Not sure

[179club]

Hi all.
I am Denis and just joined this very informative site. I have ridden sports bikes all my life. Now at fifty I sold my beloved gsxr1000. My twin said to go for a gs as they are great at everything. Ok so bit the bullet and bought a gs1200gsa 2009 with 17183 miles. Riding home I was so annoyed as I found the bike very strange. I was sure I made a big big mistake. After an hour and a half this changed. I found it very comfortable, was like a sports bike riding back roads. Did not need to stop for fuel and rode for three and a half hours without wanting to PEE. High up riding position was great. Now it was last serviced at 17108 miles 20-aug-2014 by Hursts of Belfast. It say's on invoice carry out 18000 mile service as per BMW recommendations, oil 15w50,gearbox oil,diff oil. £175.24 high enough that works out at 243 euro. I am now not sure if this is a bike for me as it seems after looking up various sites that high cost of maintenance and quite a few recalls. I know I have to get the rear wheel flange recall done. Any advice please should I sell or keep bike and try to service myself or get my local mechanic to service bike. Can someone please explain why brake fluid has to be changed by BMW every two years. Sorry to bore you as I am not flush with money.
Yours truly
Not sure.
Denis

 

[JerseyNeil]

Keep it.
I was just like you when I picked up my 2010 GS over three years ago. I felt that I had made a mistake as I rode it home. I soon got used to it and love it. I always enjoy riding it rain or shine and although I get to ride all sorts of other bike I now prefer the GS over them all.

You will alway see lots of stories of woe on forums as they are the vehicle to find out what has just gone wrong on your bike however this does not mean it will. The recalls should all be free of charge at your local dealer. It does not matter if your the first, second or tenth owner BMW will fix it just call up your nearest dealer and quote the vin number.

Servicing can be expensive through a BMW dealer so don't go to them. I'm sure there is a good independent mechanic in your neck of the woods who can service it for you for the same money as any other bike. If you are mechanically minded get a workshop manual and get the spammers out they really are quite basic (or so I'm told ).

Don't fret. Enjoy the bike.

Oh and welcome to the site.

Neil

 

[JerseyNeil]

Oh and the brake fluid should be changed on all bikes every two years but not by a necessarily BMW mechanic. Frequent changing avoids water being drawn into the fluid from the atmosphere and reducing the boiling point of the fluid. Important if you riding hard down mountain roads. The moisture in the fluid could also increase the risk of corrosion within the braking system although personally I think it would have to get pretty bad before that sort of thing happened. It is not a difficult job.

 

[179club]

Thank you for encouraging reply Jerseyneil. Yes I will look into what you have said.Thank you.

 

[Myke Rocks]

There are large windows on BMW showrooms

So that they can see you coming.
My RT is now 10 years old.
I have it 8 years.
On a personal level I ignore all the bullshit from BMW about the neccessity for servicing a tractor engine so often.
OK, you may find this a little extreme, but this is the way I do or do, not do it.
Go to local motor factors and by 5 litres fully synthetic oil.
Change oil and filter once a year.
Did this last October, and did not check oil level since the change.
Will not do so, but will be changing oil at end of October, before parking bike for Winter.
Will not use bike when there is salt on the roads.
Other than that, Nothing.
Nope, nothing. In 8 years, I have not done any of the recommended things recommended by BMW.
Bike does not use any oil. The only thing which may shorten the prospective life of the motorcycle is a lack of oil changes.
Gearbox and final drives do not leak, so I do not touch or check them.
Brake fluid changes. More bullshit is sell fluid and more labour.
Some people feel very happy to have such things done regularly, and worry about the fluid absorbing water and boiling. In the last 40 years, I have faded the brakes on a car once, (pads overheated) but never succeeded in boiling the fluid in either a car or a motorcycle in road use.
In a rally car, I used to be able to do it in every event. Then I just pumped the brakes a little and carried on. When they cooled a little, everything came back to normal.
Now, I know that some sad wankers will come onto this post and proclaim how they would never buy a used motorcycle from me.
I thank God for that. (In the unlikely event of their being one)
Meantime, if these sad people can add, they will see that in the 8 years of ownership, I would have spent £5600 approx. with BMW servicing the motorcycle, not counting the endless sets of brake disks and pads (at extortionate prices) which the dealer would have insisted were neccessary for my health and safety.
Yes Goldfren on Ebay are your friend. And dirt cheap.This year 800km in one day alone through mountain passes in Austria (A 19 hour day) and no problems or complaints with brakes.
Ignore the crap.
Bite the bullet. Do, or in my case, don't do it yourself.
Myke

 

[179club]

Jesus Myke.
That is a very powerful answer. Yes I can see what you are saying which is very agreeable. I will take what you say and go forward with that. I serviced my last bike a gsxr from new myself, took wheels on/off, changed brake discs, fitted a q/shifter, fitted a traction control system all on my own, and lots of other stuff. I now believe that working on the GS shall not be a problem as it seems maintainance is similar on a lot of two wheels. I used fully synthetic on gsxr from first service and never once was there any metal shaffer on magnetic sump plug. I changed oil once a year religiously and believe that is key to strong engine life. Myke I have taken inspiration from your answer to me. I will now do everything i can myself on beamer. Myke can I send you my email address, that if I ever get stuck I on maintenance. No problem if no. Thanks again for answer.
Denis.

 

[grin factor]

I have loads of time for the "Mykes" of the world, say it how it is and not taken in by all the bollocks put out by scaremongering dealers etc these days just to get their hands on your hard earned.
I'm pleased he has helped you 179, now enjoy the bike and have plenty of fun on it.

 

[179club]

Thank you grin factor. I will. now I must go and subscribe to this great forum. cheers.

 

[Andy63]

The bikes are fantastic just ignore the clunky gearbox and crappy fuel gauge.
There are common issues but easily fixed usually free by BMW recalls

General maintenance and servicing is easy if you are mechanically minded and not scared to have a go.

There are plenty of servicing guides on the web and youtube I bought the JVB video.

Also get a workshop manual a decent torx & socket set and a torque wrench.

 

[179club]

Thanks for reply Jersey GS. Did you find the JVB video good. You are right some good info on youtube and web thank you.
Denis.

 

[Packer]

Myke is certainly at the minimal servicing extreme, BMW schedules represent the polar opposite.

Having seen the black liquid shit that comes out of brake lines after many years of use and considering how simple and cheap it is to change fluid every two or three years that is one thing I would do. I'd also change the oil in the gearbox and final drive once per year, the units contain very little oil so again it's cheap to do even if you buy BMW crush washers for the drain and level plugs. As the final drives can sometimes cause problems a few ££'s on oil to see what comes out in suspension and on the magnetic plugs is worth it for the advance notice of pending issues. That policy almost certainly saved my skin on an 1150 that I took to Alaska, the final drive was sick and needed a rebuild. Easy to do in the UK, 500 miles from a bike shop in Alaska? Not so easy. Opie Oils often have good offers on a huge range of oils but are UK mainland so may not be a good choice for you.

Lastly I apply similar logic to valve clearances, if they are close to spec and haven't move much leave them alone, if one has changed by much it's telling you that an issue is developing.

My 1150 did 96,000 miles in my ownership, never let me down and apart from the FD every major component was original.

Ride and enjoy.

 

[Andy63]

Thanks for reply Jersey GS. Did you find the JVB video good. You are right some good info on youtube and web thank you.
Denis.

Hi Denis, Yes the JVB DVD is very good definitely worth having.

 

[179club]

Nice one Packer. I do believe in changing fluids very regularly as drinking water keeps us in good condition. Fresh oil keeps all machines hydrated. As for valve clearances I would be wanting to give that a go as never done that before. thank you for reply and info.
Denis.

 

[Myke Rocks]

Myke is certainly at the minimal servicing extreme, BMW schedules represent the polar opposite.

Having seen the black liquid shit that comes out of brake lines after many years of use and considering how simple and cheap it is to change fluid every two or three years that is one thing I would do. I'd also change the oil in the gearbox and final drive once per year, the units contain very little oil so again it's cheap to do even if you buy BMW crush washers for the drain and level plugs. As the final drives can sometimes cause problems a few ££'s on oil to see what comes out in suspension and on the magnetic plugs is worth it for the advance notice of pending issues. That policy almost certainly saved my skin on an 1150 that I took to Alaska, the final drive was sick and needed a rebuild. Easy to do in the UK, 500 miles from a bike shop in Alaska? Not so easy. Opie Oils often have good offers on a huge range of oils but are UK mainland so may not be a good choice for you.

Lastly I apply similar logic to valve clearances, if they are close to spec and haven't move much leave them alone, if one has changed by much it's telling you that an issue is developing.

My 1150 did 96,000 miles in my ownership, never let me down and apart from the FD every major component was original.

Ride and enjoy.

I have a diesel car. It has 165,000 miles on it. the previous one had 250,000 on it. the previous one had 650,000 on it when it went to the great scrapyard in the sky.
First two have never had the rocker covers off them.
On none of them was it recommended that gearbox oil be changed, or final drive oil in the case of the Volvo with 650k on it.
My manual for the bike tells me the final drive is sealed for life and does not need oil changes.
A year after the bikes were launched, BMW changed the schedule to a regular oil change one because of the sheer number of final drive failures. (Friends have had such failures)
The real problem would appear to have been an assembly one, not a lubrication one. Thus, if you get a good one, and I did, then oil changes are a waste of time, as indeed they are for anyone with a bad one, since they fail anyway in spite of the oil changes. (One friend had 2 fitted)
Brake fluid discolouration.
Like oil discolouration, so what. I mentioned that I had done a few miles in diesels.
If you dip the oil the day after a change, it is pure black.
Should I therefore change the oil on a daily basis? My mileage covered suggests otherwise. OK, The Volvo was like George Washington's axe, 4 new handles and 3 new heads, (actually 4) but still the same old axe (cooling problems due to Volvo's design incomepetence) but the other two cars are still going, engines untouched.
The colour change surely indicates a degree of comtamination/degredation as does the oil, but so what.

The skeleton danglers will be along in a few minutes to tell me how appalling my attitude is and how I will be torn to shreds in a court of law after I have just killed several hundred pregnant women and their unborn children who were walking down the Grossglockner when my brakes failed, but there you go.
Myke

 

[179club]

Wow! Myke some mileage. You must be very easy on driving. That is huge mileage from your cars. I never had gearbox oil changed on the cars I have owned. Engine oil once a year or if mileage was reached for service. You are bang on about oil after being changed, black the next day.
Denis

 

[younger06]

I put 650,000kms on a Skoda Octavia from new (2006)and it's still going. Spec oil and genuine filters every 10,000miles kept that thing going. I now have a 2009 Volvo S80 D5 with 300,000kms on it. My point is, fresh oil and quality filters are the life blood of an engine............. any engine!

 

[Packer]

..................The skeleton danglers will be along in a few minutes to tell me how appalling my attitude is and how I will be torn to shreds in a court of law after I have just killed several hundred pregnant women and their unborn children who were walking down the Grossglockner when my brakes failed, but there you go.
Myke

Wow Myke, that must be an amazing sight, I didn't realise so many pregnant women walked the Grossglockner.

There is no doubting that you can run vehicles huge mileages with minimal maintenance. On my 1150, knowing the issues the bikes could have I preferred to do the lube changes so that I would hopefully know something was wrong before it let me down and the policy paid dividends with the FD which would otherwise certainly have failed a long way from anywhere in North America.

How the hell do you run up such high mileages on your vehicles?

P.S. Did they all have hydraulic tappets?

 

[Myke Rocks]

Smart forfour 1.5 diesel, Seat Leon 1.9 tdi Engines never looked at.
Volvo 740 turbodiesel. Troublesome bastard. 4 new cylinder heads. Idiots in Volvo's design department got everything wrong.
Item 1. Radiator too large. Yes, not too small. Crossflow and twice the width of petrol engine shedding twice the heat into it.
As a consequence, the bottom half of the radiator never got warm.
It hung down into the spray coming off salty roads, and the fins between the tubes rotted out. Car then has unsupported tubes 500 mm long. They flexed like guitar strings and broke off at the ends, leading to a catastrophic loss of water.
Volvo decided to mount the temperature sensor in the water pipe leading to the fuel pump heater. As the water level drops, the water stops circulating here first, so the first indication of trouble is when the diesel injection pipes get so hot that the diesel vapourises in them and the by now scrap engine stops.
All cars had oil and filter changes according to manufacturers schedule.
Generally, modern diesels which have not had a broken timing belt or bad fuel will go for ever.
Myke

 

[PokenH00D]

I put 650,000kms on a Skoda Octavia from new (2006)and it's still going. Spec oil and genuine filters every 10,000miles kept that thing going. I now have a 2009 Volvo S80 D5 with 300,000kms on it. My point is, fresh oil and quality filters are the life blood of an engine............. any engine!

Oil ......... much cheaper than metal.