Zero Knievel

Yes…clearly you didn’t read the PDF. The inside spacer was crushed…this led me to believe I over tightened the bolt. I’m consulting with other BMW owners, but the bolt should not need 100 nm of torque. The only source of information I have is the Haynes manual…which, at times, is a bit lacking in accuracy. Indeed, it says NOTHING about working on the rear drive aside from changing the fluid. It’s very possible I was using the torque value for the wrong bolt. BMW is a tad notorious for not putting out DIY resources for repairs. Other than routine maintenance, they want you to take it to a shop. You can no longer buy service manuals, and aftermarket manuals are not comprehensive. Bearing failure is inevitable, so why the manual addresses the front wheel but not the rear is troubling. Well, I do have a bootleg repair DVD, but I’m not sure how current it is (whether it covers my model year…although many models for several years used the same parts in this case). *** Checked the DVD. The bolt does call for 100 nm. Not a biggie. It’s easy to tighten it more with the bike reassembled.

Well, I ordered a pair in red. Keep in mind it also provides illumination for the license plate, so I’ll try them both and see how I like it.

Well, it’s back together. The manual I have says the pivot bolt is torqued to 100 nm. No way…I suspect that’s what caused the damage. I went to 35 nm and stopped…using thread locker on the bolt. Attached is a PDF of the repair job. https://app.box.com/s/75lxnruz1hy0lm63v5mgvux0cspznz9e

These came well reviewed. If I’m not impressed, I can return them…it is Amazon after all. Easy peasy. Drill holes, use good bolts with locking nuts and a washer on the opposing side to distribute force. Since most all trailers come like this, I presume not enough to worry. No, but since I will have more use for it, that will make it more bearable.

Stuff for the new trailer. I have two of the anchors from Carlos, but 4 more means I can place them in the corners and the other two where they would be the most useful mid-trailer. The taillights aren’t anything impressive, so brighter LED bulbs.

Ha. Ha. Ha. I sold something similar because I never used it…or when I needed it, I couldn’t get to it. It was sitting in the yard slowly rusting. Utility trailers do better for letting you install anchor points where they are most effective. And chocks? You can buy them. I already have one…just need to install it.

I keep getting a Forbidden 403 error.

I have room for bigger, but this is more than large enough for my needs.

It's under 600 lbs. Spring. FWIW, U-Hauls are rated for 55 MPH (per the manual). We've all seen them go faster than that.

Let the ridiculing begin.... FWIW, I'm buying this largely because IF I need to take the zero-turn mower anywhere, I'll need it. I might as well use it for the motorcycle too. The folding trailer would be worth it IF I could strap the BMW down symmetrically, but the position of the exhaust can and the shape of the rear drive prevents that. I also don't care for how the folding trailer DOES NOT have springs separating the axle from the rest of the trailer. I don't know if the lack of a spring causes damage on long hauls, but I've NEVER had an issue trailering a bike in the back of a pickup truck or trailer with a sprung axle. I could see about an upgraded folding trailer, but since I need this for the mower, at this price I can't ignore it as the better option.

Well, I was fortunate today. I bought my DR field mower from Bluff City Cycles. Looking for motorcycle shops in my area, this came up. Got my parts in, so I brought the bearings and the drive assembly in to see what he thought. He didn't have that many more tools than I had, but he was much more familiar with driving these out and installing new ones. Total cost...just under $33. I can start putting it back together this weekend.

I could use some input from those who have BMW shaft drive bike (or have worked on them). What causes the marring in the following pictures? Is it normal? Can it be “cleaned up?” Normally I’d not give it a second thought…presuming this is the result of the bearing failing, BUT I want to be sure it won’t pose an issue going forward AND it wasn’t the cause of the failure in the first place. These are from the side with the failing/failed bearing. By comparison, here’s what the other side looks like…clean on both the drive unit and the driveshaft housing.

Well, that's one BMW owner who is into sausage fests.

The tale so far. I have parts on order. The first should be arriving today. There’s a shop in Tennessee where I bought my DR brush mower. He does motorcycle repair, so Thursday (parts or not) I will swing by and ask if he’s set up to replace the bearings. This would be simplest. If that isn’t so, I’ll call the BMW shop in Knoxville and see if (1) they will use the parts I already have (BMW branded) and (2) give some commitment on when the job will be done. I’d want the unit back by the end of April since I have rides planned for May. If that doesn’t work, a BMW guy in the Nashville BMW club will do the job. Down bit is that I’ll have to take it in person. Yes, I could UPS the unit, BUT to ensure I’m covered should it get damaged or lost in shipping, I have to insure it for $3,000…making the drive there and back (even two trips) cost effective. On the bright side, I think I found the issue with the boot. The tabs that hold it in place are on a plastic ring bonded to the boot itself. I found a break in that ring that negates the pressure it applies once the boot is in place. So, a new boot is on order and should arrive soon.

Thanks. The prices I saw online could be lower because they didn’t account for recent inflation affecting goods and services, and the guy was able to come out same day.

I have neither. 😪

Mom’s garage bay had the spring break just as it closed behind her. She has appointments, so I needed a way to get her vehicle outside. Fortunately, a repairman was able to come out same day and replace the spring. Also lubed and checked all 3 doors. $475…not sure if that’s a good price, but I didn’t have the option of shopping around. Other than buying vehicle dollies and using those to move a vehicle sideways into another bay, is there a way to raise and lower a garage door without the counterbalance spring?

That's like wanting to consume synthehol. Why bother if you don't get the full effect?

I’m practically there. I found another failed seal. Whether it preceded or proceeded the bearing failure, I don’t know.

Let me find a YouTube video on this…. j/k

FUCK THAT SHIT. Replacing bearings doesn’t require the whole bike. Replacing bearings doesn’t require multiple days (absent something more being wrong). Nothing I wanted was unreasonable. The first shop knew I’d be coming from over 2 hours away. To drop off and pick up means 8 hours of driving because they don’t want to give an appointment and do the job when I’m there. I can understand not promising that nothing will go wrong and require they take more time replacing the bearing, nor was I demanding to get in the next day. I simply didn’t want to make two separate trips. I see nothing unreasonable about giving an appointment to do a job for someone who has to come a long way just to get to your shop. They wanted me to drop it off and they would get to it “when they can get to it” (their actual words). I have a trip planned for May and already paid for things (non-refundable). I don’t want to be at the mercy of a shop that will get to the job when they feel like it. The second shop also knew how far away I was. They wanted the whole bike. That means (1) reassembling the bike, (2) trailering the bike there and back, and (3) paying them the additional labor I’ve already done. I get how they prefer a “post repair drive check,” but I’ve taken my wheels in for new tires with them. It’s not required. They aren’t rebuilding the motor. They are removing and replacing two bearings. The BMW shops near me all should know several owners ARE NOT close to them. Hell, if I bought HONDA I’d have one small ass shop in Johnson City that still works on Hondas. With the shrinking motorcycle market, owners have less options for where to bring bikes in for repairs. Not being flexible with scheduling work for people coming from a considerable distance is how you lose customers.

Thankfully, I've been down this road before. Know of both those tricks. I never want to hear a motorcycle shop complain they can't find work to do. I was willing to pay a mechanic to do it for me, and both pretty much didn't want to be bothered unless it was on their terms.

Well, $135 in parts. I'll have to do it myself. Knoxville BMW is "busy" and won't commit to doing it on an appointment basis. Asheville BMW would prefer having the whole bike to test ride afterwards, but they say they don't even show the parts as available. Hopefully the parts will arrive soon.

And, in case you wonder how common an issue this is….

The driveshaft has non-serviceable u-joints. I suppose if they were serviceable, they'd be substantially larger. It's not hard to check the joints on the bike. Place on center stand, rock wheel back and forth and see if you hear any clicking. Spin wheel and ensure it's quiet. Dismantling and visual inspection shouldn't be necessary, but since you are supposed to replace the rear drive oil every other year, might as well do a visual inspection since you've already done the first step. While riding, a tapping noise from the rear wheel is about all the warning you get. If you're lucky, you're close to home or a BMW shop before it fails. Failure can tear up the driveshaft housing...making an even more expensive repair than just replacing the driveshaft.