BMW R1100 GS User Manual
R1100GS
R1150GS
Maintenance
Manual
Carl Kulow
by Carl Kulow
Send comments/corrections to
kulowc@indiana.edu
ISBN R1100-1150CC
First Edition
1-20-2002
Copyright: All Oilhead GS Riders
The author has done his best to produce accurate information. However, he assumes no
liability for any damage or injury caused by any errors or omissions in this manual. Use
at your own risk.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
MAINTENANCE SCHEDULE.................................................................................................................................................4
PARTS AND TOOL LIST .......................................................................................................................................................5
Cold Engine and Drivetrain Procedures
ALTERNATOR BELT.............................................................................................................................................................6
VALVE ADJUSTMENT ..........................................................................................................................................................7
SPARK PLUGS ....................................................................................................................................................................10
AIR FILTER ..........................................................................................................................................................................11
LUBE SIDESTAND AND CENTERSTAND .........................................................................................................................12
CLUTCH CABLE..................................................................................................................................................................12
BRAKE AND CLUTCH FLUID.............................................................................................................................................13
BRAKE PADS ......................................................................................................................................................................14
BATTERY INSPECTION......................................................................................................................................................15
FUEL FILTER .......................................................................................................................................................................16
MISCELLANEOUS...............................................................................................................................................................17
SUMP GUARD REMOVAL ..................................................................................................................................................18
TEST RIDE ...........................................................................................................................................................................18
Hot Engine and Drivetrain Procedures
THROTTLE BODY SYNC ....................................................................................................................................................19
ENGINE OIL AND FILTER CHANGE ..................................................................................................................................21
TRANSMISSION GEAR OIL CHANGE ...............................................................................................................................22
REAR WHEEL DRIVE GEAR OIL CHANGE ......................................................................................................................23
SUMP GUARD INSTALLATION ..........................................................................................................................................23
Other procedures
BRAKE PAD REPLACEMENT ............................................................................................................................................24
TIRE CHANGE .....................................................................................................................................................................26
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Service – Every 6K Miles
Engine oil and filter - change
Brake fluid – check
Brake pads – check
Clutch fluid – check
Sidestand – grease
Sidestand switch – check
Spark plugs – check
Valves – adjust
Throttle cables – check
Throttle Bodies - synchronize
Inspection – Every 12K Miles
Transmission gear oil – change
Rear drive gear oil – change (every 24K miles)
Fuel filter – change (every 24K miles)
Battery fluid level – check
Battery – electrolyte level, clean/grease terminals
Air filter – change
Alternator belt – change (every 36K miles, some R1100GS at 24K miles)
Wheel bearing play – check
Swing arm bearing play – check
Spark plugs – change
Annual Service
Brake fluid – change
Clutch fluid – change (every 2 years)
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TOOLS
socket set, metric
hex bit socket set (allen), metric (Sears)
ratchet
extensions
wrenches – open end/box, metric
hex wrenches (allen T-handle), metric
torque wrench
pliers
screwdrivers
feeler gauges
oil filter wrench
oil drain pan
motorcycle toolkit (BMW)
rubber gloves (dishwashing)
flashlight, minimag
measuring cylinder (photo store)
Twin Max or carb stix
Mityvac or “one man brake bleeder”
tire change tools (see tire change instructions)
PARTS
Parts Misc.
spark plugs compressed air
oil filter anti seize paste
air filter carb or brake cleaner
brake pads rags
oil - 4 qt. BMW #10 grease
gear oil - 1 1/4 qt. flexible tubing (tygon)
alternator belt grease
fuel filter, o-ring, clamps chain lube
crush washers for: brake fluid (DOT 4)
- oil drain plug distilled water
- transmission fill and drain plugs
- rear drive fill and drain plugs
5
Cold Engine and Drivetrain Procedures
Check Alternator Belt
Tools Parts
T-handle hex – 4mm none
1. Remove the four bolts holding the black plastic alternator belt cover at the front
of the engine, 4mm T-handle hex.
2. Remove the cover by sliding it straight down.
3. Check the belt for cracks or shredding.
4. Check the belt tension, quite tight, ~1/4” deflection when you press on the
center.
Note: Paul Glaves suggests that proper belt tension is when you can twist the
belt ~90 degrees, midway between the pulleys. If you can twist it more than 90
degrees, it is too loose. If you cannot twist it 90 degrees, then it is too tight.
5. Leave the cover off for the valve adjustment procedure on the next page.
Change Alternator Belt
Tools Parts
T-handle hex – 4mm alternator belt
socket – 13mm
ratchet
wrench – 13mm
torque wrench
1. Remove the four bolts holding the black plastic alternator belt cover at the front
of the engine, 4mm T-handle hex.
2. Remove the cover by sliding it straight down.
3. Loosen the 2 nuts and 1 bolt, 13mm, that hold the alternator – one is on top
and one is on each side, thus allowing the alternator to pivot down.
4. Remove the old belt. (Some bikes have a pipe that traps the belt – loosen it
enough to get the old belt out and the new belt in)
5. Install the new belt being sure it is properly seated.
6. BMW calls for a tensioning torque of 5.9 ft.lb. (8 Nm) on the adjuster bolt on
the left side of the bike. You have to get at this bolt from the alternator side and
you may have to lift the tank. Alternatively, you can pry the alternator up with a
large screwdriver to tension the belt.
7. Once the belt is under proper tension, tighten the 2 nuts and 1 bolt, 13mm, to
15 ft.lb. (20 Nm).
8. Check the belt for proper tension (see above) and proper seating alignment.
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Valve Adjustment
Tools Parts
T-handle hex – 3mm, 5mm, 6mm none
plug wire cap puller
sparkplug socket
short extension
ratchet
rag
hex socket - 6mm
long thin screwdriver
box wrench – 10mm, 16mm (17 will work)
small flashlight
feeler gauges
sharp awl
1. Remember – engine cold!
2. Bike on centerstand.
3. Transmission in neutral.
4. Remove the black plastic valve cover protectors, if installed, using a 5mm Thandle hex wrench.
5. Remove the black valve cover strip by pulling outward on the end where the
plug wire goes under it.
6. Pull the plug wire cap off the sparkplug using the special black plastic tool in
your BMW tool kit.
7. Before removing the sparkplug, blow compressed air around the plug well –
there is often dirt here that can fall into the cylinder when you remove the spark
plug!!!
Note: If you do not have an air compressor, you can get a compressed air tank at
any Xmart automotive department, or you can get a small can of compressed air
at any photo or computer supply store.
8. Repeat again after turning the spark plugs a couple of turns.
9. Remove the spark plugs using the tool kit spark plug socket or 5/8 in. deep
well very thin wall socket.
Warning!: It is very easy to get a spark plug socket stuck in the plug well. If your
socket does not slide onto the spark plug easily, do not use it!!! Use the spark
plug socket in the BMW tool kit instead. I welded a nut onto the end of my BMW
socket so I could use a torque wrench on it when installing the spark plugs.
10. Place an oil drain pan under the valve cover.
11. Remove both valve covers using a 6mm hex socket and ratchet.
Note: Loosen the valve cover bolts until you can pull them part way out. They
stay in the valve cover – do not try to pull them all the way out.
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Note: The valve covers may stick slightly and you will need to tap them firmly
with the palm of your hand or a rubber mallet.
Note: Be careful not to dislodge the black rubber vibration damper block in the
bottom front of the valve adjustment area (not on some R1100GS).
12. Remove the black rubber timing hole plug, located above and behind the
right side throttle body, using a long thin screwdriver to pry it off.
13.Turn the lower alternator pulley clockwise with a 16mm box wrench.
14. Insert a long screwdriver into the right side spark plug hole while turning the
engine over.
15. When the screwdriver is almost pushed out the maximum, use a flashlight
and start looking for the timing marks S – OT in the small timing window where
you removed the rubber plug. (R1100GS = Z – S – OT)
16. Center the OT mark in the window.
Note: Also at OT, the arrow on the cam chain gear will be pointing straight out.
17. Wiggle the valve rockers in and out on both sides - both the intake and
exhaust valve rockers for one side should wiggle slightly in and out, the rockers
on the other side should be tight.
18. You will be adjusting the valves on the side where they all wiggle slightly as
follows:
Valve Clearance
Intake = .006in. (.15mm)
Exhaust = .012in. (.30mm)
Valve Location
Intake Valves are to the rear (take air/gas in from the throttle body).
Exhaust Valves are to the front (exhaust to the exhaust pipes).
19. Adjust the proper valves, located as described above, using a 10mm box,
3mm hex T-handle, and feeler gauge(s) as given in the following steps.
Note: Each intake and exhaust has two valves each that are operated by a
forked rocker. Correct procedure calls for you to use two identical feeler gauges
simultaneously – one for gauging the valve you are adjusting, and the other as a
spacer on the other valve. This is to prevent the rocker from canting while you
are adjusting it. Many people get excellent results using only one feeler gauge
and skip the spacer feeler gauge.
20. Insert the correct feeler gauge between the valve stem and the adjuster
screw. There should be slightly firm drag on the feeler gauge – be sure that you
do not have the gauge canted or curved as you are measuring.
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Note: One method is to insert the feeler gauge and tighten the adjuster until the
feeler gauge will not slide, then back off the adjuster a little until the feeler gauge
begins to slide.
Note: You can use the “go, no go” method – a .008in. gauge should not go into
the .006 intake; a .014 should not go into a .012 exhaust if adjusted properly. A
.007 gauge will go into the .006 intake and a .013 gauge will go into the .012
exhaust, but will give a too tight drag.
21. If any valve needs adjusting, loosen the adjuster lock nut with a 10mm box
wrench and turn the adjuster screw with a 3mm hex T-handle to get the correct
clearance – slightly firm drag on the feeler gauge.
22. Slide the box wrench over the shaft of the 3mm hex T-handle and hold the
adjuster screw with the 3mm hex T-handle while tightening the lock nut with the
10mm box wrench (6 ft.lb or 8 Nm)
Warning! It is very easy for beginning mechanics to strip low torque threads eg. 6 ft.lb. Use a short grip on 10mm and smaller wrenches. It is also very easy
to strip low torque threads with a torque wrench because many torque wrenches
are improperly calibrated. Also, with click type torque wrenches it is very easy to
not feel the click at low torque settings and then your torque wrench becomes a
large breaker bar and you end up stripping the threads.
23. After tightening, double-check the clearance.
24. Rotate the engine 360 degrees to the same OT mark by turning the lower
alternator pulley clockwise with a 17mm box wrench as in step 13.
25. Check the rockers on the other side for wiggle – they should all wiggle slightly
26. Now adjust the valves on this other side.
27. Clean the valve covers of any dirt or oil on its sealing edge.
28. Wipe the oil off the valve cover gasket to help ensure no oil leaks. Place it
onto the head so that the edge with 3 notches goes to the top. Be sure all the
notches are fit into the corresponding studs on the head.
29. Be certain the center donut gasket is in place on the valve cover!!!
30. Carefully replace the valve cover so as not to dislodge the center donut
gasket.
31. Evenly tighten the 6mm hex bolts until they bottom out - 6 ft.lb (8 Nm).
32. Replace the small black rubber timing hole plug.
Warning! Be careful!!! It is fairly easy to push it all the way through. I use a sharp
awl and stab the plug in the center to hold it. I then place the plug so its right lip is
under the timing hole edge and then use a long thin screwdriver to push the left
lip into place.
33. Leave the black valve cover strips and the valve cover protectors off until you
are done with the spark plugs in the next procedure.
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