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Spring Ride Checkup
by Ron Schmidt
Spring is nearly here! Yahoooooo! Now is the time to get your BMW motorcycle ready for the season rather than having it in the shop when the weather is beautiful and the call of the road is loud and insistent!
If you correctly prepared your BMW for storage, all you will need to do is check the tire pressures and start up and go. If, on the other hand, you did as most of us do and put the bike away with every good intent to do the winterization and just never got around to it, or you have been riding it intermittently all winter long, you may need to do a bit more. This seminar is aimed directly at us procrastinators.
Fuel
This winter was pretty mild and most of us rode enough to need to put fuel in the bikes a couple times at least during the winter. If this describes you, then do not worry about the fuel because you have diluted the old stuff enough to minimize any problems long term storage might have caused. On the other hand, if you did not ride since autumn and if you did not stabilize the fuel with Sta-Bil or similar when you put the bike away, you might need to do a bit more. When you start the bike, if it does not run well you may need to drain the old fuel and replace it with new. If you are lucky and left the bike with only ½ full tank or less, you may be able to just fill it up and be OK. Dilution is the solution to pollution in this case. If you still are having running problems, you can drain the old fuel into a safe container save it for your lawnmower and put new fuel in the tank of your BMW.
If the motorcycle is fuel injected and you have stored it a very long time (like a year or more) with less than a full tank of stabilized fuel, you may have damaged the rubber parts in the tank -- sometimes even the fuel pump will self destruct due to corrosion. If you cannot hear the fuel pump running when you push the starter button, don’t continue to try to start the bike.
Battery
Battery Fluid -- If you did not put your battery on a battery tender it is may be ruined from sitting. Look carefully at the battery. The cases on the BMW lead acid batteries are translucent. If you can see a white growth inside the battery it is sulfated and is no longer serviceable; replace the battery. Also, if the battery is badly discharged and has been sitting where it is cold, check to see that the case is not bulging anywhere. A discharged battery can freeze; when it does the case will bulge. Often, these batteries will begin to leak which will cause really disgusting cosmetic damage to your pride and joy. If the case is bulged, replace the battery. If you cannot see any sulfation or bulging, top the fluid level up to the maximum line on the battery case with distilled waterand put the battery on a motorcycle battery charger.
Charging / Tending-- Please note that a motorcycle battery charger is not the same as a car battery charger! A car charger is made to work on much larger batteries and will ruin your BMW motorcycle battery. If you have a newer BMW with the Gel battery it needs a different charger. If you do not have a battery tender and are going to buy one, the new BMW Charger (part # 99 99 0 005 656 which we just happen to have in stock!) will work on any motorcycle battery.
Important K1200LT Note: If you have a K1200LT DO NOT EVEN TRY TO START IT until you are sure the battery is in at least fair condition. This model has the ability to have its starter relay stick if the battery is very low and the repair is quite expensive.
Tires
Take a really good look at the tires on your BMW. Check carefully for weather cracking in the tread groves and on the sidewalls. If there is any cracking, renew the tires. Check the tread depth in several places around the tire. If there is any place on the tire that has less than 2mm of tread, renew the tire. Your BMW will handle poorly if the tires are worn; on some models the handling really falls off even when the tires are only ½ worn. If the bike seems to be sluggish handling, it could be just the tires. Front tires tend to wear on the left hand side in the U.S. The primary reason is the crown on the road. This left side wear shows up more on some types of tires than others but will always be there. As this wear develops, the steering will begin to be heavy. As the rear tire wears, it develops a flat spot around the middle of tire. This also gives heaver handling as it wears because the tire’s cross section becomes square instead of rounded. The weight of the bike then has to be lifted up off the flat or square area onto the side to make the bike lean. On most bikes, as this wear gets really bad it can lead to handle bar oscillation or shimmy.
Also, take a look at the DOT numbers stamped on the sides of tires. These are helpful to know when the tire was manufactured. The last four digits of the D.O.T. number (usually stamped in an oval) indicate the year and week of manufacturer, e.g., a tire stamped 3204 means the tire was made in the 32nd week of 2004. If your tire only has 3 digits in its DOT code, it means it was manufactured before 01/01/2000. It would be a good idea to replace any tire that is more than 4 years old because the rubber gets harder with time and these old tires may not give the grip you need to be safe.
General Checks
Look over the bike for corrosion. Touch up areas if rust exists. This is particularly of concern on side and centerstands and areas of the frame near the wheels where the road grit acts like a sandblaster.
Check that all the lights, turn signals, and horn function properly. Twist the throttle and see if it snaps back to off position. If not, you may have sticking cables. Try the clutch and make sure it operates smoothly.
Wash Your Motorcycle
If there is any road salt on the motorcycle, wash it off with coldwater mixed with 50% Simple Green or similar solution. Wash the entire bike with a good quality car wash shampoo. Car wash shampoos do not remove the wax, while dish soap or Simple Green does remove the wax. The better quality shampoos also contain a small amount of wax. Thoroughly dry the motorcycle. Wax all the painted parts with a
high quality wax. The time spent washing and waxing your BMW will give you the opportunity to really carefully look at it, plus the motorcycle will appreciate your attention and will run better because it knows you love it!
Check The Service History
Mileage Related Service -- Your newer BMW motorcycle requires maintenance every 6,000 miles and ALSO annually. The work that is performed at the 6,000 mile (BMW Service) and 12,000 mile (BMW Inspection) intervals is not the same as what is required on the Annual Inspection.
Time Related Service-- There are some overlaps with the mileage related services, but neither the BMW Service (6,000 mi) nor the BMW Inspection (12,000 mi) includes a brake fluid flush, clutch hydraulic flush, or coolant system flush. These items are part of the Periodic Services that are performed at certain time intervals, regardless of mileage.
The entire brake system on non ABS, ABS-1, and ABS-2 should be flushed EVERY year. The Wheel Circuits of IABS should be flushed annually. The Control Circuits of IABS and the hydraulic clutch system should be flushed every two years. Coolant should be replaced every 4 years.
Proper Intervals-- The items that need to be serviced, and at what intervals they need to be serviced, are listed in your BMW Service Booklet. If you do not have the booklet, we would be happy to print out the BMW Suggested Maintenance Schedule for your particular motorcycle for you. We can also order the proper BMW Service Booklet for you. If you are overdue or very nearly due for any of the maintenances, do them now before the season gets into full swing and you would rather be riding than having your bike in for service!
Hydroscopic Issues-- The hydraulic system flushes, particularly the brake systems are critical to your safety. While we do not ever recommend that ANY suggested service be overlooked, we would advise that the brake system service be the most important of all the service on your BMW, due to hydroscopic issues. The DOT 4 brake fluid used in your BMW motorcycle is hydroscopic, meaning it will absorb water from the moist air around it. Because the fluid absorbs water, it needs to be flushed annually to keep the water content down. DOT 4’s dry boiling point is 446°F. Water boils at 212°F at sea level at 1 atmosphere of pressure (atm), and the boiling point temperature gets lower as you rise in altitude. The boiling point temperature rises as more pressure is applied. If the water percentage in the brake fluid is high, the fluid can boil at lower temperatures. If your brake fluid reaches its boiling temperature, the water in it turns to steam, becomes compressible, and the end result is no brake pressure and loss of brakes. Also, the water will cause galvanic corrosion between the dissimilar metals in the brake system, which can cause very expensive part failures such as leaks in the mastercylinder/calipers or ruined ABS components. SAE field tests have shown that the average one year old car has 2% moisture in the fluid; we can extrapolate and predict that motorcycles fall into this 2% range as well. Even at 3% of water (wet rating by DOT), the corrosion inhibitors in brake fluid are highly stressed to do their job. The inhibitors deplete over time which is another reason to change brake fluid annually. This can cause real brake system corrosion and boiling problems.
Serious Considerations-- As stated before, boiling temperature increases as pressure is applied. If the brake fluid in your BMW motorcycle has enough water in it to boil at normal air pressure (1 atm at sea level, less here in Salt Lake City!), and if you use your brakes aggressively, you may generate enough heat to exceed the wet boiling point of the old brake fluid. When you apply the brakes, the brake system
pressure may make the boiling point high enough to stop the boiling. But, when you release the brake lever, the pressure goes back down to about 1 atm. At that pressure the brake fluid could begin to boil. Then the next time you try to apply the brakes, the boiling fluid will cause you not to have any brakes! This could really be a problem, particularly if you are coming down a mountain pass at high speeds with a full load and a passenger and need to slow down for that next turn!!
Your Riding Gear
Look over your riding gear. Was your rain suit leaking the last time you used it? Are there holes in your boots? Remember how that missing snap on the collar of your jacket let it flap and drove you crazy on the last few rides last year? Do you have all the little stuff like ear plugs, face shield cleaner, sunblocker and insect repellant ready for the riding season? Did you want to start the new season out with a new vented jacket this year? Do you have a cool vest ready for the hot weather? Do you have a good atlas of Utah, Colorado, Idaho and Montana? ALASKA?? Part of the fun of getting ready for the riding season and assuring that will be the best is making sure all your gear is ready too!
Accident Precautions – First Aid
We all take the needed precautions to avoid accidents. However, for some reason, motorcycles are invisible to many car drivers. And blind corners on canyon roads are not always free of gravel or sand; slides can happen. Also, not all riders are as accomplished as you are, and you may find someone along the road who needs first aid assistance. We strongly recommend that you always carry a first aid kit. The kit should include medical packaging of ointments, gauze and tapes for road rash should there be a slide across the road and skin is left behind. There are also needed bandage packs, eye wash, ointments for burns and cuts, and so on that should be included. A good first aid kit is a precaution, and though you hopefully will never need it, should you need it, it could save you or a fellow rider a lot of anguish.
We are working with a medical professional to have a motorcycle-specific First Aid Kit developed and properly packaged. It will include the needed medical aids as well as be offered in a in a water-resistant package of a size designed to fit under most motorcycle seats. It will be available in the next few weeks.
That First Ride
When you start out on the first ride, carefully listen to and feel everything that your BMW is telling you. You ride the bike, so you know what it should feel like! If anything feels or sounds odd, look into it immediately, or bring it into the shop to have it inspected. Sometimes things can change just from lack of use so don’t ignore the warnings your BMW is giving you! Then go have a blast! Make 2005 your best year ever for BMW adventures!!
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