This won't necessarily fix the issue of the driveshaft rusting to the splines. It might minimize it but, owners still need to drop the FD and lube the splines.
In 2021 my 2017 R1200R with 6700 miles, the driveshaft was rusted to the point it could not be removed from the final drive. And my bike is a garage queen. There are many videos that will show you how to drop the swing arm and grease the shaft. There are also several snapped driveshafts out there.
I’ve been buying new BMW’s since the early 70s. The drive shaft/final drive has been problematic since the airheads. The drive system should be solid for 200,000 miles. Give us grease-able U joints for starts. Let’s hope the new 1300s are better.
You should update your video and talk about the test that is being done to your drive shaft while you have your bike in the shop getting your “free” drain. And talk about what happens when the driveshaft fails the test.
My bike is currently at the dealer for this service and has received a new driveshaft with just over 5k miles on the clock. I'd be interested to know how they determine the need for a new driveshaft. Not sure I'm getting correct information from the service writer at the dealer.
BMW has identified a specific mileage point after which any bike coming in for this service receives a new drive shaft. I've been waiting for mine for some time, as it appears the parts are in short supply.
IT'S AND ADVENTURE BIKE FOR GOD SAKE! So now I have to worry about it getting wet??? BMW says I have to "pull the rubber boot back" and drain it every tiome I ride in the Rain? Seriously? RECALL for design failure! If I owned a BMW car and their was an issue with the drive shaft rusting and seizing due to water intrusion, would BMW tell me I have to crawl under the car and drain some kind of non-waterproff rubber boot everytime I drove in the rain? Instead of issuing a recall?
BMW didn't say that at all. *I* said you should let water out when you ride through water/mud or use a pressure washer. It's not a design failure, it's at worst a communication failure. The boots are not waterproof or watertight, they weren't meant to be and nobody has ever claimed they are.
There are hundreds of users who have reported rusted drive shafts (just check any forums).. my 2018 GS with less than 20k kms, so rusty that the splines were bad - I had to replace the drive shaft .. now I inspect and grease every 10k kms just to be safe .. newer GS already have the valve installed, it will be interesting to see if they don't have the rusty problem in the future..
If you continue to service your drive shaft every 10k, you likely won't have any problems with rust. You might want to chat with your dealer to see if BMW will reimburse you for your replacement drive shaft, since you replaced it (or had it replaced) before this service action went into effect. No guarantees BMW will pay out, of course, but it's certainly worth a conversation with your dealer.
BMW CARDAN INSPECTION ( DRIVE SHAFT ) DRAIN PLUG FITTED. More than a few people that have had the rubber check valve installed are saying that it fits very loose and one person said his got pushed inside the drive housing and is just laying in there. Another said they are junk and fall off, and ''mines has now fell inside the runner bungs are rubbish", ''the rubber valve they install is crap, any external pressure dislodges the valve internally leaving an open hole There seems to be no lip on the outside to prevent it from being pushed inside. I was thinking if this is the case, perhaps some black silicone seal would be a good idea which would be easy to do. What do you think? Should we just plug it back up or use a silicone to make it stay put? Thank You!!
@@BMWMOAorg Thanks! So far everyone that has the valve installed from the factory is happy but some, just a few has had theirs sucked up inside the housing. Should have the dealer put some silicone on the inside if they replace the drive shaft so it wont pop in or off. They also punch a small hole in the forward boot. Once the drain valve is installed, the following work must then be carried out, mileage dependent: A. Vehicles with less than 1,200 miles: No additional work is required. NOTE: A check of a new drive shaft using this test method returns invalid results because the U-Joints are not run in yet. Do not use the test plan for new drive shafts. B. Vehicles with mileage greater than 1,200 miles but less than 37,000 miles: Test the driveshaft for damage according to repair instruction “33 73 002 - Checking Cardan shaft”. C. Vehicles with greater than 37,000 miles: Replace driveshaft according to the repair instruction “33 73 000 - Replacing Cardan shaft”. It is essential to ensure sufficient and thorough greasing of all gearing. Up to 1 gram per spline connection (Klüber lubricant LFT 71-402). Also observe the current specification for the Paralever bolting to the angle drive and secure the bolt with Loctite. NOTICE: If the drive shaft is new, the “Check” is not Necessary.
NHTSA-mandated recalls are for safety issues. Voluntary recalls - which can also be publicized through the NHTSA but are not required by that agency - can be for any issue.
Love listening to you talk BMW /GSA/GS's👍🏾. With your knowledge of expertise I need help/your opinion. I have 2013 GSA which I love as much as a 2022 GSA😁 and im TRYING to active my ASC. I know I'm a little late but these rainy days/wet roads are starting to get to me while I'm riding. I had a appointment at a local dealer to get it done but 🚫nope 1.5Hr after dropping the bike off I get a call to tell me my bike is done but they couldn't activate the ASC due to computer failure at the dealership; mean while back at the counter looking at the computer screen that's up on the desk while the service guy gives me a paper to sign and my key back I was told I would get a call to reschedule at a later date which never happened. My question to you is what actions should I take just to get a simple job done from BMW. And by the way my has the ASC switch already on the bike. it was no cost for the non service. Plse help
Try another dealer if you can. If you have a complaint about the dealer that did the initial attempt, you could contact BMW Customer Service. I'm not aware of any way you could make this update on your own.
I own an old BMW R100GSPD from the early 90ies. Driveshaft is not perfect by any means, and failures are well documented. That said, I've never heard of issues of that magnitude. It takes regular spline greasing, but at least it's known and manageable. It sounds like in 30 years the engineering of that driveshaft has gone from poor to catastrophic... What gives?
I know, its another negative comment but they have been making these drivetrains since at least the mid 90's in basically their current form, and they are still figuring this out. Maybe a chain is best.
Chains require regular maintenance, which many people do not enjoy or know how to do properly. Every drivetrain has its own requirements, advantages and shortcomings.
If you're motivated to do this yourself and can get the proper valve part(s), I say go for it! If you do it through a dealer, there's no cash outlay on your part, though.
This won't necessarily fix the issue of the driveshaft rusting to the splines. It might minimize it but, owners still need to drop the FD and lube the splines.
You are correct.
In 2021 my 2017 R1200R with 6700 miles, the driveshaft was rusted to the point it could not be removed from the final drive. And my bike is a garage queen.
There are many videos that will show you how to drop the swing arm and grease the shaft. There are also several snapped driveshafts out there.
Clarity is so important in nearly everything. Thanks for passing along the right information.
I’ve been buying new BMW’s since the early 70s. The drive shaft/final drive has been problematic since the airheads. The drive system should be solid for 200,000 miles. Give us grease-able U joints for starts. Let’s hope the new 1300s are better.
You should update your video and talk about the test that is being done to your drive shaft while you have your bike in the shop getting your “free” drain. And talk about what happens when the driveshaft fails the test.
My bike is currently at the dealer for this service and has received a new driveshaft with just over 5k miles on the clock. I'd be interested to know how they determine the need for a new driveshaft. Not sure I'm getting correct information from the service writer at the dealer.
BMW has identified a specific mileage point after which any bike coming in for this service receives a new drive shaft.
I've been waiting for mine for some time, as it appears the parts are in short supply.
IT'S AND ADVENTURE BIKE FOR GOD SAKE! So now I have to worry about it getting wet??? BMW says I have to "pull the rubber boot back" and drain it every tiome I ride in the Rain? Seriously? RECALL for design failure!
If I owned a BMW car and their was an issue with the drive shaft rusting and seizing due to water intrusion, would BMW tell me I have to crawl under the car and drain some kind of non-waterproff rubber boot everytime I drove in the rain? Instead of issuing a recall?
BMW didn't say that at all. *I* said you should let water out when you ride through water/mud or use a pressure washer.
It's not a design failure, it's at worst a communication failure. The boots are not waterproof or watertight, they weren't meant to be and nobody has ever claimed they are.
There are hundreds of users who have reported rusted drive shafts (just check any forums).. my 2018 GS with less than 20k kms, so rusty that the splines were bad - I had to replace the drive shaft .. now I inspect and grease every 10k kms just to be safe .. newer GS already have the valve installed, it will be interesting to see if they don't have the rusty problem in the future..
If you continue to service your drive shaft every 10k, you likely won't have any problems with rust. You might want to chat with your dealer to see if BMW will reimburse you for your replacement drive shaft, since you replaced it (or had it replaced) before this service action went into effect. No guarantees BMW will pay out, of course, but it's certainly worth a conversation with your dealer.
BMW's and water ingress seem to be a problem. Drive shafts and electrics.
BMW CARDAN INSPECTION ( DRIVE SHAFT ) DRAIN PLUG FITTED. More than a few people that have had the rubber check valve installed are saying that it fits very loose and one person said his got pushed inside the drive housing and is just laying in there. Another said they are junk and fall off, and ''mines has now fell inside the runner bungs are rubbish", ''the rubber valve they install is crap, any external pressure dislodges the valve internally leaving an open hole There seems to be no lip on the outside to prevent it from being pushed inside. I was thinking if this is the case, perhaps some black silicone seal would be a good idea which would be easy to do. What do you think? Should we just plug it back up or use a silicone to make it stay put? Thank You!!
I can't speak to this yet because the service hasn't been performed on my bike. Once it is, I'll check it out and make a suggestion.
@@BMWMOAorg Thanks! So far everyone that has the valve installed from the factory is happy but some, just a few has had theirs sucked up inside the housing. Should have the dealer put some silicone on the inside if they replace the drive shaft so it wont pop in or off. They also punch a small hole in the forward boot.
Once the drain valve is installed, the following work must then be carried out, mileage dependent: A. Vehicles with less than 1,200 miles: No additional work is required. NOTE: A check of a new drive shaft using this test method returns invalid results because the U-Joints are not run in yet. Do not use the test plan for new drive shafts. B. Vehicles with mileage greater than 1,200 miles but less than 37,000 miles: Test the driveshaft for damage according to repair instruction “33 73 002 - Checking Cardan shaft”. C. Vehicles with greater than 37,000 miles: Replace driveshaft according to the repair instruction “33 73 000 - Replacing Cardan shaft”. It is essential to ensure sufficient and thorough greasing of all gearing. Up to 1 gram per spline connection (Klüber lubricant LFT 71-402). Also observe the current specification for the Paralever bolting to the angle drive and secure the bolt with Loctite. NOTICE: If the drive shaft is new, the “Check” is not Necessary.
Also, a recall is not necessarily associated to safety. That is plain wrong. Many recalls are related to functionality, performance or reliability.
NHTSA-mandated recalls are for safety issues. Voluntary recalls - which can also be publicized through the NHTSA but are not required by that agency - can be for any issue.
Why don't BMW simply lube the splines at the factory?
I'm sure if they felt it was necessary, they would do it.
Love listening to you talk BMW /GSA/GS's👍🏾. With your knowledge of expertise I need help/your opinion. I have 2013 GSA which I love as much as a 2022 GSA😁 and im TRYING to active my ASC. I know I'm a little late but these rainy days/wet roads are starting to get to me while I'm riding. I had a appointment at a local dealer to get it done but 🚫nope 1.5Hr after dropping the bike off I get a call to tell me my bike is done but they couldn't activate the ASC due to computer failure at the dealership; mean while back at the counter looking at the computer screen that's up on the desk while the service guy gives me a paper to sign and my key back I was told I would get a call to reschedule at a later date which never happened. My question to you is what actions should I take just to get a simple job done from BMW. And by the way my has the ASC switch already on the bike. it was no cost for the non service. Plse help
Try another dealer if you can. If you have a complaint about the dealer that did the initial attempt, you could contact BMW Customer Service. I'm not aware of any way you could make this update on your own.
Are you sure it’s not a recall?
I read the german article and it is not a "recall" it is a "service suggestion" to improve customer relations.
I am absolutely, 100% positive AT THIS TIME that it is a "service action" (campaign, bulletin) and NOT a recall.
Hey Adam, it looks like you forgot to include the satire emoji on your question. Nice trolling.
I own an old BMW R100GSPD from the early 90ies. Driveshaft is not perfect by any means, and failures are well documented. That said, I've never heard of issues of that magnitude. It takes regular spline greasing, but at least it's known and manageable. It sounds like in 30 years the engineering of that driveshaft has gone from poor to catastrophic... What gives?
I know, its another negative comment but they have been making these drivetrains since at least the mid 90's in basically their current form, and they are still figuring this out. Maybe a chain is best.
Chains require regular maintenance, which many people do not enjoy or know how to do properly. Every drivetrain has its own requirements, advantages and shortcomings.
Why do you have to have it serviced by BMW ?
I like to do it myself.
If you're motivated to do this yourself and can get the proper valve part(s), I say go for it! If you do it through a dealer, there's no cash outlay on your part, though.
Exceptional video. Thank you sir for your intelligence.