Sorry about your FD woes Gabby
can you tell us how each FD failed, I’m just trying to get a handle on what’s going on
Ok...here goes:
First final drive failure manifested itself with rear brake failure. I was riding home from work just leaving the garage, after filling up then the brake warning light flashed rapidly. Not far from home and that it was just the rear and still had fronts I went home. Next morning I called into BMW and left the bike with them. It’s a 50 mile ride to work and the bike still had no rear brake and as the journey proceeded the final drive got noisier and noisier. It felt as though the back wheel was going to fall off. Brake failure with mashing grinding from the rear end was serious to them so they took it in straight away. Fortunately I work only half a mile from Oxford BMW.
I had a call two hours later and was told that the FD had died in a big way. Chunks of metal in the oil and grindy rotation of the rear wheel.
They replaced it the next day on Warranty, despite me being 2 months out without extended warranty and lent me a bike to get home that night. The brake failure was due to spurious information being picked up by the ABS censors with vibration and undulating rotation resistance as the FD mashed itself up...they said.
That was at 34,000 miles with no explanation of the FD failure. I was not bothered as they replaced it for free. Just put it down to bad luck. That was back in February this year.
Two weekends ago the wife and I went to Wales for the week end and had a great time touring the mountains and lording it in a hotel with the bike fully loaded up. Got back late on Sunday and had the bike on the drive to take the boxes off, prep it for no pillion and give it a clean. I noticed that the FD had oil around the black grooved washer cover thing...oh shite. Carried on and cleaned it then called into BMW again the next morning. No signs of brake or FD failure. Now with 54,000 miles on the clock.
A Technician looked at it and said that this was common and that a seal had gone. Book it in, keep using the bike but keep an eye on it until it’s done. I did just that and booked it in for a week later , the earliest they could do it to have this seal changed. Doing a 100 mile a day commute I was slightly anxious but there were no signs of any more oil to the same quantity only small amounts towards the bottom of this seal. No other symptoms other than I thought that my gear changes had got crap and was having to concentrate on making smooth throttle and clutch action to stop it snatching. Could not work out why but everything on the drive felt “loose”.
Needless to say two hours after leaving it with them I had a call to say that the FD had failed...the oil was “smelly” and had chunks of metal in it. The service guy said that it was not covered under warranty but had already lodged an appeal with BMW on my behalf and had ordered the part anyway. They lent me a bike again to get home.
Next day I had a call again to say that they had now found that a “felt” washer on the lower FD pivot bolt had fallen apart in his fingers and that would have to be replaced as well. This, apparently, was important to prevent crud getting to the lower pivot bearings. This could well be the cause of the failure as the pivot could have been stiff and putting stress on the FD. Another day passed and another loan bike to get home. They also said I was down to the metal on the rear disc and that should be changed, with the pads as well.....I agreed to rear disc number 3.
Still no news on the BMW claim.
Next day had a call to say that the bike was ready. At the end of the day I walked up to collect it nervous of the bashing my savings were about to get. Simon (the Service technician) smiled at me and said BMW have agreed to pay for it and also given me a full 2 years warranty on it to...Yahooo.
Rode home and it was like a new bike...great.
I also have to Say that BMW Oxford, especially Simon, are top draw...great service...second to none.
Shame about the FD's though.......
