faults common to the 's'

[yetanotherbm]

Hi all. Wondering if someone can give me an idea of common faults to look for before my warranty runs out? Also, can anyone mail me a step by step guide to moving the bars above the top yoke? Thanx Ian

[Darth_1100S]

Hi Ian, a lot of the more common and most expensive things that go wrong with the S centres around the rear bevel box: Paralever bearings, Crown wheel and pinion bearings, Oil seals etc. Some go forever without a hitch (apparently!) but a lot also succumb at quite low mileages. Electrical problems sometimes rear their head, with shorting of wires on the subframe behind the fairing. Front brake discs can get a bit wobbly. Catalytic converters go tits up - usually accompanied by the sound of broken crockery when you go over a bump, and high fuel consumption. Those a few of the more common probs, but if you look back amonst the past tech postings I'm sure you'll get a picture of a few other things as well.

Moving the handlebars above the yoke is very simple to do but it looks a bit ugly if you use the original bars. There are purpose made ones that have the lower mounting lugs removed.

to start you'll need to jack the bike up under the sump (use a block of wood on the jack to avoid damage). Do one side at a time, and start by loosening the 2 top yoke bolts and the bar bolts. There is also a small bolt underneath the bar which screws into the bottom of the top yoke, this will have to come out too . Then dig out the retaing clip you'll find around the top of the fork leg. The top telescopic part of the fork leg can now be pushed downwards and the bars slid off. Now push the leg back up through the yoke with enough of them showing to re-mount the bars on top of the yoke.

After tightening everthing up that's basically it, adjustment of the bars etc is down to personal taste but you may need to change to front Brake hose for a longer one.

Be warned tho you may not like it like that, I did mine a few weeks ago and I hated it!

I'm sure if there's anything I've missed someone will chip in

H.T.H
Dave

[Steve S]

Hi I used the standard bars on top of the yoke but I drilled down through the yoke and used longer locating bolts with spacers, the b/hose is just long enough if you route it to the outside of the leg, do this as you remove the right hand bar, saves bleeding it later, I find the bike much more comfy now but Im a forty something old git! Steve.

[Jason M]

Hi Ian, a lot of the more common and most expensive things that go wrong with the S centres around the rear bevel box: Paralever bearings, Crown wheel and pinion bearings, Oil seals etc. Some go forever without a hitch (apparently!) but a lot also succumb at quite low mileages. Electrical problems sometimes rear their head, with shorting of wires on the subframe behind the fairing. Front brake discs can get a bit wobbly. Catalytic converters go tits up - usually accompanied by the sound of broken crockery when you go over a bump, and high fuel consumption. Those a few of the more common probs, but if you look back amonst the past tech postings I'm sure you'll get a picture of a few other things as well.

Moving the handlebars above the yoke is very simple to do but it looks a bit ugly if you use the original bars. There are purpose made ones that have the lower mounting lugs removed.

to start you'll need to jack the bike up under the sump (use a block of wood on the jack to avoid damage). Do one side at a time, and start by loosening the 2 top yoke bolts and the bar bolts. There is also a small bolt underneath the bar which screws into the bottom of the top yoke, this will have to come out too . Then dig out the retaing clip you'll find around the top of the fork leg. The top telescopic part of the fork leg can now be pushed downwards and the bars slid off. Now push the leg back up through the yoke with enough of them showing to re-mount the bars on top of the yoke.

After tightening everthing up that's basically it, adjustment of the bars etc is down to personal taste but you may need to change to front Brake hose for a longer one.

Be warned tho you may not like it like that, I did mine a few weeks ago and I hated it!

I'm sure if there's anything I've missed someone will chip in

H.T.H
Dave

Hi Mr D - hope that "(apparantly!)" wasn't aimed at my beasty. I was thinking the other day that I changed the first set of paralever bearings at 70k, and had the others out when I did the clutch. They've done 30k and look fine too. The crown wheel bearing did about 92-93k before giving up so that doesn't seem too bad. I only think that gave up because I missed the seal going and running the diff with very little oil in it. Swingarm bearings are still OK too at 99k. Mr Baileys bike has done a shed load of miles and hasn't really had that much go wrong that I can remember whereas there are a lot of others that have. I reckon if you use it it's fine, but if it's laid up it gets upset and spits the dummy. There were 14 other BM's that did the big trip with me, all of which ended up doing over 30k, and none of whose paralever bearings gave any trouble. Having said that, one GS had the crown wheel bearings go after 20k, and he'd had them done just before we came, and they were ready to be done again when he came back. I think BM decided there was something definately faulty with his bike as they found chaff and scoring in his gearbox later and replaced everything back from there. Still, 450k and one bearing doesn't sound bad to me. I know others like Mr RB have had problems very early but surely they're the exception rather than the rule.

I think the rear UJ is maybe a weak point too. I know quite a few people have had them go - mine went around 75k so that's no bad either. I suppose it depends very much on how you drive (like a girl in my case then!) Nothing to complain about too much in my book except for the finish on the forks and frame. I was jet washing it today and the paint is now coming off the frame and also the black paint on the reservoirs on the handlebars is falling off too.

and... re the bars. Why don't you do one first and see if you like it before doing the other I've got the high bars too - luuuuvy if you're in the sadlle for more than 5 minutes IMHO

Jason

[Darth_1100S]

Steve - I'm a fifty something old git and still found the bike 'orrible to ride with the bars lifted Each to their own I suppose. Just a note of caution, if you drilled down through the top yoke keep an eye on it. Depending on the casting process the holes could cause stress fractures in the alloy casting, especially with the amount of vibration that passes through it on the S. A safer solution would have been to make up a tie bar to go between the 2 bar lugs.

Jason, the bevel box etc on the S certainly doesn't seem to like abuse, it also doesn't like pillions. Seems the paralever bearings fail more frequently on bikes that carry them a lot! I've taken to changing my bevel box oil now at every engine oil change (4000 mls) It'll be interesting to see how long it lasts. The problems associated with this particular part of the S and the GS 1150s anatomy is well documented around the 'net. I've also talked to people who own them and checked out a fair few S/H 1100S's and GS1150s for sale in dealers, and a fair old percentage have had excessive play in the rear paralever bearings. So, there definately seems to a problem in this area. I've been doing a bit of a study of it trying to find some reason why some go at low mileages yet others - like yours, will go for miles with no failure. Hence the remark about carrying pillions, as that does seem to be one cause of problems. I'll let you know if and when I find out anything useful. You could have a very valid point as to the amount the bikes are used tho'. Especially the oil seal failure, which if left unattended will obviously go on to cause failure of the pinion bearings. Good habit to get into - checking for oil leaks frequently.

Dave

[Jason M]

Steve - I'm a fifty something old git and still found the bike 'orrible to ride with the bars lifted Each to their own I suppose. Just a note of caution, if you drilled down through the top yoke keep an eye on it. Depending on the casting process the holes could cause stress fractures in the alloy casting, especially with the amount of vibration that passes through it on the S. A safer solution would have been to make up a tie bar to go between the 2 bar lugs.

Jason, the bevel box etc on the S certainly doesn't seem to like abuse, it also doesn't like pillions. Seems the paralever bearings fail more frequently on bikes that carry them a lot! I've taken to changing my bevel box oil now at every engine oil change (4000 mls) It'll be interesting to see how long it lasts. The problems associated with this particular part of the S and the GS 1150s anatomy is well documented around the 'net. I've also talked to people who own them and checked out a fair few S/H 1100S's and GS1150s for sale in dealers, and a fair old percentage have had excessive play in the rear paralever bearings. So, there definately seems to a problem in this area. I've been doing a bit of a study of it trying to find some reason why some go at low mileages yet others - like yours, will go for miles with no failure. Hence the remark about carrying pillions, as that does seem to be one cause of problems. I'll let you know if and when I find out anything useful. You could have a very valid point as to the amount the bikes are used tho'. Especially the oil seal failure, which if left unattended will obviously go on to cause failure of the pinion bearings. Good habit to get into - checking for oil leaks frequently.

Dave

Chears Dave - I'm sure you're right. Pillions will no doubt have an effect though all the bikes on our trip were obviously fully loaded with luggage and did some really rough roads too. Maybe it's just down to the constant use thing like you say. I would agree that the bearing do seem rather small physically for all that weight as well. Be good to know what you find out.. and yep, I'll be changing the bevel oil a lot more often now too.

I wonder how many of those GS/S's you've seen with excessive play are just down to needing readjustment rather than the bearings been buggered. I'm sure that lot's of people try and adjust them themselves (and who can blame them with the BM service prices!) but how many of those people tighten them up correctly with a torque wrench, and how many put loctite on too. Anything in the 2nd hand chain I'd be wary of like that - I know I've certainly buggered things due to incorrect maintainence meself!

Jason

[Archie]

I've just changed a set of paralever bearings. They're certainly not cheap at around £30 per pair. However they are easy to change, but their life is independent of the bevel box oil - they run in their own grease, outside of the bevel box seals. I suggest that they should be adjusted as often as is practically possible for maximum life.

With the right approach and correct tools, chnaging them is only a 1-2 hour job. It only took me a day (with cursing breaks) to fathom that out.

I'm happy to help if anyone needs to change or adjust theirs.

Cheers

Archie