Cardan to be checked and vent valve retrofitted on a total of 440,000 motorcycles

easy said:

I didn’t mean to get you upset. To quote Clinton, “I feel your pain.” I've had two final drive failures, and a faulty gas flange that caused my leg to get soaked with gasoline.

I’m just trying to figure out the best time to do what BMW will not. Unless someone else has a better idea, I'm going to lube the splines, and check the u-joints when changing the final drive lube.

E.

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Not upset just a grouchy old man

I would do it at tire change or rear brake pad change as you are there and have a lot of the work done in removing that stuff.

It really is easy if not rusted tight. If rusted it depends. Mouse Milk is one of the best rust breakers I know of and dose of that or other rust breakers may make it easier.

That is another thing if you know about it it is easy to do, really easy if no rust.

I used a dremel tool with a wire brush on it and some areas by hand to clean it then blew it out with my compressor.

RadioFlyer said:

For BMW to face a court challenge of its practices limiting the rights of owners to repair I think that there would have to be some sort of organization or association that represents the interests of owners championing the cause.

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Well Caterpillar and I think more recent John Deere just lost a law suite and many others that have tried to keep maintenance information from consumers. It wont be long I am sure.

If not Flea Bay works for us out of warranty to do our work, it is the new purchase that this affects and it is sad they did this. I know I will never own another BMW if and when my GS goes. I love my 17.5 as no other bike but BMW just plain sucks at customer care and service after sale.

And if you have not seen, in some markets BMW cars are charging a monthly fee for heated seats and steering wheels. 18 bucks a month for heated seats and all they do is enable it in software as the hardware is already there.

I just think BMW is a great machine but on the other side they suck at taking care of it's issues that then fall on the owner. Parts are crazy high, and just about everything you have a issue with depends on your relationship with a dealer, and even then your left holding the bill a lot. Ask the bad cam guys, and the guys who have been afflicted with this issue. Many guys have had to get in their own pocket to fix this and many other BMW issues.

I think these parts in question are inclosed in the “hollow” tube. I wonder if a “fogging” spray shot into the area from time to time would provide some “easy” corrosion protection?
OM

LFarling said:

Well Caterpillar and I think more recent John Deere just lost a law suite and many others that have tried to keep maintenance information from consumers. It wont be long I am sure.

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One can only hope that BMW motorcycles will be embraced by some overarching legislation or regulatory action to bring a right to repair. I don't know of any organization that will take up the cause specifically for us.

Starting with the Oilhead bikes built in 1993, Bmw has never specified a specific interval for spline lubrication of either the clutch or the driveshaft. They also had the same issue on the rear splines of the classic K bikes. In my bench wrenching column for 20 years I preached the need to lubricate clutch and driveshaft splines. I blame the magazines that attempt to compare the cost of routine maintenance on various model motorcycles. This causes Bmw and other manufacturers to skimp on the recommended routine maintenance to reduce that magical total cost at 100,000 miles. But, since we all take those magazine articles as gospel we get the result we deserve. Splines need lubrication for three reasons: 1; cushioning 2; lubrication 3; anti-corrosion. If you have a bike with a driveshaft and splines they need to be periodically lubricated. In the process old lubricant and the metal detritus in it should be removed and any signs of corrosion should be scuffed away with a good wire brush.

I'm 800 miles away from the 6K oil change on my 2022 R1250 GSA. I will make sure they know to do the procedure.

scootrp125x said:

I'm 800 miles away from the 6K oil change on my 2022 R1250 GSA. I will make sure they know to do the procedure.

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From what I understand from reading a translated article, they are going to drill a hole and insert a check valve of some type. That is the Service Campaign wording loosly translated by me.

Now if they drill and hit a gusher from what I understand from reading it they then will move on to looking at the FD and DS.

Nowhere do I read they are going to perform SERVICE on every drive shaft and final drive. As I say this is just really a retrofit of a check valve, NOT a service of your FD and DS.

I want to know who is paying when they hit the gusher? And most of them I have seen are from rain and humidity, not water crossings and hopping curbs.

You personally will need to do this service. Well unless you ride a RT that is a non police bike. Seems they do not fit into the GS/GSA harder used series of BMW for this Service Campaign.

Sorry, all series with a FD and DS need this service performed.

I had thought in older series of bikes that a DS and FD lube was part of the service? Or was it just something guys picked up on and did, as we are now doing?

My point in all this bitching is do the service yourself as soon as you can. If it is welded badly take it in for the Service Campaign and see what they say.

IMHO it must be free to slide back and forth as intended to keep the geometry of the drive shaft in correct alignment to compensate for frame movement. This is very important.

The picture I posted was my new 17.5 GS bought as a leftover in 2018 and the splines were DRY.

As Neil said "Rust Never Sleeps" it just continues to creep and destroy more.

Yes to the fogging as it will get the first knuckle at least and of course the FD.

As I said I am going to pull mine and slather it with ACF 50 and try to work it into the knuckle joints with a artist brush. ACF 50 draws around bolts and rivets so it may draw into the knuckle joints if applied a few times and having at working it into the knuckle. It is available in a spray can and that is what I use on various other things. I use it on every plug I pull apart on the connector covers and seals, I use dialectic greases on the connectors themselves.

PGlaves said:

Starting with the Oilhead bikes built in 1993, Bmw has never specified a specific interval for spline lubrication of either the clutch or the driveshaft. They also had the same issue on the rear splines of the classic K bikes. In my bench wrenching column for 20 years I preached the need to lubricate clutch and driveshaft splines. I blame the magazines that attempt to compare the cost of routine maintenance on various model motorcycles. This causes Bmw and other manufacturers to skimp on the recommended routine maintenance to reduce that magical total cost at 100,000 miles. But, since we all take those magazine articles as gospel we get the result we deserve. Splines need lubrication for three reasons: 1; cushioning 2; lubrication 3; anti-corrosion. If you have a bike with a driveshaft and splines they need to be periodically lubricated. In the process old lubricant and the metal detritus in it should be removed and any signs of corrosion should be scuffed away with a good wire brush.

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+1

Since you are well versed what bikes did call it out. I had thought it was called out for service, as I read old articles where it was pointed out very specifically for a older series of BMW.

Swing Arms Now Drilled or at least some

My new 2022 R1250RT built on 1/28/22 has the swing arm drilled. I confirmed with a 2022 R1250RS owner who’s bike was built the same week his swing arm is drilled. The plug used is not a one way valve but a rubber plug that protrudes out the bottom of swing arm about ¼” and is pinched off such as you would find on a flat blade screw driver.

It appears to me a person needs to remove this plug to determine if there is water or oil inside the swing arm. I’ll have my drive shaft checked at the 12,000 mile service happening in about a month or a bit more and determine then what this plug looks like on the inside of he swing arm.

It sounds like they are going or trying to fit something like this-


Vacuator™ Valves Automatically Expel Dust and Water




https://www.donaldson.com/en-au/eng...cuator-valves-automatically-expel-dust-water/

I am familiar with these and have some on equipment I own. These are mainly installed on air cleaner assemblies. I consider it basically a “shielded” drain which is certainly better than just a hole. Just having a hole is probably more prone to getting plugged fro the outside as anything. I can’t say I have seen a lot of value in the device.
If this is the kind of device that they are considering, I would recommend checking it on a regular basis.

On a related note, large trucks frequently have oil bath hubs which of course are sealed. In hot weather the oil would expand an push past the seal(s) and cause concern. A remedy that Stemco came up with was to include a Gore-Tex membrane in the rubber filler plug. This added breathability did help a bit.
OM

darrell said:

My new 2022 R1250RT built on 1/28/22 has the swing arm drilled. I confirmed with a 2022 R1250RS owner who’s bike was built the same week his swing arm is drilled. The plug used is not a one way valve but a rubber plug that protrudes out the bottom of swing arm about ¼” and is pinched off such as you would find on a flat blade screw driver.

It appears to me a person needs to remove this plug to determine if there is water or oil inside the swing arm. I’ll have my drive shaft checked at the 12,000 mile service happening in about a month or a bit more and determine then what this plug looks like on the inside of he swing arm.

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I too have a new 2022 R1250RT built on 2/2/22, it too has the service update. I had a total hip replacement July 14th, sorry not able to get a better picture and see with my own eyes but that will have to wait. I see the plug Darrel mention but I don't know what the other rubber is?

FWIW the plug that gets added is called a duck bill valve. It is supposed to be unidirectional and self-closing. Either the weight of water bearing on top of it or a higher air pressure in the swing arm is going to have to open it.

Sent from my SM-T813 using Tapatalk

LFarling said:

+1

Since you are well versed what bikes did call it out. I had thought it was called out for service, as I read old articles where it was pointed out very specifically for a older series of BMW.

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Early Airheads once every year.

RadioFlyer said:

FWIW the plug that gets added is called a duck bill valve. It is supposed to be unidirectional and self-closing. Either the weight of water bearing on top of it or a higher air pressure in the swing arm is going to have to open it.

Sent from my SM-T813 using Tapatalk

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Learn something everyday. This plug does open by squeezing on the sides. Interesting I can grab the end of the plug and push it up in to the hole with no resistance pushing up or pulling the plug back down. Just appears to fill the hole loosely.

Well, this thread got me all concerned about the condition of my final drive on my 2016 RT.

Since I have had occasion to ride a number of times through blinding rainstorms where visibility reduced to the danger point it got me thinking of what my splines might look like.

I had serviced the splines during a 12000 mile service but I am up to 41000 miles now. The splines were dry and slightly rusty at 12000 miles and now they looked great with the spline lube I used previously.

I am about to reassemble the drive but I do not have the recommended NBU 30 PTM lubricant/sealer as recommended in Boxfliers video. Is there something else which I can use or should I just bite the bullet and order the right stuff?

I can get it in just a few days and it is too bloody hot for riding right now so?? What say you?

Bob

Chances are you can find this locally



At a local auto supply or perhaps Tractor Supply.

OM

O M,

Are you suggesting this for the splines or to seal the accordion boot? Or both?

Bob

What I use is…

Spline lube: https://www.beemershop.com/product/ts-60-spline-lube.html
(Since my old tube of Honda Moly 60 is about gone)

Boot grease/sealant: https://shop.advanceautoparts.com/p...one-brake-lubricant-tube-4-oz-bk-4/12024852-P

Staburags is good for the boot—it’s quite sticky and contains barium as a water repellent. But, it’s $$ and sometimes hard to get so I use the Sil-glide as it’s easy to source at home or on the road.

Best,
DeVern

topophilia said:

O M,

Are you suggesting this for the splines or to seal the accordion boot? Or both?

Bob

Click to expand...

For the splines.
I haven’t examined those boot assemblies. But when I work on similar rubber, flex items I like to get them clean and use a rubber conditioner to maintain pliability.
I even applied a conditioner to the rubber seal for low beam cover today after replacing the low beam on the F800GS today. I find keeping the rubber boots pliable a key to longevity.

This excellent tutorial from Jim may help all interested in this thread-

https://forums.bmwmoa.org/showthrea...-Spline-Lube-Pictorial!&highlight=Final+drive

OM

O M,

I completely agree with rubber conditioners. I soaked the boot in Aerospace 303 after I took it off. Have used it for years. I think they advertise it as "sunscreen for your stuff"

Thanks for the link.