In Part 2 of this series of videos of my 60k mile maintenance service, I check the valve clearances, check the condition of the spark plugs, and finally change the engine oil and filter. Are the valve clearances still within spec or would I need shims finally? Should I really swap out the plugs? What's with BMW recommending that you change plugs every 12,000 miles? Who does that?
At 60,000 miles, this is the first re-check of the universal joints on my cardan shaft after first pulling the shaft over 19 months ago. I was anxious to see how my efforts at lubricating the splines in March 2021 held up, and what the condition of the joints was after 60,000 miles. I also had a split ring / circlip to install on the transmission spline.
"Grump the Grey" has almost 60,000 miles under his belt and my old friend needs some TLC. This is a long list of things to do and since I don't have a dedicated space to work on my bikes (and don't have a lift!!) I will be doing this service in stages. I plan on having 3 videos in the series, and this intro lays out this workscope. Are all of these items really needed? And what about the *huge* item which they *left out* and which I personally am undertaking to do every 12,000 miles!! Constructive comments welcomed.
When the battery in the TPMS sensor in the current BMW motorcycles such as the R1200/R1250 RS run down, they have to be replaced at a cost of about US$230 each. For two wheels that means an expense of well over $500 when labour is included! What if these $10 batteries could be replaced and the existing sensor kept? That is a question that several BMW motorcycle owners have explored, and this video presents my findings. YMMV.
So the little "nub" under the right footpeg broke off and replacement was a farce. Long story short, I decided to replace the whole peg and when I saw the price of the OEM part I choked and decided to look elsewhere. I managed to snag the ones I got for 10% of the price of the BMW parts! Installing them were not too hard once I had to fix one of them slightly ...
I have heard several people on the web forums saying that they used Shell Rotella T6 in their bikes and they had "no problems", "works just fine", and "it's much cheaper than motorcycle oil". At the same time I did not find any negative reports from using this diesel oil. So when I was ready to put some short-duration oil in my RS, I was interested in a cost effective solution. But first I had to do some research into this Rotella T6. Check out what I learned.
In this final Part of the series, everything is put back together and I took it for a test ride. Last, I share some thoughts on the job.
In Part 2 of the series, the couplings and splines are revealed and I get on with the bulk of the job. You may be surprised at what I found.
Finally I got around to doing this important service on my driveshaft. In Part 1, I am off to a great start but then I hit a snag.
Finally at over 48,000 miles I opted to replace my brake pads (front only) while I serviced the rear pads.
An important part of the 48,000 mile service on my RS is the brake system flush, which includes changing the fluid, and bleeding the brake lines and ABS pump. This is the first time I am doing this on a BMW motorcycle and also the first time using the GS-911 to do this service.
Having the Speed Bleeders fitted the previous day made the job SO much easier.
In this quick video I swap my OEM brake bleed nipples for Speed Bleeder nipples on my front and rear brake calipers.
The Winner. The 2016 BMW R1200RS is a fantastic motorcycle that solves the problem between the naked R1200R and the touring R1200RT.
In the first part I only tackle the oil/filter change and the air filter recharge. I have a K&N Filter which I installed new 11 months ago, and now I only need to inspect, clean and re-oil as may be necessary. That is the major portion of the video. I already have videos on oil / oil filter change and air filter change, so that is not repeated here - see links to those below.
Changing the low or high beams on the RS is not a hard job ... just a little fiddly and one that you do largely by touch. Changing a blown parking lamp is an entirely different matter and because of access is very difficult. I did not manage to change my parking lamp bulb in this attempt, and will explain why in the video.
I recently installed new OEM spec NGK plus in my RS and got a suggestion from a viewer that NGK iridium Plugs might be better. At $13.99 each I thought that giving them a try couldn't hurt and if they did not deliver I'd at least have a spare set of plugs.
Valve clearance check of 2016 BMW R1200RS
The valve clearances are to be checked every 12000 miles (20000 km) and on a boxer it is very easy for the DIYer to do. This video covers how I check my clearances and also includes a tip on finding top dead center (TDC).
If you ever need to replace your front brake pad pin clips and don't feel like sending $35 to BMW for each side then check out my solution.
After some time and much research I chose and purchased the battery to replace the stock battery on the RS. This is how I installed it.
While replacing a battery is not difficult, there are several tips I share in this video. Also, below is a list of the batteries I considered before buying the Yuasa GYZ16H, which was bought as a balance between spec performance, the Yuasa reputation, and the fact that it does not need a special charger.
Metal to metal contact between your pannier rack and the frame of the bike is for the birds. This simple mod keeps corrosion at bay.
Simple task that takes a few seconds and requires a CR 2032 button cell.
With the new tires installed on the wheels, I now reinstall the wheels, calipers and exhaust muffler back on the bike.
The removal of these components is shown in another video "Wheel Removals".
In this video I remove both wheels in order to take them to get new tires installed.
This includes the removal of the exhaust muffler and also the front brake calipers. Once the new tires are installed on the rims, the wheels are reinstalled on the bike in a separate video.
As part of my 24k mile service I decided to upgrade my bike with a K&N BM-1113 high flow air filter.
The Final Drive Oil Change is the first of the videos in the BMW R1200RS Maintenance series.
Finally got around to recording one of my oil and filter changes on the 2016 BMW R1200RS. Part of my 24,000 mile service.