Vibrations after the service?

[prachster]

So, I recently finished the 12K service at 14K. All Oil changed, fuel filter, air filter, new sparks (4), valve adjust and TB sync'd.

It feels like I now have made it worse. More vibrations and 8% - 10% less mpgs. I put 2k miles after this - and still the same.

Before I go the the stealership, I wanted to shout out for help here. Any suggestions?

Thanks in advance,

Sanjay

[omg1010]

Sanjay,

unfortunately the boxer engines are always a good source of vibes. However if these got worse after the service I would go back to you professional stealer and complain about the same. Could be the valve adjustment or the sync procedure which was not done properly.

Brgds
Oliver

[macx]

Being you've got new plugs - which I discovered the hard way can be a source of significant
vibration of they're getting old - I'd definitely have to agree it's a less than optimum setting on
either/both TB sync or valve settings.

It's concensus that the dealers have an "acceptable range" within which they will set the valves
and sync the TB's, esp on the valves.

An owner is almost always more careful to get the valve settings not only correct but as close to
each other as possible. And it's surprising how much difference a couple of thousandth's can make
in the vibration and mileage.

It would be quite a coincidence if one of your stick coils had started to go bad right while the dealer
had it. That's the other common gremlin that can cause vibration.

[ColumbiaBMW]

I believe the original poster was saying he did the work himself, so I would just advise you to take it to the dealership and have them check the TB sync you did. I would say that's more than likely the cause of your bikes vibration and rough running based on how you say it's behaving now.

[CycleRob]

prachster,

You said you synched the TB's but did not say what you used. We also have no info on what screws were turned to set the idle speed. If you used a TwinMax with an expiring battery -or- if it wasn't properly zero'd -or- you adjusted the blue painted throttle stop screws to set the idle, we have the "why" answer to how it is now vibrating more than before the service. The least expensive way to make it right again is to walk through the whole valve adjustment and TB synch procedures again with someone qualified to do so and make yourself a tinted water filled differential manometer for the TB synch. The indicated sensitivity and absolute accuracy of the water stick is many times better than the coarse resolution of the (expensive) TwinMax's tiny dial scale. That fact was visually proven to me and the attendees of my last Tech Session when we rechecked the TB synch after it was perfectly set with a TwinMax and we saw about a 2" (50mm) error in the water column.

[Boxer]

Cyclerob is an obsessive fussy-duddy when it comes to bikes, but as we all know, he's usually right...DAMMIT! I'm with him on this one also. Not knowing your level of competency, it is impossible to give advice except to try it again as he says.

When I owned mine, I would tune it up just right and take off for that first ride...and it was sooo smooth and nice for about 1/4 mile and then it would be right back to the old vibrating, noisy oilhead that I had been riding all along.

[prachster]

Thank you all for your replies.

ClcleRob, Boxer: I used the WM that I learnt to make from you guys (- and yes, it is very sensitive). It was my first time for valves and TB though.

May be I should try one more time to do the valves and TB. I would really hate it if,

by coincidence, one of your stick coils had started to go bad right while the dealer had it.

Or, may be its just in my head and I was expecting it more smooth now that I worked on it....

I will keep ya'll posted..

Sanjay

[Dr. Strangelove]

Or, may be its just in my head and I was expecting it more smooth now that I worked on it....

but you said the mpg decreased 10%. Assuming you were comparing like riding styles, eg, highway to highway and not highway to city, that's a LOT.

Do as the others have said, but if you come up empty there, the stick coils need investigation---do a search on this site.

Stick coils can produce subtle or dramatic changes. When mine went bad the major symptom was a loss of mpg and it was about the same as yours, 8-10%. I could have imagined that the performance was slightly less, but that was VERY subtle.
I thought it was the TB sync, but that was spot on or nearly so.

Not only that I am always afraid I am going to damage one of them when I disconnect the spark plugs for a valve adjust. I really don't know how robust is the construction, but they look like they can be damaged.

Let us know what you turn up

Good luck
John

[MoonBeemer]

Cant the spark coils be checked by using a VOM to check the resistance through the spark coils?

[prachster]

John,

Driving conditions are the same - back and forth to work - 22miles each way, same rout, same gas station, etc. >= 180 miles per 4 glns to now about 160 - 165 miles - which, I think it is still good but, there ought to be a reason to this and I do not wanna keep riding if something like a coil is bad. I will research this board and see how can I be sure if it is bad.

Thanks,
Sanjay

[CycleRob]

Check the vacuum hoses on the bottom of each TB, the ones you removed for the TB synch. Make sure they are not split open at the end or in the bend. Owners sometimes pull strongly on these hoses to remove them, instead of pushing them off from the end with a tool like needle nose pliers.

[MIXR]

I'd be looking at valves and TB again. Remember that your valve clearances will change as you do up the lock-nut. You need to allow for the change in your setting procedure (maybe you know that already). My gut says TB synch. I used to get a lot of vibes off my R if that was out. I believe the effect is more pronounced with TB than valves, but that's just my experience. I can't see any reason why you would take it to a dealer to 'fix' if you had the balls to give it a go yourself already. And check those blanking plugs or the 'balance' hose ends if you are using one to link the two TBs. Good luck.