k 1200rs splines

[m1aspring]

i havea 1998k1200rs that i am the third owner and it now has 25,000 miles on it.
i am considering tearing the rear hub and pulling the trans. to lube the splines.
what is everyones thoughts, think it will be needed.:banghead

[TinyTrains]

I have a similar dilemma with my 88 K75. I did lube the drive shaft splines at 50K, and they looked fine. I have never lubed the clutch though, and it still shifts smooth as glass at 68K miles.

I know the general opinion here is to lube the clutch, but my dealer swears that "if it shifts smooth, don't touch it". They believe that re-mating the clutch splines (or drive shaft) causes more damage because they do not realign the same, so the wear patterns don't match. They are quite firm on this, and I do believe they want what is best for their customers.

Has anyone else looked into this theory?

Is clutch spline failure always preceded by shifting problems?

Thanks,
Scott

[Beemer01]

Certainly 5-6 hours, but this isn't brain surgery.

A rather easy way to do this so the alignment of the input splines is maintained is published elsewhere on the net - suggest a google search, but it involves using separate longer bottom bolts so the tranny slides back evenly for the lubrication.

I think the common wisdom is to lube the input splines every 30K - when I lubed mine the indicated milage was 27K and they were bone dry.

[RUDYJO]

I did my first clutch spline lube my myself last week. It was something that I put
off ever since I got this 92 K75RT last April. The closest Bmw dealership is 80
miles from here and quoted me between 5-6 hours at $72 an hour for winter
rates. It has 57,000 on it and I have never had problems shifting it. The splines were very dry. I made a copy of the checklist by Bryan Lally from www.IBMWR.com
and also wrote down every single thing I did. My list ended being a little longer
than Bryan's list. Having the sawhorses supporting the middle of the frame
made the difference, there was no worry about the bike falling over. Don't
even think of doing this with a set of "L" shaped hex wrenches. Get a set of
hex sockets that you can put extentions and u-joints onto it. I got my set at
Home Depot for $13. I put 4- 8M bolts in and pulled the transmission back about
4 inches. It would have been easier if the bike did not have ABS. If I had a helper,
I would have taken the transmission out. Before doing this, I had no idea where
the alternator, starter or coils were, I now know that they would be easy to get to
in the future. The thing that held me up the longest was getting the top left
engine to transmission bolt out, the ABS frame was in the way. It was simple
after I took the rear coil off. This is a classic case of "If I can do it, anybody can"
I did this over 5 days and was never in a hurry. I was surprised at how quickly
everything went back together, I can see the next time being done in 1/2 the
time.

[RUDYJO]

I should add that I only took the muffler off, I never did see why taking the
headers off would have made things any easier. I used the Clymers book for
additional input.

[m1aspring]

thanks everyone for your input, i have a long winter ahead of me to sort this thing out:bikes

[58058D]

M1aspring,
I don't remember what type K beemer01 has, but the other posts have been from K75 owners. The frame to engine/trans connections are a tad different. As beemer01 suggested check the other sites for detailed instructions,('You also might want to visit http://www.ibmwr.org - and spend an afternoon reading the K-tech pages. LOTS of great info there which will help you in servicing your bike. ' DEilenberger) and have your Clymer's handy. On the K12, the frame is hoisted up off the trans as it is pivoted on the loosened engine mounting bolts. As far as whether the '98 with 25k on it would need it, I would defer to Paul Glaves or Don Eilenberger, probably would need to know if it was shifting smoothely, etc. I would check the history to see if the seals in the trans/clutch area have ever been replaced, if so, the clutch splines 'should' have been lubed at that time. The splines at the rear of the drive shaft to the final drive are relatively easy to get to. Having done a clutch job on my 2000, I don't think I would do that job just to do the splines unless I knew they needed it. My first seal replacement was done about 50k and I never experienced any issues with shifting/clutch before that job. Not sure, but I believe this is a bigger job than on a K75, but doable with the correct tools, planning, time and a buddy.

[PGlaves]

M1aspring,
As far as whether the '98 with 25k on it would need it, I would defer to Paul Glaves or Don Eilenberger, probably would need to know if it was shifting smoothely, etc.

Whether an 11 or 12 year old K bike with 25K miles needs a spline lube is purely an old fashioned crap-shoot. That depends on what lube was used at the factory and how well it was applied. If memory serves (and it might not be serving well) that was still in the days of the notorious BMW #10. It didn't work very well when new, and usually melted soon after it was used. On the other hand, it could be Optimoly Paste which worked reasonably well until it dried out, turning to sort-of greasy chalk.

A sure sign would be difficulty downshifting. Absent that symptom I just don't know. If it were my bike I would be proactive and go in there to make sure it was well lubed. But I recognize I might be more willing to do that than many folks.

I think the conservative thing to do is to schedule a nice convenient weekend and just do it, and certainly at the first sign of downshift problems I'd do it.

[m1aspring]

thanks paul for your input, when the wife and i get moved to texas,austin area we may have to ride over for a visit with you and a glass of ice tea.
thanks again
rus eaon:thumb