BMW newbie needs help

[petetheteach]

I have just bought an ex police R850RT, there was no handbook with it and I could do with some advice.

When started the bike chucks out blue smoke for a while and then it clears up. Having followed someones advice about doing the tea dance to check the oil level it would appear that the oil level is too high (sight glass is full) would this cause the problem?

I think that there is also excessive tappet noise when warm but someone said "they are all like that" is it true?

I have a full service history printout from the Police engineering unit so I know that the 26,000 miles is genuine and I would have thought that having ony done less than a thousand miles since it's last service neither of these faults would be present

[dazzz]

Congratulations on your new bike! Since your'e not really sure of what you have, I'd change all the fluids and really clean it up and start from there. You will need the owner's manual and a maintenance manual as well. Unless you are going to send it to the dealer.

[petetheteach]

can't seem to find anything bookwise for the R850RT it is almost as if it doesn't exist.

Someone has offered me some pannier lids from an 1100RS and says that as long as I have BMW system panniers they will fit. any advice on this would be greatfully received.

The ones that are on the bike at the moment are very shallow police panniers which remove from the bike by opening two handles and just lifting them off a rail

[Boffin]

Hi and welcome to the forum

 

The 850 is pretty much the same as the 1100/1150 of its year, so for maintenance try The Oilhead Maintenance Manual which covers basic servicing in good detail. Otherwise the Haynes manual (at least the UK version) covers the very few specific differences for the 850.

 

The BMW system cases for the 850/1100/1150 are all the same - many people in Europe or California like the narrow 'city' lids to make lane-splitting easier, so there is a ready market should you want to sell yours. To swap the lids, drill out the rivets on the hinge and refit with small bolts.

 

Andy

[Huzband]

I think that there is also excessive tappet noise when warm but someone said "they are all like that" is it true?

 

No, they are not all like that, & frankly if a thorough & competent adjustment is made to the valves & rocker arms, none would be like that. I would hazard a guess that the end play has never been checked, & that's the culprit of the tapping you hear.

[4wheeldog]

When started the bike chucks out blue smoke for a while and then it clears up. Having followed someones advice about doing the tea dance to check the oil level it would appear that the oil level is too high (sight glass is full) would this cause the problem?

 

Overfilling could cause smoking, but the place to check is the air box drain. Over the rear tire, to the front, you will find a quarter turn plastic plug.....If you remove it, (Have shop rag at the ready), you will be able to drain any excess oil carried by the breather system into the airbox. Any more than a shot glass full is a sign of overfilling. This can be carried into the throttle bodies and burned in the motor.

If this is not the case (Only a small amount of oil drains from the airbox drain), consider if the smoking is only after it has been sitting on the side stand. They can all do this, to one degree or another, as a small amount of oil can work its way past the rings on the left cylinder, with the assistance of gravity.

 

It is unlikely that the smoking is from excessive wear, with 26k miles......Unless it was somehow abused buy the previous PoPo.

Good Luck!