My kingdom for an exhaust valve.....anyone????

[PhillWard]

Afternoon fellow riders...hmmmmmm some have all the luck in being on the road....

Beryl beemer has been on the operating table for over a week now....damn these public holidays that take away the slave labour....they should abolish these PH's when there's real work to do.......

Beryl has a burnt out exhaust valve on #2 cylinder.....and would you believe that BMW do not have an exhaust valve in Oz at all for a K12LT motor?????????

BMW tech measured all cam/shim bucket clearances and all were fine, within specs....

The only difference in the last 6 months of riding was that I have changed fuels from Shell Optimax to Caltex 98.......would that have made such a diff???

I think that my mode of economy riding may have some bearing in this....I remember having to do a top end rebuild on my XS1100E at about 120,000kms cos of low compression problems.... plus the cylinder head on the XS was pretty well coked up.....

I did ask for the BMW guys to take some pix of the head which has been sent off to be rebuilt etc etc....just need this pesky exhaust valve....

The dealer says they have to order one from the fatherland being a number of weeks...huh?????????????????????

I'm getting a bit peeved at being the forerunner of BMW K12LT hiccups here in Oz......it's about time someone else had a go at this...hehheheheheheh

What a PITA.....

cheers

Phill
1999 Beryl Beemer 129569kms
1978 XS1100E 194,000kms

[RaffyK]

Your dealer should be able to VOR the part from Germany or next closest warehouse.

VOR = vehicle on rack. In other words, it is being worked on. VOR orders get prioritty shipping and cost a bit more due to expedited shipping. Offer your dealer to pay for the expedited shipping if you can't wait.

[onions]

G'day Phill,
Whilst it's good to hear from you, not so to hear about the bike...

At the risk of perhaps stating the obvious... have you checked with any other dealers? Southbank Motorcycles here in Melbourne carry a lot of spares and a have a mate at K&R Motorcycles who may have something kicking around...

Do you want me to make some inquiries for you mate?

[cws]

Know you've mentioned it before and can't be bothered searching ( I want to get out of work...!!) , but which shop is looking after Beryl?

Also interested to hear why you're running 98 Octane?

I had tried that in the K75 a few times after I'd read quite a few reports to stay away from Optimax, but went back to "standard" Caltex Premium Unleaded 95.

I've only been running my little TYC on Caltex 95 since I got it, is there any reason to think I should do otherwise?

cheers
Chris

[k1200ltrider]

Sorry to hear about your bad luck. I was wondering too why you run such high octane gas. Here in the USA we have 93 Octane as the highest and the LT runs fine on 89 Octane. As a matter of fact 89 is even posted on the fuel door as the gas to use.
I can't imagine why BMW in OZ has no spare valves??? Maybe a head from a wrecked bike could help you??
All the best

[PhillWard]

"Procycles", at Hornsby, Sydney is the BMW dealer that I frequent with Beryl Beemer.....

Hmmmmmm other dealers???may be worth a try there Ian....I'll give em a ring tomorrow...but just spoke with Procycles, they of course only deal with BMW Melbourne direct.....wouldn't it be nice if they all networked together???

sounds too logical to me......

I was hoping that Procycles would have a loaner bike I could borrow to meet Shane Thomas from Rockhampton, who's travelling down this coming weekend on his way to the MotoGP.....bugger ......of all weekends....perhaps I could ask to postpone the MotoGP for another weekend or something????

Why do I use 98 octane.....hmmmmmm there's a question....always have done since buying Beryl for some reason or other Premium fuel was the go.....

What is BMW thinking I wonder.....
that early K12LT motors never burn out exhaust valves???
that maybe there are no early model K12LT motors left in Oz???

painful........that's all I can say......

Phill

[cws]

Phill,
have you tried Motohansa?
http://www.motohansa.com.au/contact.htm
They may be another option.
Haven't been there myself as yet, but from what I've heard you're more likely to get used parts from them than Procycles.
I used to frequent Tom Byrne/Procycles... till a dealer further north gave me a deal I couldn't pass on ;-)

[JJJ]

I use different fuels all the time. Do some people really only frequent the one type of station?
I have a 99 and an 02 K1200LT and believe it or not, I prefer to ride the 99.

[cws]

I've mainly used Shells Optimax & Caltex Vortex for the past 2-3 years.
Then about 6 months back there was a lot of discussion on another forum about Shell's Optimax and its suitability for bikes with the "additives".
There is/was even some mention of it on the Shell site.
Since I was suffering a bit of backfiring (K75) more on the Optimax than the Vortex, I've stuck to the Vortex.
Last weekend I put some "privateer" (non-major-brand) premium fuel in the 05LT for the first time, and its been a tiny bit on the rough side in running...
so its back to the Vortex for me....

My car runs happily enough on Optimax though, so it gets mix -n-match (whatever's cheapest)!

[PhillWard]

Beryl is still lazing around Procycles without her head.....mutter mutter...been about 3 weeks??? BMW must be having some sort of meltdown with LT parts....see on the USA forum Coni (long time member) has been without a transmission for a while, BMW sent new one, got trashed at delivery....huh?????

How hard is getting some exhaust valves here???? geeezzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

In answer to the LT pilot couple of posts back with "two LT's" yeppp I normally go to a single fuel supplier, even same petrol station if can do.....creatures of habit I spose....

CWS swopping fuels huh with a "non major brand" supplier....Was that the "Acme Toluene Fuel Supplier" company by any chance???? (brrrrrrrrrrrrrr shudder shudder)...

Sorta gone off the idea of getting exhaust valves from someone else, like Motohansa for example (if they had them, and not a recognised BMW dealer???)....as you could just imagine the crap that would flow back an forth between Motohansa and Procycles if something happened 1000kms down the road with the head/valve.....

ah well hope the TV works Sunday.....go "Von Rossi"

Phill

[black1200lt]

Hey Phill-
I feel your pain. :D
I think we are going to have to take up a new hobby.
I keep saying that I'm not old enough for golf but the way things are going it sounds better every day.
Let me know how it goes from down under.
I'm wondering if BMW is taking a GW vacation!
Best,

[cws]

Hey Phil...
should have thought of this earlier.

Peter K is meeting up with me tomorrow morning for a ride down through National Park.
Should have got you to take the Procycles demo for a "test ride" with us ;-)
At least you could have worked out some of your frustration..... !!!

[PhillWard]

Afternoon Coni,
welcome to the dust track down under......if only we had something to ride on we'd be right...mutter mutter....

Still BMW haven't posted an exhaust valve for Beryl...boring .......boring!

Methinks you an I could mix 'n match something here and at least one of us would be smiling.....hmmmmmm now let me think....... would I rather be smiling or be the "gent gallant" and lend you Beryl's transmission.....

ok ....1 millisec has now passed....gimme an exhaust valve from your motor...hehehheheheh

BMW has certainly dropped the ball on this spare parts issue with you an I...what gives??

In the past I have written/faxed/phoned Mr BMW Oz when I had two separate problems with the rear drive bearings...blah blah...and got a good response.

Why does it take having to talk to Mr BMW I wonder????

Have you thought of chatting to Mr/Ms BMW USA????

Geeezzz it's been 4 weeks gone since Beryl limped home on 3 cylinders...Saving fuel I spose but wearing out shoe leather from walking everywhere...

Von Rossi won the Oz MotoGP as expected on a BMW K12LT....you just gotta love seeing that top box cranking outta Lukey Heights and banked into turn 12 ready to flash down Gardener Straight at over 320kms/hr with Von Rossi sat up straight like John Wayne......

"HUH"?????

ok it's been a while since I've been on Beryl.....I'm allowed some variance here.

cheers

Phill

[black1200lt]

Methinks you an I could mix 'n match something here and at least one of us would be smiling.....hmmmmmm now let me think....... would I rather be smiling or be the "gent gallant" and lend you Beryl's transmission.....

ok ....1 millisec has now passed....gimme an exhaust valve from your motor...hehehheheheh
********************************************************
I know the feeling Phill, :mad:

At least you are honest. Ali has been in Nevada since August 22nd. This is the first time since I was 12 years old that I have not had a bike to ride.

Hey, at least we can cry on each other's shoulder.

Take care and keep me posted.

[PhillWard]

At least you are honest. Ali has been in Nevada since August 22nd. This is the first time since I was 12 years old that I have not had a bike to ride.

******************************************************

Coni,
.......yepppp I'm known as "honest John" in many places????????????

Apart from forced holidays I have taken around Europe and UK for a period of a number of months...I think this is the longest time also that I have been helping the shoe leather brigade....

"Well done BMW" but frankly out of choice I coulda done without the exercise.

BUT.....the dealer phoned me up last night around midnight to say they had the new exhaust valve in from BMW at long last....

(ok I exaggerate a little here, would you belive around 16:30 yesterday???)

See what a little bit of action in "threatening" to contact Mr BMW Oz does???

Obviously BMW Oz are reading this forum, and , not wanting to get the "big" guy involved someone has hired a Lear jet to get the part here...

(hmmmmmmm must be something in the water I am drinking....AND working for "Sydney Water Corporation"....

Sooooooooooo Ms Coni, looks like Beryl will be getting on the road a tad bit sooner that your Ali.....and just about when I was feeling guilty about asking you for an exhaust valve too....

BTW great site URL you mentioned on the USA forum there at http://www.realoem.com/bmw/

This is worth keeping in the favourites......Ta

best of luck with the transmission, but look on the bright side, you have now "just about" got a brand new machine,complete with the 24 months warranty.....

yeah "just about" is right I spose......

cheers

Phill

heyyy you haven't asked about the Oz albino Koala pictured with me in my avatar......cute fella huh, and they live in trees in the suberbs around Sydney.....

hehehehehehhehe

[black1200lt]

G'day Phill!!

Now I feel really bad! Don't you know misery loves company? :p

I just found out that my transmission will *not be addressed by BMW until the 43rd week*. :mad:

Since there are four on backorder, I can just *hope* that I get one.

Nobody would say if that is the week BMW opens the mail and decides what gets sent to who and when they want to do that...or if that would be the week that my mechanics at Sierra BMW would take delivery of a new transmission. :confused:

I have had so much free advise about what I should do, that my husband has started tiptoeing and buying a lot of roses. ;)

I actually went in to buy a bike that I had decided would fill the bill for me, only to find out that it was a very uncomfortable sitting position.

I thought about buying a new LT and I just can't make that, make any sense either. Having every option known to the farkle world does not make that move any easier.

Waiting is at this point, is my only option. :(

Oz albino Koala pictured with me in my avatar......cute fella huh, and they live in trees in the suberbs around Sydney.....

Just when I thought you were so honest. :D

I really (honestly) am happy that your part came in. Put some miles on for me would you?

Best regards,

[PhillWard]

Ms Coni,

"I just found out that my transmission will *not be addressed by BMW until the 43rd week*."

Huh?? ok let me labouriously troll through a 2005 calender and see that the 43rd week ends on 29 October.....2005 that is.......OR ...maybe BMW means that from your original transmission problem, BMW will take 43 weeks to get off their proverbial..... geeeezzzzzz you musta really cranked off some BMW person, especially getting a new motor out of em....



"Since there are four on backorder, I can just *hope* that I get one."

"Hope"........isn't that some girls name or something??????



"I have had so much free advise about what I should do, that my husband has started tiptoeing and buying a lot of roses."

Aha....."the husband tiptoeing and buying a lot of roses" routine huh??? he obviously has something to hide.........hmmmmmm I'd be watching him....guilty concience or something......hehehehheheheheheh



"I thought about buying a new LT and I just can't make that, make any sense either. Having every option known to the farkle world does not make that move any easier."

Well that's a neat marketing ploy I never considered" Ha....stuff up the old, don't provide any parts to fix, and wait to sell new model. .........I think perhaps we may just have stumbled upon why husband #1 is tiptoeing around and buying a lot of roses......he is probably sweating profusly as well.



"Waiting is at this point, is my only option."

Which is where the govt transport system comes in handy,...commonly called a bus....brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr shudder shudder....


Oz albino Koala pictured with me in my avatar......cute fella huh, and they live in trees in the suberbs around Sydney.....

Just when I thought you were so honest. :D

ok you caught me out....they live in the national parks around Sydney ..Doh!.


Methinks my "free advice" would be to get hold of the name of Mr BMW USA and send him a nicely worded letter...(leave out the part about thinking of buying a new LT though) just to get the "big" guy fully informed of the woefull service BMW so strongly endorse...(or was that the last decade??)

ok...see you on the road sometime.. but not "soon" huh.????

cheers


Phill

[dshealey]

Coni:

Does Graham not have his LT any longer? I'm sure instead of spending all that money on roses he would let you take it for a spin, or two. :D Or maybe he is afraid you will run out the warranty in the time you are waiting. :D :D :D

[black1200lt]

David,
Graham sold his LT the *week before* I left on the Iron Butt Rally. Yes, timing really is everything.

[cws]

I thought that was "Bundy Bear"...??? ;-)

"the Oz albino Koala pictured with me in my avatar"

[PhillWard]

I thought that was "Bundy Bear"...??? ;-)

Morning Chris,
errrrrrrr .....shhhhhhhhhhhhh!! don't tell the girls this.....gotta keep up the image here......don't forget...also known as a "drop" bear.......

(now that the girls have left,.. yeppp yer correct there....courtesy of the Bundaberg rum distillery museum....in Bundaberg.....a very interesting worth while tour of the distillery was only about $10??? each.....they're pretty fussy about taking metallic objects with you on the tour, even had to remove my analogue watch and leave in a locker pre tour....BUT free couple of drinks at the bar on completion of the tour...surprising how Bundy rum improves the flavour of different fluids.

Procycles would have given the new exhaust valve to the "head" shop to machine in last week, just gotta wait for them to get the bits back and put Beryl back together again.....

(Note: must remember to send Hilton an email so that he can buy an exhaust valve for his "spare parts" collection before he gets his K12 next March.....)

cheers

Phill

[ZB50]

Hey Phil,

Jimmy Woodard here (From former XS group),

Sorry for the trouble. Just curious, do any other valves display any issues?

Hope you get it going soon.

Take care.

[PhillWard]

Hey Phil,

Jimmy Woodard here (From former XS group),

Sorry for the trouble. Just curious, do any other valves display any issues?

G'day Jimmy,
Yepppppp sure is....had a rear wheel tyre valve just sorta fall apart about 1-2kms from home when I was checking the tyre pressures....coulda resulted in an instant flat I supose, but just lucky to have it flex in the rubber mount as I was putting the air line on and phssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss flat as a tack.

ok...I think I managed to get a small amount of air in it and limp very slowly home....geezzzzz have I done that now on a couple of occasions????????

I now carry a spare tyre valve, for the cost of $8 or so why not???

you may of course be asking about engine valves....only this one poxy exhaust valve on cylinder #2 seemed to be a problem...the mech said all the clearances were in spec so ???????????

Haven't had the cost injury as yet....but as you may or may not know BMW has "5 minute" work units...taking the head off and putting back on is about 8 hours of work units, at $7 odd Oz per work unit.

I think doing valve shims is 36 work units (3 hours) and did have a quote of $264 Oz.

The valve is $?? then the cost of a cylinder head shop to dismantle, machine new valve in and reassemble which has gotta be a couple of hundred $$ hmmmmmmmmmmmmm looking past the $1000 mark for a poxy exhaust valve...mutter mutter.....

Beryl sure is a pricey thoroughbred compared to my olde XS1100E.

do you still have an XS?

cheers

Phill
78 XS1100E "The Tardis" (ret upstairs)
99 K1200LT "Beryl Beemer"

[PhillWard]

The saga continues.....
Procycles now have the machined head back BUT..............are unable to find the time to put Beryl back together until mid/late NEXT week..

huh????

boring!

I woulda thought they would be itching to get Beryl outta their workshop, having been there for about 4 weeks.....

BMW work units estimated at 8 hours to remove and replace head....done 1/2, or first 4 hours worth...now need to do the latter part...another 4 hours.... but will take them another 7 days to complete..

Procycles........you need to hire more BMW techs to get the workload through so you don't risk cranking off your clients....but there again are they worried?????

Phill

[PhillWard]

some pix of Beryl's strip down and miserable valve experience...

Phill

[cws]

So is she back on the road Phill, or still having woes?