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Camhead final drive lube 2012 R1200GS

I wouldn't worry about what looks to be 10cc extra. Especially with the vented drive (since the original fill quantity was 220cc on the sealed drives..)

What you might consider doing is several flushes of the drive with clean oil until the drained oil runs clear. If it was me - I'd probably use some inexpensive GL5 gear lube to do the flush, saving the good stuff for the final fill (others may want to spend their money other ways.. see "Conclusion #4" above.) :p
 
I wasn't worried about it. I was curious to know if the fill requirements had been changed with the camheads. there was probably 20 cc over.
I'm surprised they haven't changed the requirements back to 220cc since adding a breather
 
I wasn't worried about it. I was curious to know if the fill requirements had been changed with the camheads. there was probably 20 cc over.
I'm surprised they haven't changed the requirements back to 220cc since adding a breather

Did we decide for sure that pressure on the big seal was the only reason for decreasing the oil level?
...no chance that some kind of foaming or oil slinging would starve any part of the drive?
 
Did we decide for sure that pressure on the big seal was the only reason for decreasing the oil level?
...no chance that some kind of foaming or oil slinging would starve any part of the drive?

Ah, if only BMW would tell us anything - but you know they won't.

I'd make a WAG that the reduction in fill quantity was done in response to the much publicized "Iron-Butt Failures".. the several very public cases of failure where it appeared the oil forced out past the seal on the small end, outboard side of the crown-gear, starving the drive of any oil, which made them fail. I don't believe these failures were related to the large seal (inboard side) on the crown-gear.

The more typical failure seen is of the big bearing on the wheel side of the crown gear, and that one isn't even in the oil - it mounts external to the drive. That bearing failing could very well cause the failure of the big-seal, which might then be misdiagnosed as the cause of the failure, when in reality - it was initially a bearing failure.

I've heard of a few random pinion bearing failures - and those might be caused by lubrication breakdown since they're semi-internal (I believe they are sealed bearings.. so technically they wouldn't be lubed by the drive lube.)

The only bearing I'm fairly certain IS lubed by the drive lubricant is the small-end needle bearing on the crown gear. While that does carry a weight load from the bike, there isn't any side load on it to speak of (the end of the gear can move horizontally in the needle bearing) and I haven't heard of these failing.

So - without "the word" from BMW, I'm going by my WAG. Everyone else should do whatever THEY think is best and ignore the babbling of a raging baboon.. :)
 
The pinion bearing failures occurred early on and may have been the direct cause of a FD/bearing change. The original hexhead FDs used a 30x16 needle bearing, part number 33 11 7 683 038. In 2006 that changed to a 32 x 16 bearing, part number 33 11 7 698 132. Haven't heard of many (any?) failures of the pinion bearing since then.
 
"What you might consider doing is several flushes of the drive with clean oil until the drained oil runs clear. If it was me - I'd probably use some inexpensive GL5 gear lube to do the flush, saving the good stuff for the final fill (others may want to spend their money other ways.. see "Conclusion #4" above.)"

Don

Thanks for the suggestion

That was my first final drive change at 380 miles. I'm scheduled to have the dealer do the 600 mile service ,actually 700 on the odometer this Wednesday.

That will be 2 changes in a 700 mile period. I'm comfortable with that. I usually change the final drive when I change rear tire or sooner

I did an early change on the engine oil also at 165 miles. I like getting the original oils out early
 
Just a heads up.. my local friendly BMW dealer now has in stock the actual original spec oil (which was a Castrol XO 75W-90) as "Final drive gear oil" C-SAF-XO) SAE 75W-90 GL5.

BMW PN: 07 51 2 293 972. Retail price was $23.49/liter. For those of us who are somewhat anal about using what BMW spec'd in the service manuals - this IS the stuff, formerly almost unobtainable in the US (there are rumors Land Rover dealers carry it.. but I haven't checked that.)

BTW - Anthony, document your service carefully. BMW has been known to squabble over warranty on bikes where the initial service wasn't done (or it couldn't be proved it was done.)

I sell the Land Rover and the BMW Motorcycle dealer the same gear lube. 16 gallon kegs of Mobil 1 LS 75w90 and 75w140. You can buy it in cases for less than $9.00 per quart. BMW and Land Rover both rip off the dealers which then pass it on to you. You can actually purchase the Castrol from a Castrol Automotive or Industrial job Ed a lot cheaper than the OEM programs.
 
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