Wouldn't you just know it....

[Twisties]

At Weaverville I dented my front rim when I hit a rock.  Got a new used wheel from @Tank that was less badly dented and sent it to Woody's for repair, got it back in nice shape, put my rotors and speed sensor ring on, and mounted the existing Dunlop RSIII with 6k miles.  All smooth sailing.  

 

So, back on the road and heading to Ft Bragg, CA with @gsgar, @Tank, @Bullett on Branscomb Rd, a delight of tight twisties, when it felt like I got a flat... thinking something went wrong with the rim or remounted tire (it did limp back from Weaverville under adverse conditions), I pulled off the road.  Found the driveshaft/u-joint system was toast.  

 

Finally, after The Great Towing Saga of 2019, all back home with our truck and trailer.  Fortunately, we're only about 5 1/2 hours from Ft. Bragg.  Sitting here it dawns on me, my bike was back on the road for all of a day and a half. 

 

Meanwhile, back on the home front, while we were out riding, a new set of RSIII's and box of 15 qts of Mobil 1 15W50 were arriving.  Already in house a big box of oil filters, crush washers, and such.   Oh well, I guess this means I'll have to repair it.  

 

Lest anyone goes away thinking Bullett, the Godmother of Crime, was smiling innocent cherubic smiles, her brake failure light came on.  Arrgggg......   She says that we can go read the codes after she has some chocolate.  I rode her bike home to get the truck and trailer....  Who needs brakes... highly over rated!  :-)

 

And oh yeah, that Allstate Motor Club RV plan that no longer includes KOA...  Since join in 2010:

 

1.  Lockout service in Salt Lake City... satisfactory.

 

2.  F 650 GS crash on road outside Chaco Canyon...  left for dead in hot desert with no call back, after two frustrating hours on the phone resulting in two dropped calls.  

 

3.  Parking brake on truck stuck on near Brookings.... satisfactory

 

4.  Truck stuck in a slope with wet grass on a remote road near Newport, OR....satisfactory.

 

5.  Current incident.  Bike at 8.5 mile marker on Branscomb Rd.  35 miles from Ft Bragg.  Tow to our hotel Ft. Bragg requested. 15 hours elapsed time until service was provided, and numerous hours of calls, broken promises, conflicting/confusing text messages...  

[Tank]

You are home , Sometimes it just doesn't get any better than that

 

[fourteenfour]

BMW road side assistance failed me the only two times I needed them and I am in metropolitan Atlanta area

[Traveler1]

After several really bad experiences with BMW road side assistance (including one where I had to explain to the girl on the phone where Idaho was), I switched to AAA (california) Premier membership.  119 bucks a year, 200 miles of free towing and if you're riding with someone and they have a problem you can use the card to have their bike towed.   I've used it three times (as it happens always when a riding buddies bike needed towing) and it was great.  They probably have the most tow trucks available of any insurance company.  Never had to wait more than 1 hour.  Worth looking into:  https://calstate.aaa.com/lp/membership/save10rm?cmp=knc_membership_AAA_Prospecting_Brand_CA

[John Ranalletta]

A few years ago, we hit a pothole with the 335d around 11pm blowing both driver-side tires and bending a rim.  I called BMW roadside assistance and talked with a lady located in TX as I remember.  The run-flats worked as advertised and got us off the interstate to the Pilot. in Crawfordsville, IN. 

 

The lady called back stating she couldn't find a tow service willing to go so far out!!!!!  Crawfordsville is less than 45 miles from the BMW dealer in Indy.  I told her that if there was an accident on the interstate, the local LEOs could get a tow service and suggested she call the local sheriff's office for a name.  A few minutes later, the sheriff's office called saying a tow truck was on its way.

 

Lesson: sometimes you have to teach people how to do their jobs.

[Selden]

The only time I have needed a tow Progressive handled the task satisfactorily, after I explained that Skyline Drive was in Virginia, not Arizona, and that there were were not any large towns or BMW motorcycle dealers near where I was stranded. I was about 5000 feet up in late September, and the tow truck finally showed up around dusk. First he drove past where I was, then returned about 10 minutes later. He owned an airhead, so he was familiar with how to secure a motorcycle for transport. I was so glad when he dropped me off in Harrisonburg.

 

The next morning, I rented a car and took the rear wheel over to Anton's shop in Charlottesville, where he mounted a new rear tire for me. The old one had been punctured by a piece of oak that had managed to penetrate through the steel belt.

[Twisties]

Here's the update:  Sharon's bike read code for front wheel speed sensor sending implausible signal.  Found it loose.  Re-seated and tightened the screw.  Problem resolved. 

 

My bike:  Looking at $649 for a new drive shaft from Ted Porter.  Hanson's BMW in a rough, over the phone ballpark, suggests replacing the swing arm and final drive bearings (to attach the final drive, not internals) and the boots while they're in there...  roughly $500 (without actually going into the parts fiche and checking) in parts and $400 in labor... overall they suggested to plan on $1600 if nothing else is wrong.  Trying to decide if this is worth it on a bike approaching 100k miles, or maybe part it out?  I figure the bike, after repair, is worth maybe $3k?  I had two parties talking at $5k two years ago and both walked.  It's been maintained mechanically, but not cosmetically.  Plenty of scuffs.  Your thoughts?

 

 

[dirtrider]

58 minutes ago, Twisties said:

Here's the update:  Sharon's bike read code for front wheel speed sensor sending implausible signal.  Found it loose.  Re-seated and tightened the screw.  Problem resolved. 

 

My bike:  Looking at $649 for a new drive shaft from Ted Porter.  Hanson's BMW in a rough, over the phone ballpark, suggests replacing the swing arm and final drive bearings (to attach the final drive, not internals) and the boots while they're in there...  roughly $500 (without actually going into the parts fiche and checking) in parts and $400 in labor... overall they suggested to plan on $1600 if nothing else is wrong.  Trying to decide if this is worth it on a bike approaching 100k miles, or maybe part it out?  I figure the bike, after repair, is worth maybe $3k?  I had two parties talking at $5k two years ago and both walked.  It's been maintained mechanically, but not cosmetically.  Plenty of scuffs.  Your thoughts?

 

 

 

Afternoon Jan

 

Parting out a complex motorcycle is a REAL PAIN IN THE A$$.  It never goes as quick or as smooth as people think. Plus, selling used 100,000 mile parts is not going to make you rich.

 

You are in a tough box at that many miles.

 

If your drive shaft isn't torn up then possibly just send your existing shaft out for new U joints.

 

Or possibly find a good used drive shaft on E-Bay .

 

Don't use a BMW dealer for repair, either do the work yourself  (sounds complicated but really not THAT bad) . Or find a local independent to do the work.

 

I wouldn't put any bearings in that really don't need replacing, if you find  a bad bearing then for sure replace it but at that mileage just replace what is actually needed.

 

OR-- sell the bike as-is,  somebody will probably buy it then do the shaft themselves if you give them a good deal  on it.  

 

 

[Selden]

My 1999 RT has been up for sale for over a year, with no offers, so I plan to ride it into the ground, whichever one of us dies first.

[Twisties]

I do my own maintenance, but would never call myself a mechanic.  I've replaced shocks, and done a few repairs...  I can generally follow directions, but my reprom doesn't show this procedure and without it I don't really have the confidence to proceed on my own.  It may be that @gsgar would help me.  I think he has done this kind of thing before.  @eddd has parted bikes before.  I would probably ask him if I could trailer it to him if I decided to go that route.  I wouldn't be interested in parting it out myself.  

 

[Twisties]

1 minute ago, Selden said:

My 1999 RT has been up for sale for over a year, with no offers, so I plan to ride it into the ground, whichever one of us dies first.

That has sort of been my feeling.  It sometimes competes with the idea of doing the cosmetic restore and parking it, but for what?  I don't really have anyone to leave it to.  So, the question being, is it now dead?  

[Twisties]

I didn't realize the oem drive shaft could be rebuilt...  hmm.

[dirtrider]

1 hour ago, Twisties said:

I didn't realize the oem drive shaft could be rebuilt...  hmm.

 

 

Afternoon Jan

 

Not officially, but unofficially there is a way to install new U joints then tac weld washers over the caps to retain the caps.

 

There were a couple of places (machine shops)  that were doing it but I do my own so don't have the names of those shops (hopefully someone took note & bookmarked those shops)

 

I t-h-i-n-k   this place does (or did)  BMW driveshaft repair (worth a phone call or E-Mail).                      

 

https://www.machineservice.com/

[Ewell D.]

I felt secure with the Allstate plan until I needed it for a dead battery while at Devils Lake State park which is right off Hwy 101 in Lincoln City, Oregon. Same routine, 2 1/2 hours of dropped calls and their supposedly trying to find a tow service that would come a couple of blocks of the highway to give me a start. I finally gave up and called Les Schwab Tire which was about a half mile up the road and they were there in 15 minutes with a new battery. Went home and promptly canceled the Allstate plan.

[lkraus]

Hanson's can't check swing arm bearings over the phone. That work is optional until proven otherwise.

 

Instead of comparing repair costs to what the bike is worth to someone else right now, whether whole or in parts, think about what it would be worth to you once it is repaired.  How many more miles/years of use would you get from it?  What would another bike cost?  I find that cost of repair work is much more acceptable when I know I will have the pleasure of wearing out the new parts.

[longjohn]

I know 3 members who have given up their hex heads (oh, and an oil head) around 100k mi., because of the expense of actual or probably upcoming repairs I.e., losing confidence in the bike.   

 

The new ones are very nice. 

[Antimatter]

I had a similar situation when my '00 RT decided to strip the splines in the transmission.  I could have repaired it, or had it repaired, but it was a salvage bike that had been re-titled, and as such it's market value was pretty limited.  I ended up selling it in one piece to Beemer Boneyard, who sent a shipper to pick it up.  That saved me the hassle of dealing with flaky Ebay buyers, and the PITA of shipping stuff.

[WBinDE]

I have a wethead with 127K and have decided I like @Selden's plan - run it until one of us dies. Plenty of 4-year-old bikes with fewer miles available out there, so who'd want mine? It's cosmetically challenged too, but for now it's running fine, I'm on my way to Alaska at the moment.