maintenance

[mig]

Ok I bet this has been repeated, but that what were here for right?...

Ok i bought the RT so that I could do my own maintenance as I did on my Honda ST. 2000 miles in 3 weeks So I now have over 10,000 miles on the 07 and will be coming up on the 12k check. A few questions

 

1. is buying the BMW DVD worth it, info wise I have nothing on this bike where as on the ST I had the OEM manual, and the phishe book. i will probably order the JVB DVD's but need a good manual.

 

2. valve adjustment looks straight foward. should I buy the spark plug puller tool? what about the sync. The BMW 12k sheet calls it out. So just check with a twinmx or vaccum gauge and adjust?

 

3. The fault codes, i dont want to buy the GS911 unit just yet, so how do you guys check and clear them.

 

4. do you guys buy the filters and such from the boneyard in bulk? better deals somewhere else?

 

Yeah i know its alot of questions but hey if you dont ask???

thanks

Miguel

 

 

[Rich06FJR1300]

doesn't the spark plug puller tool come with the toolkit on the bike?

[Paul Mihalka]

Some comments:

The JVB DVD I think is the best maintenance help you can find.

Spark plug cover puller: The plastic one from the bike is junk. I got the metal one from Marc Parnes. It is better but I found that the best for me is put a thick rag on the plug hole and level it out with a wide screw driver.

Throttle body sync.: The R1200 bikes seem to stay in sync much better than the R1100/1150. My '05 R1200GS with 120+k miles runs so good, with perfect smoothness coming off idle (the critical part) and smooth the whole throttle range, that I never touched it. If it ain't broke, I don't fix it.

[sardineone]

Another tip on pulling the spark plug cap(coil). Disconnect the wires (small and fragile) from the cap before removing it. From what I've heard it could save you some grief.

[Selden]

Throttle body sync.: The R1200 bikes seem to stay in sync much better than the R1100/1150. My '05 R1200GS with 120+k miles runs so good, with perfect smoothness coming off idle (the critical part) and smooth the whole throttle range, that I never touched it. If it ain't broke, I don't fix it.

Damn it, Paul, stop tempting me to take a demo ride on an R1200GS!

 

I've had lust in my heart for one ever since sitting on a GS low.

[Paul Mihalka]

Throttle body sync.: The R1200 bikes seem to stay in sync much better than the R1100/1150. My '05 R1200GS with 120+k miles runs so good, with perfect smoothness coming off idle (the critical part) and smooth the whole throttle range, that I never touched it. If it ain't broke, I don't fix it.

Damn it, Paul, stop tempting me to take a demo ride on an R1200GS!

 

I've had lust in my heart for one ever since sitting on a GS low.

 

Want to ride mine next week? It is not a factory low, but I did lower it a bit.

[dirtrider]

Hi Mig

 

 

 

1.is buying the BMW DVD worth it, info wise I have nothing on this bike where as on the ST I had the OEM manual, and the phishe book. i will probably order the JVB DVD's but need a good manual>>>> To me the BMW RepRom DVD is priceless, if you get the correct RepRom it has the specs and correct procedures for most of the maintenance you need to do. But do keep in mind that some of the procedures are written to go with the BMW testing equipment and some of the specs have been changed due to running changes or service bulletins. The BMW DVD is a great start but most procedures should be double checked on a site like this to be sure you are using the latest specs or latest procedures.

 

 

2. valve adjustment looks straight foward. should I buy the spark plug puller tool? what about the sync. The BMW 12k sheet calls it out. So just check with a twinmx or vaccum gauge and adjust?>>>>You can buy a spark plug cap remover but the plastic BMW one tends to slip off the cap and not work real good. Personally I just use two screwdrivers in the plug cap slots with a little protection on the rocker cover where the screw drivers rest. That method works as good or better than any of the high dollar coil remover tools I have tried. On the vacuum check a simple home made U tube manometer works just great and is actually more accurate than any vacuum gauge or even the Twin Max. Remember you can’t set the idle balance only the above idle part throttle balance.

 

3. The fault codes, i dont want to buy the GS911 unit just yet, so how do you guys check and clear them.>>> Either get a GS-911 or don’t worry about the stored codes. Most codes will go away on their own after so many starts. Some are stored forever but they cause no harm. If a default is important it will set a dash light.>>>>

 

4. do you guys buy the filters and such from the boneyard in bulk? better deals somewhere else?>>> Personally I just buy from my local dealer. That gives me the opportunity to keep a communication loop open with my local dealer and I just don’t use enough filters in a year to make much difference on saving a little per filter. The local dealer has lowered the filter price a little to help as a good will effort.

[Selden]

Want to ride mine next week? It is not a factory low, but I did lower it a bit.

Does the Pope wear a hat? If I can get my feet comfortably on the ground (not flat foot, but with confidence), Absolutely! Thanks for the offer.

[Bill246]

Hey Mig the boneyard has some good deals on 12/24k service kits, my 09 r1200rt us about 2 months from its 12k service and i was going to do it my self. as for the Gs-911 there good to have and not to bad priced. maybe we can help each other as we are close.Good riding

[Ken H.]

3. The fault codes, i dont want to buy the GS911 unit just yet, so how do you guys check and clear them.

Go to the dealer and pay them.

 

IMHO, just like an OBD-II scanner for most any cage, a GS911 is a required tool for a DIY’er these days.

 

[mig]

well I went and ordered the BMW DVD but they cant tell me when I'll get it. If its in the wharehouse or have to come from germany. So i'll get the JVB DVD too. Probably get that sooner than the BMW DVD.

Hey bill 246 where in the bay area are you? Yeah I'm about 1 months away from 12k. helping each other would be good. PM me if you would like.