2013 RT Driveshaft Failure

[beemergirl]

In 2011 I posted the u-joint/driveshaft failure in my 2009 RT at 36K miles.
That thread is here: https://forums.bmwmoa.org/showthread.php?54749-2009-RT-U-Joint-Failure&highlight=

I'm back with the same failure in my 2013 RT. Looks pretty similar. Too bad they can't admit there's a problem, I know a bunch of people with the same failure.

How unlucky can a girl get?

 

[Omega Man]

Too bad on this- again.
I'm curious if mileage on each bike was similar (60K? Or so).
Gary

 

[beemergirl]

Too bad on this- again.
I'm curious if mileage on each bike was similar (60K? Or so).
Gary

36k on first one (one day past warranty) and 80k on second.

If You have a theory besides bad luck, I'd love to hear it!

 

[Tonyfr]

My shaft broke on the transmission side on my '05 RT at 109,000 miles. Same damage to swingarm. The tech at the BMW dealership said he couldn't get the u-joint off without removing the transmission. I had them put it back together without the driveshaft and towed it back to Texas so Henzilla could fix it.

 

[wyman.winn]

36k on first one (one day past warranty) and 80k on second.

If You have a theory besides bad luck, I'd love to hear it!

THIS is not good!!!

i have a 13RT that has 87000 miles on her...i changed the driveshaft at 71000 miles during a major service before an extended adventure..the GB end was slightly rusty....

i rebuilt the original driveshaft with new universals...pretty easy actually...

hope you get this sorted out...

wyman

 

[beemergirl]

i have a 13RT that has 87000 miles on her...i changed the driveshaft at 71000 miles during a major service before an extended adventure..the GB end was slightly rusty....

i rebuilt the original driveshaft with new universals...pretty easy actually...

wyman

Curious about why you changed it out. BMW doesn't have it on any maintenance list and from what I understand they don't do any routine inspection either. So what made you even "go there"? It's obviously a lot cheaper to replace/rebuild before disaster strikes.

 

[mikegalbicka]

It's obviously a lot cheaper to replace/rebuild before disaster strikes.

That is why some choose to go there I think. Sorry for your double misfortune. I worry about my 07RT with 70K miles because of these horror stories.

 

[wyman.winn]

Curious about why you changed it out. BMW doesn't have it on any maintenance list and from what I understand they don't do any routine inspection either. So what made you even "go there"? It's obviously a lot cheaper to replace/rebuild before disaster strikes.

i was lucky enough to find a near new (0miles) gearbox, swingarm, final drive and two drive shafts for my 13RT really cheap (front end crash bike)...so before i set off on a 5000 mile adventure i did a major, major service to my RT and for kicks & giggles replace the driveshaft as routine....

my RT now has 87000 miles and the "spare parts" are in boxes ready to ship...just in case...LOL

FTR, i do lube the FD spline every 12000 miles and GB spline every 24k....and i change all the fluids every 6k...oil/filter, GB and FD...

 

[mikegalbicka]

near new (0miles) . . . (front end crash bike).

Typo?

 

[wyman.winn]

Typo?

nope....all parts looked brand spankin new...bought off ebay from an automotive recycling company....ad said zero miles, i believed them...paid $1700 for the lot...GB, swingarm, FD and two driveshafts...

 

[179212]

Driveshaft failure

Can they tell if the yoke broke and caused failure or bearing failure in cross causing disaster?

 

[deilenberger]

Just an observation - and I could be all wet on this. This seems to be primarily an RT problem. I do know of one or two non-RT's where it's happened, but those were used under extreme circumstances (like an R1200R being used as a GS, with a torn boot over the U joint, in a sandy desert - the U joint later failed.)

Most of the failures I've heard of have been RT's. It reminds me of the driveshaft failures on oil-head GS's (where it's relatively rare to have a failure on any other oilhead.) We had a guy in our local club who was large (like around 300lbs large.) He rode an oilhead GS adventure. His driveshaft lasted the life of the bike, which was over 200k miles when the engine passed on. My theory on why it lasted that long - when he sat on the bike the suspension compressed enough that the driveshaft was basically horizontal and straight from the transmission to the final drive. VERY little angular deflection.

I'll have to look next time I'm parked next to an RT - and see what the difference is between my R12R's driveshaft angle and the RT's. I should note that my R12R has some minor lowering done to it - so results may vary.. (and past performance is no indicator of future results.) My first '07 R12R has > 120k on it now (hi Brian!) - and AFAIK - the 2nd owner hasn't changed out the driveshaft. My current '12 only has ~30,000 miles on it - so it hasn't reached the mileage where I might expect a problem. This is also subject to Eilenberger's Law of Spare Parts: "You never need the part that you have." - I do have a spare R12R driveshaft on my spare's shelf. It's been there since 2007.

 

[wyman.winn]

"You never need the part that you have." - I do have a spare R12R driveshaft on my spare's shelf. It's been there since 2007.

truer words have never been spoken...

 

[mikegalbicka]

nope....all parts looked brand spankin new...bought off ebay from an automotive recycling company....ad said zero miles, i believed them...paid $1700 for the lot...GB, swingarm, FD and two driveshafts...

A great find. Just couldn't figure out how you have a front end crash with zero miles but who cares.

 

[wyman.winn]

A great find. Just couldn't figure out how you have a front end crash with zero miles but who cares.

prolly dropped off of a truck or sumthin.....nothing was available from the front of the bike, but everything aft of the steering head, sans plastic, was perfect....

www.lkqonline.com but through eBay...actually made them a low ball offer that they immediately took...

 

[BC1100S]

My theory on why it lasted that long - when he sat on the bike the suspension compressed enough that the driveshaft was basically horizontal and straight from the transmission to the final drive. VERY little angular deflection.

I changed the torque arm on my R1100S in order to achieve "very little angular deflection". Only makes sense, to me. Had the added bonus of quickening up the steering a tad.

 

[BC1100S]

Curious about why you changed it out. BMW doesn't have it on any maintenance list and from what I understand they don't do any routine inspection either. So what made you even "go there"? It's obviously a lot cheaper to replace/rebuild before disaster strikes.

To your point, cars don't include u-joint maintenance in their periodic service schedules either. Of course, on a car, a u-joint usually starts squeaking or clunking before ultimate failure giving one some warning of impending doom. And the damage of one disintegrating on a car is typically no more than a dropped or disconnected driveshaft. Keep in mind that virtually anything that moves against something else will eventually wear out so maintenance of all moving parts is critical.

Having said this, sorry to see the damage done with your second experience. Fortunate that a get-off didn't ensue when it came apart.

 

[beemergirl]

Can they tell if the yoke broke and caused failure or bearing failure in cross causing disaster?

The output shaft bearing and seal and pinion bearing were fine. They really didn't say anything. I was traveling, of course, and not at my home dealer. The dealer took forever and was glad to get rid of my bike.

 

[179212]

The output shaft bearing and seal and pinion bearing were fine. They really didn't say anything. I was traveling, of course, and not at my home dealer. The dealer took forever and was glad to get rid of my bike.

I grew up on a farm we had lots of stuff with drive shafts ( pto shafts ) with u joints, they had grease zerks so the bearings could be lubed helping prolong bearing life. (Not practical on a motorcycle). The bearing or cross in the yoke is a wear item and should have a maintenance schedule.
If the yoke fails first that is a defect or a bad design IMHO.
Question while horsepower has gone up from the 60 to 80 range on airheads (wag), to 90 on my R1100RS, to 110 or more on newer models have drive shafts kept pace? Does the 110 HP R1200RT have a 35 or 40 percent stronger or heavier drive than a 80 HP ( guess) R100RT?
A straight drive shaft should put less stress on the crosses and prolong bearing life but not make a lot of difference on the yoke I think.

 

[lkraus]

A straight drive shaft should put less stress on the crosses and prolong bearing life but not make a lot of difference on the yoke I think.

I think the reason a completely straight shaft is to be avoided is that the needle bearings in the joint do not rotate, putting all the stress on a few "needles" at stationary areas of the race, rather than spreading the load over a larger area which changes.

Or something like that...