1975 /6 shift shaft seal

I'm in the process of changing my shift shaft seal. Upon inspection, the seal I got from the dealer looks different than what I've taken off the bike. The old seal has a different profile insofar has how it mates to the shifter shaft. Also, the profile of the new seal has a different detent on the inboard side. I'm hesitant to put the new seal on and have it leak and have to do the job over. I know sometimes BMW will improve upon a design...The old seal # is BAD 16-26-7. On the opposite side of the seal there is a "4". The new seal, as far as I can read it looks like BMW 1 338 740 BFW 1 16-26 7/6.

Any suggestions? I could take both seals back to the dealer tomorrow, but if anyone knows if this is an improvement over the old seal design, let me know....1975 R/60/6

I may not be able to help you with any info concerning the difference between your old seal and new seal, but I'll relate to you my expierience with BMW shifter seals. A few years ago I replaced the one that was leaking on my 1980 R100T, and that cured the problem. About twenty years ago I had a 1977 R100/7 that started leaking at the shifter. I replaced the seal with an authentic BMW seal and it still leaked. I inspected the shaft, and it appeared straight and smooth. I went down to the local Honda motorcycle shop to see if they had a seal that was the same size except with a little smaller ID. Bingo!! They found one. I think the ID of the new seal was .5 Millimeter smaller than the original, which created a bit of a tighter grip on the shaft. It never did leak again. So if you still have trouble with it leaking after installing the new seal, you may try finding one at a local bearing and seal supply. Just be sure you install it squarely. Good luck!!