Spline Check Problem?

[Randyjaco]

 

I am in the midst of doing the annual maintenance on my 17 RT and I have run into a major problem. I drained the final drive, then removed the required items and lowered the final drive. Immediately I noticed that the final drive didn't fall as far as it should. On inspection, I found that the shaft separated at the front splines rather than the rear. Long story short, the rear splines seem to have frozen themselves to drive. To make things more difficult the rear rubber boot, although loose prevents me from accessing or seeing the source of my problem. Before I cut away, the not cheap boot, I thought I would ask you more knowledgeable folks if you know how I can get the rear splines free?

Meanwhile, I am finding it near impossible to reconnect the front splines with the rears locked up. 

I guess I found out why BMW doesn't recommend checking splines 

[wbw6cos]

You might want to check out Boxflyer on youtube and skip to 15:49, or so.   It may address the issue.   He has quite a few videos to watch that pertain to your bike.  He is thoroughly knowledgeable and has quite a few tips for making things fun and easy.   I worked alongside him for 12k service on my ShiftCam motor.  I am not his official PR man, just a wannabe.   

 

Do not cut the final drive boot.   It needs to be popped out, cleaned, inspected, and lubed prior to re-installation.  That boot needs to be out of the way for final drive lowering.  Check the video first before going too much further.   The ABS sensor will need to be removed and final drive oil drained, but watch his video for better details.  Nevermind, my comprehension level just caught up and your post already stated what you have done thus far.  DOH

[Boxflyer]

If you are not my PR Man, you are definitely on the Cheer Squad!

 

I was doing a 12k service on a 2017GSA about 4mo ago and had to split the bike to remove the FD and driveshaft together so I could get the rusted splines separated 

[Lemans]

Stories like the OP has shared make me reluctant to check the splines on my '18 RT.  Lacking the skills of Boxflyer, I envision the impossible task of getting the bike with a half-dropped final drive to more capable hands, 120 miles away. I do recall a post describing a way prevent the drive shaft from slipping rearward and disengaging the front spiines. Apologies to whoever posted this photo, but I saved only the photo and not the link.  

 

 

[lkraus]

It's difficult to do with the boot in place, but I think you need to spray some penetrating oil whatever parts of the rear spline you can reach and let it work for a while. Then push back on the end of the pinion shaft with long screwdriver/prybar. Borrowing from the pic above, pry in the area indicated by the arrow:

 

 

[Randyjaco]

Thanks for the quick responses. Ikraus, special thanks for that photo. I was squirting the penetrating oil in the wrong place. 

Boxflyer, any special tools required to remove that final drive? I was reluctant to venture there when I saw the bearing. Neither of my manuals are very clear on removing that final drive

One says "Using the appropriate tool remove the drive"  Very helpful 

 

The other says to use some pretty serious lockTite on reassembly. Am I going to have to introduce some heat to get that LockTite to release?? 

[Randyjaco]

Well, I got the final drive off. It wasn't easy, but no special tools required 

I will elaborate more when I get everything back together, hopefully tomorrow.

[MikeB60]

7 hours ago, Randyjaco said:

I guess I found out why BMW doesn't recommend checking splines 

Actually you found out exactly why you SHOULD check the splines! My GS had a significant amount of rust at 6000 miles

[Randyjaco]

Actually, there is no sign of rust on any of the splines. Everything looked well lubed from the factory. I am not sure what happened. I don't know if the front splines were loose prior to swinging down the final drive or dropping it pulled them off. I cleaned all the splines, saw no damage, and thoroughly lubed them. Something was seriously binding the rear splines. They did not release until after I removed the final drive and the shaft. I have yet to see a cause. Tomorrow when I get everything reassembled, maybe I will have an answer.

[Cap]

When you get to reassembly, you will discover that the driveshaft is difficult to engage with the output spline on the transmission.  Generally, the trick is to cut the zip tie on the forward boot, and expose the driveshaft so that you can see it while you renegage it.  And then you will discover that the zip tie is a proprietary part, and you will need to order a replacement from BMW.  See Boxflyer’s video for part numbers.

 

Also, check the rear boot closely for splits and wear-through holes.  Now is the time to replace it if it shows wear.

 

Cap

[gary45]

You can use any black tie the same width.

 

I had the same issue, front u joint pulled off, next time I do it will tie the driveshaft up as in the pic. My drive shaft, tyranny splines and pinion splines clean and lubed no corrosion, rust.

[Boxflyer]

SAME WIDTH being the key part of this.

 

The OEM part #33177687623 is exactly .145 inch wide,  3.7mm

Lots of common cable ties are around 1/4in, or 6.35mm.

This wide of a cable tie would not properly seat the preformed rubber boot into the machined groove on the transmission output machined nose...possibly allowing water intrusion.

 

The OEM part is inexpensive enough to not get this wrong...$2.45

https://www.shopbmwmotorcycles.com/oem-parts/bmw-motorrad-cable-tie-33177687623?c=az0x

 

This part is called for on almost all BMW shaft drive bikes since the release of the HexHead in late 2004.

 

Just picking a nit here...

Edited February 7, 2022 by Boxflyer
Error about inch or mm width of OEM part

[gary45]

The original on my 2018 was 1/8 inch quite common and big difference from 1/4 inch

[szurszewski]

2 hours ago, Boxflyer said:

The OEM part #33177687623 is exactly .145mm wide.

 

It’s less than two tenths of millimeter wide? I’ve not taken the FD or even boot off a wethead, but if it’s the same or similar to the hex/cam head bikes (as you say) I’ve messed with those and they aren’t that narrow…

 

 

[szurszewski]

1 minute ago, gary45 said:

The original on my 2018 was 1/8 inch quite common and big difference from 1/4 inch

 @boxflyer - maybe there’s a 3 missing from your post? 3.145mm is just under 1/8”  (I think - I’m not a good math-er…)

[Scott9999]

On 2/6/2022 at 9:26 AM, Boxflyer said:

If you are not my PR Man, you are definitely on the Cheer Squad!

 

I was doing a 12k service on a 2017GSA about 4mo ago and had to split the bike to remove the FD and driveshaft together so I could get the rusted splines separated 

Brad, ya really got to stop this stuff.  You'll scare him out of Boxers and into ... something else, maybe anything else with two weeks and a motor.  🤣🤣🤣  This is a new BMW rider (if I recall correctly).

 

Splitting a Beemer, one of my FAVORITE memories.   (I was sure I'd either never get it back together, or I'd have a shoebox of extra parts when I was finished, of things I had forgotten to put back on the bike).

[Scott9999]

On 2/6/2022 at 9:58 AM, Lemans said:

Stories like the OP has shared make me reluctant to check the splines on my '18 RT.  Lacking the skills of Boxflyer, I envision the impossible task of getting the bike with a half-dropped final drive to more capable hands, 120 miles away. I do recall a post describing a way prevent the drive shaft from slipping rearward and disengaging the front spiines. Apologies to whoever posted this photo, but I saved only the photo and not the link.  

 

 

 

Ditto.  You and me both, brother.  As I've written (way too many boring times, by now), I bought my 2018 RT late last fall with one principle in mind, i.e. the 12K mi service was just down, ride it for 6000 miles or the entire 2022 riding season, before I started any significant maintenance, unless I encounter "issues".  However, I don't think I'll be comfortable traveling on this thing until I've checked (and lubbed) the rear splines.  Fortunately, this bike his probably been riding in relatively sedate, Southern California weather, and the splines may still have factor lube on them.   As I recall, it's not that difficult to drop the final drive, pull the driveshaft, maybe (can't recall how I did this on my 2003) even the swing arm body too, to check both transmission and final drive splines.  But, it's not something I wanted to do right away.  

 

Hell of a service this forum runs here.  Scaring new Beemer owners until they decide to pick up a wrench.  😱🙃😁

[Boxflyer]

My apologies...

I corrected my earlier post to show that the .145 is in inches and that is 3.7mm.

I made a mistake, so sorry.

Don't want to scare anyone away from a Boxer, but to make it better and easier to own one!

[Bernie]

I did my 2018 at 6K and the rear splines where frozen on to the final drive and it was a rusty mess.

The front u-Joint/spline has an internal spring ring, to keep it attached to the output shaft of the transmission.

If it is missing or the rear spline is seized to the rear drive, the travel of the suspension/swing arm could dislodge the clip from the grove on the transmission out put shaft.

Once you have lubed the rear spline with some molly grease it most likely will never seize again. 

 

[taylor1]

I know it's a different beast, but when I replace my F.D. on the 1150 RT , I looked everywhere to find the correct tie for the boot. Close only counts in horse shoes. Ended up ordering the OEM's from Max.

[Bernie]

1 minute ago, taylor1 said:

I know it's a different beast, but when I replace my F.D. on the 1150 RT , I looked everywhere to find the correct tie for the boot. Close only counts in horse shoes. Ended up ordering the OEM's from Max.

Sometimes it is easier to spend a few $'s more for the correct thing and also quicker at times.

 

[Randyjaco]

After going through this ordeal I would agree with Lemans, This is not a task for the average weekend mechanic. The next time I have to deal with the splines, I will use the trick pictured with the web strap before I drop the final drive. As long as the forward splines stay in place, the whole process is no big deal. If you happen to pull the front spline off with the rear still attached, it quickly becomes a very BIG DEAL! Getting the sets of splines lined up to slide in place is tedious and frustrating. I had to use an aluminum flat bar, 2 screwdrivers and a hook fashioned from welding rod to get the front splines lined up. Having another person to help would have made it easier to get it in place and locked in. The rear splines took some fiddling too.

 

Now that I have everything back together, I am glad that I did the check. I now know that my splines are properly lubed and function as they were designed. I have a Haynes manual and a BMW RDS and both are a little light on information on removing the final drive. I spent a lot of time today reading, rereading and looking at illustrations trying to get the reassembly right. If someone did a video on removing and reinstalling the final drive, they would really be doing the BMW community a great service.

 

I just used a nylon wire tie that on hand. It was about the same width as the original. I did use a heat gun to induce a curve in its shape.

 

Thanks to everyone for the help.

[Scott9999]

1 hour ago, Boxflyer said:

My apologies...

I corrected my earlier post to show that the .145 is in inches and that is 3.7mm.

I made a mistake, so sorry.

Don't want to scare anyone away from a Boxer, but to make it better and easier to own one!

 

re: Mistake.  Opps, I guess your human, too! 😲

 

re: Scaring naive Beemer owners

 

Naw, ya know I'm just pulling your leg.  You ain't got the stuff to actually scare anyone away from fine BMW motorcycles.  (We can worry on that stuff all by ourselves; every BMW owner seems to come as "neurotic bike owner" equipped. 🤣🤣🤣)

I appreciate everything you do, buddy.  👍🍻

[Cap]

4 hours ago, Scott9999 said:

…I bought my 2018 RT late last fall with one principle in mind, i.e. the 12K mi service was just down, ride it for 6000 miles or the entire 2022 riding season, before I started any significant maintenance,…

I bought my 2019 R1250RT with 6000 miles on the clock, and one year old.  I rode it home from Chicago to Colorado, and then immediately dropped the final drive to check the splines.  I found it completely rusted at both ends of the driveshaft.  I buttoned it back together and took it to the dealer.  The entire driveshaft was replaced under warranty.  Because the dealer had to use a lot of force to remove the driveshaft, they made some gouges on the transmission output area.  They asked me if I wanted a new transmission as part of the repair, and I declined.  I got new boots, though, because the old ones were cut off by the dealer.  So, now I have a well-lubed set of splines that I can maintain myself for as long as I own the bike.

 

My point is that there is value in buying a bike while it still has some remaining warranty, and checking the splines as soon as you can. The splines can develop rust very early.

 

cap

[Scott9999]

1 hour ago, Cap said:

I bought my 2019 R1250RT with 6000 miles on the clock, and one year old.  I rode it home from Chicago to Colorado, and then immediately dropped the final drive to check the splines.  I found it completely rusted at both ends of the driveshaft.  I buttoned it back together and took it to the dealer.  The entire driveshaft was replaced under warranty.  Because the dealer had to use a lot of force to remove the driveshaft, they made some gouges on the transmission output area.  They asked me if I wanted a new transmission as part of the repair, and I declined.  I got new boots, though, because the old ones were cut off by the dealer.  So, now I have a well-lubed set of splines that I can maintain myself for as long as I own the bike.

 

My point is that there is value in buying a bike while it still has some remaining warranty, and checking the splines as soon as you can. The splines can develop rust very early.

 

cap

And, my bike is still under warranty, though about May.  Lol, your experience seals it, i.e. dictates my work plan for the rest of this month.

[K100Fran]

Sorry to hear that you had difficulty with the final drive Randy. I bought my 2014 with 10,151 miles on it so the 12K service was up to me. I've been doing it a piece at a time and attempted the final drive oil/spline lube this past weekend. Just in case, I tied the final drive to prevent it from falling hard, when I lowered the final drive it slipped easily out of the universal . I was pleasantly surprised to see that the previous owner had already taken care of it! I thought the final drive oil was a bit cleaner than I expected (It's a shame the PO didn't pass along any maintenance records to the dealer). I had bought special little wire brushes in preparation to clean a rusty mess. Man was I happy to see that all I had to do was clean out the old grease and add some new. Hardest part was getting the white lithium in all the right places to seal the boot. Pics below are how I found it.

[severely]

Another tip I learned from my dealer. If your driveshaft/splines show rust/corrosion is to remove the rear boot or pull it back far enough to spray the driveshaft junction with a penetrating fluid thoroughly and go for a short ride. While riding jump on the rear brake HARD, hard enough to lock the rear wheel and cause movement of the RD on the driveshaft splines, thereby breaking free the seizing up and allowing easy lubrication and re-assembly. And you don't have to buy a new rear boot or front zip tye if you hold the driveshaft forward when disassembling. Good luck. Might be a good idea to lube every other rear tire change.

[hound]

Checked my splines over the weekend, feeling lucky at 28K miles on my 2018

IMG_1785.HEIC

[dirtrider]

18 hours ago, severely said:

Another tip I learned from my dealer. If your driveshaft/splines show rust/corrosion is to remove the rear boot or pull it back far enough to spray the driveshaft junction with a penetrating fluid thoroughly and go for a short ride. While riding jump on the rear brake HARD, hard enough to lock the rear wheel and cause movement of the RD on the driveshaft splines, thereby breaking free the seizing up and allowing easy lubrication and re-assembly. And you don't have to buy a new rear boot or front zip tye if you hold the driveshaft forward when disassembling. Good luck. Might be a good idea to lube every other rear tire change.

Morning  severely

 

Me thinks that your dealer is just blowing smoke. 

 

If the rear splines are so corroded up that you can't remove them then jumping on the brakes will just move the end of the driveshaft that will move & that is the front transmission end. 

[severely]

7 hours ago, dirtrider said:

Morning  severely

 

Me thinks that your dealer is just blowing smoke. 

 

If the rear splines are so corroded up that you can't remove them then jumping of the brakes will just move the end of the driveshaft that will move & that is the front transmission end. 

Well, it worked for me or I wouldn't have bothered making the post. Have a great day.

[1200Arty]

I have an 09 RT and have watched all the relevant youtube videos on the subject, many times in preparation for when I do mine.

 

I reckon many will jump on me for saying, but it seems to me that removing the muffler, shock, separating the FD Housing, Swingarm and Shaft will enable a more comprehensive job to be done, but more importantly will ease the re-installation of the boots and the shaft if it comes adrift from the transmission.  It will also ensure the transmission end splines are lubed properly. 

 

I appreciate that what I am suggesting extends the job greatly but I would rather spend more time reinstalling more parts easily than fewer where I am cursing and swearing! 

 

My biggest worry at the moment is using a heat source to free the 2 Bolts with red loctite on the Paralever and FD Housing.  I only have a heat gun and soldering iron and I see the temperature needed to melt the threadlocker is 260 degrees C - surely the paint will melt at that temperature not that my tools will get that high??

 

Now to take shelter behind the parapit!! 

[Boxflyer]

Hi Arty,

Digging in to do maintenance, whether it's "normal routine" or a "deep dive" so you can sleep well at night is totally up to you, so I'm not going to give you any grief about what you propose.

 

I have a new-to-me 2017RT with 26k on it and over the winter I wanted to replace the rear shock, so at the same time, I did what you are proposing.

 

I was able to clean and re-grease the Final Drive pivot bearings and take any doubt away about the condition of those components on a bike I plan to keep forever.

While everything was apart at the shock and FD, removing the driveshaft was pretty simple, so now I know that the front splines at the transmission will not need to be serviced for 40-50k.

Your concerns about heating up the loctite to remove the bolt holding the shock and the pivot bolt are not that big of a deal.  I have serviced these parts on other bikes and am able to remove both of these M12 Fillister Head bolts without using heat.  I do a thorough job of cleaning off the old stuff and apply new equivalent Blue 242 thread locker when doing the reassembly.

 

During my project over the winter, I found that the rear rubber boot had a small hole worn thru from the inside because of contact with a poorly machined yoke on the U-joint.  Replaced it with a new boot BMW rear FD boot

My 2 cents worth here…I've found that both of the products called for by BMW for spline and boot service have failed me over and over again.  What I now use with great success is Honda M-77 Moly M-77 Amazon link, for the splines and Lucas white lithium grease for the boots front and rear.  Lucas white lithium Amazon link

 

 

Hopefully you don't have to go as far as I did on this 2017GSA last fall to free up a rusted rear spline to FD…what an ordeal…. I also ended up having to rebuild the driveshaft with a new, grease-able rear U-joint.

  

 

 

Good luck, hope this helps

[1200Arty]

Thanks Boxflyer for your words of wisdom.  I watched your series on servicing with interest.

 

Honda Moly 77 is not available in the UK so I've bought Castrol Optimoly as recommended.  On my Honda Pan European I used Rocol MT-LM for the splines.

 

I've never heard of Torx Plus sockets - my last 50 bikes were Japanese and never used Torx.  I have now read on the internet that they are used in high torque situations.  That clearly isn't the case with the FD drain bolt.  Does the RT need a Torx Plus anywhere else?

 

As for installing zerks in the shaft, that is behond my skills.

 

Being in the UK and knowing that this task has never been done in 19k miles and 13 years, fills me with some apprehension.

 

Paul

 

 

[lkraus]

1 hour ago, 1200Arty said:

I have an 09 RT and have watched all the relevant youtube videos on the subject, many times in preparation for when I do mine.

 

I reckon many will jump on me for saying, but it seems to me that removing the muffler, shock, separating the FD Housing, Swingarm and Shaft will enable a more comprehensive job to be done, but more importantly will ease the re-installation of the boots and the shaft if it comes adrift from the transmission.  It will also ensure the transmission end splines are lubed properly. 

 

I appreciate that what I am suggesting extends the job greatly but I would rather spend more time reinstalling more parts easily than fewer where I am cursing and swearing! 

 

My biggest worry at the moment is using a heat source to free the 2 Bolts with red loctite on the Paralever and FD Housing.  I only have a heat gun and soldering iron and I see the temperature needed to melt the threadlocker is 260 degrees C - surely the paint will melt at that temperature not that my tools will get that high??

 

Now to take shelter behind the parapit!! 

This should probably be a separate thread in Hexheads, but the Wetheads are probably the same.

 

You are unlikely to need that much heat for the Paralever nuts. Your heat gun should get them up to about 100ºC without any paint damage at which point you can loosen them with a little effort. I use blue threadlocker for reassembly, never had a nut loosen, and I don't require heat at the next service.

 

FWIW, unlike the Wethead, the Hexhead RT generally came from the factory with adequate spline lube. I doubt you will find much rust, and unless you have torn boots or are finding signs of water in the swingarm, I don't think it's necessary to remove the driveshaft and swingarm to check the front splines. The front of the shaft is held in place by a spring clip and does not slide after installation.

 

At 19K miles, your RT is just barely broken in. 

 

[1200Arty]

14 hours ago, lkraus said:

Your heat gun should get them up to about 100ºC without any paint damage at which point you can loosen them with a little effort

 

That's encouraging - thanks

 

Paul

[Aussie Mark]

The use of the ratchet strap was just a little bit of insurance for my first final drive inspection and service.

 

 

[Yuro]

On 3/8/2022 at 7:01 AM, dirtrider said:

Morning  severely

 

Me thinks that your dealer is just blowing smoke. 

 

If the rear splines are so corroded up that you can't remove them then jumping on the brakes will just move the end of the driveshaft that will move & that is the front transmission end. 

 

I would think engine braking and acceleration would be better than rear wheel braking for shaking up the splines.   Trick would be to get the penetrating oil in there and maybe wait 4 hours, then re-apply every 4 hours for 12 hours...THEN go riding and work the spline.   You'd have to put oil in the FD and if you do that, then you need the rubber cover back on, right?  ...but then...it might really help.    That's a lot of work, but probably less work than pulling the front spline out and trying to put it back in.   

[dirtrider]

7 hours ago, Yuro said:

 

I would think engine braking and acceleration would be better than rear wheel braking for shaking up the splines.   Trick would be to get the penetrating oil in there and maybe wait 4 hours, then re-apply every 4 hours for 12 hours...THEN go riding and work the spline.   You'd have to put oil in the FD and if you do that, then you need the rubber cover back on, right?  ...but then...it might really help.    That's a lot of work, but probably less work than pulling the front spline out and trying to put it back in.   

Morning  Yuro

 

If engine braking and/or acceleration could break the splines free then they wouldn't be stuck to begin with. 

 

The real secret is to not allow them to go long enough to corrode & seize tight,  catch the problem early (before seizure)  then properly lubricate as well as make sure the boot seals correctly then you shouldn't have problems with the splines. 

 

 

 

 

[Bulitt]

Morning fellas, I just bought a 2019 R1250RT with 8,678 miles from a private party.  My 4th RT but my last one was a 2007 R12 so it’s been a while.  
 

I just changed the oil and fd lube, and the brake caliper recall was done one year ago (2K miles ago) so the brake fluid was flushed at that point.  So everything is up to date by the book.  Also just bought a copy of @Boxflyer videos as I have in the past to guide me.

 

Went to the local dealer a couple of days ago, to buy the supplies needed for the above service and talked with the service desk guy about needing to check the splines.  He said, no need , “just let it go man, you are living in the past…….BMW says it is not needed….”  ??? Wut?

 

I plan to do my own service but this thread scares me a bit….  I have about 4 months left on my factory warranty…..and I want to be as sure as possible there are no looming issues before it runs out.

 

So here is my question:

 

Prior to the warranty running out, if this bike were yours, what would you ask the dealer to “service or inspect”?  I don’t know of any issues…..everything seems to be working fine.  The only complaint I have is the bike pogos in “road” mode, but that may just be normal.  I don’t mind paying a one time labor charge for this piece of mind, including checking the splines, even though they say it is unnecessary.  I did it on prior bikes but it’s been a LONG time ago, ….so….

 

What says the jury……?

 

[Skywagon]

I can’t say on the 1250’s but can assure on the 1200 RT wetheads you’re dealer is wrong. As you said, look at all the post. Boxflyer will be along shortly. He has done a few 1250’s and he can tell you if a problem or not

If my warranty was near the end, I would for sure check or have it checked. 

[Boxflyer]

There are a couple of things that are significant "First Look" maintenance items on both the 1200 Wetheads and the 1250 ShiftHead bikes...regardless of body configuration. (GS/GSA/RT/R/RS)

 

Namely...I think all these bikes should have the Cam Timing and Cam Trigger Timing checked and set around the first 12k service.  Doing this before 12k very far could be too early to have all the valve train worn in.

 

Secondly, I think Spline Lube, at least on the rear of the driveshaft, should be done whenever you can after delivery...it wouldn't be too early to check at the 600mi run-in check.  This is a verification of sufficient lubrication from the production line.  Some bikes are just fine and some are barely lubed, as if they were only lubed to have them slip together and then sent on their way..

This is also a good time to ensure that the rear boot is greased up very well and make sure that all 4 clips are in place securely to help keep water out of the Paralever.

 

One more thing I do with new bikes is to change the FD fluid more often until the drain oil runs clean.  On my 2016RT that took until about 18k with doing engine and FD oil changes every 3k until the FD fluid was free of silver flecks in the oil.

 

...@Bulitt , all my videos and reference handouts are FREE, I don't charge to help out our fellow BMW enthusiasts.  

[John Ranalletta]

23 minutes ago, Boxflyer said:

There are a couple of things that are significant "First Look" maintenance items on both the 1200 Wetheads and the 1250 ShiftHead bikes...regardless of body configuration. (GS/GSA/RT/R/RS)

 

Namely...I think all these bikes should have the Cam Timing and Cam Trigger Timing checked and set around the first 12k service.  Doing this before 12k very far could be too early to have all the valve train worn in.

 

Secondly, I think Spline Lube, at least on the rear of the driveshaft, should be done whenever you can after delivery...it wouldn't be too early to check at the 600mi run-in check.  This is a verification of sufficient lubrication from the production line.  Some bikes are just fine and some are barely lubed, as if they were only lubed to have them slip together and then sent on their way..

This is also a good time to ensure that the rear boot is greased up very well and make sure that all 4 clips are in place securely to help keep water out of the Paralever.

 

One more thing I do with new bikes is to change the FD fluid more often until the drain oil runs clean.  On my 2016RT that took until about 18k with doing engine and FD oil changes every 3k until the FD fluid was free of silver flecks in the oil.

 

...@Bulitt , all my videos and reference handouts are FREE, I don't charge to help out our fellow BMW enthusiasts.  

At the UN, Brad lubed my rear splines which were not rusted or stuck, but he did find two boot tabs which are molded into the boot loose.  He had a new boot on hand and replaced it.

 

Thanks, Brad.

[Randyjaco]

Beautiful Bike

[MikeB60]

2016 GS 6000 miles

 

[strataj]

5 minutes ago, MikeB60 said:

2016 GS 6000 miles

 

Wow that doesn't look good.  Can you give us more details?  I see it a 2016, when was the 6000 mile check done?  Any high water crossings?  Kept outside?  And anything else you can add like was the boot cut?.

[dirtrider]

Quote

Went to the local dealer a couple of days ago, to buy the supplies needed for the above service and talked with the service desk guy about needing to check the splines.  He said, no need , “just let it go man, you are living in the past…….BMW says it is not needed….”  ??? Wut?

Morning Bulitt

 

And BMW said the 2005 1200 bikes never needed a final drive fluid change  (they were so sure that they didn't even put a drain plug in)__ We all know how that one worked out.

 

BMW originally said they had never seen a fuel strip failure__ we all know how the one turned out.

 

BMW originally said they didn't know of any 1100/1150  final dive failures __ we all know how the one turned out.

 

BMW said they didn't have any 1100 surging issues  __ we all know how the one turned out.

 

A large number of dealers told customers that BMW early 1200RT's didn't have any FPC failures __ we all know how the one turned out.   

 

Now when you ask on possible rusted spline issues BMW is telling you    "no need , “just let it go man, you are living in the past…….BMW says it is not needed….”__ Are you willing to wait until your motorcycle is out of warranty to see if BMW is lying or not????? 

 

If you are not going to check/re-lube those splines yourself then definitely don't have that dealer do it as they already have their mind make up so I have serious doubts they will properly disassemble and clean, PROPERLY lubricate, then re-seal the boot properly.  

 

 

[MikeB60]

It was a Starbucks special no water crossings not left outside no power wash. I do keep my bikes clean and it had been in the rain. Boot and splines had no grease to speak of.  

[strataj]

1 hour ago, MikeB60 said:

It was a Starbucks special no water crossings not left outside no power wash. I do keep my bikes clean and it had been in the rain. Boot and splines had no grease to speak of.  

Seems like the bike sat a lot 6000 miles in 6 years.  I'm with DR you need to check and lube the splines.  I do mine every 12,000 miles, in this case I'll add or every 2 years which ever comes first.  

[MikeB60]

Nope this picture 

1 hour ago, strataj said:

Seems like the bike sat a lot 6000 miles in 6 years.  I'm with DR you need to check and lube the splines.  I do mine every 12,000 miles, in this case I'll add or every 2 years which ever comes first.  

Nope. Bought the bike in December of 2016 the photos are from 2017.  

[wbw6cos]

My FD splines at 24,000 miles during a 12K service at FART '21 (Sparta).  This was at Boxflyer Tech Day.   A BMW dealer did the prior 12 K service and no doubt was not required to check the splines.  The shaft boot was in decent shape, but the grease the factory used to seal the boot during assembly was dried out and caked up.   It was properly cleaned and lubed correctly, along with the splines.  I will be doing the 12K service shortly as I am at 36,000 miles.  All the parts have arrived, so maybe next weekend.   I will check those splines again and let you know how they look, if interested.   I ride that bike year round, in the rain, with very few water crossings, as determined by @Slumgullion      Guessing with the lithium grease we used at 24, 000 miles, the seal on the boot may have held up better than the stuff used by the factory.  We shall see.

 

So, as a member of the jury, I recommend checking or having those checked.

 

Mars Red Metallic represents!!