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2006 RT Oil Leak (Common?)

bradfordmercer

bradfordmercer

New member
I have a 2006 R1200RT with about 13,000 miles on it. I am the third owner. I have changed the oil/filter and serviced the bike regularly. Lately, after sitting in the garage for about ten days or so, several drops of oil appear on the floor underneath the bike. The oil is not coming from the drain plug or the filter. It is coming from the rear of the engine and appears to be dripping down the back side of the engine where the clutch housing connects to the engine. The sight glass shows the oil level as full, and I haven't had to add any oil between changes. Interestingly, when I ride the bike every couple of days or so no oil drops appear on the floor. Right now this only happens when the bike sits for 10 days or more.

Is this common?
Is there there anything I can do to stop the dripping? A particular type of oil? (I currently use 20w-50.)
Should I just not worry about it less/until it gets worse?
 
It is not common for a 2006 RT to have 13,000 miles on it. :) I do not know of any oil leaks in my riding group.


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Not common, especially with such low miles as mentioned.

The area you describe hints at the rear main seal...once again very low miles to be an issue. Where is the oil level in the sight glass after sitting? Very easy to overfill and MAYBE a causal factor.
 
henzilla said:
Not common, especially with such low miles as mentioned.

The area you describe hints at the rear main seal...once again very low miles to be an issue. Where is the oil level in the sight glass after sitting? Very easy to overfill and MAYBE a causal factor.
Click to expand...

The oil level after sitting was above the red line on the sight glass. I drained and changed the oil. The oil level is now only half way up the sight glass. Hopefully, that will help.
 
If the oil is overfilled, some of the oil vapor will be blown into the airbox where it condenses and forms puddles of oil in the molded bottom of the airbox. The bottom isn't a simple profile, has lots of hills and valleys in it to make it conform to the top of the transmission. Eventually some of this oil will leak out (where it leaks from is a mystery, but it does..). BTDT. The fix is - don't overfill, and remove the air-filter and use a towel on the end of a long screwdriver through the filter opening to mop up the excess oil in the airbox.
 
I can't decide if this forum is full of motorcycle geniuses or just a bunch of idiots who have made most every mistake. Hmmmm, maybe that's why they are geniuses........ I digress. Overfilling finds a way out somehow. I have seen guys stress over oil level and over fill every time. I have learned to change my oil, fill with the specified amount. Ride it like you stole it and as long as you see any oil in the glass ignore it. Besides I get the little reassuring check mark on my display that says it's fine. :)


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I should add that my 2008 has never used a drop of oil and it has 60k on it. It did use some during first 6000 but since then none that I can tell.


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waxrash said:
I can't decide if this forum is full of motorcycle geniuses or just a bunch of idiots who have made most every mistake. Hmmmm, maybe that's why they are geniuses........ I digress. Overfilling finds a way out somehow. I have seen guys stress over oil level and over fill every time. I have learned to change my oil, fill with the specified amount. Ride it like you stole it and as long as you see any oil in the glass ignore it. Besides I get the little reassuring check mark on my display that says it's fine. :)


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Click to expand...

Good advice! :)
 
bradfordmercer said:
I have a 2006 R1200RT with about 13,000 miles on it. I am the third owner. I have changed the oil/filter and serviced the bike regularly. Lately, after sitting in the garage for about ten days or so, several drops of oil appear on the floor underneath the bike. The oil is not coming from the drain plug or the filter. It is coming from the rear of the engine and appears to be dripping down the back side of the engine where the clutch housing connects to the engine. The sight glass shows the oil level as full, and I haven't had to add any oil between changes. Interestingly, when I ride the bike every couple of days or so no oil drops appear on the floor. Right now this only happens when the bike sits for 10 days or more.

Is this common?
Is there there anything I can do to stop the dripping? A particular type of oil? (I currently use 20w-50.)
Should I just not worry about it less/until it gets worse?
Click to expand...
Pardon the perhaps dumb question, but are you *SURE* it is engine oil?

There are three "common" fluids to find at the bottom of the engine/transmission mating surface: engine oil, transmission (gear) oil (sulphur smell) or clutch fluid (earlier bikes it's brake fluid; later bikes it is mineral oil -- the clutch master cylinder cover very clearly states which).

It is important to determine which fluid you are seeing -- if it is brake fluid, the clutch slave cylinder is leaking and it can ruin the clutch (split the bike in two to remove the tranny time). Look/smell closely to be very sure which fluid is present.
 
I submit it is pretty common. Lots of these bikes have had their rear main seals replaced. Usually at the same time the seal for the balancer shaft is replaced as standard practice. My 2012 got them replaced while still under warranty.
 
mneblett said:
Pardon the perhaps dumb question, but are you *SURE* it is engine oil?

There are three "common" fluids to find at the bottom of the engine/transmission mating surface: engine oil, transmission (gear) oil (sulphur smell) or clutch fluid (earlier bikes it's brake fluid; later bikes it is mineral oil -- the clutch master cylinder cover very clearly states which).

It is important to determine which fluid you are seeing -- if it is brake fluid, the clutch slave cylinder is leaking and it can ruin the clutch (split the bike in two to remove the tranny time). Look/smell closely to be very sure which fluid is present.
Click to expand...
Actually if the clutch slave cylinder leaks now - as you pointed out - it's mineral oil. And since they switched to mineral oil, this leak is actually rather rare. Seems the change from brake fluid was a good idea on BMWs part.
 
lkchris said:
I submit it is pretty common. Lots of these bikes have had their rear main seals replaced. Usually at the same time the seal for the balancer shaft is replaced as standard practice. My 2012 got them replaced while still under warranty.
Click to expand...

I don't think it is common. I have an 05 RT with almost 105,000 miles and have never seen a leak anywhere on my bike.
 
tonyfr said:
I don't think it is common. I have an 05 RT with almost 105,000 miles and have never seen a leak anywhere on my bike.
Click to expand...

In my immediate riding group: 4 RT, 3 GS. Miles up to 100k. Oil leaks = 0.


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bradfordmercer said:
I have a 2006 R1200RT with about 13,000 miles on it. I am the third owner. I have changed the oil/filter and serviced the bike regularly. Lately, after sitting in the garage for about ten days or so, several drops of oil appear on the floor underneath the bike. The oil is not coming from the drain plug or the filter. It is coming from the rear of the engine and appears to be dripping down the back side of the engine where the clutch housing connects to the engine. The sight glass shows the oil level as full, and I haven't had to add any oil between changes. Interestingly, when I ride the bike every couple of days or so no oil drops appear on the floor. Right now this only happens when the bike sits for 10 days or more.

Is this common?
Is there there anything I can do to stop the dripping? A particular type of oil? (I currently use 20w-50.)
Should I just not worry about it less/until it gets worse?
Click to expand...

From your description, it unfortunately sounds like it could be coming from around the rear main seal. Google rear main seal leak on BMW motorcycles for more detailed info.

Not common, but it certainly isn't all that rare with BMW's. My 2006 RT has this problem. Within a couple of months after I purchased the bike from the original owner @ 16k miles, I also noticed an oily residue around the clutch housing, and thought that might be the problem. When I took it in for the 24k service, the service department called to notify me that it was leaking (actually weeping is the proper term, BMW's don't leak) around the seal, and would I like for them to fix that while it was in for service.

The only fix for this is a very expensive repair job, if you don't have the skills to completely disassemble the bike at the transmission housing, and do it yourself. Most of the cost of repair is labor. Eventually the oil will foul the clutch plate and start to slip.I have been riding mine since then and have just shy of 42k miles. I thought I felt a bit of slip when riding it a few days ago, so once started it will get progressively worse. I just decided to ride it until the clutch slippage gets so bad that I can't stand to ride it any longer, and I guess then I will have to fix, or sell.
 
Last edited:
ducster said:
From your description, it unfortunately sounds like it could be coming from around the rear main seal. Google rear main seal leak on BMW motorcycles for more detailed info.

Not common, but it certainly isn't all that rare with BMW's. My 2006 RT has this problem. Within a couple of months after I purchased the bike from the original owner @ 16k miles, I also noticed an oily residue around the clutch housing, and thought that might be the problem. When I took it in for the 24k service, the service department called to notify me that it was leaking (actually weeping is the proper term, BMW's don't leak) around the seal, and would I like for them to fix that while it was in for service.

The only fix for this is a very expensive repair job, if you don't have the skills to completely disassemble the bike at the transmission housing, and do it yourself. Most of the cost of repair is labor. Eventually the oil will foul the clutch plate and start to slip.I have been riding mine since then and have just shy of 42k miles. I thought I felt a bit of slip when riding it a few days ago, so once started it will get progressively worse. I just decided to ride it until the clutch slippage gets so bad that I can't stand to ride it any longer, and I guess then I will have to fix, or sell.
Click to expand...

That is very helpful. Thanks.
 
deilenberger said:
Hopefully whoever buys it (or takes it as a trade-in) will fix the leak..
Click to expand...

Already tried to trade. No dealers interested except a Kawasaki dealer who offered $4k for it in trade for a new Concours 14 @ msrp. One dealer said that he would need to have his head examined to take a 9 year old BMW with 40k miles in trade, because he could never move it.

I tried a couple of months ago to sell, but ran the ad for something like 3 weeks and didn't get a single call. In all honesty I haven't made another attempt to sell. it has been a crazy, busy summer, and just haven't had the time. Someone will get a pretty good deal though when I do, because I will have to sell low to make allowance for the clutch job and seal replacement.
 
ducster said:
Already tried to trade. No dealers interested except a Kawasaki dealer who offered $4k for it in trade for a new Concours 14 @ msrp. One dealer said that he would need to have his head examined to take a 9 year old BMW with 40k miles in trade, because he could never move it.

I tried a couple of months ago to sell, but ran the ad for something like 3 weeks and didn't get a single call. In all honesty I haven't made another attempt to sell. it has been a crazy, busy summer, and just haven't had the time. Someone will get a pretty good deal though when I do, because I will have to sell low to make allowance for the clutch job and seal replacement.
Click to expand...


I guess I'm a sucker because I bought my 2005 RT with 39K miles in late Feb and paid $6500 for it at a BMW dealer (who was asking $7K)

It doesn't have an oil leak and runs great.
 
ducster said:
One dealer said that he would need to have his head examined to take a 9 year old BMW with 40k miles in trade, because he could never move it.
Click to expand...

That dealer was applying his attitude about the brand(s) he sold, and the experiences of his customers of the brand(s) he sells. Based of course on the perceived longevity of those motorcycles. Which of course speaks volumes.
 
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