• Welcome, Guest! We hope you enjoy the excellent technical knowledge, event information and discussions that the BMW MOA forum provides. Some forum content will be hidden from you if you remain logged out. If you want to view all content, please click the 'Log in' button above and enter your BMW MOA username and password.

    If you are not an MOA member, why not take the time to join the club, so you can enjoy posting on the forum, the BMW Owners News magazine, and all of the discounts and benefits the BMW MOA offers?

Newbie- chain drive and seals- looking at a used 2009 F650GS help

M

Merlin III

Guest
I am looking at a 2009 F650GS for sale at a dealer some distance away (6 hours). I haven't been to the dealership yet to view and ride the bike, but of course I will once and if I get to that point. I asked the dealer for the shop check list for the status of the bike. In the email they said the drive chain needed to be serviced and that the dust seals on the front forks were cracked. IMHO, the answers from the salesman were a little vague.

1. Other than oiling the chain and checking alignment what "service" would be done to a drive chain? The drive chain was recalled in 2010 by BMW.

2. Why would the dust seals be cracked on a four year old bike? Is that a warning sign of other problems? Is that much of a fix. Does it say anything about the condition of the oil seals (shop stated there are no sign of fork leaks).

Thanks for any comments.
 
Dust seals are exposed to a lot of UV and Ozone so have a tendecy to dry rot a little bit. Espeically on a bike that sat outside and wasn't stored indoors. UV radiation is a killer for plastic and rubber.

I assume by "service" they simply mean lubed and adjusted to within the proper spec (Slack). Something a bike being sold by a dealer should have had done already. But I lost my faith inthat when I bought my used bike and not only did it appear that the fork seal had been leaking and they just washed it off but that the oil wasn't even changed when they took the bike in.

If they are trying to charge you for a chain "service" on a used bike they are trying to sell to you I'd tell them to stuff it. The dust seals are another issue I'd take a look at them and see how bad they look and if they look bad enough tell the dealer you want them to change them. They are easy to swap out and cheap so there's no reason they should deny you that.
 
the fork seal cracking is due to setting out in the sun and lack of use. These are the hardest to fix..but parts are relatively cheap. try to get the dealer to replace them as part of the deal. If you are handy, you can do them yourself in an afternoon.

I agree the chain service sounds like BS. How many miles on the bike. A cared for chain on that bike should last 30k miles.
If it sat outside in the rain, there is likely rust. You can lube and clean the chain your self in a hour (dirty hands but no special skills or tools). Do not use a pressure wash or wire (or other realy stiff brush). this or O ring chains which mean there are little o rings to ckeep the factory oil inside where most of the wear occurs. A pressure wash can blow water past the o ring flush out the oil, stiff brushes can do the same. It is likely while the chain is rusty outside, it can be fine inside. buy a can of chain cleaner and some old rags and have fun

enjoy your test ride
 
I could probably talk you though a dust seal change over the phone. Nearly all of them can be changed out without even taking the fork apart. If you can remove the front wheel and take the tubes out of the triple clamps you can change the dust seals..............unless it's an upside down fork then you have to remove the sliders lol.:drink
 
Chain maintenance is dead simple. Others might have a different approach but here's what works really well for me. Ride the bike for 5-10 minutes to heat up the chain a bit. Put it on the center stand and with a toothbrush or similar and some kerosene scrub all the grunge off. Use an old rag to wipe off the excess kerosene and then apply the lube I'd your choice. I find the spray chain lubes that dry to be waxy to work best for me.

Just don't use brake cleaner on your chain or you'll screw up the rubber bits that hold the lube.
 
th
 
Back
Top