Additional Maintenance – Services for BMW GS Bikes Explained
Over and above the general routine service, annual or as required, there are a number of additional work offerings to keep your bike in tip-top condition and to keep the service history up to date. These services are to be done as required or as suggested – time or mileage intervals as detailed by the BMW Motor Corporation.
Alternator Micro V-Belt
This is only applicable to the air-cooled range of bikes and needs to be inspected for damage either by age or dust and sand/water that enters the belt-covered area. In order to inspect the belt properly, all the surrounding engine guards, crash bars and lights, etc. need to be removed first, as the belt cover sits behind all of them. Due to the difficulty in checking this, it is usually something that gets left for later and eventually, it may be too late.
Valve Clearances
Very important and also often overlooked. If these are not set right, you will either have a noisy engine or one that doesn’t run smoothly, especially when cold.
Air-cooled bikes have normal adjustable tappets while all the LC bikes have shims that need to be checked and or re-done. Both tight or loose tappets have their own long-term consequences.
Drive Shaft
This is a very spoken-about issue amongst BMW owners and or riders. On these bikes, just like a chain or a belt on other bikes, would need regular attention. The BMW shaft also needs to be removed, inspected, cleaned, lubricated, and replaced at regular intervals – roughly every 20 000km – depending on your riding style and whether or not you go on off-road excursions on a regular basis. If the shaft is not maintained properly or failing to do this regularly you will end up replacing the shaft long before it’s really due. If the splines rust and become sticky the shaft joints take strain and cause unwanted vibrations.
Battery & Charging System
Once again if this is overlooked and you end up riding with a battery that is past its replacement date you will end up with a damaged alternator and or regulator. The bike needs to ride and run on its battery (12.5 volt or more) and the charging system should only keep the battery well charged. If the battery is bad, you will end up with an alternator that overworks all the time, and it will fail prematurely.
Brake & Clutch Fluids
Over time and usually as a result of washing with high-pressure cleaners the brake and clutch fluids get contaminated with moisture. If this moisture mixes with the brake or clutch fluid it gets to be a thick, messy paste and can’t do its job right. At our workshop, we test for moisture with a proper tool which indicates green for fine, orange for it’s time to look at this, or red if the brake fluid is really bad. Usually and especially on the air-cooled range of GSs with servo-assisted brakes the ABS braking system will get damaged and it’s almost an unaffordable to repair situation. You will need to replace the ABS brake pump of the bike and then redo the entire system. We highly recommend for the brake fluid to be kept up to date with good fluids and the clutch hydraulic fluid to be replaced regularly.
Brake Pads
This is something normally properly checked during routine servicing and will be reported on if required. A worn set of pads can result in having to replace a disc prematurely which is expensive and unnecessary, not to mention very dangerous.
In summary, if you own a LC bike you will need to have the radiator flushed and cleaned every so often as the anti-freeze also gets old and can’t do its job properly. Much like fork seals and shock absorbers leaking, this needs to be done or checked if there is a leak present or at your discretion over time.
During the routine servicing, the ball-joint and or rubber seal is inspected, and the tyre pressure monitors are checked for proper functionality. We will report and request your attention in this regard if it is required.
Your tyres are also something that you too, as a rider, should inspect regularly for wear and tear and please remember that tyres have an expiry date. This is usually 5 years or close to that.
Let us help you keep your bike reliable and safe at all times.
EXHAUST MODIFICATIONS – LEAVE IT TO THE EXPERTS
Best performance exhaust for BMW GS Adventure Bike Range.
ATTENTION BMW GS RIDERS IN THE VAAL
Maintenance is now on your doorstep. Good news if you live in or around the Vaal Triangle and you ride a GS, you can now have it attended to, serviced, repaired, tuned, etc. right here in Vanderbijlpark.
SAC Raging Bull is now also specializing in all things BMW GS Adventure – Your One Stop GS Workshop.
MAKE THE RIGHT CHOICE
Email us for advice on this one, rather be safe than sorry.
