The High Cost of FD Failures

[wsteinborn]

Not to worry, you can always fix it on the side of the road with the extensive tool kit they provide.

My 2006 toolkit has a screwdriver and extension in it. Plus the oil filler cao tool. That's it.

 

[petepeterson]

Jeez Got a bunch of rocket scientist here don't we ..........

BMW has sold about (notice about) a hundred thousand bikes a year,,, Some with belt drive I know but allot with drive shafts....... So its safe to say close to five hundred thousand in the last five years..... 4% of that is twenty thousand,,,
Anybody who thinks 20,000 FD have broke in the last 5 years just isn't right in the head..........
The 4% came from either '05's or '06's CCR... That was what they estimated the failure to be........

There is so much dis-information on the net

And one of the stupidest things I ever heard was ' ya can't run over a rock with a HD belt drive ' Well thats bullshit.......I ran a stick through my belt in July '86 on a run from N.C. to Ill. in the middle of Tenn. left the belt on for the trip back to N.C. and waited for payday to fix it....Pain in the ass, gotta pull primary ( you know clutch) shock, rear axle,,,, real pain.....

Just one question before I quit this forum again for a few months,,,,

Is the continual whining about parts on your bike that haven't broke yet a sexual thing?????? I mean is it orgasmic to worry about something that hasn't broke???????? Just a little curious is all........Later, much later..............Pete

 

[ISAACS]

Final Drive issue

I bought a used (2002) BMW Lt recently, but after reviewing the large number of posts about final drives failing I am having secound thoughts about keeping the bike.
The bike has 37000 miles and service has been done per the book. Not being one to trust 100% I changed the motor oil/filter checked and changed the transmission oil and the final drive. I found no suspicious metal flakes other than a light dusting on the FD magnet. The bike runs well but, I am becoming nervous.

With the large number of members can a quick accounting of failures be compiled and a complaint filed with the NTHSB?

I have ridden for more than 45 years and BMW was always been held in high esteem by me and many of my friends. I do not need another mechanical nightmare after all I currently own two "NEW" Indian motorcycles and a Harley, I just want to ride.

If involvement is needed count me in.

 

[osbornk]

Isn't it odd how forums run? A few people have the same problem and the forums make it appear that everyone is going to have the same problem and nobody should buy a new one again.

I also belong to a few F-150 forums. A couple of years ago, every F-150 appeared to have differential problems. That disappeared after a while to be replaced by vibrations to be replaced by cam phasers to be replaced by brakes to be replaced by spark plug problems, etc., etc. You get the same stuff if you go to a Chevy forum or a Dodge forum or a Toyota forum, etc.

If you go strictly by forums, nobody would ever buy anything again because of the major problems associated with whatever the forum is about.

 

[redclfco]

spin of the storm

I bought a used (2002) BMW Lt recently, but after reviewing the large number of posts about final drives failing I am having secound thoughts about keeping the bike.
The bike has 37000 miles and service has been done per the book. Not being one to trust 100% I changed the motor oil/filter checked and changed the transmission oil and the final drive. I found no suspicious metal flakes other than a light dusting on the FD magnet. The bike runs well but, I am becoming nervous.

With the large number of members can a quick accounting of failures be compiled and a complaint filed with the NTHSB?

I have ridden for more than 45 years and BMW was always been held in high esteem by me and many of my friends. I do not need another mechanical nightmare after all I currently own two "NEW" Indian motorcycles and a Harley, I just want to ride.

If involvement is needed count me in.

I need to preface this post by saying the follwing title given to some of the posts on this thread of spinners of fables does not apply to those who have experienced trouble with their bikes. Your testimonials are your story, I'm genuinely sorry that it happened, but have to respectfully interject it does not mean it's going to happen to me, or other BMW riders. By making that leap here on this thread, you are spinning smoke, and can't back it up with anything concrete.

this is my second BMW, first was a 94 R65, traded it in, and now have a 05 GS. The spin here is the final drive is about to go on every unit. HA! If mine does, I guess I'll have to deal with it, but having two BMWs, nary a problem to speak of, and years of knowing people with all types and styles of Beemers who have had the same experience, Il'l be damned if I'm going to let the spin doctors here on this forum diagnose my choice of bikes by predicting on a whim, on a puff of smoke on a small minute percentage of a chance the my final drive will fail.

You know why BMW won't refute this braced up charge? because by addrsssing it in mass, it gives the call of hysteria a platform to appear to be real. I can't blame BMW for dimissing this flim flam.

I'm sorry but your post is what makes me see the damage here. These spin meisters get people worried about somthing that most likely will never happen to them, and they are ready to sell their bike, and the spin masters on this forum are responsible for this insane parinoia planted by a seed of unfounded suspicion that can't even be backed up by actual numbers.


Il'l drink the water in Gillette, and I will ride my BMW, just like the last BMW, FOR YEARS with no problems.

And thats my opinion. If you refute it, show me the numbers and reference where you got em. Show your cards here spinnies, or fold em.

Red

 

[HODAG]

every machine has something that unexpectedly breaks......

my buddy at work has had to tow his '07 harley to the shop for the alarm going nutsy, just won't start, no override. they have seen alot of them and the new software is crap

the sky is falling

 

[dancogan]

...the sky is falling

It is? It is? We all better find cover ...

 

[Rapid_Roy]

Elmer's glue has water in it. That doesn't make it Beer.

Are you implying Coor's has Elmer's glue in it?

Water has water in it and that doesn't make it Beer either.
You can't afford either if your final drive fails, because of the high cost.
(Yes, he connects it neatly back to the thread! )
Not that it'll ever happen.

 

[mika]

the sky is falling

Again?

 

[ISAACS]

No spin Doctor

Having a posting held up as spinning smoke is not what was talking about nor do I think it is needed.

I have owned four R type BMW's the first is an R69 US which I still have. I was picking up on what appears to be a problem in design/execution. If this is not a big deal so be it.

I jioned this group to exchange thoughts and ideas not to war with words, three ex-wives later, aurgument is the last thing on my mind.

I look forward to more conversations

 

[redclfco]

Having a posting held up as spinning smoke is not what was talking about nor do I think it is needed.

I have owned four R type BMW's the first is an R69 US which I still have. I was picking up on what appears to be a problem in design/execution. If this is not a big deal so be it.

I jioned this group to exchange thoughts and ideas not to war with words, three ex-wives later, aurgument is the last thing on my mind.

I look forward to more conversations

You might consider posting technical discussions in the technical area of the forum because it's getting lost in the conversation area around the camp fire. The words I read in the campfire and the words I and others send back and forth are mostly words laced with tounge and cheeck comments for fun, but every once an awhile, you see Beemer owners ACTUALLY believing some of the bull caca that is spewed about and selling their beemers or not buying beemers because of it; thats when I can't help but cut across the plane of inuendo and falsehoods with the knife of reality. You call it argument, I call it a call to fair play and reality. For every four r style Beemers with trouble, by the only statisitcs out there, I can show you 96 that had no problem, and that's using liberal statistics provided by R owners.

In saying that, You have a point, but I think the place to post it is in the other part of the forum, not in the middle of us bozos around the campfire. Im sorry your offended, and like I said, individual testimonials about bike failures have my utmost sympathy, I just don't/cant connect the dots to my bikes or other BMWs, and that is my point.

 

[ISAACS]

Thanks

Thanks for the information since I am new at this, point well taken.

 

[knary]

every machine has something that unexpectedly breaks......

The problem is, IMHO, that while the timing is unknown, this failure point isn't a surprise. If it was almost any other part we could simply write it off as the short coming of man manufactured products.

 

[beemerdons]

Oh my gosh, it is still going on: BMW's falling out of the Iron Butt Rally with FD's!

Here's the latest at http://www.ironbuttrally.com/IBR/2007.cfm?DocID=42

"Gerhard Memmen-Krueger has experienced a final drive failure near Oklahoma City, OK. Can you guess what he is riding? Duh! Another of the all-new, never needs maintenance BMW final drives has failed."

Also, long time IBR veteran George Barnes is suffering a severe vibration problem on his K1200LT that he believes is either a transmission or final drive going out on him.

Even worse for BMW's image, in 2009 IBR is jokingly (at least I think that they are kidding?!) going to add this bonus for BMW Riders: "Any BMW Dealership in North America 1,000 points Available Up to 3 Times"

Wowser, is Cycle World ever going to have a field day with this final drive and tranny failure issue with BMW's when they write up their 2007 Iron Butt Rally feature article this Fall.

And we BMW owners are being roasted for our choice in motorcycles over at the Yamaha and Honda camps. Just go to www.fjrforum.com to read some of these knee-slappers! Look under the Long Distance Riding / Iron Butt section.

If this doesn't get BMW off of the dime to fix these known problems, then nothing will ever get them moving to step up to the plate on these consistent failures!

 

[testinglogin]

And we BMW owners are being roasted for our poor choice in motorcycles over at the Yamaha and Honda camps. Just go to www.fjrforum.com to read some of these knee-slappers!

I honestly didn't see too much over there. I saw some mention of the BMW's that fell out due to technical problems, but not like they were railing on us. Anyhow, I would expect some of that at a competing brand forum. God forbid any HD riders find OUR forum.

 

[beemerdons]

All you can do is laugh about it, until BMW finds a fix, we just have to live with it

Hi Josh,

I use my same handle of Beemerdons over at www.fjrforum.com so I have been bearing the brunt of these jokes in private messages. They are all in good humor, and these guys and gals are my friends; they are just having fun at my expense. However, since two of the five motorcycles in my garage have suspect trannys and FD's I'm not laughing as much as I should be at this sad situation.

The hardest hit of all to me was when one of my forum buddies from California suggested that 100% of the Harley-Davidson based machines are still competing and finishing the IBR, while 50% of the BMW's are DNF. In a few more hours we will see if his pointed jibe is accurate or not!

Yours, Don


Postscript: BMW was paid a nice compliment by Randy of www.fjrforum.com under "Story of the 2007 IBR": "Joel Rappaport crossing the finish line with over 400K on his mid-70s vintage BMW r60/6 with over 400,000 miles on compared to the mechanical DNFs of new bikes (all brands).

 

[redclfco]

Newby to the Forum question

Don,

Since I have never participated in the forums and followed the Ion butt rally instead just rode my motorcycle down the road, could somebody answer two questions so I can better understand this issue:

#1 Is this year's BMW entries in the Iorn Butt a unusual amount of failures due to mechanicals; were previous BMW run for the finish line less inclined to so many failures or is the just the way it's been?

#2 Are these BMW bikes that are failing brand spanking new bikes, or are they a few/many years old?

If the answers are #1 "No" and #2 "2006-2007 R models", then do I also hear the word "recall"?

Just asking!

Red

Hi Josh,

I use my same handle of Beemerdons over at www.fjrforum.com so I have been bearing the brunt of these jokes in private messages. They are all in good humor, and these guys and gals are my friends; they are just having fun at my expense. However, since two of the five motorcycles in my garage have suspect trannys and FD's I'm not laughing as much as I should be at this sad situation.

The hardest hit of all to me was when one of my forum buddies from California suggested that 100% of the Harley-Davidson based machines are still competing and finishing the IBR, while 50% of the BMW's are DNF. In a few more hours we will see if his pointed jibe is accurate or not!

Yours, Don


Postscript: BMW was paid a nice compliment by Randy of www.fjrforum.com under "Story of the 2007 IBR": "Joel Rappaport crossing the finish line with over 400K on his mid-70s vintage BMW r60/6 with over 400,000 miles on compared to the mechanical DNFs of new bikes (all brands).

 

[sachiwilson]

There have been FD failures in previous IBRs, but I don't remember reading about so many during one event.

This year (If I recall from reading the updates) three of the newest model FDs failed, and one 1150 FD failed.

 

[kbasa]

Don't ever forget the older Airheads set the mark for the m/c industry, regarding high mileage motorcycles, period! Its the newer BMW's that suffer from this sickness. One rear failure here in my '01 K1200LT at 20000 miles. Its 750$ to fix, as in rebuild, using the existing gear set which was not damaged. At 91000 miles now and no reoccurance. I know how to look for the trouble in advance now, too. Anyhow, the older BMW's of the 70's and some before/later are still among the best ever built from Germany! My R100/7 at 300000+ has never left me stranded, at least for long where I could not fix it with relative ease and on the road in short order. This is a day long gone and if one had some smarts about them, they would not dismiss the older Airheads as a future touring ride. Happy Trails, Randy13233, riding new and old and smiling surely as much on my old R Bike

There's always been issues with one model or another. The pre-67 /2s liked to spit their spark plugs out. Airheads of the early 80s had valve recession. All airheads eat diode boards and rotors. Kbikes eat their input splines and final drive splines. Oilheads, particularly GSs, eat their final drives. Now, we're finding out what the hexheads' weakness is.

Back when bikes were miserable enough that not vibrating your parts off while riding down the road was considered the mark of reliability, BMWs were far and away more reliable than other marques. I think, today, we expect car like reliability from bikes, which has never, ever been the case for BMW.

Other marques these days may seem, from our vantage point, to be "more reliable", but poke around their boards and it's the same. I have a VFR. They eat regulator/rectifiers, as do the CBRs. Gold Wings with cracking frames.

Everybody has their problems and they're worse when you can't see them coming - like an FD failure.

 

[gstom]

'03 IBR failures

The 2003 Iron Butt Rally saw an unprecedented number of alternator belt failures on the oilheads. If its not somethin'....its somethin' else. Every machine will experience some type of failure, major or minor, at some point in it's life.