BMW r1200rt longevity and servicing

This post is for anyone here that may have concerns about doing their own home servicing. I have just finished off servicing my 94,000 mile rt. I run it on fully synthetic (just thought I'd get that comment in early ) and change the oil every 10,000 miles. Transmission oil gets changed every 40,000 (whether it needs it or not ). All this stuff is extremely easy to do. Valve clearances get checked every 20,000 miles - today these were (left ex 0.31, ex 0.31, in 0.17, in 0.12 & right ex 0.31, ex 0.31, in 0.15, in 0.15mm). The marginally 'tight' inlet shim was reduced down by 5 minutes on some wet'n' dry paper to give me 0.16mm). This is the only time that I have ever needed to adjust the clearance (and to be honest I could have left it).

So the main message is that long term ownership is not a maintenance heavy commitment and these bikes will keep going at low outlay - i.e. don't be scared of buying a 'high' mileage one!

Hope this post is of use to someone!

Cheers

Richard

Oops sorry guys this should be in the Camheads section!

Do you have a GS 911?

Long live the Camhead!!!

Funny, I know.. sorta kiddin'

But I owned 2 WC R1200s and was very disappointed.

Hank.

I have a 911, but I only use it for troubleshooting - still haven't figured out how to cancel the service reminder though The only other bit of 'high tech' that I use is an electronic vacuum gauge for the injectors (which also have never yet needed adjusting!)

Cheers

Richard

Richard:

I am not he best wrencher on the planet and I do get a little twitchy when I think of doing my own work. When I bought my Camhead it came with a Haynes manual and I have been reading and studying it. Going to try my first oil change when its due near the end of the year.

Thanks for the encouragement

Mike

You sanded down a shim?

hmmm...

Don't believe I've ever heard/read of that in the various boxer forums that I visit.

Guess there'd be no harm in it.

How did you hold it? Aren't they surface hardened or sum such?

I did mix and match mine around a bit though when adjusting mine at the 21,000 mile marker.

They were all within spec before and after.

I know what your thinking regarding reducing the shim, but the only forces acting on the shim in the engine are perpendicular at all times to the surface (i.e. there is no shearing, only compressive loading) - so taking the shim down is no big deal. The ease with which it reduced tells me that these are not that 'hard' - simply a resonable quality steel to resist peening.

Holding the shim during sanding was a thumb and forefinger job - just make sure that the wet and dry paper is on a flat surface (i used a piece of glass)

Cheers

Richard