Rethinking preconceived notions...BMW F 750 GS

[STenitus]

Glad you and your wife are pleased and that is most definitely a gorgeous machine!!!

I tried to get on with BMW but quickly developed a low tolerance for service visits to the dealer and/or seeing service indicator lights I could not clear. The GS911 is a must, IMO.

 

[Dirt_Dad]

I tried to get on with BMW but quickly developed a low tolerance for service visits to the dealer and/or seeing service indicator lights I could not clear. The GS911 is a must, IMO.

I hear you. So far it appears the annoying light (screen) on this bike is something you have to look for. I hate spending another $400 just to turn off a light. There are less pricey options for hooking in a laptop to clear the screen. Or, since it's just not in your face, I may ignore it.

With a 12K value check interval, it's only every other oil change I'll be able to do without taking it to the dealer.

 

[RonH]

Did it go the entire trip without the service light? I could not and would never buy any motorcycle that a light comes on every few thousand miles and can't be reset without buying a $400 tool, or take to dealer where you are lucky to have tire pressure checked without totally destroying the entire motorcycle. Good luck though and glad she likes the BMW.

 

[ballisticexchris]

I'm pretty sure Dirt Dad knew what he was getting into when buying this bike. I really wanted to like the BMW's. The reliability, cost of parts, and crazy expensive dealer only service was a no go for me. OTOH, there are some that have no issue at all with it. Personal choice and if the wife likes it that's a plus as well.

 

[bigbob]

Personal choice and if the wife likes it that's a plus as well.

The wife liking it is the key! The only thing that matters.

 

[Dirt_Dad]

I did know what I was getting myself into, but elected to do it anyway.

DM was happy with her Tenere, but it was too much beast for her to handle cofidently. She would have kept it without complaint, but I was burned out on her struggling more than she needed to. I knew an appropriately sized bike would be a huge improvement for her. She demands every electronic riding aid possible, but the Japanese just don't put that stuff on their smaller bikes. I had no choice but to look to Europe. At least they recognize riders under 5'8" have needs and desires, too. I gave up on the Japanese ever making something that fit her size needs and electronic/system desires.

Fortunately, so far, the only service warnings appear to be on page 6 of her TFT. A full screen warning did pop up about 300 miles from the 6K service recommendation. I'm hopeful the future reminders will be a one time thing, that then goes back to page 6. I'll track her maintenance the way I track every other bike. I'm not thrilled about the 12K valve check, but will consider it a cost of owning a BMW.

DM is extremely happy with her new bike. Everything is just easier for her. She is finding her left knee hurts when she's been on the highway for more than 4 or 5 hours without adequate opportunity to stand. It gets quite painful for her around hour 9. We're really bad at taking adequate breaks.

The main thing threatening her enjoyment of the bike is listening to me gripe about the chain. She's made it clear I can ruin her experience if I keep that up. I'm trying to keep that to myself.

 

[Checkswrecks]

... She is finding her left knee hurts when she's been on the highway for more than 4 or 5 hours without adequate opportunity to stand. It gets quite painful for her around hour 9. We're really bad at taking adequate breaks.

LOL

Glad she likes this one so much. When Mama ain't happy . . .

 

[bigbob]

The main thing threatening her enjoyment of the bike is listening to me gripe about the chain.

So ignore the chain. Worst case you replace it when you get back from Antarctica!

 

[Dirt_Dad]

Okay, maybe it's me. Maybe ... once or twice I was blamed for not being a mind reader about when to stop for a break. That usually happens any time after hour 5 on a ride.




Antarctica ... there's a thought. Certainly wouldn't be too hot.

 

[EricV]

The main thing threatening her enjoyment of the bike is listening to me gripe about the chain. She's made it clear I can ruin her experience if I keep that up. I'm trying to keep that to myself.

Highway pegs for the knee pain issue. The ability to move around more helps a lot.

On the chain, well either a oiler, (there are several, some reasonably priced, some not as much. Or just keep it clean and adjusted. Don't over clean it with harsh cleaners, just knock the dirt off now and then. I really liked the wax chain lube in spray cans for the F650GS2 when the wife had that.

 

[bigbob]

Antarctica ... there's a thought. Certainly wouldn't be too hot.

Can I tag along? I need South America!

 

[Dirt_Dad]

It does have a Scott Oiler. There is either a lot of fling, or it is not dripping at all. I have it turned down way below the 1 drop per 60 seconds. That's a real mess. Have it to a minor mess at the moment. It's a less than perfect solution.

 

[EricV]

It does have a Scott Oiler. There is either a lot of fling, or it is not dripping at all. I have it turned down way below the 1 drop per 60 seconds. That's a real mess. Have it to a minor mess at the moment. It's a less than perfect solution.

Agreed. What I'm being told by other auto oiler users is that getting the tip to drip in juuust the right spot makes a huge difference between a mess, or worse, one side of the chain being dry, the other lubed.

I resisted the auto oiler and just hit the chain with a wax spray lube. Wife was in the "don't lube it" camp, but the chains lasted longer if I lubed them every 600-1000 miles with the wax lube. Especially if we were getting rain rides in. It's a pain, but at least she had the center stand and it's quick job. Clean up at tire change times was annoying after being a shaft guy for so long.

 

[ballisticexchris]

You will find chains are not so bad. And a good 0-ring chain needs hardly any maintenance at all. I would not recommend an "automatic oiler". They are more of a pain than what they are worth. With all the miles you are doing it will end up breaking off on the first few dirt roads you take it on. As stated by Eric, wax is a decent option but does build up in the chain guide over time and leaves a messy goo behind. For multi day trips, I just kept a small can of non fling chain lube on my bike and give the chain a quick spray and wipe at the end of each ride.

 

[Dirt_Dad]

We'll see how the oiler goes. I need to adjust the tip from where I have it. But the idea of laying around in the hotel parking lot just didn't appeal to me. I'll say the jury is still out. I do know my wife isn't thrilled about all the little oily speckles all over her side cases and cable lock that was hanging behind them.

Also will need to purchase a center stand. Not something BMW saw fit to put on the bike.

 

[Dirt_Dad]

My first experience with BMW dealership maintenace. I allowed them to do the first service. Not looking forward to having them do the valve check.

I was in the garage yesterday with DM running the bike so I could set the timing of the Scott Oiler. About 3 minutes in she tells me the bike is smoking. Shut it down and see a small puddle of oil under the bike. k

Put it up on the table and it was clearly coming from the oil filter...which has not been touched since the dealer service. Oil was coating the area ahead of the filter and dripping down on the pipe. The are behind the filter was dry, but there was a coating of grime making me think there may have been some level of leakage before the episode yesterday.

Removing the filter showed a gasket in the worst condition I've ever seen.

Not sure why it waited until nearly 6000 miles to start leaking...or at least leaking enough that I could find it.

Oh, and the Scott Oiler. It recommends 1 drop per minute. I set it to 2 drops per minute and it's a freaking mess. Some kind of strange wind patters around the bike are causing the drops to get on top of the gas tank. Not sure what rate I'll need to set it to. Starting to thing I should have used the oiler money on an after market center stand and a case of chain lube.

 

[Cycledude]

One can of chain lube should last a very long time.

 

[Checkswrecks]

She probably hasn't yet found what that is doing to her pants.
argh

If she likes the bike that much, my thought is to just buy chains and be happy.

So was the service at Dulles, District, or Bobs?

 

[VPS1]

They make small cans of chain lube/wax too.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

 

[blitz11]

They make small cans of chain lube/wax too.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

Amen.

My daughter has a new KTM Duke 790. We just did a 7,000 mile trip from Montana to Maine and back. (M&Ms). Here's what we did, and we didn't adjust the chain once.

1. Make it to camp / hotel. Before we set up camp/became too comfortable, after things were unpacked, we did chain maintenance.
2. Chain maintenance was someone leaning the bike over using the side stand as a fulcrum (usually me), putting the rear wheel into the air.
3. My daughter would spray DuPont Chain Wax with Teflon on the chain with her left hand as she spun the tire with the right.

That's it. 7, 000 miles, not one chain adjustment, and we probably rode 1,500 miles in the rain. Chain looked brand new (nickle-plated links were still shiny.) Easy-peasy. Not much hassle at all.

Chains are SO good now. I have 15K miles on my Duke 690, and i've yet to adjust the chain. I do the same maintenance deal on this bike, with the exception of using BelRay Blue-Tack chain lube. That stuff makes a mess. The DuPont stuff is awesome. These chains, if you keep them lubed, will last 30K miles easy.