Would you do it?

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two wheel tango
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Would you do it?

Post by two wheel tango »

Ok this is all very subjective. And maybe I just need to allay some of the fears in the back of my mind.

I leave in two weeks for a solo ride - Minneapolis to Nova Scotia by way of New England. Ferry up to Newfoundland and back to Nova Scotia. Make my way back home on the Canadian side... Prince Edward Island/ New Brunswick/ Quebec/ Ontario. No set route or itinerary just play each day by ear. Need to be back at work in 17 days - So I'll adjust accordingly as I see fit.

Here's the problem: The bike's got about 72K. I do all of the routine maintenance myself but let the shop handle the ABS flush. The motors spinning like a top and been lovingly abused for every one of those miles. I glean from the postings her that I'm likely not a candidate for a spline failure given the mileage but I do worry about a FD failure.

I can't discern any play (maybe I'm not doing it right) that I should be worried about -- Its more or less the general internet chatter that the FD will fail sooner or later. The last FD oil change came up with virtually zero of the usual fine sludge around the plug but then again I did swap to the regular BMW GL5 oil they recommend for final drives for no good reason other than it was convenient (and cheaper!) to buy it at the time; Mobil 1 prior to that.

Other than that I don't perceive there to be any other mechanical issues I need to be immediately sensitive about.

Sooo -- Would you do it? Can you allay my fears?

Ps. I'm not even sure I'll listen to advice I don't want to hear :-P
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Re: Would you do it?

Post by Flashdog »

Well, while it may seem an irresponsible move I'd go and enjoy my trip. You know your bike and her sounds better than anyone else. Go and have a great time and take lots of pictures.
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maduko
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Simple question, simple answer.

Post by maduko »

Yes.
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hank
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Re: Would you do it?

Post by hank »

Have a look at this post from UKGS'er and check your bearing , probably costs about $35 to buy a new seal. http://www.ukgser.com/forums/showthread.php?t=159180



Have a good trip

Hank.
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Re: Would you do it?

Post by boxermania »

Sounds like an exciting must do trip.......all good travelers plan for the trip and plan for any eventualities as we mortals can't predict the future.

Your bike seems sound and well past the time when the failures reared their ugly head.....press on, enjoy and take lots of pics.

Good luck to you..... =D> =D>
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Re: Would you do it?

Post by sjbmw »

If I could get the time off work for a ride like that I'd do it on a scooter.

Get a roadside assistance policy, and the addresses of all the BMW dealers on near your route. Then go for it, you are covered.

One of the nice perks to a MOA membership is the Anonymous book.
A listing of members in every town, with a list of services they can help you get access to, from coffee and muffins, to a bike rebuild.

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Re: Would you do it?

Post by wncbmw »

Ride! Sounds like a great trip and as has been said, you are past the mileage the FD issues usually show up, so it sounds like you have a good one! The FD will give you a little warning also, unlike the clutch spline failures!

Back in the day, most folks would not think twice about a trip on a BMW with that mileage! While I have no doubt there are some problems with today's bikes (I had a FD failure at 42K), the internet has certainly created a lot of extra anxiety!

The advice about the Anonymous Book and Roadside Assistance is good. Makes sense to be prepared but no sense in unnecessary worrying. Enjoy and we expect a trip report! :D
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Re: Would you do it?

Post by GypsyRR »

I'd do it. You'll love Newfoundland. In fact, I'm trying to think through the possibilities of doing a trip like you are proposing within the next two years. Be sure to visit the west coast of Newfoundland as well as Gros Morne. From Stephenville, head north along the coast. There are some beautiful scenes along the way. Watch for Moose though.

Besides the other tips given, you might want to consider securing one of the SPOT devices for a time where you might not have cell signals and need help. (www.findmespot.com) Although I've not had to use the safety features of it yet, it has given me a lot of confidence and assurance to go into areas where there may not be the best signals. And there are plenty of places like that in Newfoundland.
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Re: Would you do it?

Post by combustor777 »

Don't listen to these guys. They don't have their butts in the seat for thousands of miles from nowhere. Your bike is a ticking time-bomb. Luckily it has held together this far but I wouldn't push it another mile without a chase vehicle. You are probably better served to part it out on ebay or sell it to the beemer boneyard as parts than to try and keep riding it and have a catastrophic failure that turns it into a worthless heap. Your clutch splines must have been accidently heat treated during manufacturing because normally they are engineered to fail at 36,001 miles so that the customer buys another bike instead of riding it as long as you have without keeping BMW in business with steady payments. It is foolish to think that an error was made in EVERY manufacturing process on your bike and it was put together with none of the built-in failures intact. If you do take the risk, heed the advice of the others and TAKE PICS! so we can see the carnage (the reason they wouldn't tell you for the camera).
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rdsmith3
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Re: Would you do it?

Post by rdsmith3 »

I recently got the "RV Roadhelp" plan from Allstate Motorclub. It costs about $99/year, and it provides unlimited towing for all your vehicles, including your motorcycle. IMO, both AAA and BMW MOA had gotten over-priced for what they offer. I terminated both of them and got this plan for less money with better coverage. It also provides trip cancellation coverage.

So, YES, I would definitely do this trip.
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jas
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Re: Would you do it?

Post by jas »

Many on this board have taken trips no lesser than the one you are planning on high mileage steeds - without incident. And just like anything that happens in life, should an unfavorable bread-down occur, learn from it, extract the positives. The internet is a great place to read about problems, but also a great place for positive reinforcement. Visit AdvRider and take note of the 100K+ mile GS bikes that continue to make successful transcontinental trips.

If you want to take your R, go the extra mile and insure your tires are up for it, have a competent mechanic go over the bike with a fine-toothed comb (or do it yourself). Learn everything you can about the bike and take reference material and spare parts for expected issues (oil site glass, small air pump, plugs, coil, whatever).

If I had the time and could put my family on the back of the bike, I would do it in a second.
Last edited by jas on Thu Jun 18, 2009 5:54 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Would you do it?

Post by Daryl.Stamp »

Go. It's not an adventure until something goes wrong anyway.
I'm in the middle of the Fingerlakes of NY, so you're likely to pass my way.
MLW & I are planning a trip to the same part of the country for the week of July 6-10.
PM me if you want; you're welcome to spend a night at our place on the way through.

DLS
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iowabeakster
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Re: Would you do it?

Post by iowabeakster »

Sooo -- Would you do it? Can you allay my fears?
Yes, and Yes...If you let me go along. You can ride mine, my bike has far fewer miles. I'll ride yours. But, you will need to gift me enough money to cover my loss for the time off work.

Have FUN! Take pictures.
I was dreaming when I wrote this, forgive me if it goes astray...
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Re: Would you do it?

Post by combustor777 »

combustor777 wrote:Don't listen to these guys. They don't have their butts in the seat for thousands of miles from nowhere. Your bike is a ticking time-bomb. Luckily it has held together this far but I wouldn't push it another mile without a chase vehicle. You are probably better served to part it out on ebay or sell it to the beemer boneyard as parts than to try and keep riding it and have a catastrophic failure that turns it into a worthless heap. Your clutch splines must have been accidently heat treated during manufacturing because normally they are engineered to fail at 36,001 miles so that the customer buys another bike instead of riding it as long as you have without keeping BMW in business with steady payments. It is foolish to think that an error was made in EVERY manufacturing process on your bike and it was put together with none of the built-in failures intact. If you do take the risk, heed the advice of the others and TAKE PICS! so we can see the carnage (the reason they wouldn't tell you for the camera).
In case it's not obvious I said this tongue in cheek
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priapismic
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Re: Would you do it?

Post by priapismic »

+1 on the advice to get a reliable road service - I also have KOA Campground's RV Roadhelp, which uses Allstate Motor Club to provide roadside services - and +1 on keeping BMWMOA's Anonymous Book handy. Just make sure whatever road service you sign up for provides service in Canada, including the Maritime Provinces you'll be travelling through. Not all road services will cover you up there.

+1 also on Gypsy's idea of the SPOT personal locator, sounds like a great idea.

Have a credit card handy - just in case - relax, have fun, be like Gypsy and talk to people, and post a ride report when you return!
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two wheel tango
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Re: Would you do it?

Post by two wheel tango »

Whoa! Quite the chatter on this thread today, eh? Thanks for the advice, good cheer - And humor too (combustor777)!

Roger that on roadside assistance and the anonymous book. I presumed the MOA roadside assistance does not have coverage in Canada - Will look into this. And the Anonymous book... How could I forget?! Of course, it will be a mission to find this years book now that I have a need for it... its buried in my den somewhere.

Yeah I worry about the FD failure (or any other critical failure) - Particularly so this time because I'm running solo in regions where parts and/or services may be hard to come by. Just needed to vent about the nagging worry in the back of my head. Anything unexpected automatically gets filed in the 'the real adventure starts now' category so I reckon my perspective is in order.

So this is the upside of involuntary furlough... a spur of the moment decision (came at it last week) and a free wheeling schedule... all the makings for an invigorating road trip!
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rdsmith3
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Re: Would you do it?

Post by rdsmith3 »

Maybe you mentioned this, but at 72K miles you are due for another poly V belt replacement.
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two wheel tango
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Re: Would you do it?

Post by two wheel tango »

rdsmith3 wrote:Maybe you mentioned this, but at 72K miles you are due for another poly V belt replacement.
Changed once at about 40K. Still looks good... I'm gonna pick up some spares to carry regardless so I might as well add this to the pack list just in case. Thanks for the reminder.
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