Preventative maintenance

[Toby_Lerone]

So, I'm planning a big trip starting in the summer, over 4 months and 10,000 miles to get to East Asia. I don't have loads of time in each country, so I really don't want to be faffing about, breaking down, and generally getting stuck. Not to mention overstaying visas is a biiiiig no-no.

Anyway, since I'm new to GS ownership (mines an 1150 GS Adv), what preventative maintenance would you guys suggest doing? I've only just bought it, and I don't know it's history. It has a bunch of receipts, but nothing to show a clutch or pinion change.

I'm handy with spanners (as a mechanic by trade) and I'm not afraid to tear into it. And while money isn't exactly growing on trees, I don't mind spending a good wedge to make certain that it's a reliable machine to get me over to Asia.

What would you guys suggest that I change, modify or replace?

Thanks,

Chaz.

 

[bisbee]

Chaz
What year bike and what mileage would help with answers


http://www.ukgser.com/forums/showth...-back-and-beyond?highlight=1150+travel+spares

Some reading for you

 

[Flipfly]

Simple, service and change alternator belt. Fit the Motorworks paralever bearing kit to eliminate the chance of those failing and that's about it.
You could replace the main bevel box bearing, but I'd have Steptoe or Scrimminger check it for shimming and replace.
If it's a twin spark carry a couple of coil packs, a hall sensor and another alternator belt in ya spares kit, job done.

 

[Fanum]

Simple, service and change alternator belt. Fit the Motorworks paralever bearing kit to eliminate the chance of those failing and that's about it.
You could replace the main bevel box bearing, but I'd have Steptoe or Scrimminger check it for shimming and replace.
If it's a twin spark carry a couple of coil packs, a hall sensor and another alternator belt in ya spares kit, job done.

+1 on what the fatboy said.

1150 advs are hewn from granite and apart from some well known minor things (coil packs, HES) and the normal things like alt belt and maybe FD bearing, don't worry too much.

FWIW, Unless there is any play in the final drive bearings, I'd leave well alone......but do take a bearing, seal and o ring with you......you can (literally) fit them on the side of the road.

Common sense spares apart from those items....a pair of 5 pin ISO relays, wire, crimps, cable ties and duct tape

Enjoy your trip and don't see a breakdown as a calamity........see it as the place where trips are MADE, friends are found and experiences make you richer

 

[Jamieboy]

I did a 'big trip' on a 1150 adv this summer. Only thing to fail was the plastic quick release fuel hose connector thing - pissing fuel down my leg! Other suggestions above seem eminently sensible, but i'd def take a spare of these as they cost little but can be annoying if you don't have a ready replacement.

 

[Toby_Lerone]

Bugger, sorry dudes, meant to say that it's a 2003 flavour (with servo assisted ABS) and has 45k miles.

Hewn from granit, ay? The only evidence I have of that is that it's bloody heavy! Mine broke down, leaving me stranded on a snowy M1 on the first ride! I made a mere 45 miles before it's fuel pump failed (which the dealer I bought it from graciously repaired for free).

Since I plan on having the bike for a while, I was going to upgrade the current (stock as far as I know) shocks, replace all of the bearings / bushes / seals / ball joints on the front and rear suspension, perhaps a ceramic clutch upgrade and replace crankshaft output seals and gearbox input seal while I'm in there. Replace the clutch slave cylinder, and up grade the clutch hydraulic hoses to braided steel flavour. The brake lines are already braided stainless, front and rear. New pads all around. New wheel bearings, and maybe rebuild the wheels, although they look horrendous to build, so I'll be sending these off. Replacement of the paralever bearings, and inspect (possibly renew) the rear pinion, and all the rubber gaiters. And now a hall sensor on my list too.

I know, I know, I know... It's already an exhaustive list. But... I'm very particular about my cars and bikes, with a slight hint of OCD. I need to know this is done right, for my own peace of mind. And it helps that it makes my bikes (and cars) super reliable!

 

[Toby_Lerone]

Oh yeah, and I don't intend on carrying a boat-load of spares, but some stuff is wise. The list looks long, but it's mostly just lightweight stuff that can sit happily under the seat of at the bottom of one of my panniers.

A slack handful of fuses and 2 relays,
Wire and assorted spade connectors,
Few spark plugs,
Alternator belt,
Hall sensor,
Couple of bulbs (more to remain legal in Europe),
Litre of oil,
Brake pads,
A few spokes for the front and rear wheels,
Puncture repair kit, 2 tubes, and a small foot pump,
Spare clutch and brake levers,
Accelerator cables,
An assortment of cable ties,
String,
Small roll of black insulating tape.

Anything from there that is obviously a good idea to bring along? I'm planning on doing most of the trip camping out rough, away from hotels as much as possible, so if I break down in the back of beyond, I don't want to be stuffed!

 

[MikeO]

You are already WAY overdoing this - using the "if it isn't broke, don't fix it" principle, IMHO.

Stuff I would remove from your list, unless they are clearly worn at present:

* replace all of the bearings / bushes / seals / ball joints on the front and rear suspension,
* perhaps a ceramic clutch upgrade (unless you are planning some serious offroading - and please note the 'running in' issues with these)
* replace crankshaft output seals and gearbox input seal while I'm in there.
* New pads all around (take them with you - they take no space and are minutes to fit).
* New wheel bearings
* maybe rebuild the wheels (excuse me - WHAT?)
* Replacement of the paralever bearings, and inspect (possibly renew) the rear pinion
* all the rubber gaiters

How many miles has the bike done? How many do you plan to do on your trip? You'll want to do a bit of rebuilding after a big trip, in my experience, so leave the other stuff for then - and you can tell me how wrong I was about the above...

Oh and - things I would add to your list:

* Remove the servo

 

[(RIP) Bin Ridin]

Hi what went wrong with the fuel pump? I bet it was something not done properly by someone, rather than autonomous conk-out. You get me?
"PICNIC" = "problem in chair not in computer"

 

[Toby_Lerone]

Well, the dealership replaced the fuel pump, and now it works again, so I'm fairly sure it was a fuel pump break down!

Why should I be removing the servo? Are they known to expire leaving no brakes?

I'll be doing about 10k miles, but a lot of those miles will be I'm the middle of nowhere on shitty roads. As for rebuild the wheels, the spokes have a few different 'sounds' when they are flicked if you get me. I'm not a wheel builder or wheel expert however.

As for the clutch, the bite point is right at the start of the lever travel - you only have to move the lever 15mm or so to disengage the clutch. So if I'll be replacing the clutch, why not do the 'deep' oil seals too?

And the brake pads are approximately half worn already, seems daft to start a trip with half worn pads!

Opinions?

 

[MikeO]

Yes, regrettably the servo has a reputation of being able to leave you with residual braking (= virtually none) only - removing the servo was about the first thing I did on my 1150, but do a search on here and make your own judgement.

Replacing the clutch sounds reasonable (I replaced mine as preventative maintenance at 128k miles), but I'd carefully look at whether the ceramic clutch is worth the bother.

Why replace a seal that isn't leaking? Just doesn't make sense to me

10k miles is a relatively short hop, although the type of roads/terrain is of course crucial.

Try using a spanner to ping your spokes with - it'll give you more consistent results. Do you have reason to suspect the bike has been mistreated? Even hauling my fat arse around for 160k miles didn't damage mine

I'd still take the pads with me - change them on the road, but that's just me. In 10k you're going to be doing some servicing anyway.

Another bit of preventative maintenance - under the battery cage on the left side is a main route for the wiring loom. The battery cage is rubber mounted and chafes on the top of the loom. This eventually left me with a continually shorting fuel pump fuse. If you pop the battery cage off and have a look, you may be OK at your mileage. If not, repair the wiring, but in any case put some form of armour there (I use a piece of soft plastic chopping board)...

Post a ride report

 

[luke scott]

Servo.

Hang on a minute. Not every servo has failed ( nor have the majority) by a long shot. If the annual brake fluid change is done "annually" it's reliability is ok. I've had five adventures and only one had a failed servo, and that happened while the main dealer had it in for its annual service. it was replaced under warranty and eight years later is still going strong for me.

 

[MikeO]

Hang on a minute. Not every servo has failed ( nor have the majority) by a long shot. If the annual brake fluid change is done "annually" it's reliability is ok. I've had five adventures and only one had a failed servo, and that happened while the main dealer had it in for its annual service. it was replaced under warranty and eight years later is still going strong for me.

Which is why I suggested he do a search and use his own judgement.

No servo = no risk of unexpected servo failure; I think that's fairly safe money...

 

[ahutcheon]

In 65,000 miles since new on my 1150 GS I've replaced one set of paralever bearings, a pair of stick coils (only one started to smoke, and it stopped doing so when I turned the bike off for a few minutes so I rode 300 miles home and ordered a replacement), three fork seals (but they're hardly urgent when they go), the fast idle lever (hardly a showstopper), the ignition switch short loom and the right handgrip rubber.

Only the broken ignition switch wiring immobilised the bike, and the answer to that is knowing which wires to connect to bypass the switch. My servo abs has yet to leave me without brakes, so I'm changing the fluid as per the service schedule and hoping.

Clutch takes up near the end of the lever travel, but if that's changed it's been too gradual to notice. Original suspension has been getting progressively more sub par over the last couple of years, must get round to replacing it.

I'd set off for wherever tomorrow (I am doing, for a 1000 mile weekend, as it happens); if the bike goes tits up people in the back blocks are usually very helpful, and you might need that for a myriad reasons other than mechanical breakdown.

But hey, it's your trip.

 

[MikeO]

Good call on the ignition loom - £75 from Motorworks

My servo abs has yet to leave me without brakes, so I'm changing the fluid as per the service schedule and hoping.

I'm sure that will work

 

[Baggers1]

If you do replace the clutch, check the gearbox input shaft for wear. It can be a problem on some 1150s.

 

[monkeyboy]

Where are you going? I'm recently back on a UK to Bangkok trip of about that distance and I was on an old (110k/2002) 1150GSA. Before I went I had my Ohlins shocked serviced and had the gearbox and diff bearings changed (probably unnecessary but I've had to have these done before when the gearbox got very noisy), put a ceramic clutch in (again prob unnecessary except for some big punishment in Kazakhstan) and various other things that probably wouldn't be necessary at lower mileages anyway + new pads and alt belt as they're relatively cheap anyway.

I took a spare belt, crown bearing and seal, fuel pump, TPS (in case I came off and twatted it), fuses and relays cos they weigh nothing and a bag of selected tools including the 'special' ones like a 30mm socket and 12mm hex socket.

The old girl got a shed load of abuse on some very nasty roads but got through unscathed to the end

 

[fatnfast]

As for the clutch, the bite point is right at the start of the lever travel - you only have to move the lever 15mm or so to disengage the clutch.

Opinions?

When you say 'at the start of the lever travel' I take it you mean with the lever fully released you only have to pull it in 15mm to disengage the clutch? Could this be just a problem with an iffy slave cylinder?

IF the servo does go you will be left with just residual braking, not a nice experiance. If the bike has a good service history showung regular brake fluid changes then I would leave it alone though.

I'd agree with Mike O about the seals, if it an't broke and all that

 

[monkeyboy]

When you say 'at the start of the lever travel' I take it you mean with the lever fully released you only have to pull it in 15mm to disengage the clutch? Could this be just a problem with an iffy slave cylinder?

Oh yea - I put a new one of those on too. Pretty steep though I seem to remember - maybe £115

 

[Steptoe]

Leave the servo in place. IF it goes tits up while on the road it can be bypassed without any extra parts needed and about an hours work.

Fit an earlier alternator belt. This is 611 mm in diameter, so means your alternator will be higher on it's mount, which means you can pull the fuel tank link pipe through.
Using the later alternator belt means the alternator is lower and nearer to the top of the engine block, and i've had a lot of bikes in where you can't pull the link pipe through due to the bulky QD on the fuel pipe. So a simple tank removal means taking the alternator belt off and raising the alternator, then doing the reverse putting it all back. Not something you want to do at the side of the road if you really have no reason to in the first place.
Also with a thin blade in your jigsaw cut through plastic alternator belt cover horizontal so the cover is in two parts. That way you can remove the cover without having to remove the crash bar cross piece.

Also cut all the cable ties around the head stock and frame which hold any electrical cables in place.
They are so tight and cause acute flexing on a small section everytime the bars are moved that it inevitably leads to broken electrical wires in the different harnesses.

Take some of the small O rings that are used on the fuel link Q/D's as spares. These can be a show stopper if they even get the smallest "nick" in them. Using loads of grease on the Q/D's before re-connecting them is a must and should mean you'll never need to replace them.