer for years. You are worrying needlessly.

 

[Victor c]

Yes over the years there have been issues with BMW models, if they do the work then that's good, but not a lot of help if your in southern Spain or France. will see how i fair tomorrow and post the outcome, thank you for taking time to reply. Ken

Hey Ken

Do you know if the shaft has been replaced on the bike before? My previous 2021 GSA failed the test at its first annual service (6500 miles) and was replaced at that time and mileage. That would mean BMW would not replace it again until the bike has covered 44000 miles ( unless it developed a fault before then).

 

[Morety]

The trickiness is in the wording of the replacement shaft which is the shaft's mileage, not the Bike mileage or the service number you are now at. EG if you're at service 6/36K miles but have only covered 24K miles - the shaft is not due for replacement.

For instance, mine was replaced at 38K miles under the last recall. This means the shaft is not due a replacement until another 36K miles has lapsed - which for my Bike will be at 74K miles, out of sync to the every 36K miles service bulletin, which would otherwise have it at 72K miles.

Good point DJ but there seems to be mixed interpretations by various dealers. My local dealer was clear that it was the bike's actual mileage and not the service book's interpretation of what miles you might have covered, which on the face of it seems to be the only logical way to view it. However, I can see how the wording in the recall notice could be twisted to mean exactly as you say which to me seems disingenuous, sneaky and just a way of getting out of doing the proper replacements at the proper time. I would have thought that the UJ life expectancy is one of the major factors. What, for example, if you don't service your bike at a stealership but use an independent? They won't have any fixed service intervals but to keep within Motorrad's good books, you might be expected to follow the official service intervals. I bought my bike a year ago with naff all mileage on the clock...it was almost like brand new but was in fact 5 years old. It's now 6 yrs old and edging towards 9K miles so would that then mean that service nr 6 or 7 is my 36K cardan shaft mile replacement based on 6K intervals? If so, they owe me a new shaft now. Ridiculous. That's why I can't think it's meant that way. It was, unbelievably, serviced annually at a dealership, in spite of covering B/A mileage for the past 5 years of its life.

 

[Ken Bazeley]

I would take what you have been told with a pinch of salt. If you are not doing 6000 miles a year, surely you will have some sort of service in those 2 years? My expectation from reading the service bulletin is that the cardan shaft will be replaced once the bike has gone past 60,000km approx 37500 miles. For me, this would be at the next time after this mileage that the bike goes into a workshop even if that is for a "low mileage" annual service. I know someone with an RS who does his own servicing. He has done over 40,000 miles and has had his shaft changed without any query even though the bike has not been near a dealer for years. You are worrying needlessly.

Hi, thank you, your message is very useful. I am hopeful if i push for it they will honour the Motorrad recall. never easy getting home from deepest Spain. Cheers Ken

 

[RadioFlyer]

The LC bikes were advertised as being equipped with a maintenance free driveshaft which proved to be false and the shaft proved to be prone to failure thus the new maintenance plan and the free driveshaft policy. The R1300GS bikes have the shaft maintenance as part of the plan and it provides for regular replacement but at owner's expense but longer intervals.