Wobbly ST? (Email I got today)

[wilsons]

Read this from top to bottom, I quoted it to organize it.

 

You seem to have picked up a bit of info on your own ST and there seems to be a big hit in the States. I bought what I believe to be the first one in Scotland and have seen only one other on the road. I think it’s an excellent machine but there is free play on the rear wheel (my R1100S had this problem, which was rectified and the handling transformed) which BMW tell me is a characteristic. Short of taking BMW to task, I’d rather have the bike fixed than offered my money back. Have you or any of the stateside ST owners experienced this?

 

Basically it wobbles on left handers.

 

 

 

thanks

 

 

 

regards

 

 

 

Craig.

 

 

I'm afraid I haven't noticed that problem on my bike. Can you get into more detail about it? when do you notice it while riding? Does the wheel wobble at all when you spin it while up on the center stand?

 

Good luck and Thanks!

 

Shawn, it's difficult to find it at first.

 

I found it whilst touring in the French Alps earlier this year, the dealer has had one shot at replacing it and whilst it did improve, it still wobbles on left handers.

 

The dealer have offered to replace the complete bevel box, but this is NOT where the problem is.

 

There are two bearings about 6" back from the rear hub, they are at the lowest part of the swing arm and on the ST are black. There is no play on the outer one (which gives good handling on right handers) but when you hold the rear wheel at 12 & 6 O'Clock there is definite movement at the black coloured bearing at the inside of the shaft drive.

 

This is not just my bike. The brand new RTs also do it and when I passed a dealer in Germany they too had new RTs & ST's with about half of them with free play.

 

I shall be taking this up further as I want it fixed. Check yours and let me know how you get on.

 

thanks

 

 

Craig.

 

 

 

The last reply was something he found on it:

 

http://www.bmw-motorrad.co.za/bikes/workshop/tech/articles/drive.html

 

 

 

 

 

As noted yesterday, this link explains the precise issue I had with my 1100S. It’s the same with the ST, but a different layout of bearings. Same symptoms and same rectification. Only the replacement BMW parts do the same as the current ones.

 

 

 

 

 

regards

 

 

 

Craig.

 

Ummm. wow. Anyone wanna take a shot at this one??

[LJR]

Sure, his pivot bearings need work. By the way, that's a very nice web page on final drive disassembly. All the information is right there if he wants to fix it himself.

 

While I can understand that this is a wear item that needs replacing, I can't understand a new bike with this problem.

 

Wonder who told him it was a "characteristic", salesman,service tech, or owner.

[sardineone]

Had a somewhat simular problem at 3k miles on my Moto Guzzi LeMans. The bike developed the worst high speed weave I have ever experienced on any bike in my 37 years of riding. The tapered roller swing arm bearings needed their play adjusted. Note that its very hard to detect this free play on a parked machine. A 1/6th turn of each adjuster completely cured the problem. I have experience excess free play on many bikes at the steering head as an initial bed-in of the bearings as another example. One adjustment has normally taken care of the problem. Now this particular BMW I am not sure of the offending bearing. At 950 miles my ST handles very well.

[Ariene]

Are you speaking of lateral freeplay ? I have been to 135MPH and this is a smooth machine!

Ride safe

If you speak of gear lash, I haven't noticed.

Ariene

[wilsons]

I don't think I've noticed it either. bike felt smooth last I ran it 80 to 90 around some curves on RR HWY.

[BMWSTeve]

I bet a handful got through without proper preload on the rear drive pivot bearings. A defective torque wrench or a sloppy procedure of an employee is the most likely cause.