Basic maintenance specs (capacities, torques)?

[Joe Frickin' Friday]

The rider's manual that came with my '23 R1250RT includes all the torque specs you need for removing/installing the wheels.  So, great, I can do tire changes, that's helpful.  But what about other routine maintenance items?  I understand there's no BMW service manual available for owners to buy from the dealer, and it looks like there's nothing from Haynes or Clymer. 

 

Are there older 1250 bikes that do have a service manual available, with specs that are transferrable to my bike?  I'm wondering about basic things like:

 

• drain and fill plug torques for the engine, gearbox, and final drive
• oil capacities for the gearbox and final drive
• oil type for the gearbox (70W-80 like the final drive?)
• Rear brake caliper bolt torque
• Front and rear brake bleeder torques

 

 

[RadioFlyer]

For most of its history BMW Motorrad made service information available. This enabled owners and independent techs to undertake most service and repair procedures themselves. For many doing one's own maintenance is a valued part of the motorcycle ownership experience. For others, who live far from the nearest BMW dealership or who embark on a great adventure to remote places, doing it yourself is the only option. Similarly independent techs having service information give greater choice to those who don't want to DIY.

 

All that changed in 2021 when BMW discontinued the provision of service information on ALL bikes old and new. Only bootleg copies of the factory service manual are available now. Haynes/Clymer/Chilton haven't produced a BMW motorcycle manual since 2018. If you own one of the most recent models you are totally out of luck.

 

More and more we hear that BMW dealerships will not service bikes older than 10 years. When you combine the absence of service information with the unavailability of dealer service it does not bode at all well for the resale value of recent BMW bikes.

 

Fortunately there are quality alternative motorcycle manufacturers out there still offering service manuals. No way will I buy a motorcycle for which the manufacturer will not sell a service manual.  

[Bernie]

Well Mitch since the introduction of the WetHead in 2014, the transmission uses the same oil as the motor.

So there is no separate gear box oil or drain/fill plug.

The torque for the engine drain plug, the crush washer size and oil filter torque is the same as the WetHead motors.

The mounting torque settings for the rear brake and front brake caliper is the same as for the WetHead bikes.

The main difference is in the valve train.

 

[Dan M]

I agree Mitch. What happened to right to repair laws? BMW has done this in the past and been forced later to release information to the aftermarket. I don't know if they found a loophole.

 

Final drive capacity is still 180ml.

 

Most torques for major components like brake caliper mounting bolts can be gleaned from a torque chart by bolt size. The chart attached is maximums so you may want to back it off a bit but it's a good place to start.

 

Metric bolt torque specs.

[Dave_in_TX]

This will have most of the torque specs: http://jimvonbaden.com/Wethead Torques 4.pdf 

[JCtx]

That's the best file I've seen. I replaced the one I had before. I really wish there was a service manual for a 1250, but they came out in 2019, and apprently BMW stopped making manuals in 2018, so no dice. Oh well. So for shift-cam valve adjustments when cams have to come out, are folks here using the 1200 torque specs??? Guess they should be very similar. And the actuator could be guessed by the size of the bolt, I'd assume. Will check BoxFlyer videos for that. Also curious about coolant change on 1250s; hopefully no need for vacuum filling.

[Hati]

2 hours ago, JCtx said:

I really wish there was a service manual for a 1250, but they came out in 2019, and apprently BMW stopped making manuals in 2018, so no dice.

 

Wrong. I have the factory genuine repair DVD for the shiftcam bikes up to the 10.25 " TFT version from a dealer in Germany. They (the dealers) around the world ran out of stock sometime in 2020 or 2021.

[Dave_in_TX]

5 hours ago, JCtx said:

That's the best file I've seen. I replaced the one I had before. I really wish there was a service manual for a 1250, but they came out in 2019, and apprently BMW stopped making manuals in 2018, so no dice. Oh well. So for shift-cam valve adjustments when cams have to come out, are folks here using the 1200 torque specs??? Guess they should be very similar. And the actuator could be guessed by the size of the bolt, I'd assume. Will check BoxFlyer videos for that. Also curious about coolant change on 1250s; hopefully no need for vacuum filling.

Boxflyer's YouTube videos or the video available from JVB (for a price) should give all you need to do valve checks or adjustments.

[Joe Frickin' Friday]

11 hours ago, Bernie said:

Well Mitch since the introduction of the WetHead in 2014, the transmission uses the same oil as the motor.

So there is no separate gear box oil or drain/fill plug.

 

D'OH!  Forgot about that.  That'll be nice, actually.  I always found it a PITA to drain the gearbox oil from my 1100 and 1200; it seemed like no matter what I did, I was guaranteed to get gear oil slathered onto the centerstand and garage floor.  

 

9 hours ago, Dave_in_TX said:

This will have most of the torque specs: http://jimvonbaden.com/Wethead Torques 4.pdf 

 

Wow, that's pretty thorough - thanks!

 

10 hours ago, Dan M said:

What happened to right to repair laws?

 

Digging around a bit, it looks like most of the legislative effort has focused on handheld electronics (which are often not designed for repairability) and farm equipment (for which manufacturers had been restricting the sales of diagnostic equipment).  Massachusetts passed an automotive right-to-repair bill in 2012 (text here), and yeah, it sure looks like it requires manufacturers to provide access to diagnostic and repair info:

 

Quote

Section 2. Commencing with new motor vehicle model year 2015 and thereafter, no manufacturer of a motor vehicle may sell or lease or offer for sale or lease, directly or through a dealer, a new motor vehicle without affording to the owner access to the same diagnostic and repair information relative to said new motor vehicle that the manufacturer makes available to its dealers and authorized repair facilities.

The manufacturer shall maintain a diagnostic and repair information system which shall enable the owner of the motor vehicle or the owner's designated independent repair facility, the capability to utilize such system via the worldwide web or other electronically available manufacturer repair information system on a hourly, daily, monthly or yearly subscription basis at cost and terms that are no greater than fair market value and nondiscriminatory as compared with the terms and costs charged to dealers or authorized repair facilities.
Manufacturers shall provide access to their diagnostic and repair information system through a non-proprietary vehicle interface that complies with SAE J2534 as required by the United States Environmental Protection Agency in 40 CFR § 86.1808-01(f). The manufacturer's diagnostic and repair information system shall provide the same diagnostic and repair information, including technical updates, which the manufacturer makes available to its dealers and authorized motor vehicle repair facilities. The content of said diagnostic and repair information system shall be in the same form and shall be accessed in the same manner as is available to dealers and authorized motor vehicle repair facilities utilizing said information system. Manufacturers shall exclude diagnostic, service and repair information necessary to reset a vehicle immobilizer system. Information necessary to reset a vehicle immobilizer system shall be obtained by dealers, authorized motor vehicle repair facilities, motor vehicle owners and independent motor vehicle repair facilities through the secure data release model system as currently used by the National Automotive Service Task Force or other known, reliable and accepted law enforcement Internet-based systems.

Section 3. For vehicles manufactured from 2002 through the model year 2014, a manufacturer of motor vehicles sold in the commonwealth shall make available for purchase by owners of motor vehicles manufactured by the manufacturer and by independent repair facilities the same diagnostic and repair information, including repair technical updates, that the manufacturer makes available to its dealers and authorized repair facilities through the manufacturer's world wide web diagnostic and repair information system or other electronically available manufacturers repair information system.

All content of said repair information system shall be made available to owners and to independent repair facilities in the same form and manner and to the same extent as is made available to dealers and authorized repair facilities utilizing said repair information system.

 

And according to Wikipedia:

Quote

Early in 2014, the Automotive Aftermarket Industry Association, Coalition for Auto Repair Equality, Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers, and the Association for Global Automakers signed a memorandum of understanding that is based on the Massachusetts law and which would commit the vehicle manufacturers to meet the requirements of the Massachusetts law in all fifty states.

 

it's not clear just how binding that MOU was, since the article uses weasel words like "would" instead of "did."  

 

Bottom line, it's not clear to me what BMW is legally required to make available to US owners outside of Massachusetts.  For the time being, I just want to be able to do routine service at home without the cost and time associated with relying on the dealer.  With the PDF files and other info people have shared, I'm in good shape for now.  Thanks.  

[Dave_in_TX]

3 hours ago, Joe Frickin' Friday said:

Digging around a bit, it looks like most of the legislative effort has focused on handheld electronics (which are often not designed for repairability) and farm equipment (for which manufacturers had been restricting the sales of diagnostic equipment).  Massachusetts passed an automotive right-to-repair bill in 2012 (text here), and yeah, it sure looks like it requires manufacturers to provide access to diagnostic and repair info:

 

And there is currently a bill in congress that focusses on real time data and related information for vehicles. However, what I get from reading the bill is that it only focusses on access to realtime data and repair information for the related systems. Looks to me like there is a a large loophole that would allow someone to use realtime data to diagnose a problem in a mechanical area (such as suspension) but would not require the manufacture to provide repair information for it.

[Dave_in_TX]

3 hours ago, Joe Frickin' Friday said:

 

       13 hours ago, Dave_in_TX said:

       This will have most of the torque specs: http://jimvonbaden.com/Wethead Torques 4.pdf 

 

Wow, that's pretty thorough - thanks!

 

Probably the only torque value lacking is for the screws on the cam solenoid.

 

[Dan M]

 

I dug this up. JVB's list for the shiftcam bikes:

 

(looks like same specs, different heading)

 

Shifthead Torques.pdf