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Upgrade to make R1150R Bulletproof


iluvph0

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Hello! I am looking for some recommendations and to bounce off some ideas. I like to maintain my own motos but I also like to upgrade/change configurations so it's easier to service in the future.

 

As far as I have researched -- the 3 weakest parts of my 2002 R1150R are:

 

  • Clutch spline failing due to underexposed spline and partial engagement during operation
  • The ABS unit failing and the brakes just not working
  • The clutch slave cylinder leaking or gunking up

 

My solutions for the first 2

  • Purchase an upgraded clutch pack that has a spline more exposed so it can engage fully when operated
  • Bypass the ABS system completely and rip out the unit since it's a SPOF (single point of failure)
     

I dont have a solution for the last bit with the slave cylinder going bad eventually. I dont mind having rebuild anything in the future but the fact that it's so stuck up inside the bike makes it a pain to remove and eval for service.

 

Thoughts?

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szurszewski

I’d not strip out the abs if it’s working well. Keep up on proper fluid flushes and it should continue to function. 
 

Common solution to the clutch slave leaking is to drill a weep hole in the transmission case. This won’t prevent the slave from leaking, but it will let you see if it starts to leak and should prevent any leaked fluid from migrating to and contaminating the clutch plate. 
 

PS: does your R have rubber brake lines? I don’t know what was standard in 2002, but if it came with and still has rubber lines, I would replace those. Not only will braided lines avoid a potential failure, but that will also keep old rubber line parts from mucking up your abs system as the hoses decompose. 

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spacewrench

I believe at least some of the ABS units are somehow wired into the other systems, so if you remove the whole thing, you lose stuff like speedo function.  IIRC, one solution is to leave the electronics in place but bypass/ditch the hydraulics.

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1 hour ago, szurszewski said:

PS: does your R have rubber brake lines? I don’t know what was standard in 2002, but if it came with and still has rubber lines, I would replace those. Not only will braided lines avoid a potential failure, but that will also keep old rubber line parts from mucking up your abs system as the hoses decompose. 

 

I think mine came with braided lines but the banjo joints look weathered so I purchased Spiegler braided lines and upgraded my front and rear brakes. I purchased a new braided line for my clutch line too but looks like a lot of work to replace TBH.

 

1 hour ago, szurszewski said:


Common solution to the clutch slave leaking is to drill a weep hole in the transmission case. This won’t prevent the slave from leaking, but it will let you see if it starts to leak and should prevent any leaked fluid from migrating to and contaminating the clutch plate.

very interesting! Any specific area to drill a weep hole?

 

 

56 minutes ago, spacewrench said:

I believe at least some of the ABS units are somehow wired into the other systems, so if you remove the whole thing, you lose stuff like speedo function.  IIRC, one solution is to leave the electronics in place but bypass/ditch the hydraulics.

 

Thank you for the idea!

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One of the reasons I want to remove my ABS functionality is partially really to remove the power assisted brake function. The power assist creates an uneven brake distribution vs more linear brake lever pull and corresponding brake bite.

 

Any other issues that riders tend to experience with the oilheads that one should be aware of?

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Even though my 2004  R1150R only has 15000 miles  I was going to rebuild  my clutch slave cyl as  part of preventative maintenance

Beemer bone yard has rebuild kits for $35  USD so it definitely would not hurt

 

But I to would like to know where to drill a weep hole for the clutch  

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As far as the clutch splines, you either have a good one or a bad one. If you have a good one it's already pretty much bulletproof so it doesn't really make sense to go to the expense and aggravation of replacing the clutch pack. How many miles on your bike? If it's bad it will almost always fail within the first 50K miles, usually around 30K. You can check the splines by removing the starter and seeing if the clutch hub rotates on the splines.

 

 

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12 hours ago, iluvph0 said:

Hello! I am looking for some recommendations and to bounce off some ideas. I like to maintain my own motos but I also like to upgrade/change configurations so it's easier to service in the future.

 

As far as I have researched -- the 3 weakest parts of my 2002 R1150R are:

 

  • Clutch spline failing due to underexposed spline and partial engagement during operation
  • The ABS unit failing and the brakes just not working
  • The clutch slave cylinder leaking or gunking up

 

My solutions for the first 2

  • Purchase an upgraded clutch pack that has a spline more exposed so it can engage fully when operated
  • Bypass the ABS system completely and rip out the unit since it's a SPOF (single point of failure)
     

I dont have a solution for the last bit with the slave cylinder going bad eventually. I dont mind having rebuild anything in the future but the fact that it's so stuck up inside the bike makes it a pain to remove and eval for service.

 

Thoughts?

Morning  iluvph0

 

On the spline issue-- The root  of the problem is not  short spline engagement but an alignment problem between the transmission input shaft & the crankshaft centerline. If it was due to a short spline engagement problem then ALL BMW 1150 6 speed motorcycles would fail as they all have short spline engagement. They don't all fail & most go life-of-motorcycle without failure. 

 

Adding deeper spline engagement can prolong the failure time frame (at least is seems to from rider reports)  but if your specific  motorcycle has an alignment problem it will still fail eventually. 

 

You might check your present clutch disk rotational play on the trans input shaft. If it is relatively tight & your motorcycle has over 30,000 miles on it  then you probably have a decent trans to engine alignment motorcycle. If you find a lot of  clutch disk rotational play then you probably should address that issue by measuring the alignment off-set then correcting that as well as adding a deeper engagement clutch disk if you feel that will help. (you are going to need a new clutch disk anyhow if it has excessive rotational play) 

 

On the ABS removal-- If you are an experienced rider that can live without the ABS system then it is removable. Your rear tail & brake light goes through (controlled by)  the ABS module so you will need to address that.

 

On the taillight by-pass (once ABS is removed)  that is just a simple wire connection.

 

On the brake light, that is slightly more complicated as you will need to add a relay into the brake light circuit to make the brake light function. 

Your stock brake light switches work reverse logic so you will need to add that relay into the brake circuit to allow N/C brake light switches to operate N/O. Not a big deal & you can even use your existing ABS warning light relay for the source relay.

 

Or you can buy new brake light switches with the correct logic (N/O) then make up a new brake light harness to interface those switches to your existing brake light harness. 

 

You can even use the existing front brake lines & front master cylinder as well as use you existing rear master cylinder but will have to buy a longer rear brake hose (kind of tacky way to do it) or just buy/make up a new short rear metal brake line that goes from the rear master cylinder directly to the stock rear brake hose inlet. 

 

On the clutch salve cylinder leaking. Yes, those do occasionally leak  & pollute the clutch. Drilling a drain hole is a good idea if you have  the motorcycle apart to the point that you can have good access to allow precision drilling. Trying to drill with the motorcycle assembled & using a long drill bit is a bit tricky as it is REAL easy to drill at the incorrect angle & drill into the trans rear seal or into the trans oil area causing a nasty difficult to repair gear oil leak. 

 

Much simpler to just cut a slot in the bottom of the slave cylinder gasket (this allows the clutch slave cylinder leakage to drain out that slot rather than run forward into the clutch area. (the BMW 1200 doesn't even use a slave cylinder gasket). You can always drill that drain hole if/when you have the transmission accessible for some other reason.  

 

 

 

 

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roger 04 rt
On 5/27/2020 at 6:52 PM, iluvph0 said:

Hello! I am looking for some recommendations and to bounce off some ideas. I like to maintain my own motos but I also like to upgrade/change configurations so it's easier to service in the future.

 

As far as I have researched -- the 3 weakest parts of my 2002 R1150R are:

 

  • Clutch spline failing due to underexposed spline and partial engagement during operation
  • The ABS unit failing and the brakes just not working
  • The clutch slave cylinder leaking or gunking up

 

My solutions for the first 2

  • Purchase an upgraded clutch pack that has a spline more exposed so it can engage fully when operated
  • Bypass the ABS system completely and rip out the unit since it's a SPOF (single point of failure)
     

I dont have a solution for the last bit with the slave cylinder going bad eventually. I dont mind having rebuild anything in the future but the fact that it's so stuck up inside the bike makes it a pain to remove and eval for service.

 

Thoughts?

 

Good points but ahead of the slave cylinder risk, which is small and manageable, I would put sudden failure of an in-tank hose, which immediately disables the bike, without any warning. The main remedy is annual testing, inspection and replacement. The best test is an annual return volume test. If you're getting 2 liters per minute returning to the tank at idle, the fuel system is good.

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It's not a huge fix but in regard to the clutch slave cylinder issue, obviously replacing it with a new one next time your down that way and perhaps a braided line might be worth considering, but as a means to stop it gunking up and to indicate when/if it leaks. Perhaps drilling a small weep hole at the bottom on the  clutch slave cavity. At least the fluid will drain outside the trans and you will be aware of it instead of drowning your clutch in fluid.

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Thank you all! -- for your thoughts and ideas. I'll be posting here some of the upgrades I do and to share how I've customized by R1150R. My bike is currently at 34.5K miles on the clock.

 

I even ordered a spare clutch slave cylinder so I can rebuild that and just replace my current one. I have yet to receive the rebuild kit.

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