BMW R1200RT/R1250RT Forum

Had my 2012 TC serviced today, the BMW dealer has highlighted one advisory, "Slight play in rear diff. thrust bearing".

I'm not too sure what they mean by this and have quoted £264.00 inc. for the repair work.
Have asked the question, "Is this covered by the Insured Warranty" for which I have a £100 excess, awaiting a reply.

Can anyone shed any light on what work might be required & does it involve splitting the FD unit.

Have you put it on the centre stand and tried to feel the play for yourself?

michaelc2710 wrote:Have you put it on the centre stand and tried to feel the play for yourself?

No, wouldn't know what I was looking for, at over £100 per hour, "in BMW I trust".

David. wrote: No, wouldn't know what I was looking for, at over £100 per hour, "in BMW I trust".

Compare it with mine on our next ride out. From what I've read? There's supposed to be a slight amount of play to allow for expansion as the metals heat up, 1mm from rim to rim being the maximum. Try gripping the wheel at 9 and 3 o clock and pushing and pulling in opposing directions, rotate the wheel 1/4 then try again a few times, do you feel any play or clunking noises?

simbo wrote:From what I've read? There's supposed to be a slight amount of play to allow for expansion as the metals heat up, 1mm from rim to rim being the maximum. Try gripping the wheel at 9 and 3 o clock and pushing and pulling in opposing directions, rotate the wheel 1/4 then try again a few times, do you feel any play or clunking noises?

Have spoken to Mike Overy of Overland & Classic, he overhauls FD units. He concurs with what Simbo has posted, w.r.t. how to check for the acceptable free play in the bearing(s).

I suppose it could be likened to wheel bearing play, it's not excessive, but won't get any better on it's own.
It's an advisory & not essential, I just like my bike to be right, for £100, I'd rather have it corrected.

A couple of interesting video's regarding bearing & seal replacement on the final drive, Good tips with the heat gun and freezer too.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zdokm-XEt6c


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gSYRumUPtGE

H,mmm, "Slight play in rear diff thrust bearing". Strange terminology from a BMW Dealer. Which bearing are they talking about and how did they detect the slight play. Could they be talking about the "Pinion Bearing", that's the one at 90 degrees to the Needle and Grooved Ball Bearing ?. If indeed the repair does involve dis-assembly of the Final Drive Unit the £264 quote seems very cheap. Anyway David, you are welcome to pop around and compare mine if you like. No problem but as I said it would be nice to know how they detected the "slight play".

simbo wrote:Compare it with mine on our next ride out.

Our Gee wrote:You are welcome to pop around and compare mine if you like.

Thanks for the offers guys.

I'll make some more enquiries with the dealer & see how I get on.

Have sent this email,

"I would like to understand further what is meant by “Slight play in rear diff. thrust bearing”.
Which bearing is it, what is the part no. & how was the play detected.
Does the repair involve disassembly of the Final Drive unit, are any diagrams available to view.
Please could you make some enquiries on my behalf or ask the Technician who serviced the bike to give me a call to discuss."

There is a difference between "slight play" and "that is absolutely shagged, mate" (I had that experience twice on my 2005 RT) at which point one's holiday could be ruined.


It means that one should keep an eye on it. I would be going back to the garage every 3 or 4,000 miles to get that technician to check whether the play had increased to concerning level.

Cooper BMW have confirmed that the bearings in question are the FD unit pivot to Swingarm, #03 Needle sleeve & #04 Angular contact ball bearing, radial.

See link to diagram for details, http://www.rainbowbmw.com/BMWETK/Produc ... 302510.php

The "play" is detected as previously described, like checking the wheel bearings.

The FD unit needs to be removed from the bike to replace the bearings.

Hopefully it'll be covered under the Insured Warranty & cost me my excess of £100 to get it put right, awaiting a reply, standby.

David. wrote: Cooper BMW have confirmed that the bearings in question are the FD unit pivot to Swingarm, #03 Needle sleeve & #04 Angular contact ball bearing, radial.

See link to diagram for details, http://www.rainbowbmw.com/BMWETK/Products/0430_3302510.php

The "play" is detected as previously described, like checking the wheel bearings.

The FD unit needs to be removed from the bike to replace the bearings.

Hopefully it'll be covered under the Insured Warranty & cost me my excess of £100 to get it put right, awaiting a reply, standby.

Please keep us informed of the outcome of this one.


I am always curious to know how extended warranty companies treat problems where something is wearing out (even if it is due to bad/overambitious design) but has not actually failed. I presume you are insured via BMW.

beemerboy9 wrote:I presume you are insured via BMW.

Yes, I have a BMW Motorrad Insured Warranty.

beemerboy9 wrote:
Please keep us informed of the outcome of this one.


I am always curious to know how extended warranty companies treat problems where something is wearing out (even if it is due to bad/overambitious design) but has not actually failed. I presume you are insured via BMW.

Me too, Not so much bothered about about the warranty claim?, I'd like to know if there's a possibility anythings going to fall off your bike whilst I'm riding behind you!   

simbo wrote:I'd like to know if there's a possibility anythings going to fall off your bike whilst I'm riding behind you!

I've been reassured by BMW that nothing is imminently going to drop to bits.

Hopefully, it'll all be fixed for our next ride out on the 21st October 2017, https://1200rt.com/viewtopic.php?t=8

Found this thread in Adventure Rider, 05 r1200 GS pivot pin bearing replacement, http://advrider.com/index.php?threads/0 ... nt.888193/

The bearing part numbers are the same, some interesting photos for reference.