shredder Posted September 21, 2007 Share Posted September 21, 2007 So, I'm on 421 in Virginia and I'm rollin at a nice 80% pace or so when I come into some tighter corners. Actually reminded me of Deal's Gap in Tennessee. I drop the 12RT into second gear and I turn up the heat a bit. I come out of a nice right hander hard on the gas and pull er down to settle in for the tight left switch back. Pavement was smooth as glass. I enter the corner, look through the turn and feel my foot peg feeler touch down. This is nothing new on this trip so I keep tight and begin to key up the boiler to exit the corner. All of a sudden I feel something else make contact with the road and the bike seems to loose both the front end and the rear end. The bike feels like it's lifting up on it's tires, while fully leaned over, and it the while bike pushes to the outside fo the corner. Naturally, in slow-motion, I think to myself, "OH-$#%^!". I loosen my grip on the bars and use my legs and body to bring it up and both Bridgestones bite the pavement, regain grip and I was able to pull the bike out of the corner with out loosin it entirely. Now I'm thinkin, what expensive piece of BMW plastic did I just destroy... Oh, wait,,, it could be the valve cover. I stop, Yup, the left valve cover ate asphalt. No leak, but a nice gouge outta the lower half of it. Bummer. Good news, obviously, I did not ball it up and I did not destroy the hard bag. I'll take the deal. Bike handled great and it was feelin good so I kept pushin.. there was a limit and it was in the form of an engine... Actually felt like the bike had alot more room to go handling wise, but the hard parts will be the limiting factor...... How much will this cost me to fix??? All said and done.. 670.7 miles and 14 hours under the belt on the first day of the first tour with the RT. Side note,, I met a guy named Chris while stopped for gas.. he was riding his bicycle across country from NY to CA.. great conversation. His blog is www.xcountrybikejourney.com if you want to check it out. Link to comment
notacop Posted September 21, 2007 Share Posted September 21, 2007 No cost at all, Infinite bragging rights for the macho in you.....Never replace a trophy!! Link to comment
Fugu Posted September 21, 2007 Share Posted September 21, 2007 Without pictures, this never happened. Link to comment
GregB Posted September 21, 2007 Share Posted September 21, 2007 I always figure that when the footpeg hits, that is far enough. Don't be greedy.... Link to comment
duckbubbles Posted September 21, 2007 Share Posted September 21, 2007 A new valve cover retails for something around $120. There are cheaper alternatives. The gasket shouldn't be harmed. Look at the lower forward valve cover screw- it might have contacted as well. Frank Link to comment
smiller Posted September 21, 2007 Share Posted September 21, 2007 Without pictures, this never happened. +1 Link to comment
bakerzdosen Posted September 21, 2007 Share Posted September 21, 2007 A new valve cover retails for something around $120. There are cheaper alternatives. The gasket shouldn't be harmed. Look at the lower forward valve cover screw- it might have contacted as well. Frank Yeah, but you can easily find something like this on eBay. Damaged ones go for less. (This one just closed at $31.) Link to comment
keithb Posted September 21, 2007 Share Posted September 21, 2007 Correction. A new valve cover for the R1200 is $165. I would look online at the different parts houses (beemerboneyard.com or re-psycle.com). Contact some local BMW dealers or independents. Quite frequently they have used covers for a fraction of the cost that just need to be sanded and painted. You may be able to repair yours. Fill in the gouged area and with a little elbow grease and paint and you have a new cover. Link to comment
Tapatio Posted September 21, 2007 Share Posted September 21, 2007 Or just keep a couple of valve cover condoms handy. Link to comment
mickey05 Posted September 22, 2007 Share Posted September 22, 2007 I have them on both sides. I just wasn't cool enough to be on the bike when they both happened. Link to comment
SageRider Posted September 22, 2007 Share Posted September 22, 2007 Nice to know your 80% leaves you so much margin... Link to comment
shredder Posted September 22, 2007 Author Share Posted September 22, 2007 LOL I like the engine condoms!!! Go ahead, laugh it up... I am still using a 35mm camera!! So when I print this roll up in a week or so, I will scan the picture and post it up. I know, by then it wont matter as much, but what can u do... I do have it on my cell phone camera... wonder if I can load it from there... Thanks for the links to the valve covers ! Link to comment
shredder Posted September 22, 2007 Author Share Posted September 22, 2007 Bluetooth to the rescue, excuse the image quality, it's from my phone.. Link to comment
xbubblehead Posted September 22, 2007 Share Posted September 22, 2007 No cost at all, Infinite bragging rights for the macho in you.....Never replace a trophy!! +1 Makes it look mean! Link to comment
ESokoloff Posted September 23, 2007 Share Posted September 23, 2007 Nice to know your 80% leaves you so much margin... I think you should keep the cover as a reminder that your 20% out of calibration Also you may consider your riding technique(s). You may get some pointers from this discussion. For what its worth, I used to drag hard parts & Tupperware before I learned this. Link to comment
shredder Posted September 23, 2007 Author Share Posted September 23, 2007 My arse end is fully calibrated, for the record! (that is why, in so many words, I wrote I picked up the pace) The RT handles so well I have to keep reminding myself I am on an ST and not my GSXR. The riding teq info is good stuff and thanks for the link. Any class you can take in person is well worth it. Especially the Pridmore sessions. ESokoloff you surely have a great lookin color combo on that Beemer! Link to comment
ScottT Posted September 23, 2007 Share Posted September 23, 2007 You should take care not to drag the valve covers. I used to let it happen on my first Oilhead, a 1994 R1100RS. I pretty much drug everything on that bike that could be drug without crashing. Spent 6 1/2 years in Germany for the USAF... Lots of swift riding... anyway, after Germany... One summer day on HWY 60 in N. Georgia dicing it up with another fast rider on an R1100RS I drug the valve cover just as I was passing one of the road reflectors. Valve cover hit the reflector. I lost my oil filler cap and almost lost the whole valve cover. Fortunately a rider who stopped found the filler cap on the side of the road for me and I made it home that day. That RS rider did say the bags produce quite a bit of smoke when drug... I drag the pegs on my RT now from time to time... they're half gone... but I stop there. I also have top shelf shocks... Wilbers... that keep my suspension under control. Dragging valve covers may produce great war stories but what you're really doing is pushing your luck. Mine almost ran out before I wised up. Shift your weight, get a better suspension or slow down a bit... If you're dragging valve covers on these hexheads you are at or very near the limits of you tires and traction. You have no room left for any unexpected event... no room for error. Eventually your luck will run out and you will crash. Link to comment
ESokoloff Posted September 23, 2007 Share Posted September 23, 2007 My arse end is fully calibrated, for the record! (that is why, in so many words, I wrote I picked up the pace) Sorry I missed that ESokoloff you surely have a great lookin color combo on that Beemer! Thanks. It kind of matches my Stitch... hi-vis yellow/gray ballistics with lots of road grime black Link to comment
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