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Why am I getting only 25mpg?

If they sent you out on your bike with a critical life safety error they made, and their only offer is to screw the caliper back on, they're delusional. Not that you'd want them doing anything more (or perhaps even that much), but, for example, if it has messed up your new brake lines, they need to replace those.
 
Diesel - wish I shared your optimism - what I've seen too many times is dealerships who's first measure of a successful service department is profit. This leads to a lack of diagnostic time and hiring the cheapest part changers you can. Who wants to bet they diagnosed the brake hoses without removing or inspecting them. It happens at dealerships and independents and the result is a lack of quality work. Best bet is finding a shop where the mechanic is the owner or one where the customers are on a first name basis with the mechanics.

Glad I wrench on my own stuff! Wish you were closer so I could give you a hand.
 
Were the bolts just loose?

Assuming they just didn't properly reattach the caliper, that's staggering negligence.

Both bolts were gone when I pulled over to inspect so I don't know if I was riding with loose bolts or no bolts. I'd have to think that the bolts were there but never tightened because I rode 20miles before I lost the front brake.
 
Diesel - wish I shared your optimism - what I've seen too many times is dealerships who's first measure of a successful service department is profit. This leads to a lack of diagnostic time and hiring the cheapest part changers you can. Who wants to bet they diagnosed the brake hoses without removing or inspecting them. It happens at dealerships and independents and the result is a lack of quality work. Best bet is finding a shop where the mechanic is the owner or one where the customers are on a first name basis with the mechanics.

Glad I wrench on my own stuff! Wish you were closer so I could give you a hand.

I totally agree with you, this HD/BMW dealership is big and fancy, probably used to wealthy clientele that don't look at the bill at all.

It was clearly a case of profit over diligence since they had already " in theory" checked my brake system before and after flushing it, changing the brake master cylinder, bleeding it again, changing all the break lines then bleeding it again.
 
If they sent you out on your bike with a critical life safety error they made, and their only offer is to screw the caliper back on, they're delusional. Not that you'd want them doing anything more (or perhaps even that much), but, for example, if it has messed up your new brake lines, they need to replace those.

They offered to refund the $230 labor they charged me to install the F/R break lines. I'm looking into taking them to small claims court to recover that part of the the $1000 service they performed that pertained to the brake system.

In the mean time I need to find a competent wrench near me that can thoroughly inspect and repair the sticking calipers.... Assuming that's the end cause.
 
They offered to refund the $230 labor they charged me to install the F/R break lines. I'm looking into taking them to small claims court to recover that part of the the $1000 service they performed that pertained to the brake system.

In the mean time I need to find a competent wrench near me that can thoroughly inspect and repair the sticking calipers.... Assuming that's the end cause.

You've been friendly, you've been patient. At this point you'd be doing the community and the owner a favor if you sued them.
Suppose they do kill someone next time?
 
Sounds like you had a pretty frightening moment. Glad to hear that it didn't end in tradgedy.

So now you've got the bike at home, with brake issues still I be worked on. Assuming that that their (seemingly incompetent) tech is correct, that your front brakes are still dragging (and that the tech's observation wasn't thrown off by the fact that he hadn't tightened the calipers), you've got to find someone to figure it out.

There are several possible causes: a problem in the rebuilt master cylinder, a kink or blockage in the new or rigid lines, bent or corroded or not lubricates pins that the pads slide on, or maybe even something bent.

Hopefully a local bmwmoa member can help you diagnose the problem and find a competent mechanic to do the work.
 
. Assuming that that their (seemingly incompetent) tech is correct, that your front brakes are still dragging (and that the tech's observation wasn't thrown off by the fact that he hadn't tightened the calipers), you've got to find someone to figure it out.

There are several possible causes: a problem in the rebuilt master cylinder, a kink or blockage in the new or rigid lines, bent or corroded or not lubricates pins that the pads slide on, or maybe even something bent.

Hopefully a local bmwmoa member can help you diagnose the problem and find a competent mechanic to do the work.

The front master cylinder was replaced with a brand new one, not rebuilt(they tried to rebuild the old one, did not succeed, but charged me for the rebuild kit parts anyway) so now I have brand new high end brake lines, a brand new Migura brake master cylinder, and a brake system that was flushed and bled three times.

The main issue I have is that the calipers were not sticking when they first got the bike. I remember clearly how I rotated the front wheel freely when I gave the bike it's first good cleaning...spun freely, and got 35mpg. Now it won't spin, I can feel the resistance. Coincidence or malpractice???????
 
Don't post much but perhaps in this instance I can offer some advice. I had a problem with my 95 1100GS front brakes: after a 400 mile initial delivery ride the front brakes were on so hard that the bike could only be moved with the aid of the engine. Four of the eight pistons in the front calipers were seized to the extent that they would move out under the pressure of braking but they would not retract. The fix was to rebuild the calipers - the piston seals were in good shape but there was some very light corrosion in the recesses into which the seals were installed (the bike had not moved in five years before I got it). The calipers are anodized to protect them from corrosion but it is very difficult to fully anodize the inner surfaces of a small groove such as the ones into which the seals are installed. A small stainless steel brush and a lot of isopropyl alcohol cleaned up the grooves, the seals, pistons and internal o-rings that seal the caliper halves were fine and did not require replacement. The calipers now work perfectly. I also had to re-surface the discs since they had become quite glazed. The most difficult part of that is heating up the bolts that attach the disc to the wheel in order to break the thread locker that BMW loves to use. Don't re-use the bolts, get new ones from BMW when you replace the discs.

NOTE that there is no procedure for disassembling the calipers to perform this fix - those who worship at the blue and white alter of the BMW will tell you that the calipers cannot be disassembled to effect this repair. My opinion of that, after almost 50 years of working on some fairly exotic road-racing machinery is simply that it's BS. Mario at the Brembo factory isn't any more intelligent or capable than you are and really isn't too concerned whether you live or die - you however have some vested interest in that....Another reason BMW or Brembo don't want you to take the calipers apart is that you might see what's inside - in my case the left caliper was filled with STEEL shavings that were far too large to get through the brake line fittings, leading me to conclude that they were a no-extra-charge option from the Bermbo factory.

If you, or your service tech (obviously not your dealer) don't feel comfortable rebuilding the calipers just buy new ones and bolt them on - you've already replaced most of the other brake system parts so new calipers should solve the problem.

I would strongly suggest that if you are going to own any piece of machinery as old as yours that you learn to take care of it yourself. These things require the kind of time and attention that is simply not going to be provided by any dealer and very few independent service techs. You are the only one who is going to care enough about your bike (and yourself...) to perform all the work necessary. This has almost cost you your life, don't let it happen to you again. Even if you have little or no mechanical experience you can learn, and the cost of the tools you need to perform maintenance and repairs is not great, it's an investment in the truest sense of the word.

Oh yeah, I once had an airplane that just got its annual and carb rebuild by a "licensed" A&P at an well regarded aircraft maintenance station - I had an engine failure on takeoff due to, guess what, the carb being incorrectly assembled. It was not pleasant.

Having said all that I am not at all certain that the brakes are the only cause of your 25mpg problem. Even with the front brakes in the condition they were in I averaged 41mpg on the 400 mile (mostly freeway and going slowly) trip home.

These can be great bikes if they are in good condition. I hope your problems get solved without much further expense, grief, or risk.

All the best,

Bob Johnson
 
I would strongly suggest that if you are going to own any piece of machinery as old as yours that you learn to take care of it yourself. These things require the kind of time and attention that is simply not going to be provided by any dealer and very few independent service techs. You are the only one who is going to care enough about your bike (and yourself...) to perform all the work necessary. This has almost cost you your life, don't let it happen to you again. Even if you have little or no mechanical experience you can learn, and the cost of the tools you need to perform maintenance and repairs is not great, it's an investment in the truest sense of the word.

Thanks Bob, I appreciate the advice. I'm actually pretty handy, used to work on my bikes and cars years ago and I would not be afraid to do a caliper rebuild on my own EXCEPT we sold our house a year ago and now live in an apartment...no garage, no carport, not even a reserved parking space. We have an open parking area and i would not consider any repair that could not be easily completed in a few hours or less. A friend just gave me the name of a local Saab mechanic who races bikes and is a 30 year experienced bike mechanic, the guy said he'd be willing to look at the bike and possible take on the brake project. I'm going to bring the bike to him on Monday and will post the outcome.
 
That sounds promising - a racer who has wrenched on his own bikes for 30 has a check in the experience box and should understand the importance of avoiding mechanical failures. DNFs and crashing out due to workmanship aren't acceptable - best of luck - if you end up needing a caliper ( hopefully not) send me a pm - I have a full set from my '96 r1100rs parts bike in the spares bin. ABS hard lines too. We can check part #s if you need anything.
 
That sounds promising - a racer who has wrenched on his own bikes for 30 has a check in the experience box and should understand the importance of avoiding mechanical failures. DNFs and crashing out due to workmanship aren't acceptable - best of luck - if you end up needing a caliper ( hopefully not) send me a pm - I have a full set from my '96 r1100rs parts bike in the spares bin. ABS hard lines too. We can check part #s if you need anything.

I spoke too soon. The guy refuses to do "rebuild" work, said he will install complete calipers only. Problem is that a new pair w/o pads is already about $750. I'll PM you.
 
What would be the odds that the dealership completely flubbed the master cylinder installation?

Before you disassemble the calipers, try removing the lever from the front master cylinder. If this frees up the calipers, they messed up the grub screw adjustment or just didn't do it at all.

Alternatively, you could try looseing the grub screw from the start, but you are locking yourself into readjusting at that point.

Brake%2520MC%2520Front%2520L1.jpg


Brake%2520MC%2520Front%2520L2.jpg
 
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What would be the odds that the dealership completely flubbed the master cylinder installation?

Before you disassemble the calipers, try removing the lever from the front master cylinder. If this frees up the calipers, they messed up the grub screw adjustment or just didn't do it at all.

Alternatively, you could try looseing the grub screw from the start, but you are locking yourself into readjusting at that point.

Brake%2520MC%2520Front%2520L1.jpg


Brake%2520MC%2520Front%2520L2.jpg



Interesting! I'm going to play with this tomorrow...thanks!
 
Good Lord!! I wouldn't let those muffler monkeys touch my bicycle much less my motorcycle. I have been doing all my own wrenching on my 94RS and it has only been in the shop for warranty issues early in its 18+ years/172k miles with me, and I am not a trained mechanic.

If the caliper came loose of the mount, I'd assume the bolts were not even turned into the mounts completely. Not only that, the only way the caliper came come clear of the disc, is by removing the caliper bolts completely, then twisting the caliper back and forth to compress the pucks, to gain "just" enough clearance to wiggle the caliper past the wheel rim. If the caliper came free of the mounts it likely also was bouncing off the inside of the wheel. Any damage there?

Bolts not torqued? I could almost understand that (though that is blantantly sloppy work). Bolts that feel out of a critical braking function with potentially life threatening failure results is simply blatant inepitude. Inexcusable and in my book, at the very least requires a FULL refund of all charges related the to components.

Now, about dragging front brakes: on the older Oilhead, there is an adjustment that can be made at the lever into the master cylinder. It was an early "tweak" by Bob Lentini to remove some of the "mushy" feeling at the brake lever. But you had to be careful not to over-adjust it or you could get dragging brakes as a result. Has that been checked?

Personally, I would work a deal with this skeptical service department to get most of your money back, and NEVER go there again.

Oh, and by the way. They are SO full of crap about your "old" bike getting lousy gas mileage. My 94RS, with a LOT of miles on it, heavier than your bike, with a tail trunk, with my modded exhaust and a Techlusion I installed, AND with the throttle bodies I rebuilt with the Bing kit and balanced with my cheapo mercury sticks, just got 40 mpg on the last tank, which was about 50/50 city/highway riding. Constant highway I get 45 to 48 mpg, still on the original fuel injectors, fuel pump, fuel regulator. I changed the fuel filter once in 172,000 miles. No way your bike should get anything less than 40mpg
 
On Sunday I filled up and made a run from the Boston area to the Cape. Here are the numbers for my "old" RT:

147 miles odometer 143 miles (google map) (odometer seems 3% high)
90 miles highway (60-80 mph) est. 70 mph average
53 miles local/stop&go, speed less than 50 mph

Lambda on the LC-1 set to 0.94 (6% rich)
Top case and two side cases, windshield full up.
Tires 36F/39R
Temperature 75F

Fuel Used 2.9 gallons Premium 93 Octane
Gas Mileage 143/29 = about 48/49 mpg combined 2/3 highway 1/3 local
 
It might be an idea for the OP to have a chat with our BMWMOA dealer liaison officer. I cannot recall his name right now but the club has a person who gets involved where applicable in disputes between club members and BMW dealers or BMW NA. I think he wrote an article on his role in the July ON.

This whole story is a great example of how not to do things in customer service and maybe he could be of some help.
 
Here's a different thought, should you wish to take charge and work through parameters and functions that remain locked mysteriously within your engine's ecu, there is always the programmable controllers from megasquirt that allow you to dial in or change any level of ignition and fuel injection control for economy, power, or smoother performance as the case may be. (not add on system but controlling entire process stem to stern).
This obviously isn't for everyone, for sure the faint of heart that are not wishing to learn everything that you can about this technology and your particular ride.
Not meant to be a pitch for that product (although affordable enough), but certainly a means to an end. In my case the old air head can do 50-55mpg (Cdn) while venturing into serious turbo boost as the random occasion might present itself. Oilheads are in general much better suited to such a change.
Sorry :nono if this offends the purist approach, but I decided to let the Genie out.:)
Lorne.
 
If the caliper came loose of the mount, I'd assume the bolts were not even turned into the mounts completely. Not only that, the only way the caliper came come clear of the disc, is by removing the caliper bolts completely, then twisting the caliper back and forth to compress the pucks, to gain "just" enough clearance to wiggle the caliper past the wheel rim. If the caliper came free of the mounts it likely also was bouncing off the inside of the wheel. Any damage there? Bolts not torqued? I could almost understand that (though that is blantantly sloppy work). Bolts that feel out of a critical braking function with potentially life threatening failure results is simply blatant inepitude. Inexcusable and in my book, at the very least requires a FULL refund of all charges related the to components.

The front right caliper came off the fork mount but stayed trapped on the rotor and was dangling.
 
On Sunday I filled up and made a run from the Boston area to the Cape. Here are the numbers for my "old" RT:

147 miles odometer 143 miles (google map) (odometer seems 3% high)
90 miles highway (60-80 mph) est. 70 mph average
53 miles local/stop&go, speed less than 50 mph

Lambda on the LC-1 set to 0.94 (6% rich)
Top case and two side cases, windshield full up.
Tires 36F/39R
Temperature 75F

Fuel Used 2.9 gallons Premium 93 Octane
Gas Mileage 143/29 = about 48/49 mpg combined 2/3 highway 1/3 local

Within the next week I will have a completely new brake system, I want to see my mileage return to at least 35mpg(the mileage it was getting before it went to BMW), hopefully it will be higher.
 
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