Who's ever had a drive-shaft snap ??? What mileage and warnings did you have ?

*touring ted*

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I've just bought a 2008 R1200GS with 60,000 miles on it. I intend to do a lot of travelling on it.

I gave it a full service and checked the rear UV of the shaft. It's very sloppy. No notches, binding or free play between the joints but it moves around like a dead chickens head. :blast

I've heard plenty of snapped shaft horror stories but I'm curious of the actual mileages and conditions that they occur.

Cheers, Ted
 
I'll probably be corrected on this...but if it's loose and flopping around, it's gone or about to go.
 
I'd get it sorted sooner rather than later,
Once it's gone loose it will deteriorate quite fast,as the lubrication will fail
Most of the failed ones I have seen apparently gave no warning or excessive vibes before the joint Collapsed,as they were generally being ridden at motorway speeds
As it is now ,new U/Js can be fitted,once the yokes are damaged it's scrap,and it may well damage the swinging arm as well.
 
GS Hexhead rear swing arms Are only strong enough. The front swing arm casting, which has less work to do, is considerably heavier.

Usually its an over stiff rear shock driven over rough roads or even jumped. But a flailing drive shaft will cause serious damage. If you don't crash the bike the final drive could be toast if not whole transmission.

2d6odwn.jpg


r1200gs_final_drive_burnt-L.jpg


DSCN0983.jpg
 
I suspect the middle pic with burnt out FD casing is a seized bearing or maybe the UJ "did one" and took the FD with it.

The cross bearings are staked making them impossible to repair without a jig or maybe a lathe to align everything. MikeyBoy will fit a new bearing cross but if both ends are needed you get close to the costs of a new shaft.
 
I had a drive shaft replaced under warranty at around 50,000 miles, gearbox end u/j was ready to let go, dealer said it would have been 500 quid plus labour for a new one had I been paying.
 
mikeyboy said:
I'd get it sorted sooner rather than later,
Once it's gone loose it will deteriorate quite fast,as the lubrication will fail
Most of the failed ones I have seen apparently gave no warning or excessive vibes before the joint Collapsed,as they were generally being ridden at motorway speeds
As it is now ,new U/Js can be fitted,once the yokes are damaged it's scrap,and it may well damage the swinging arm as well.
Click to expand...

Mine snapped at around 50 on a wet night while riding on the M25 during rush hour - 30 mins earlier I had been riding in the 90's with no obvious signs of anything amiss.

Wrecked the swing arm in the process

I had slowed to about 30 (heading for the hard shoulders) when it locked the back wheel up in lane 1 - just in front of an artic. Never been more scared on a bike.
 
gazza12adv said:
I had a drive shaft replaced under warranty at around 50,000 miles, gearbox end u/j was ready to let go, dealer said it would have been 500 quid plus labour for a new one had I been paying.
Click to expand...

I take that back about two new UJs being near costs of new shaft. They would be about 50% of the cost. :o
 
V2 TRV said:
Fotos like that make me thankful I've a chain drive :beerjug:
Click to expand...

Why? 6 of one, half a dozen of the other.

I had a chain snap on me at moderate speed on my 'blade and it took out the engine/gearbox casings meaning a complete rebuild of the engine and box, which basically wrote off the bike. and about 3 months ago I had to be recovered after a chain broke on my winter shitter funduro which jammed around the front sproket and frame.

I have never had a shaft failure.......
 
Mr Bean said:
Mine snapped at around 50 on a wet night while riding on the M25 during rush hour - 30 mins earlier I had been riding in the 90's with no obvious signs of anything amiss.

Wrecked the swing arm in the process

I had slowed to about 30 (heading for the hard shoulders) when it locked the back wheel up in lane 1 - just in front of an artic. Never been more scared on a bike.
Click to expand...

Makes you not want to trust them

I've ridden 1200 and 1300s at 170mph and you wouldn't want to think about the back wheel locking up when doing this.

Why are they so weak? I don't particularly like chains but am beginning to think BMW shaft drives are more trouble and risk than they're worth.
 
Bendy toy said:
Hopefully you don't have a BMW X-Country. (Img posted on HUL website)

IMG_5492.jpg
Click to expand...

Are these event, just unfortunate exceptions to the rule. I have a 65000 mile GS Adventure still going strong and G650 X challenge which I rode to
Ghana on some aggressive roads. In the past I've found threads such as these, give an honest account of incidents, but distorts the real problem. Or should I say lacks balance.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Yes, I believe mine was not caused by a design fault but more because of a bad assembly after the FD had been replaced - before I bought the bike.

At every service, after I replaced the assembly, I would check the FD gaiter was sealed and that the expansion clips were in place. I also made sure there was plenty of the sealing grease - never had any water ingress afterwards.
 
My clunky old built-to-a-price Yamaha Diversion 900 shaft drive was the same at 75K as it was when new. All it ever had was oil changes every other engine oil change. Engines was just as solid with a clutch costing just £50 and an hour to fit new friction plates. Suspension was crap, finish barely adequate, windscreen was horrendous and it wasn't exactly a looker. But if the high cost Japanese can build reliable engineering to a price why can't BMW?
 
Nippy Normans supply Touratech, Wunderlich, Desert Fox and many other makes of accessories.
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