Preventative Maintenance R1100RT

[Frog]

I have my bike all torn down to do some repairs and was thinking, hmmm should I fix some things that aren't broken while I am in here? Bike has 101,000 miles on it. What is the expected life on some of these items?

 

Spark plug wires

Coil

Fuel pump

Fuel filter ~25K interval

Belt ~25K interval

HES

Starter

Alternator

 

It seems like 1/2 the job is getting all the bodywork and stuff off so why not take some precautions to save a breakdown on the road?

 

Do you guys ever replace your crush washers for engine oil, trans & FD when you do the fluids? I have never changed one and don't have any leaks, curious if I am missing something here?

 

Frog

[AndyS]

Spark plug wires can deteriorate

Coil generally never gives problems

Fuel pump generally never plays up.

Fuel filter...you either do or you don't. But hey, while you are in there why not change it.

Alternator belt. definately worth a change.

HES. Has it ever been replaced? if not, then you are on borrowed time. the cable feeding it WILL be deteriorating, so at least think about getting hold of a rewired unit.

Starter. Always playing up, but for starters, just get it off and clean up the bendix mech. Even if you replace it, the magnets on the new one can fail and become unshipped, so you may as well wait until you get the first symptoms.

Alternator - good as gold.

Full brake fluid change and bleed (while you have access to the ABS unit).

Oil change. Yes replace all the crush washers. The old ones would probably be fine, but they are only pennies.

How do your throttle cables feel? if they are good, then fine, but if they are stiff, it may be worth a look in the bowden box and check for cable fraying and crud contamination.

What state is your battery in?

It could be a time to add the R1150RT remote battery positive terminal to the bike.

look at the following link:

http://www.maxbmwmotorcycles.com/fiche/ShowImage.aspx?image=Diagrams/B0004317.png&rnd=95542656

 

the items I am talking about are items 9, 10, 11, 12.

 

BMW P/No 61217671334 EXTENSION-ANGLE PIECE FOR BATTERY @ $9.69

BMW P/No 61137671354 EARTH PIN - M6X10 @ $9.32

BMW P/No 61137672395 PROTECTION CAP @ $3.83

BMW P/No 07119931050 FLAT WASHER - @ $0.50

 

 

Andy

[Jim Moore]

I wouldn't worry about the starter or the alternator. Actually, I might look around for a spare starter just to keep in the garage but alternators rarely go bad.

 

I might consider replacing the rear pivot pins (at the final drive) and the driveshaft.

[Boffin]

I wouldn't worry about the starter or the alternator. Actually, I might look around for a spare starter just to keep in the garage but alternators rarely go bad.

 

I might consider replacing the rear pivot pins (at the final drive) and the driveshaft.

 

For the starter, Nippon Denso make a better (no glued parts) alternative for less money. Used on some smaller cars - Motorworks sells them here in the UK for much less money than the Valeo unit, but will not ship to the USA. Taking an old BMW starter to an auto-parts store should allow a cross-reference.

 

Andy

[Tobias]

They have already posted a very comprehensive list, but I would put in a new air filter and spark plugs as well.

 

See if you can find the maintenance schedule for your bike.

Then you can cross off the items on that list in addition to the items already posted.

[AndyS]

 

For the starter, Nippon Denso make a better (no glued parts) alternative for less money. Used on some smaller cars - Motorworks sells them here in the UK for much less money than the Valeo unit, but will not ship to the USA. Taking an old BMW starter to an auto-parts store should allow a cross-reference.

 

Andy

 

Hi Andy, I have tried to find the part numbers for the Nippon Denso and the alledged Mitsubushi unit. All without success so far.

If anyone comes up with the manufacturers part number for both these units, then please post them.

 

Andy

[Selden]

My 1999 RT turned 85,000 this month, so this is of great interest to me. If the FD pivot bushings have never been replaced, I would be amazed if they are not severely worn. You might want to check thicknesses of the disc rotors. The only other thing I would add, since you're going to have the thing pretty much disassembled, is to pull the instruments, and replace the wheat bulbs with new ones, or with LEDs. The OEM bulbs dim over time as tungsten is deposited on the glass. See this thread on Instrument bulbs.

 

How do the wiring harnesses hold up with age? On mine, the rubber sheath on the bundle of wires leading to the battery was badly deteriorated, so I stripped off as much of the stuff as I could, and placed some expandable sleeving over the wiring bundles. Great stuff to work with, as its diameter more than doubles when pushed, then constricts when pulled (like a Chinese finger trap). I haven't done any other parts of the wiring, but am thinking of using smaller diameter expandable sleeving over the front wiring the next time I pull the tank.

[Frog]

Great stuff guys, thanks!

 

I have done a lot already, over the years since I got the bike at 79K 3 years ago. I do a very thorough maintenance including.

 

brake fluid (I do this every 2 years)

K&N air filter

belt (has 21K on it now)

brake pads (new last year)

fuel filter (I did it 21K ago, maybe I will stretch that longer, it was a real pain to do!)

I did all the cables last year, even the bowden box

Odyssey battery a year ago (awesome battery by the way)

I had my pivot pins adjusted about 2 years ago and they feel tight still.

 

Based on Andy's response I am going to leave the Alternator, Starter and Fuel Pump alone until they give me a warning sign.

 

I ordered some new Nology plug wires and will look into an HES. I couldn't even find the darn thing as I was looking the other evening. Is the HES under the belt cover at the front of the engine? Maybe I need to dig out my shop manual for that one. Are the HES units Beemmer Boneyard sells any good? I will order new crush washers as well, I have them on my bike they are just really old.

 

I bought a very nice used drive shaft recently, may have to hang that soon. How about the crown bearing, the part of the drive that makes the final turn to the rear wheel? I haven't seen metal in the oil, so I assume I am okay!

 

What about FUEL LINES? Do they need to be changed out?

 

Frog

 

p.s. Selden, love your signature line, very appropriate to this thread...

Edited March 2, 2011 by Frog

[Frog]

UPDATE:

 

I found the thread on how to change out the HES and printed it out--looks great. Just placed an order with Beemer Boneyard for all the parts. It shouldn't take that long to install a new HES since I have it all torn apart already. It looks like I need to make a TDC locating mandrel to locate TDC, is that what you guys have done?

 

Frog

[Mrs. Caddis]

Ever think of having a Denver area tech day or would you come to one if we hosted it?

[Frog]

Gosh, I dunno, hadn't thought about it. Sounds neat, but on the other hand transporting tools and having to wrap everything up in a day might be difficult on larger projects. I must live pretty close to you though, in Westminster. Are you a member of the Colorado BMW Club?

 

Frog

[Mrs. Caddis]

Is that the one that meets in Morrison on Sat mornings? We went once before I got my bike and took too long talking to folks after breakfast that we were not ready to ride when everyone took off. Didn't know the ride route so just did our own ride. Just never made it back again. I'd like to try them again. Kevin bought his bike from a member.

 

Regarding tech day we had a mini one with Greg Poole last year and learned the TB sync. It is near time for transmission, differential and break fluid changes and I thought it would be handy to learn how. Might be a few others in the area that would like to learn some basic maintenance.

[Frog]

Yes, that is the club that meets in Morrison. I let my membership lapse last year but I just renewed for this year. The rally in Paonia in July is a blast, I have been twice now. They do a lot of fun rides besides just the Saturday rides. They do an annual camping trip too, Beemers and Bears. I could certainly help answer questions on oil changes and the like. I have my bike about half taken apart right now to fix an electrical problem, amongst other things. To get to the bottom of the relay box, to fix the problem I had with a relay blowing out, I had to take the whole back of the bike off, now if I can figure out how to put it all back together it will be a miracle!

 

Frog

[bentnail]

I would very much like to come to a tec day Eileen. I'm in Denver.

[Mrs. Caddis]

Guy, we are considering it, but we would need some more experienced people to help out. We are pretty new to wrenching, and can't provide a lot of know-how ourselves. If we decide to do it, watch for a post in the event planning thread in the next few weeks.

 

Frog, sorry for the hijack...

[Selden]

Brake lines? Some people feel that since rubber automobile brake lines don't get replaced, there is no need (except for improved feel) to replace the OEM brake lines with steel braided lines. On the other hand, I have seen reports here of brake line failures on 10-year old BMWs.

[Frog]

Well, I finally got my project done...

 

Repaired the following:

 

Replaced damaged center stand (eBay)

Replaced melted overload relay plug jack (took back of bike off to do this!) (eBay harness)

Cleaned every single connector, relay and fuse on the bike with D5 contact cleaner. (Amazon)

Cleaning contacts fixed my 'fast' blinker issue...hopefully for good!

Replaced fork oil, seals & dust cap. (Factory BMW parts)

Had leaking Ohlins shocks rebuilt (Thanks Kyle Racing)

Welded muffler crack and polished. (Craigs List welder)

Filled and painted hole in rear cowling from prior owner. (Colorite)

Replaced dashboard (mine had about 8 cracks, busted out bolt holes, a switch installed that does nothing, etc. (Factory BMW Parts)

Replaced missing heat reflector on saddle bag (Factory BMW Parts)

Replaced missing reflector on rear mud flap (Factory BMW Parts

Repaired rip in fuel filter screen sock (JB Weld for Gasoline applications)

 

Preventative Maintenance:

 

HES (Thanks Beemer Boneyard -- great service)

Belt (Gates belt from NAPA)

Fuel filter (Beemer Boneyard)

 

Upgrades:

 

Nology plug wires

Alaska Leather sheepskin seat covers

Cee Bailey's +2.5 windshield (Thanks to "Dr Jay" on this forum)

 

This project was measured in weeks, not days!

 

Frog

[LPOL]

Count me in if you have one in the Denver area!

[Glenn Reed]

Count me in if you have one in the Denver area!

 

Did you see this one?

[Frog]

Count me in if you have one in the Denver area!

 

Did you see this one?

 

Yep, that is the one that Mrs Caddis has organized. I will try and make it if I can, it is looking good. Just PM her for details.

 

Frog

[Selden]

I'm in the middle of 120,000 mile service. The alternator belt was last replaced on Nov 5, 2011 @ 96,163 miles. It appears to be in good shape, with absolutely no sign of cracks, isn't slipping, and turns exactly 90° at midpoint. Replace or do nothing?

 

Not to sound fatalistic, but approaching 70, I think I have another ~10,000 miles before the RT becomes too big to handle safely.

Edited March 19, 2016 by Selden

[dirtrider]

Afternoon Selden

 

 

That belt is probably well over 5 years old & belt degradation is as much ozone & time as it is actual rotational wear so (personally) I would replace it as a long as you are in there & working on the bike.

 

Be a lot costlier & more difficult replacing it on the road.

[Selden]

I'm feeling lazy. Picture time:

 

 

[kalali]

Afternoon Selden

 

 

That belt is probably well over 5 years old & belt degradation is as much ozone & time as it is actual rotational wear so (personally) I would replace it as a long as you are in there & working on the bike.

 

Be a lot costlier & more difficult replacing it on the road.

 

DR, I only have 16K miles on my 1999 R1100R and am pretty sure the belt is factory OEM. Are you saying I should replace it regardless of the mileage?

Edited March 20, 2016 by kalali

[dirtrider]

Afternoon Selden

 

 

That belt is probably well over 5 years old & belt degradation is as much ozone & time as it is actual rotational wear so (personally) I would replace it as a long as you are in there & working on the bike.

 

Be a lot costlier & more difficult replacing it on the road.

 

DR, I only have 16K miles on my 1999 R1100R and am pretty sure the belt is factory OEM. Are you saying I should replace it regardless of the mileage?

 

Afternoon kalali

 

(personally) I sure would as that belt is probably at least 25 years old (or even more). Assuming it is the original belt I'd be willing to bet that if you remove it & turn it inside out then bend it a little you will see little cracks all over the rib area (you usually can't see those until the belt is turned inside out)

 

On the road you can live with a failed belt for a short distance as it isn't used for engine cooling but if it shreds (some do) then there is a chance it will take the HES wiring out-- if/when it does THAT it is then a walk home for sure.

[Selden]

I hadn't thought of a belt failure taking out the HES. I just finished putting the new belt in. Wasn't as bad as I remembered; the only challenge was using a range of screwdrivers to lever the alternator back up after replacing the belt. The first time I did this, I was stuck for 15 minutes trying (unsuccessfully) to lift the alternator before Chris Kinney came by and showed me how it's done.

 

This should be the last time I will ever have to change the belt, but whoever the next owner is, he/she won't have to worry about the alternator belt.

[jshort76]

The belt is like $12 and if you have it apart that far I would buy the belt and replace it. Follow tensioning procedures will prevent shortened belt life. Good luck and good riding.

[Twinsig]

This should be the last time I will ever have to change the belt, but whoever the next owner is, he/she won't have to worry about the alternator belt.

 

So what are you saying? Are you really old or what?

[Christo]

Brake lines? Some people feel that since ru bber automobile brake lines don't get replaced, there is no need (except for improved feel) to replace the OEM brake lines with steel braided lines. On the other hand, I have seen reports here of brake line failures on 10-year old BMWs.

 

I'm relatively new to oil heads, and I seen lots of people talking about replacing brake lines with braided lines. I personally have a car with 30 year old rubber brake lines. I was about to start searching for or request some actual data on brake lines rupturing prematurely on oilheads, and yours is the first that I've heard. I'd like to find out how prevalent the failures are in brake lines with no external defects.

 

 

[tallman]

I'd start a new thread and ask your question.

There are more than a few who have had issues not visible from outside inspection.

[Christo]

Thanks Tim! Done.

[Selden]

I'm relatively new to oil heads, and I seen lots of people talking about replacing brake lines with braided lines. I personally have a car with 30 year old rubber brake lines. I was about to start searching for or request some actual data on brake lines rupturing prematurely on oilheads, and yours is the first that I've heard. I'd like to find out how prevalent the failures are in brake lines with no external defects.

The forum has a search function. If you can't find what you want, try this on Google: site:bmwsporttouring.com oilhead brake line failure

 

I am a cheap bastard, but there is no way I would trust my life to 20-year old brake lines. Quoting Dirty Harry: "You've gotta ask yourself one question: 'Do I feel lucky?'" An ER visit costs a lot more than a set of brake lines.

[Christo]

Thanks Seldon. I started using Google to search these threads, and like you say it can be easier than using the built-in search engine. Using the site command is a great way to do that.

 

I guess I was looking to collect actual experiences and possibly test the fact that a lot of the brake line replacement was done out of fear or concern rather than actual need. Given the sheer number of things that one can preventatively replace rebuild or rehab, and given the costs of some of these things, I like to do a little exercise in probability of failure of a particular part versus the probability of something else stopping me. What's good about these forums though is you can see items that are likely to fail.

 

People have started to post some good comments, so I'll factor everything in. I'll go ahead and switch over to the new thread on this topic.

 

Thanks!

[Selden]

I understand. I just went through the "probability of failure" issue with the alternator belt. After DR pointed out that a belt failure could take out the HES, and since I already had a belt on hand, I decided to replace, even though the belt looked pristine after 24,000 miles (and looked just as good after I removed it).

 

 

A failed alternator drive belt is an inconvenience. A failed brake line is potentially fatal or at the very least painful and expensive.

 

I replaced the OEM brake lines, and in addition to peace of mind, the Spieglers are far firmer, for better brake feel.

[Christo]

Thanks Seldon! I sometimes factor in my R1100's excellent stopping power when approaching situations and if say a front line went out under load, I might not be able to get by with less brakes.

 

If I may switch to the alternator belt, I have a '4K 611 SR' numbered belt. I thought I read it was the newer style but another post said it might be the original. Bought the bike with 33k, so possibly the original. It has visible cracking in the ribs, so I was going to replace regardless.

 

That led to me reading all about the Hall Effect Sensor and the wiring, and how I should do that repair/replacement in tandem with the belt. I found a $100 HES online somewhere. But I like to recycle, so I looked online for silicone wiring to rebuild my HES myself.

 

The part I'm not sure about is the effort to 'build' a tool to properly set the timing on the HES?!? I did an eye roll when I heard I had to do that as well. I figured I could get the diodes and resistors and a breadboard and rough out the tool that way, rather than build a permanent device with an enclosure. But either way, yet more things to do.

 

[Selden]

So what are you saying? Are you really old or what?

 

Old enough; I'll be 70 in June. I'm not getting any bigger, and 620 pounds seems heavier every year. I figure I've got 2-4 years, 10,000-20,000 miles left in me, so it will be someone else's bike by the time it hits 150,000 miles, and someone else can change the alternator belt.

 

I'm picking up a 2006 Yamaha XT225 this weekend, in hopes that low speed skills with a 250 pound bike will help with one that weighs more than twice as much. Most dual purpose bikes are too tall for me, but this one fits nicely.

[Michaelr11]

....

 

That led to me reading all about the Hall Effect Sensor and the wiring, and how I should do that repair/replacement in tandem with the belt. I found a $100 HES online somewhere. But I like to recycle, so I looked online for silicone wiring to rebuild my HES myself.

 

The part I'm not sure about is the effort to 'build' a tool to properly set the timing on the HES?!? I did an eye roll when I heard I had to do that as well. I figured I could get the diodes and resistors and a breadboard and rough out the tool that way, rather than build a permanent device with an enclosure. But either way, yet more things to do.

 

SnakePlisskin - There's a write-up on the ADV Rider Hall of Wisdom called Oilhead Timing the easy way. It describes using the TDC "OT" mark to set the HES timing. If you need the link I'll pull it up. If you mark the position of your HES plate and put the replacement on at the same marks you will be incredibly close.

 

HES wiring failure is due to heat cycles on the oilheads and the incorrect wiring used in the lead. At 33,000 miles it's unlikely that your HES in failure mode yet but once you replace it or rewire it you won't have to worry about the HES anymore. There's a guy from BC Canada on the MOA forum that rewires your HES with new correct wires for under $100.

 

For your brake line data - my rear hose ruptured while the bike was in the shop. My front hose developed a bulge which would swell when I applied my front brake seriously reducing brake effectiveness. I replaced all hoses with Speigler USA braided SS hoses.

[Christo]

A belated thank you Michael for the suggestions!

[Big Nick]

My 1998 Oilhead has ruptured the rear brake line, oldage. Front lower brake lines colapsed internaly post tyre fitting, and the line above those ruptured a month later. The bike has 100000kms on the clock.