FRONT/REAR SEALS

[Billymac]

Shiva, I'm dying here....I bought a 99' K12RS last summer. It was/is mint condition and had 21k (now has 25k). I had parked it over the winter months (I live in Seattle) and after dusting it off and taking it for a ride the other day, I come to find that I have an oil leak. Since I'm mechanically challenged, I take it into the local BMW dealership so they can diagnose the problem...With my limited knowledge of motors, I figured it was a valve cover gasket or something simple like that. Well, thats not the case..its the front seal AND the rear seal and a HUGE amount of money to fix it (mostly labor costs). My question is....once fixed, how long will/should the seals last for. Is this an expense that I should expect every few thousand miles or will the fix last????

Sincerely,

A frustrated K12RS owner

[SHIVA]

once fixed you're ok for a long time. I'd say 20K... the seals go due to mileage and age. you don't have the mileage, but you got the age on that bike... sorry, but its pretty common high mileage problem on this bike...

[Billymac]

Shiva,

Thanks for the quick response....thats reassuring.

[BimBum]

...Shiva! Billymac! You guys are freaking me out here! Please be more specific about your seal failure problems.

Are you speaking of transmission or engine seals?

Right now, I have a heap of empathy with Billymac and his upcoming hosing from a dealership workshop, having just winced @ length in my "HeartWarming Tale" posts about the expense of rectifying an ABS failure on my bolide.

For any other casual observer looking in, I have done 1000's of miles on models from this marque, and I have never suffered from anything like the amount of hassle I'm getting from this current machine.

Did build quality take a big nose dive around the turn of the millenium!

Yikes! Is my once favorite ride poised to empty my bank balance over our repatriation time together!!!

[SHIVA]

my seals failed at 50K miles. that's not bad at all. but they also happen to age, so if a bike sits around year after year with no mileage, the seals will eventually need to be replaced as well due to age. but normally they don't go at 20K miles, that's too quick.

[Billymac]

Bim Bum...My issues revolve around the engine seals (both the front and the rear) The concern with the rear is that the leak will/may eventually leak into the clutch which will result in total clutch replacement. The sad part...the parts are a mere fraction of the cost to fix the problem (isn't this usually the case)....10 hrs to fix the rear seal....thats where you get raked over the coals....

[BimBum]

Shiva and Billymac. Thanks for the replies there.

Shiva, yes, this certainly seems to be the case with my latest "low mileage" machine, as I now have an oil leak from the wiper seal on the r/h fork tube. On closer inspection, the chrome plating on the tubes is also pickling and flaking off to but not in the area of travel that is in contact with the lip of the seal.

As all the telelever damping and control is caried out by the main shock, Is this something I can disregard until the next service interval?

This is where I am right with Billymac y'see... I wonder what a front fork strip down with perhaps new or re-chromed struts is going to set me back.

[SHIVA]

no, it's not a big deal, it has happened to be twice, just wrap a little rage around the fork seal and ride for a little while. there are no springs in those forks only oil and they basically don't do too much, as you said, the main front shock does almost all the work.

[BimBum]

Ok, thanks for the reassurance there Shiva.

Now I can just get on with running her in and clocking on up to the 20,000 miles marker....The magic number for these motors apparently. thats when all the close tolerance clearances and Nickasil barrels start to ease enough to let her free up and unleash the full potential of the 130bhp (at the crank of course)

[scorpion 237]

Rrrrrrr,
Sorry not the wharf seal i guess..
I just went thru the same drill. Had the end off and the rear done then when they went back together they told me the front alos need to be replaced.
I had about 50K on mine so ahead of the game I dare-say.
It sits in a grinnall scorpion and does quite well.
I have just obtained a salvage 02' k12rs.
it will see the road again asap.
scorpion

[Fen]

Well I just had a diagnosis on the 2003 K1200GT from the BMW Dealership locally here. The bike went in for a safety check and an oil change. It was bought used 3 weeks ago in Florida, driven up here to Connecticut in 2 days and ran great. It was a reassurance thing to have the bike checked out so it was....

Here's what the dealership said, needing seals for the transmission. It's a 2003, about 7,000 miles on it. I really didn't see any oil dripping - parked. What's the drill for a Do It Your Self type handling the seal change? Is it a big deal? Buy the manual and follow the steps or is it more complicated resulting in bearing presses or extractors, etc....

Anyone here ever done it on a 2003 K1200GT? The dealership wants $1,500 for the job. Problem being, I do not trust it will be done correctly and as well the search for "nickles and dimes" to pull in their "end of month."

What say everyone on this?

In appreciation,
Fen