how hard to do service myself....2005 r1200rt...hexhead?

So is my 2005 r1200rt considered a 'hexhead'? Have an appt to take her in for fluid changes and such though it will cost about $1,000. Wondering how hard it is to do some/most of it myself and what is needed in way of tools?
1. Engine oil change - BMW oil, filter, o-ring, and figure I can do it myself though have not looked to see if special tools are needed for access
2. transmission oil - the cost of fluid, recommended oil brand/weight (no flame wars please) and any special tools needed?
3. Rear-end oil - cost, recommended oil brand/weight (no flame wars please) and any special tools needed?
4. Brakes - need fluid changed and it is the servo brake system (don't hate cause you don't have it lol) on an 05. Thinking best I have the dealer do this item
5. Alternator belt - may be best they do this?

My prior BMW was a 1971 r75/5 and have a feeler (misspelled) gauge buried in the garage or a box somewhere.
Have a $150 off $300 coupon from my dealer so trying to figure out what it is best for them to do vs me. Then again, guess if one can afford it one just lets the dealer do all the work.

thanks and ride safe

There is an excellent Tech Sub-forum here in the HexHead area. It shows how to do the basic maintenance jobs. You should get yourself the BMW Service DVD or a Haynes Manual for the bike. If you plan to limit yourself to just doing the routine maintenance then the Haynes Manual is sufficient.

Assuming you have basic mechanical skills/experience then you should be able to do all the tasks listed with perhaps the exception of the brake bleed. I have not done the servo brakes and will let others offer their advice. You should add checking the valves and adjusting if needed. This is also a relatively easy job on a boxer. No special tools required for any of these jobs. If you have not worked on a BMW since your 71 then you may not know that the newer ones use Torex fasteners so you will need a set of those tools. Another job to add is is synching the throttle bodies. Should be done after the valve check/adjustment and does require a device such as a TwinMax or similar tool (https://www.twinmax.eu/blogs/synchronisation-carburateurs/synchronisation-des-carbus-dune-bmw-r1200). You will also need a torque wrench.

Removing and replacing the fairing may be the most tedious part of servicing an RT. Take pictures and keep track of the fasteners and where they go; there are various sizes.

Thank you...what maitnenace is requires the removal of the fairing?

On an 05 RT fairing removal is not necessary for the oil change, final drive lube change or valve adjust.

IF you have engine protection bars you might have to remove those depending on whether or not you can remove the valve covers with them on...

I’d advise getting the tool to pull the stick coils for the spark plugs:
https://www.beemerboneyard.com/83300401700.html

AND the dual feeler gauge set for the valve which saves time as both intake and exhaust clearance can be set at the same time (per set):
https://www.beemerboneyard.com/wurthoilhead.html

You’ll also need to check if you have a long, thin-wall spark plug socket as the plug hole in the valve cover is a bit small...but you’ll likely have one already.

BTW...you’ll see that I referenced Beemer Boneyard in the links above...they have maintenance kits that include plugs, gaskets, alternator belts and essential fluids. Many of us use their kits and they have been very helpful over the years.

When you finish the periodic maintenance you should reset your service reminder otherwise you’ll (eventually) get the message on your instrument cluster.The dealers use a BMW diagnostic tool for this; we have two options:

1. Buy a Hex GS-911 diagnostics tool - expensive but for many of us worth it...alot of cool features.
2. If you have an Android phone you could get a specific OBD2 code reader like you’d buy for your auto (I say specific because not all work), an adapter cable to hook into your 10-pin round diagnostics plug under the seat, and the Motoscan app off of Google Play store. This will allow you to reset the service reminder and read codes, sync the throttle bodies, etc.

I can provide references on where to buy option #2 above; there is also a thread on this forum started by PadG that outlines using Motoscan.

The GS-911 costs something like $400.

The OBD reader/cable/Motoscan app combo runs you about $100-140 depending on the version of app you buy.

This forum has wealth of ‘tribal knowledge’ and most members are quick to assist if you have questions.

As far as the fairing is concerned pulling it is not a big deal...one of the best walk-thrus I’ve seen for Hexheads was posted by Max BMW:
https://youtu.be/2UHU4ZQ2C_Q

You WILL have to pull the right side body panels to replace the air cleaner:
https://youtu.be/cLXZ6AFTeXA

You WILL have to pull the bodywork to change/flush the brake fluid in order to get to the ABS controller and properly flush that system - it helps to have a specific tool (actually a brake fluid ‘reservoir’ you screw into the top of the brake controller)...looks like a martini glass:
https://www.beemerboneyard.com/abs3funnel.html

Alternator belt replacement doesn’t require fairing removal...but DOES necessitate pulling one spark plug on each side to easily rotate the engine.

You’ll probably enjoy wrenching on your RT...take your time, do it right. The Hexhead 05-09 bikes can live a long time with proper maintenance - the hardest job on them is changing the headlamp bulbs (ask any Hexhead pilot lol).

Besides, doing the work saves you $$ and it really helps you understand the bike (as you know).



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You most definitely can do this regular maintenance yourself as long as you possess some mechanical skills and PATIENCE. I would never in a million years pay a dealer that much money to change $150 worth of parts/fluids. You don't need any specialty tools other than the ones Rangemaster listed. A big plus is that, at that rate, you will save two or three times what it will cost you to get spooled up with the tools and gizmos you need. Beemerboneyard maintenance kits will get you all the consumables and the coil pack puller and brake bleed kit. I have the GS-911 but had I known I would have bought the Motorscan gear for 1/3 the price.

For an '05, I believe the hive mind strongly recommends staying on top of the brake servicing. There is a specific procedure for it so pay attention to do that right. Youtube is your friend.

You can definitely do the maintenance yourself. I have an ‘05 as well and do the reg maintenance you have listed myself. I did invest in the GS 911 which is very handy. There are a lot of great tech articles available here which make it reasonable to do without great mechanical skills. By no means would I consider myself mechanically inclined, but I can read and follow directions and that is all that is really needed.

The hardest part is bleeding the whizzy brakes, actually it isn’t hard it is just tedious, time consuming and easy to screw up if you dont follow the directions carefully, as I found out the hard way the first time I did it and had to redo it

Buy a GS 911 or motoscan, the BMW repair manual on DVD, and then read the tech articles, YouTube videos and ask questions here and you will save money and feel satisfied having done the work yourself.

Here is another option for you, one of our members Jim Bade, has a series of dvds available that walk you through step by step, here is the link to his site http://www.jimvonbaden.com/ the videos are an excellent resources for those who lack confidence as you can watch the procedures as well as hear jim give a step by step instruction. Good luck, its pretty rewarding to do these tasks yourself, you've received good tips from previous posters, probably the best one is practice patience.

The 05 doesn't have the service reminder light. No need to reset service interval.

The service reminder was installed on the 08 +

Service it yourself

I agree with everyone on the Beemer Boneyard 'Wurth' feeler gauge set. I have two regular feeler gauge sets, but the separate ones are nice! Same with the 'martini glass' brake fluid reservoir tool (Careful, it is plastic and can break! Mine has epoxy at the stem joint now). One added benefit is that you can clean up pebbles, tar, and sand that get inside of the fairing and on top of your cylinders. I always feel a car or moto runs better when it is clean. You may discover an abraded hose or wire too. A little time spent cleaning up, wiping down, and even a zip tie or two can save you trouble later.
Take your time on the valve adjustment. Recheck the first two after you adjust the second two on each side. They shouldn't change, but they often do! These motors like to be dialed in for smoothness and power. Do the valves well, then synch up the throttle bodies and you will be rewarded. The engine will not fight itself if both cylinders fill equally. You want your explosions to match! Enjoy!

Besides what has been mentioned, I'd add a torque wrench to the list. They can be had reasonably, and are pretty helpful with the crush washers that seal the crankcase, transmission, and final drives.

Haven't bled the whizzy brakes, but JVB has a good pictorial (and maybe a video) on his website that shows the alternator belt replacement.

kurmugin said:

Besides what has been mentioned, I'd add a torque wrench to the list. They can be had reasonably, and are pretty helpful with the crush washers that seal the crankcase, transmission, and final drives.

Click to expand...

Agree fully on the proper range torque wrench, we've had a couple of recent threads on stripped out drain plugs and overtightened oil filters. Inexperience can be an expensive lesson, so learn to do it right from the get-go so you don't have these issues to deal with. Tightness is not something you can describe to someone.

Good luck, don't let this stuff intimidate you, once you get going and accomplish some maintenance on your own you will feel good about it. And save money.

These bikes are DIY friendly

I'm no mechanic and had never worked on bike before.
I did all my maintenance on my Hexhead down to changing the shaft drive and the clutch.

YMMV

For feeler gauges, I use a set with multiple leaves held by a screw (not a rivet). I remove the appropriate size from the set as needed. The gauges are long enough so that I can slide one gauge under a pair of rockers at the same time. Pinching the gauge in the middle and pulling out to the side, I can easily tell when the valves are set equally tight because the gauge pulls out evenly on both ends. This two-at-once method, which I learned from the Jim vonBaden DVD, works very well and there is no guessing whether the pulling effort and clearance) is equal on both valves. The Beemer Boneyard set is nice, but has twice as many gauges as needed, IMO.

A torque wrench is very useful, but I would NOT recommend using it on the valve cover screws. The screw holes in the head are easily (and often) stripped, and these screws are better tightened by feel. Stop when you first feel the shoulder on the screw contact the head, when there will be a very noticeable increase in effort required. At that point the cover gaskets are properly compressed to provide a seal, and they will provide sufficient tension to prevent the screw from backing out. Tightening any further does not compress the gaskets any more, and only increases stress on the threaded tip of the screw.

Experience

Best bet is find a owner that could walk you through process first time. There’s nothing it. Don’t overtighten anything, novices tend to use the gorilla method of reinstalling plugs.