Re: Gearbox noise

[Tpcutter@xxxxxxx]

In a message dated 6/14/06 5:38:35 AM Eastern Standard Time,  
cdegroot@xxxxxxxxx writes:
My '99 R1100RT always had a very audible gearbox,  more so than my
previous bike, an R80RT. I think it is largely due to the  fairing - it
seems like the gear whine bounces off the front and then up  through
the hole between tank and instrument panel.

Lately, it has  become much louder, and I wonder what this could be.
I'm going to have a BMW  guy listen to it, but just wondering if there
are any standard issues with  the gearbox. Hopefully they fixed the
circlip issue I had with the R80 by now  ;-).>>

I have made a sideline specialty of  rebuilding R1100xx gearboxes. The 
failure of a '99 will probably be the output  shaft bearings and the gears on the 
shaft. BMW decided that it would be too  expensive to use bushibngs on the shaft 
any more, so they eliminated them. That  would be fine if there was never any 
swarf floating around in there, but there  is. 

Contact me about a rebuild if your mechanic  confirms what you already know. 
(If the noise is loud enough that you are  seeking advice about it, it is too 
loud to ignore.)
 

Tom Cutter
Yardley,  PA
http://www.RubberChickenRacingGarage.com

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