R1200GS - slight shudder
 

Been feeling this for a number of weeks and read a post about the same thing on adventure rider... does anyone have any experience with this.

Faint rear end vibration/shudder.

Mostly in 5th around 3-3500 rpm - it is most noticeable when downshifting with a slight clutch slip. If I shift quickly and precisely it almost disappears. But - it is getting slightly worse. Under power it is fine - nothing noticeable but normal engine. The clutch shows no sign of slipping at all. Fine under power but can be felt both up and down shifting - slightly masked by engine in the upshift. I can also feel it in all the gears depending on load but varies with the gear.

Comments; R1200GS ADV 2006 - 12,000km light travel
1 - more significant in the higher gears - makes sense when it is under the most load - but that is contradicted by the fact that it is a light load situation - clutch slipping - downshifting.

This leads me to believe it is not the clutch but the final drive - with something loose in there.

2 - clutch is dry (of course) and no smell of burning oil coming out of it - or normal clutch burn

This tells me that it is not a slipping clutch as well and as I feel no slipping etc. it is hard for me to think that any adjustment on the clutch side would not affect the entire range of clutch action - so bleeding the clutch would not affect this. But - as someone has pointed out - it seems to work.

3 - When I pull the clutch in it goes away - but that means that there is absolutely no load on the drive train also - which points to drive train.

4 - rear wheel is tight with no movement - spinning wheel in gear or neutral is fine as well - nothing abnormal.

5 - I can consistently make this happen when I want - it is not random.

I don't know what it is... but want to figure it out before it is off warranty - it all points to something slightly loose - no clutch slipping to me means it is not the clutch - it could be a loose clutch housing or movement there though. It also might be some looseness in the final drive gears as that would show up now under light power as it is not under load - when everything tightens up.

Does anyone else have an opinion? It seems like this might just be a common issue.

Dean

Replace the final drive
 

Dean,
Please see my comment in another post:-

http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hub...s-engine-28233

My reference is anecdotal & second hand (I don't own the bikes that I refer to) but I know what happened with my mates first 1200GS.
His first needed a new final drive and when he got it to the dealer, under warranty, last summer he wanted it done pretty quickly so that he could go touring on the continent soon after; that one dealer had three 1200GSs in for the same warranty work which was a complete replacement of the final drive.

BMW are well aware of this of course. Don't hesitate, get the work done under warranty - it does not take long because they don't repair anything but simply replace the whole bit at the back end + the dealers want the work - it justifies their workshop existance.

Cheers

Many people experience a slight shudder when they see this bike.

Okay....
 

You know I never thought about that. It might just be me as I get closer to the end of warranty getting the shakes and not even knowing it yet. Could be the weight of the thing as it crushes down the asphalt...

:mchappy:

I think that anyone who actually owns one of these beasts has to be able to laugh at it or they aren't geting the point.

Suspect are those that take it too seriously.

Have you seen the number Ewan and Charley have done on theirs. Makes me cringe. Want to paint it all black and slide into the shadows over that one.

Anyway - am still looking at the cause and effect... if anyone can help me out.

Dean

Dean,
You've lost me a bit; if you are in warranty as you discussed then get the dealer to check the bike and do whatever work they want to do.

What I was trying to say, is that my riding mate started talking to me about his final drive in much the same way as you have posted here - then it got worse and he could get hold of the back wheel and "shake the bearing" around, but that came later after he had put a few 1000 more miles on the clock.
From memory, this was all going on from around 15000 miles.

Thanks for the info of course... I tend to be overly sensitive to these things so wanted to see if it was just me - but once I had seen the other posts figure I will take it to the dealer.

I am going to put a ride in this weekend to see how it is and schedule the service next week.

Even though it is warranty - I still want to figure it out as I could change out the fd oil etc. if I need and also clean up a contaminated clutch plate rather easily and enjoyably. Other than having the bike in the shop for a few weeks.

Anyway - thanks,

Dean