New to BMW have engine noise and something loose in rear

2634 Views 16 Replies 14 Participants Last post by kcs213, Jun 23, 2012

kcs213

Discussion Starter · Jun 22, 2012

This is my first BMW k1200LT. I work for an auto dealership and this was traded in and before anyone knew we had it I laid claims to it. I did not even test drive before buying it I just started it up drove it in the parking lot and said it was mine. Now to my issues. I have a noise that starts in when above 3500 to 4000 rpms that I would say sounds like a bearing knock. I thought it went away when at highway speeds but I was wrong because as I was driving through some construction they had cement barriers on both sides and I could then hear it at highway speed. It is more prominent on accelerating than decelerating but it is still there on both. If I am coming to a stop and downshift it is there from 2500 rpms or higher. I can sit still and rev the engine and when I get to just over 3500 rpms the noise is there. The noise is a rapping or knocking noise. If it were a car I would say the bearings are bad but the bike idles perfect and performs very smooth so I don’t think it is bearings. My nest issue is I think there is something loose somewhere in the rear end. I have had it on the stand tried moving things around but found no play in anything unless there is some other way I have to check for this. What is does is when I am coming up to a curve in the road and I lean to the right or left it seems like something moves to throw me off balance just a little. Now if I make the same right or left turn I have no problems but if I curve to the other side then it is like it pivots to that side. I tried moving the tire and swing arm but nothing seams loose.

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1 - 17 of 17 Posts

sheldan2

· #2 · Jun 22, 2012

I would check for tire cupping, on both the front and rear tires. Also check your tire pressures. 42 psi for front and 48 psi for the rear.
Get the valves adjusted, change all the fluids, check for leaks on the bottom of the bike.
The LT does have a whine around 4000 rpm, normal.

I would think your biggest issue is your tires though.

WillieC

· #3 · Jun 22, 2012

I just got my first 2005 LT and I notice the knocking noise as well. I can hear mine more
at idle and up to around 2000 RPM. Sounds like a rod or rod bearing to me.
I took it to the dealer I bought it from yesterday and the BMW tech listened to it but
could not tell me anything other than the LT is a very noisy motor.
I traded my Harley on a BMW to reduce the amount of noise and vibrations but I think
I just swapped it for a different tune.
I will say I am embarressed to ride it back into my neighborhood with squealing brakes
and vibrations it sounds funky. So I pull in slowly using front brake and get it in my garage ASAP.
Mine runs OK and I hear that noise too but I have nothing to compare it to. I am
hoping I will get used to it and by putting an EBC rear rotor, new pads and a major
tune up including checking the valves will help the noises, at probably $1,000 for
parts and labor I am hoping so anyway. The BMW tech is very young and I am not
sure how many LTs he has seen himself. So far mine is the only one I have seen in
this area and they have never had a new one in stock that I know of. They seem to stock mostly the R type.

Makes me very anxious owning the LT but it is a joy to ride.

Good Luck

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mreuter

· #4 · Jun 22, 2012

Hi, would be good to know the milage on the bike, but anyhow. It is important to check the valves and the chain tensioner as recommended, take a look in your Service book for the intervals.
The noise and behavior if you go from left curves to right or the other way comes from, as said before, cupping of your front tire and a quite flat or straight rear tire. Go ride some twistis for a day and that quite hard and your problem will disappear, I think so

e

Hope this will help you, Manfred

SteveW

· #5 · Jun 22, 2012

That giggle you feel in curves may be normal, if this is your first drive shaft driven bike. It’s just the nature of the beast. I can get mine to do the same thing by either up or down shifting while already into the curve. If I don’t shift during the curve, I don’t feel a thing.

I’m new to these things too, so if I’m mistaken about this, I hope someone here will set me straight.

dshealey

· #6 · Jun 22, 2012

There have been quite a few broken exhaust systems in the past. Two places are common, where the header stubs that bolt into the head are welded to the pipes, or the seam between the catalyst converter and muffler sections are joined together. Both will give you a "knocking" sound. I once had the broken header stubs, and later had the cracked seam. Also, check the mount spring, which is between the transmission mount and the muffler. It is two spring wires, one or both can break. You can look up under the bike to the rear of the centerstand mount and see it.

Both pipe breaks can be welded easily. The spring has to be replaced if it is broken. If a header stub is broken, you just have to be sure it is rewelded aligned correctly. I made alignment bars, aluminum bars with properly spaced holes that bolt to the holes on both sides to keep the broken stub(s) in position while being rewelded.

I TIG welded the cracked seam on mine, better than original weld. In looking at the weld (which I am sure was done by an automated welding system) I could see that the weld bead was shifted to one side of the seam, so heavy bead on one side of the joint, very light on the other.

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jmhetzel

· #7 · Jun 22, 2012

I am also new to BMW as well. I have a 2006 K1200LT with only 10,000 miles on it, and my motor seems noisy too. I was a little concerned but I know the complete maintenance history of the bike because I bought it off of a friend that had it serviced regularly at the BMW dealer. I am thinking it is just the nature of the beast. At least I hope.

wa1200lt

· #8 · Jun 22, 2012

Do any of you live where there might be seasoned LT riders? A quick ride by an old hand would let you know in a hurry and definitely put your mind at ease.

Loren

Rocketsled

· #9 · Jun 22, 2012

jmhetzel said:
I am also new to BMW as well. I have a 2006 K1200LT with only 10,000 miles on it, and my motor seems noisy too. I was a little concerned but I know the complete maintenance history of the bike because I bought it off of a friend that had it serviced regularly at the BMW dealer. I am thinking it is just the nature of the beast. At least I hope.

One of the oft repeated phrases is 'ignore the noise, drive the pants off it.'

I think the really, truly, important, issues make themselves known in other ways (fuzz on the drain plug, rapid flashing of the ABS fault light.)

As a new owner, you're hyper aware of EVERYTHING about the bike, but you don't know if something is bad or not...so it's 'all bad'.

casualemt

· #10 · Jun 22, 2012

As a person who went from a GL1800 to the K1200LT, I can tell you that the LT at very first seems noisey and kind of buzzy in comparison....It makes you want to find out what is making that noise, and make it stop.....I found a solution, TURN UP THE STEREO!!!! I have since gotten used to the LT"s sounds, and have found the bike to be smooth and powerful...Just ride the piss out of it!! Oh wait, first make sure it has a fresh oil change, engine, tranny, and final drive...Then you can ride it over to your local BMW dealer(the farther away he is, the better the ride!) They can tell you the service record for the bike from the vin...if it was serviced by BMW...Don't worry, be happy!!

Jabrown

· #11 · Jun 22, 2012

My poor beast gets the throttle twisted hard every time I ride it. She makes noise, She moans about it, but the power is smooth and I have yet to have any signs of metal shavings or anything else in the engine, final drive or tranny. The cow bell that bmw calls a rear break is embarrassing. I have learned to lightly use the rear brake and do most of my stopping with the front brake and engine revs. If I remember right I bought it at 62000 miles and its at 81000 miles making the same noise it did since the first day. Actually kind of wish the thing would die for an excuse for the wife and I to get a newer one.

As far as the rear end, I believe that is sort of normal, I can feel mine shift a little bit especially if I go from on the throttle to no throttle. It just has a ever so slight butt pucker effect if you aren't expecting it. From what the others would say here, as long as there are no excessive metal fuzz in the final drive and your not hearing any grinding or crunching from the rear end, all is well.

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kcs213

Discussion Starter · #12 · Jun 23, 2012

Wow thanks for all the responses. The bike is 2003 with 33,876 miles. I got it with 33,010 on it. I thought I read in the manual that the tires psi were to be at 42 rear and 38 front. I like your specs better so I move the pressures up to 48 rear and 42 front. The rear tire does have some cupping on it and is starting to get down in tread but the front looks good. I have already thought about getting new tires next spring so any suggestions on what works best would be great. This is my first shaft drive bike and it is also the heaviest bike I have ever owned so maybe it is something I have to get a feel for. I have not taken the panels off yet to check the exhaust do the panels come off pretty easy as I do not want to break anything. To check the valves adjustment and chain tension is that something I can do or do I need special tools. How many oils do I have to change as I do not have a manual yet? My last bike was engine oil and filter but someone mentioned engine, trans, and rear end. I was told that the bike got parked midsummer last year because the owner and wife had a close call of a car hitting them so it sat until they traded it in to us at the dealership. I was also told he did a spring check up (which I question) this year but I could not see any oil in the sight glass so I thought I would drop the oil and put in new oil but did not change the filter as there was none in stock in our area and the nearest BMW dealer is 45 minutes away and was closed when I decided to do this. I used vavloine cycle oil 20w50.

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Lee510

· #13 · Jun 23, 2012

kcs213 said:
I used vavloine cycle oil 20w50.

Welcome to the forum, Kelly.

You don't need to use motorcycle specific oil in the LT. Like a car, it has a dry clutch, so the friction modifiers in motorcycle oil are not needed. Not knowing exactly what those are, I can't say if they'd be a bad thing to have circulating in the brick.

There are three lubricating fluids to change in the LT. Engine oil, as you've already found out. There is also the transmission (a little tricky to get the drain plug removed, but not impossible) and the final drive. I think the Owner's Manual recommends 80W-90 GL-5 Hypoid gear oil. Not to start an oil thread, but I use the stuff from the BMW shop. I am not one to throw money away, (my wife would disagree!) but a $9.00 quart every 10,000 miles isn't going to kill her. Maybe if I buy two quarts next time. Hmmm :histerica

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wa1200lt

· #14 · Jun 23, 2012

Be really careful as the tires get close to end of life. With the Metzlers you can go from just above the wear indicators to threads showing in less than 200 miles. She are a big one ya know!

As far as checking valve clearance goes you just need basic hand tools and a feeler gauge. Getting the tupperware on and off is not difficult. It just takes a little time the first couple tries. You will need torx bits and hex bits to strip it all off. A cordless screwdriver makes the job a lot faster. Set the clutch to a low number (not very tight) if you use it to put it back together.

Loren

DerVerge

· #15 · Jun 23, 2012

kcs213 said:
. What is does is when I am coming up to a curve in the road and I lean to the right or left it seems like something moves to throw me off balance just a little. Now if I make the same right or left turn I have no problems but if I curve to the other side then it is like it pivots to that side. I tried moving the tire and swing arm but nothing seams loose.

Hello all, I am new on the board, but have been riding for a while. I now sport an 02 LT, and before that I was chaffeured around on a "finest year", 85, K100.
As for this wobble you are feeling in the swing arm, you are not crazy, it is there. It is a very minute adjustment you need to make/have made. You will not be able to feel it by trying to manipulate the tire and swing arm by hand. Where the swing arm is bolted to the frame, there is one pin that holds the arm on, on the other side, there is a pin that increases in diameter as you get nearer the head of the pin. As this pin is tightened, it tightens up in the mounting hole of the swing arm, removing any play. I could tell you exactly how to do this on a K100, as I had to do that a few times. As for on the LT, you will need to consult a service manual or the tech at the dealer. I am not sure of all that would have to be removed for access, torque values, etc.

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gbob

· #16 · Jun 23, 2012

Me thinks you are not used to such a quiet bike exhaust system , its part of the stero system .

kcs213

Discussion Starter · #17 · Jun 23, 2012

I did get the tire pressure adjusted up, got out for a short scoot around town and that does make a difference. Not only did I notice it better in the turns but also better when hitting the cracks in the road. I would not think that a few pounds would make that much of a difference but it did. Thanks

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