r1200GS, yet another final drive fauilure, this week

[HMR]

Re: Rear Bearing

Just had my bike checked to day on a 12000km service(2000overdue on the 10000),the play allowed is according to BMW Norway maximum 1mm sideways on the rim,mine had less than 0,5 mm.
According to my dealers mech ,a guy that I trust ,BMW have a problem with tempering of the steel in these bearings,thats is the major reason for their failure.

I have checked several R1200GS and found zero play on most of them. Including my own. At 0.5 mm it may still be safe to use the bike but it is too much to accept as "OK".

It seems to be a tempering issue yes. But not the bearings. Read what IanC writes on AdventureRider:

Picked my 1200GS up with replaced final drive on Saturday (after 3 weeks!). To be fair, dealer fitted it pretty quick, arrived Thurs/Fri. The problem was not bearings or bevel gears, but wear in the splines (the female part, which the disc mounts to), due apparently to bad tempering (you're telling me!). So new final drive, disc rotor thing (i.e. bit with splines that disc bolts to, which they showed me), and also disc and caliper and a few sundries.

The replacement components have different part numbers than the original which indicates that something has been changed. Maybe the material, maybe the tempering process, maybe just the quality control. Only BMW knows. Still, it is not very probable that the problem will show up again after a repair.

 

[paulm]

well according to Bike magazine the new, about to be launched, K1200S mega powerful thing also shares the same shaft drive/rear suspension with the 1200 GS - and that's got about 150PS - so if there is a problem, that should flush it out (but i'm still very happy with my "new" 1150 adv!)

 

[lostrider]

I hope they've got it sorted for mine due in November as I'm off round the world next year.
Perhaps I should have listened to BMW Great Britain and gone for the 1150 Adventurer!!
Still nothing ventured nothing gained!

 

[Deleted account 220427002]

I hope they've got it sorted for mine due in November as I'm off round the world next year.
Perhaps I should have listened to BMW Great Britain and gone for the 1150 Adventurer!!
Still nothing ventured nothing gained!

"nothing adventured nothing gained"

 

[Howard Millichap]

Re: Rear Bearing

Just had my bike checked to day on a 12000km service(2000overdue on the 10000),the play allowed is according to BMW Norway maximum 1mm sideways on the rim,

I would think that 1mm play in the wheel would be an MOT failure in the UK. Not acceptable for ANY play to be present on a nearly new bike. BMW quality?..... NOT!
This is like the "Honda chocolate cams & cam chain" fiasco of the 80's. Product testing by their customers. Not acceptable.

 

[Arthurwg]

Those female parts always seem to cause trouble.

 

[TST]

Had my bike in for an overdue 1000 km-service today. The odo showed 1400 km. Everyting was fine. Exept one thing:

The final drive.

It had a 1,5 mm sideways play on the rim. Ther final drive will be replaced shortly.

The chief mechanic were a bit surprice since the bike was from the newest ZN - productionseries.

 

[IanM]

Checked my bike during cleaning today 5mm play in the rear wheel. Taken back to dealer and now using loan bike. Just coming up to 6000 miles.

I love the bike and would buy another.

 

[Dave Price]

Re: Rear Bearing

Just had my bike checked to day on a 12000km service(2000overdue on the 10000),the play allowed is according to BMW Norway maximum 1mm sideways on the rim,mine had less than 0,5 mm.

Should there be as much play in this type of bearing/assembly?
I could understand it in a taper bearing, found on the non power axle of a car etc. Even then you can adjust the play out.

 

[gsman1]

Jimo things have changed alot since the victorian times when you did your training, anyway didn't you have a rear drive failure on your 1150sg with maintained final drive.

GSMAN

A bevel gear and pinion final drive that is "maintenance Free " goes against all the engineering principles that were taught to me during my engineering lifetime, There is a lot about the 1200 that I don't like this is another item.

I am happy with my 02 1150 and have no reason to swap it but now i'm thinking maybe I ought to be swapping it next year for the latest ADV 1150 before its discontinued as a new ADV 1200 model would share the same electrics, engine , gearbox & final drive as the current 1200 as would an 1200 RT so that would be the last BMW I ever have, and all the bits from my 1150 will fit it.

 

[HMR]

Re: Re: Rear Bearing

Just had my bike checked to day on a 12000km service(2000overdue on the 10000),the play allowed is according to BMW Norway maximum 1mm sideways on the rim,mine had less than 0,5 mm.

Should there be as much play in this type of bearing/assembly?
I could understand it in a taper bearing, found on the non power axle of a car etc. Even then you can adjust the play out.

This is not a bearing issue. It is a material failure in the spline between the axis and the wheel center.

BMW says that 1 mm is OK but to my opinion it is not. I have examined about 20 bikes and most of them, including my own at 16000 km, have zero play. A few, 3 to be exact, had a play of 4-8 mm. I have never seen a bike with just a small play.

 

[Engineer]

The final drive on the R1200GS has a 'bloody great hole' right through the middle of it - aren't all these final drive failures simple due to the lack of metal in the right place?

It doesn't take a rocket scientist to see a potential problem in this area. Did some engineer get his stress calculations wrong? DOH!

 

[Emoto]

No, they had a batch of bad metal.

 

[skywalker]

Jimo things have changed alot since the victorian times when you did your training, anyway didn't you have a rear drive failure on your 1150sg with maintained final drive.

GSMAN

Yes he did Martin - Don't let him tell you anything different

 

[Clive]

Are there any symptoms of failure other than movement in the hub ?

I now have a slight oil weep from around the seal on the off-side and a very small amount of movement - which you can feel but not really see.

The dealer hadn't had a instance of final drive failure before so is awaiting advice from BMW.

 

[drdata]

The final drive on the R1200GS has a 'bloody great hole' right through the middle of it - aren't all these final drive failures simple due to the lack of metal in the right place?

It doesn't take a rocket scientist to see a potential problem in this area. Did some engineer get his stress calculations wrong? DOH!

I have heard this is for improved cooling, which in theory, is why the r1200GS FD is "sealed for life". As I understand on the 11xxs FD fluid change was a maintenace item. Might be right, as that hole is pretty hot after a nice ride.

Cheers

 

[tricolourforever]

Getting the picture here

 

[GSmonkey]

Getting the picture here

...excellent. Please feel free to keep the picture and never return.

 

[minkyhead]

A bevel gear and pinion final drive that is "maintenance Free " goes against all the engineering principles that were taught to me during my engineering lifetime, There is a lot about the 1200 that I don't like this is another item.

I am happy with my 02 1150 and have no reason to swap it but now i'm thinking maybe I ought to be swapping it next year for the latest ADV 1150 before its discontinued as a new ADV 1200 model would share the same electrics, engine , gearbox & final drive as the current 1200 as would an 1200 RT so that would be the last BMW I ever have, and all the bits from my 1150 will fit it.

just ride it it brill dont worry about some poor sod in sweden
7k throttle pinned to the stop not missed a beat ...twice yes twice as good as the 1150, yes ive had two before you ask ..... you would never go back to it
just get on and ride the bloody thing there superb

 

[Mouse]

The whole "maintenance free" lark is just marketing BS. Nothing is maintenance free - and BMW know it because in the service manual it describes how to change the final drive oil, bearings etc. I'm actually planning to change the oil in mine sometime soon, to check for water ingress during my river crossings