BMW R1200R R1150R/T F800 K1200R R1100R/T R1250R RnineT Message Board

So I called BMW of Orlando first. I tell them I need a brake flush on an 04 Rockster. The guy has never heard of the Rockster. He then tells me that a full fluid flush of brakes, tranny and oil change with a diagnostic service is $350. Yet, he’s never heard of a Rockster. So he’s losing credibility. I call Daytona BMW which is slightly further for me but may have a mechanic familiar with the Rockster. He tells me that just the brake flush alone because it’s a servo brake system will be just under $400 if nothing needs replacing. Just labor and fluid. he then tells me that when I get there we can talk about checking the clutch, splines and valves. He adds that at 41,000 miles it’s also probably due. I have come to the conclusion that I am eager to learn and become fully self sufficient in BMW maintenance. I was hoping that for the first brake service to have it done by the dealer just to ensure a safe procedure but perhaps finding tech day in Central Florida is my wisest choice. I am also a little disappointed that the Orlando shop tech has never heard of the Rockster.

Hidalgo wrote:So I called BMW of Orlando first. I tell them I need a brake flush on an 04 Rockster. The guy has never heard of the Rockster. He then tells me that a full fluid flush of brakes, tranny and oil change with a diagnostic service is $350. Yet, he’s never heard of a Rockster. So he’s losing credibility. I call Daytona BMW which is slightly further for me but may have a mechanic familiar with the Rockster. He tells me that just the brake flush alone because it’s a servo brake system will be just under $400 if nothing needs replacing. Just labor and fluid. he then tells me that when I get there we can talk about checking the clutch, splines and valves. He adds that at 41,000 miles it’s also probably due. I have come to the conclusion that I am eager to learn and become fully self sufficient in BMW maintenance. I was hoping that for the first brake service to have it done by the dealer just to ensure a safe procedure but perhaps finding tech day in Central Florida is my wisest choice. I am also a little disappointed that the Orlando shop tech has never heard of the Rockster.

The Rockster is a 10 year old bike now (at LEAST, depending on market and when the last machines were sold). We're at least 2 generations of Boxer engine and model series beyond it, and it wasn't a popular model anyway. No surprise that a service manager (who is likely to have been working for BMW for 5-6 years) may well not know the model immediately.

They'll then check on their service charts to get the factory spec work times up for quote - won't tell them anything about the bike, but it's the direct piece of information you were after.

Hidalgo wrote:So I called BMW of Orlando first. I tell them I need a brake flush on an 04 Rockster. The guy has never heard of the Rockster. He then tells me that a full fluid flush of brakes, tranny and oil change with a diagnostic service is $350. Yet, he’s never heard of a Rockster. So he’s losing credibility. I call Daytona BMW which is slightly further for me but may have a mechanic familiar with the Rockster. He tells me that just the brake flush alone because it’s a servo brake system will be just under $400 if nothing needs replacing. Just labor and fluid. he then tells me that when I get there we can talk about checking the clutch, splines and valves. He adds that at 41,000 miles it’s also probably due. I have come to the conclusion that I am eager to learn and become fully self sufficient in BMW maintenance. I was hoping that for the first brake service to have it done by the dealer just to ensure a safe procedure but perhaps finding tech day in Central Florida is my wisest choice. I am also a little disappointed that the Orlando shop tech has never heard of the Rockster.

I personally would NOT pay that.

Plenty of documentation on procedure online. Or better yet, the manual. Presuming the 04 rockster is similar to the 1150r ABS, it should take you maybe an hour(or 2 depending on beers consumed) POSITIVELY would not have it done by a supposed BMW shop that doesn't know what their own bikes are. Walk, no run away from that place.


now the clutch spline on the other hands... you'll have to do some research and decide if you're ready to tackle it. Its VERY pricey labor-wise. I believe I was told the book time was 10+ hrs. My quote was minimum of $1200. but to expect $1600+. I spent two afternoons on it. 12 hrs total, including a fuel safety circuit connector I forgot to check the plug on while completing it.

Its certainly not easy. but its definitely not worth $1600(to me).

I probably spent a year before pumping myself up to do it with research. There's plenty out there.


good luck.

Good advice all the way around Peels! About 7 years ago I lubed the splines on my 1988 K75C. It was an 8 hour job. The previous owner of the bike did 60% of the work while I mostly held wrenches, handed him screwdrivers and lifted heavy stuff while observing a master at work. It was surprisingly fun work. I always said I had the “enema touch” as opposed to the “Midas Touch”. I tend to turn things to crap when I touch them.
I was made aware of these two DVD’s available for guys like me. (I am a liberal arts graduate) I will be purchasing both: The R1150 video-http://www.jimvonbaden.com/Oilhead_R110 ... -2006.html
and the R1200 that has the servo assisted ABS brake service chapter-http://www.jimvonbaden.com/Hexhead_R1200_2004-2009.html

If somebody has a better idea or knows of a better produced instructional DVD, I will absolutely buy it. It’s likely these 2 DVD series will help me get years and years of riding enjoyment.

Hidalgo wrote:Good advice all the way around Peels! About 7 years ago I lubed the splines on my 1988 K75C. It was an 8 hour job. The previous owner of the bike did 60% of the work while I mostly held wrenches, handed him screwdrivers and lifted heavy stuff while observing a master at work. It was surprisingly fun work. I always said I had the “enema touch” as opposed to the “Midas Touch”. I tend to turn things to crap when I touch them.
I was made aware of these two DVD’s available for guys like me. (I am a liberal arts graduate) I will be purchasing both: The R1150 video-http://www.jimvonbaden.com/Oilhead_R110 ... -2006.html
and the R1200 that has the servo assisted ABS brake service chapter-http://www.jimvonbaden.com/Hexhead_R1200_2004-2009.html

If somebody has a better idea or knows of a better produced instructional DVD, I will absolutely buy it. It’s likely these 2 DVD series will help me get years and years of riding enjoyment.

that JVB DVD is splendid.

lol at the enema touch. I am a "parts and tool dropper" Every time. lose a bolt... use it in the wrong spot. set a tool down, lose it.... i annoy myself.

I bought my bike, after daydreaming about it since its release(12yrs). had major financial setback right at the time, and sort of forgot about it until I saw one in a local ad, for 4500 bucks. no research, no nothing. just bought it THEN I start reading... horror stories about splines. and abs. and final drives....

but the spline issue... was nagging at me. made me feel like I was riding a time bomb. about a year and a half, before I decided "OK lets do this" I feel WAY better about my bike. the splines were 100% fine. And I feel like a dweeb for worrying so much. but the internet can do that to you lol.

It wasnt near as bad as I thought....BUT, I got in a hurry, forgot something. had to re-hinge the frame back up. and when I did, I Unplugged a connector on the side stand safety circuit.(which i couldnt see, and isn't in wiring diagrams) It kills the fuel pump. theres a thread by me here.

Peels! I feel so, SO much better. Your feeling about the splines and the time bomb were my same feelings a few weeks ago. I did some research and most of what I read was “The Rockster 1150 is one of the most reliable Bmers made". I read that a few times. Then I read that the R1200 were the most common and notorious for spline issues and that the 1150 were not really included. After owning a really high maintenance K75, I wanted nothing to do with spline lube every two years. So, I bought the bike with little hesitation. Then, while searching for maintenance videos and tutorials in YOUTUBE I saw this guy: Chris Harris going ons and on and on about how all, and he clarified, ALL R bikes with 6 speed tranny had the flawed designed of short spline shaft as well as this little horror story : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PdVvxMwz_A. Then this one: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P8do1oqeTzw. All these and many more stories make me regret selling my Suzuki Gixer 1000 as well as just repairing my K75 and realize that the spline lube every 2 years is a small price to pay. Yet, this Rockster is way too much fun, too gorgeous and such a perfect fit for me that I am ready to become a maintenance beast and possibly master Motorrad mechanic!

Those Chris Harris videos that you link to are indeed more than a touch alarmist. Just because the clutch friction plate's hub on hydraulically-actuated single-plate dry-clutched bikes doesn't completely cover the full length of the gearbox-input splined rod, does NOT mean that the component is automatically doomed to fail.
Back in the days when he made those videos, when he was Affordable Beemer Services, dear Chris was so persuasive and dogmatic; now, since his major health scare, and with different workshop assistants, he's become calmer, more equananimous ( is that a word ? ) less opinionated and thus a offers great deal more help to Weekend Warriors like us in his more recent U-Toob offerings.
Stop worrying about premature spline-wear on a Rockster. The reported failures were a component batch-fault at the Spandau factory which was quickly sorted out.
Please, just ride....but remember to operate the clutch lever always like an on-off switch. No slipping, and no standing at a red light with the lever held in ! !

No disrespect to Peels, but he's probably a better wrench than he's letting on if he did the brake flush in 1-2 hours. I think my record was 4, but it was probably 5. I suck, I'm clumsy and I have big paws. But I'm aware of that, so I take my time, particularly with a fiddly job like an servo ABS flush. If I had known what I was getting into, and my local dealer offered $400 OTD... So I'll put it this way. 7 years ago, dead of winter, and wasn't going to ride anyway? Had enough free time? Why not, I can watch that JVB video over and over again until I got my confidence up. Right now, with it 80F, and I have NO time... here you go Mr. Dealer, happy to pay you to get me on the road. Maybe not with Mr. Whats-a-rockster, though. BTW, I did those jobs completely by myself. When I helped my buddy on his bike, we got it done in 2 hours. I'm sure you can handle it, just bear in mind it's a fiddly job. Good luck!

jfslater98 wrote:No disrespect to Peels, but he's probably a better wrench than he's letting on if he did the brake flush in 1-2 hours. I think my record was 4, but it was probably 5. I suck, I'm clumsy and I have big paws. But I'm aware of that, so I take my time, particularly with a fiddly job like an servo ABS flush. If I had known what I was getting into, and my local dealer offered $400 OTD... So I'll put it this way. 7 years ago, dead of winter, and wasn't going to ride anyway? Had enough free time? Why not, I can watch that JVB video over and over again until I got my confidence up. Right now, with it 80F, and I have NO time... here you go Mr. Dealer, happy to pay you to get me on the road. Maybe not with Mr. Whats-a-rockster, though. BTW, I did those jobs completely by myself. When I helped my buddy on his bike, we got it done in 2 hours. I'm sure you can handle it, just bear in mind it's a fiddly job. Good luck!

i can totally agree here!!! AND No worries. you are correct to question me.

thats really an estimate based on only getting the back done...and AFTER learning how it works...

Actually. I royally screwed it up, because I didn't look at the manual. the BACK took me an hour, because of my errors. it was then, and partly due to the draggy brake, that I made up my mind to just remove the ABS altogether.

If your bike has servo ABS ,doing the fluid change is not the big deal , but clearing the fault codes is . Nine years ago BMW of Atlanta charged me $250.00 .