By Ron Schmidt
Maintenance 101 for BMW R1100 through R1200
Model years 1994 to 2007
History of the 4v BMW Twin
For decades BMW motorcycles were primarily horizontally opposed air cooled twins, commonly know as “air heads”. Beginning in 1921, they became known world-wide as reliable and comfortable long distance tools. A major re-vamp in 1970 brought them up to world class tourers. With consistent but small changes all the way to 1994 they managed to maintain a devoted but dwindling market. It was clear by the early 1980’s that the airhead would have to be redesigned if BMW wanted to continue to sell them. The airhead needed too much hand assembly, making it too expensive to produce. Additionally, the engine that was originally designed to produce 45 HP had now been stressed to over 60 HP and was showing its limitations.
In the mid 1980’s BMW introduced the K series. They were cutting edge 3 and 4 cylinder bikes, liquid cooled and fuel injected. They were met with much enthusiasm by open minded BMW riders and, more importantly, by riders who would have never considered one of the more stogy air heads. But, the loyal old BMW crowd dismissed the K series as not being a “real” BMW. Unofficially, the big wigs at BMW stated that as long as BMW will produce motorcycles, they will produce a horizontal twin. They did know that the old twin would cease to sell. Its design limitations would make it impossible to increase its power to modern levels, the architecture of the engine was visually dated, and the production costs would be prohibitively high. So, a completely new design was in order.
In 1994 BMW released the R259 series motorcycles in 1100 and 850 cc displacements. They were produced in a standard model (R), touring (RT), dual sport (GS), and sport (S) models. They quickly became known as “oil heads” because they were air and oil cooled. They had the modern updates of fuel injection, 4 valves per cylinder head designs, and more current engine architecture. ABS was available. The chassis was a complete redesign as well, featuring a Telelever front suspension, an industry first for a production motorcycle. The rear suspension was an improved variation of the Paralever found on the K series. The performance was in line with the off-brand bikes, the handling better than anything on the market at that time, and they looked very up to date. The old guard BMW riders mostly rejoiced in the oil head. Furthermore, another new market of riders who did not like the K series or the airhead was lured over to BMW. The oil head was a technological and marketing success.
They continued to be developed, changing to 1150cc, then to 1200cc models which were dubbed “hex heads” because the shape of the valve cover. The hex head models (except the R1200C series, which maintained the older oil head design) were further modified to include internal engine balancers and updated engine management systems resulting in even more power, economy, and smoothness. These updated models were once again world beaters in every category.
Despite the high technology level of the oil and hex head BMWs, they still are very owner friendly as far as maintenance is concerned. Most of the required maintenance can be performed by a detail sensitive novice with very few special tools.
We will supply the BMW maintenance checklists to anyone who wants one for their bike. Just ask! We are going to cover only part of the suggested maintenance in today’s seminar. Please understand that there is more to the maintenance needs than what this seminar covers.
Today’s seminar will include information about how to change engine oil and filter, as well as transmission and rear drive oils. Slimy stuff today, technical stuff later!
Engine Oil Change Procedure
Parts needed for this procedure:
4) Quarts BMW engine oil (15W50 Synthetic if the engine has over 6000 miles on it)
1) BMW oil filter kit Part number 11 00 1 341 616 (oil head); or 11 42 7 673 541 (hex head).
Tools needed for this procedure:
1) BMW Oil filter wrench (oil head and hex heads use different filter wrenches)
1) 8mm allen wrench
1) Torque wrench accurate from 10NM to 35NM
1) Drain pan, 5 quarts minimum size
1) Box of shop rags (for cleaning up the mess)
1) First aid kit. (Please review “legal disclaimer” below.)
Guidelines:
● Legal Disclaimer: Bavarian Motorcycle Workshop, is not responsible for any damage you cause to your motorcycle, injury to yourself or others in the nearby vicinity, property damage, wrath of significant others, devaluation of the US dollar, global warming, or anything else. You are holding the wrench; you are responsible for the outcome.
● Oils need to be changed when hot. The heat-thinned oil will flow faster, therefore flushing the sediments better. Be careful not to burn yourself with the hot oil or exhaust or engine parts near where you are working. Please review “legal disclaimer” above.
● Used engine oil is carcinogenic. And yucky. Please wear rubber gloves. Please review “legal disclaimer” above.
● Cleanliness is next to Godliness, or so I have been told. It is also next to impossible when changing oil, but make sure there is no dirt in the areas around the filler or drain plugs or the oil filter. We want only clean oil going in! Please review “legal disclaimer” above.
Specific Instructions:
1) Park the warmed motorcycle on its centerstand in an area where you can work around it.
Make sure it is stable because you will be tugging on it some.
2) Turn the motorcycle off!
3) Put an oil drain pan that can hold at least 5 quarts under the engine.
4) Remove the engine oil filler plug, located on the left valve cover.
5) Use an 8mm Allen wrench and remove the engine drain plug. The oil will come out very quickly,
so be careful not to let the splashing oil burn you. Let it drain for at least 5 minutes.
6) Remove the oil filter. It is on the bottom of the engine, near the left front corner. Use the proper oil
filter wrench, turn the filter counterclockwise. Some HOT OIL will run out.
7) Look at the drained oil. It is ok if it is dark, even blackish as that is what the detergents in it are
supposed to make it look like. If there are large amounts of metal particles in it, please call us.
We would LOVE to hear from you! Some small amount of metallic shiny stuff is normal though.
8 ) Fill the new oil filter with new oil. It will fill very slowly. Wipe the large rubber seal on the filter
with engine oil. Screw the filter onto its stub pipe. Torque it to 11NM (or 8 foot pounds if you are
using a wrench for a Chevrolet).
9) Remove the old crush gasket from the drain plug and put a new one on it. Screw the plug back
in, torque it to 30NM (21.6 foot pounds).
10) Pour the rest of the 4 quarts of oil into the filler hole. Put the filler cap back in.
11) Start the engine. Watch the oil pressure light. It should go off after 2 or 3 seconds. Run the
engine for 2 minutes in a well ventilated area (please review “legal disclaimer” above), then look
for oil leaks around the oil filter or the drain plug. If leaks exist, repair as needed.
12) Find a way to bottle up the old oil and the old filter, and then try to find some place to take it to
that will recycle it properly. Do your best not to make a mess of the trunk of your wife’s car when
transporting the old oil and filter to the recycle area. Wash out the drain pan so your cat does not
lick it and die. (Optional)
13) Ask yourself if this effort was worth saving the measly $18.00 that we charge for labor to do this
work. We even include a brake, tire, and light inspection and a professional test ride for that price.
Transmission and Rear Drive Oil Change
Parts needed for this procedure:
1-2) Quarts BMW 75w140 Synthetic Gear Oil
2-5) crush gaskets as appropriate for your particular BMW.
Tools needed for this procedure:
1) 6mm allen wrench
1) 8mm allen wrench
1) Torque wrench accurate from 10NM to 35NM
1) Drain pan, 3 quarts minimum size
1) Box of shop rags (for cleaning up the mess)
1) First aid kit. (Please review “legal disclaimer” above.)
Hex head Information:
The rear drive units on the hex head motorcycles do not require oil changes for the life of the bike, according to BMW. Therefore there is no drain plug on the rear drive unit. If I owned a hex head, I would change the rear drive fluid, but that is not included in this seminar due to the complexity of doing so.
Specific Instructions, Transmission:
1) Park the warmed motorcycle on its centerstand in an area where you can work around it.
Make sure it is stable because you will be tugging on it some.
2) Turn the motorcycle off!
3) Put an oil drain pan that can hold at least 3 quarts under the transmission.
4) Remove the transmission oil filler plug, located on the right side of the transmission housing, using an
8mm allen wrench.
5) Remove the transmission drain plug. On most models, it is on the right side of the transmission;
about 3 inches below the filler plug you just removed. On the R1200C models, there is a large plug at
the bottom of the transmission that uses a 14mm allen. It will drain the oil right on the exhaust,
cause a big mess and stink when you start the bike back up. BMW introduced the R1200C bikes to
compete in the Harley cruiser market, so the oil mess and stink might be designed into the bike on
purpose! Let the oil drain for at least 5 minutes.
6) Look at the drained oil. There will be a metallic film floating on the top of the oil; this is normal. If
there are large amounts of metal particles in the oil, please call us.
7) Remove the old crush gasket from the drain plug (except on the R1200C which does not use any
gasket) and put a new one on it. Screw the plug back in, torque it to 30NM (21.6 foot pounds) for
most models. Torque it to 55NM (39.6 foot pounds) on the R1200C.
10) Fill the transmission through the fill hole until oil runs out of it.
11) Replace the gasket on the filler plug. Install it and torque to 30NM. Ride the bike a few miles, then
look for leaks; correct if needed.
Specific Instructions, Rear drive unit:
1) Park the warmed motorcycle on its centerstand in an area where you can work around it.
Make sure it is stable because you will be tugging on it some.
2) Turn the motorcycle off!
3) Put an oil drain pan that can hold at least 1 quart under the rear drive.
4) Remove the rear drive oil filler plug, located on the rear of the drive unit, basically parallel to the
ground, using an 6mm allen wrench.
5) Remove the rear drive drain plug. It is in the very bottom of the drive unit. Let it drain for at least 5
minutes.
6) Look at the drained oil. There will be a metallic film floating on the top of the oil; this is normal. If
there are large amounts of metal particles in the oil, please call us.
7) Look at the magnet on the drain plug. There will be some filings on it. They should be powder like.
If you rub them between your fingers, you should not be able to feel any sharpness or dimension to
them. If there are any particles that you can actually feel, please bring them in for us to see. The
large bearing on the ring gear has proved to be prone to failure. Larger particles on the magnet could
be the first warning of a failing bearing. Clean all particles off the drain plug magnet.
8 ) Remove the old crush gasket from the drain plug and replace with a new one. Screw the plug back
in, torque it to 23NM (16.6 foot pounds).
9) Fill the rear drive through the fill hole until the oil level is even with the bottom thread.
10) Replace the gasket on the filler plug. Install it and torque to 23NM (16.6 General Motors foot
pounds). Ride the bike a few miles, then look for leaks; correct if needed.
