R1300GS front wheel bearings

[digby]

Hi guys

over the last 1000 kms i have been feeling more and more "road feedback" in the steering

It feels as though i am riding over very big gravel and each piece sends its little pulse up the column into the steering

this afternoon i removed the calipers and spun the wheel - it made a bit of a grumbling noise ............. not good

removed the wheel and spun it with my fingers in the axle hole - yuk - felt like there was sand or something in there

the bike is just 11 months old so i put it back together and will contact the local dealer in the morning............

wheel bearings shot after 9000 kms - wtf ????

whilst i was at it i ran the engine and engaged a gear whilst on the centre stand - another horrible grinding/scrunching sound coming from the drive shaft / rear diff / rear wheel bearing
I didnt look any further - BMW can sort that out

does anybody else have a similar story ????

thanks and i will let you know what happens

John

 

[SteveHop]

Interesting article here about BMW front wheel bearings from 1956 to 1969 .
They are talking about a front wheel bearing life of over 2.4 billion miles.

The /2 wheel bearings – Duane Ausherman BMW motorcycles

 

[botus]

running the back wheel with the engine - whilst on the centre stand has always been frowned upon on the GS bikes
part of it is the high angle the UJs get put through without the squat of the suspension straighten out the shaft - but another will be no load on the drive line allowing chatter to introduce wear and noise

re the wheel bearings don't forget we were meant to have got ww3 going properly by now - after all your "government" have been trying to do it for 20 years - so not much was meant to matter anymore - as "they" were meant to have got us all killed already

 

[digby]

I saw a thread on the avrider forum - guy had the same problem with the front wheel bearing

 

[team duvet]

Mates just had his replaced under warranty.

TD

 

[Posh Pete]

Do you use a power washer on your bike?

 

[digby]

Do you use a power washer on your bike?

I do actually sometimes but not at 10 cm from the bearings

 

[Posh Pete]

I do actually sometimes but not at 10 cm from the bearings

 

[273Kelvin]

I had my front wheel bearings and front wheel replaced last July.

Just got back from Andorra, riding locally and front end went funny. Stopped and it was clear that front wheel bearings had gone. Had to be recovered. Could have been much worse.

It had done less than 4,000 miles.

 

[digby]

So it seems I’m not the only one ….
Pretty poor from BMW !!

Chocolate bearings
Starter solenoids
Switch blocks

What next ???

 

[tomtom1200]

Mine went at about 4k, got them done locally as its an easy / cheap job and I didn't have time to faff with the warranty. Couple of months later the same garage said they had another one in with the same issue, its a small place and they are not a bmw specialist.

 

[jgp]

Friends 1300 GS front wheel bearing went last year while touring Spain. Bike had around 4k mls. He was 4 days into the holiday. No bearing to be had in Spain.bike was recovered by BMW under warranty and he was flown home.Not happy.

 

[JohnnyBoxer]

Chinese bearings ?

 

[Namor]

My 1300GS front wheel bearing went in september last year at around 10000km while traveling to Germany from Sweden. Was really lucky to get help by BMW with towing and bearing replacement at Kennets mc near Gothenburg the next day so I could continue my holiday.
I have a new bike this year and I only hope the front wheel bearings are better now when I am traveling down to Italy next week.

 

[digby]

BMW recovery coming to get the bike this afternoon - local dealer will fix but doesnt recommend riding it of course

 

[digby]

Front wheel bearing is confirmed - will be fixed under warranty of course

Hope to find out more when I pick the bike up

 

[J biker]

Wheel bearings fail. Luck, manufacture fault, dirt ingress, poor assembly. Can happen on any motorcycle.
My mate had his holiday interrupted on a 5000 mile zzr 1400 after wheel bearing collapse a few years ago.
No doubt already mentioned, pressure washers need to be used with care too.

 

[digby]

Luckily my wheel didn’t block - I wonder if BMW would pick up the tab if the bike was downed due to a failed bearing