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

Today I noticed the right edge of my rear tire was oily. It has been raining so much lately that I haven't thought twice of any moisture on my tire. It has dried up and there is still a ring of moisture on my right edge. I was suspicious so I took a look at my final drive and noticed it might have been leaking out of the drain plug. So I checked the level and the level seems fine. But, the fluid doesn't look fine. The oil looks milky. The last time I checked I thought it was clear. But I want to get someone elses opinion on this, cause maybe I'm wrong...god I hope I'm wrong.

Get the FD oil heated up from a ride and drain it overnight in a dry windless location. The milky appearance indicates the presence of WATER!!
Water not good!! It'll haze and/or rust bearing balls, races and gear teeth, then an expensive replacement is likely. Do it soon!!

Thank you!

Well I warmed it up and drained it...the sludge that came out of there appeared to be about a 1/2 to 1/2 mix of oil and fine puree'd steel.
I don't think the milky appearance was water. I think it was my final drive itself, ground to fine sand.

Some of that is normal. How many miles on the bike? Miles since last FD fluid change? Oil on the rim is a bad sign, but if the leak is indeed out the plug, rather than through the seal, things might not be so bad.

The bike has nearly 23,000 miles on the bike. I have never changed the fluid. I got the bike around 10,000. The oil was leaking from the plug. There was a droplet forming on the plug when I inspected it.

The first thing I'd check is side-play in the rear wheel, then I'd look for any roughness as you turn the wheel by hand in neutral. If you have any side-play or roughness, that's bad. You might need a new FD or FD bearing. If everything's tight and smooth, flush out the final drive, replace the fluid and check it again soon. If the drain's leaking, see if a new gasket helps.

There are others on this board with more expertise, (CycleRob?) so let's hope they chime in.

There is several mm of side to side play on the rear tire. It's okay. I'm desensitized to the pain now. I just need a new FD.

Whoops. Dang. I feel your pain; it happened to me. Luckily, I was able to find a low-miles used FD, got it with installation for only $450, as I recall.

What do you guys think of this FD unit? Will it work on my R1150R? Do any of you know how the gears will change? http://www.beemerboneyard.com/33112330382.html

Thanks for all your help so far.

You will want to check the gear ratios for the R1100R. It will make a difference in RPM vs MPH.

Yeah I checked on it. I will acc. faster. But my RPMs will be about 300 higher at higher speeds.