Contact Overland Solutions for all your custom modifications and setup for overland travel.               Discover the extraordinary with Compass Expeditions.

Go Back   The HUBB > Technical, Bike forums > BMW Tech

BMW Tech BMW Tech Forum - For Questions specific and of interest to BMW riders only. Questions comparing which bike is best etc go in the "Which Bike" forum.
With more than 58 destinations worldwide, Edelweiss Bike Travel is Number 1 in guided motorcycle tours!
Reply
 
LinkBack Thread Tools Display Modes
  #1  
Old 6 Feb 2009
Registered Users
Veteran HUBBer
 
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: somewhere on the road between Ushuaia and Alaska
Posts: 377
BMW F650 valves / shims

Hi,

I'm in Thailand (Chiang Mai at the moment) and just checked my valves. One of them is a bit tight (0.08, should be between 0.10 and 0.15).

BMW Chiang Mai don't have ANY shims in stock, and neither does Bangkok. Ordering them in takes 45 days (shame on you, BMW - this is a standard service part!!)

Question now is: Should I be able to get to Kuala Lumpur (about 4000km I reckon) without worries, or am I gonna potentially damage the engine?

Or can I maybe skim down the shim (micrometer available here)? I've got a 2005 Dakar, and the shims are underneath/inside the bucket. Local mechanic advised against this because I would damage the hardening layer. Is that true?

Thanks a lot
Bjorn
__________________
__________________________
http://www.panomoto.com
Reply With Quote
  #2  
Old 6 Feb 2009
Registered Users
Veteran HUBBer
 
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Helsinki
Posts: 1,165
I aint 100% sure about this, and it was a Suzuki, that I had in Thailand last winter... but they said in Pattaya, that if I´d need, they could order me original spareparts from Singapore in a few days. Luckily I did not need any, so I dont know, how ´original´ those would have been... later on, I did find a genuine Suzuki oil filter in Johor Bahru (next to Singapore on Malaysia side).

Anyway, 45 days sounds too much. Last November, my friend got a new fuel pump for his 1150GS, from Finland to Chile, in just two days (probably not cheap at all, but he needed it quick, cos the bike was dead without it!)

Since there are 2 types of BMW F650GS bikes these days - single and twin - and they have very little in common, I´d advice to always notify, which one you´ve got, when ordering spares, or even discussing anything remotely related to maintenance (and sorry I dont have any experience servicing either one!)

Edit. pardon me - just saw you mention its a 2005, so it must be a single then! From 2008 onwards, it´ll still be essential to know, which model we´re talking about.
Reply With Quote
  #3  
Old 6 Feb 2009
Steve Pickford's Avatar
Contributing Member
Veteran HUBBer
 
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Oxford, UK
Posts: 998
Shim grinding is less of an issue with shim under bucket as there is no cam acting directly on the shim itself, if works on the bucket, the shim is basically a spacer. As long as the ground shim is level, you should be okay. Measure with a Micrometer & not a Vernier.

Might be worth asking on Chaingang or Advrider to see if shims from another bike might fit i.e. Aprilia & V-Rod shims are the same size as those in KTM's 950/990 v-twins?
__________________
My photos: www.possu.smugmug.com
Reply With Quote
  #4  
Old 6 Feb 2009
Registered Users
Veteran HUBBer
 
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Oxford UK
Posts: 683
I've been surface grinding under the bucket shims for my Lotus twin cam engine to get exact sizes for about 20yrs without any problems.
Your biggest problem is going to be getting them exactly flat without some serious workshop equipment.
Reply With Quote
  #5  
Old 6 Feb 2009
Contributing Member
Veteran HUBBer
 
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: Golden, CO USA...on the road since Sept 2005
Posts: 343
Hi Bjorn, I am in Chiang Mai now as well. Will PM my contact info. I want to have my valves/shims checked before heading off towards Europe. Hope to meet up for a . Hook.
__________________
"And I think to myself, what a wonderful world..." L.B. Armstrong. www.davesgreatescape.net
http://www.facebook.com/inbox/readme...e&id=661274218
Reply With Quote
  #6  
Old 7 Feb 2009
Registered Users
Veteran HUBBer
 
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: somewhere on the road between Ushuaia and Alaska
Posts: 377
Pecha72,

2005 model is a twin spark (I think since 2004 they are twin). Also: shims inisde the buckets = twin spark.

Problem is solved now: there are 3 different valve shim specs in various repair manuals. Latest ones have bigger clearance limits than the old ones, so I'm perfectly within the limits (0.03 - 0.11 for ingoing, 0.25-0.33 for outgoing)

Bjorn
__________________
__________________________
http://www.panomoto.com
Reply With Quote
  #7  
Old 11 Feb 2009
Guest2
Guest
 
Posts: n/a
Hi Bjorn,
Next time you need a shim there is chance you can swap the shim from another valve to bring it into spec.

Steve
Reply With Quote
  #8  
Old 15 Feb 2009
Gold Member
Veteran HUBBer
 
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: UK but currently on the road RTW
Posts: 148
Shim availability

For anyone following this link with an F650:

When I tried to order shims in Malaysia there were none available. They order overnight from Johor Baru - (BMW´s Asia Pacific hub). An order would have to come from Germany. I got the same story in Australia believe it or not. This may be a size specific issue so it´s worth knowing what size shim is on which valve so you can plan ahead.

Adam
Short Way Round
Reply With Quote
Reply


Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 2 (0 Registered Users and/or Members and 2 guests)
 
Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are On
Pingbacks are On
Refbacks are On


Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
F650 valve shims tmotten South America 3 23 Sep 2008 16:56
Shims in Argentina? HASSELHOFF South America 6 5 May 2007 03:08
KLR Shims In Argentina? HASSELHOFF Kawasaki 4 19 Apr 2007 12:33
600 xte valves and other henri Yamaha Tech 1 12 May 2005 03:10


All times are GMT +1. The time now is 15:54.