Both of my bikes have been patiently waiting to be taken out. I even tested my sandy driveway to make sure I could make it out to the lane
It's still an obstacle course out there but I moved some things around to make a bit more room, but it was not to be as the fog had rolled in
It was still early around 7:30am. The fog is expected to burn off by noon so I headed out in my car
I am approaching the Patullo Bridge which crosses the Fraser River from New Westminster over to Surrey. So far I have made the right choice as I worry about visibility
I return home after breakfast and it is now around 10am so I remove my bike cover and the BMW Canbus battery tender and get it ready
I make it a habit to check my tire pressures when it has been sitting for a few weeks. Both tires were down about 2 lbs each. I keep them at 36 psi Front & 38 psi Rear. These are my new Michelin Pilot Road 2s which still have to be broken in. The last couple of times I have ridden my Vstrom. I am very glad that I bought a new Air Compressor as it is very easy for me to check tire pressures on my bikes and also my cars
I put all my tools away and started to move my bike out
to the lane. There is less construction material now and soon they will be working inside
Our back yard is surrounded by a wire security fence and sometimes it is very heavy to move. I like to ride with my saddlebags attached for it gives me a larger footprint as viewed from the rear
I have been doing a bit of reading on the R1200 and BMWMOA forums about ABS pump failures. I don't think there is a specific problem with this particular model but I notice that some members have experienced ABS failures and it is very costly to repair with prices around $2,500 to $3,000. For no reason your ABS warning light may come on and that's it ! Your brakes will operate like a non-ABS bike and the red light cannot be turned off when it finds an error. My ABS light came on about a month ago for no reason and after a couple of starts and stops it went off.
I read that one of the preventative measures was to do a brake flush every 2 years, just in case, to keep the fluid clean and clear of impurities. I tried to obtain the service file from the previous owner and while he said all service was up to date I don't know when or if these things have been done. It's the same with the drive line fluid change. So I decided that I would have the brake flush done as soon as I could so I headed down to my Mechanic
and my heart sank when I saw his doors closed. I thought he was not open but I tried the door and it was open, so with no one else there and no lines I got the preferred treatment
I watched as he explained what he was doing and soon all the brake lines were flushed with new DOT4 brake fluid, including the clutch master cylinder, and the rear brake cylinder. The fluid that was in there before the flush look fairly clean so it is possible that a flush was done not long ago.
Now I was free to go for a short ride which eventually found me in Steveston. Here is a teaser photo
More photos coming on my next post . . .
Is there a warranty for he ABS failure or recall? Glad you could get out on the bike today in the sun!
ReplyDeleteDar:
DeleteIt's been raining ever since we planned our Chinese Dinner. So depressing but I know you have the same wet weather that we have over here.
There are no recalls for ABS failures. It is not prevalent on my model but failures have happened.
I don't have ABS but still change the brake fluid every year. Even after only a single year, there is a noticable change in color. It starts out clear and ends up amber. Brake fluid is cheap (DOT4) so there is very little reason not to change it.
ReplyDeleteIt looks like you found a beautiful afternoon!
Richard:
Deletethey actually recommend brake fluid changes every two years. It's just that I don't know the history of this bike and I was not given the service file that was promised. My fluid was very clear so it would appear to have been done fairly recently, perhaps last year but I didn't want to take chances.
Isn't it great to be on the road again on two wheels?
ReplyDeleteSonja:
DeleteYes, it's great but riding in the city isn't. I am getting tired of aggressive and tailgating drivers. I leave lots of safety margin in front and I get people cutting in all the time.
Bob
ReplyDeleteThe troublesome ABS units seem to be on the pre 2007 models. The newer systems are much cheaper to maintain ( I hope....)
Here's worrying myself silly looking at on-line forums, N
Nikos:
Deleteright you are but there are also failures on newer models too, most likely due to old brake fluid contaminated with water or other impurities which clog the ABS pump. There are three forums; BMWMOA, R1200, and R1150. Can't remember which ones have the threads on the ABS failures. You can now buy a refurbished ABS unit from Beemer boneyard for much less.
That teaser photo looks good, cant wait to see the rest.
ReplyDeleteIt still looks damp, I'm glad you got out anyway and the fog didn't stick around.
Lucky you getting the preferential treatment, I wonder how many people went past that morning and didn't try the door? It's great that your mechanic let you stick around and told you what he was doing, a lot of mechanics wouldn't do that.
Brenda:
DeleteIt was a bit damp as it was foggy in the morning but by noon the roads were dry.
This is an independent shop and I am good with the owner TED. If he is not busy we just talk as he works and I can see what he is doing. It is not always possible when there are other customers there, or if other bikers are hanging out to socialize. He also works "YOUR" hours. He will stay late, or even do your work on Sundays "by appointment"
I've heard stories about the ABS problem; hopefully it will be something you only hear about!
ReplyDeleteWith our wildly swinging temps, tire pressure is easy to overlook but something not to neglect.
It's been awhile but I can still feel and smell your NW fog!
Coop:
DeleteAs Nikos mentioned, most failures are pre-2007 as they changed their system, but there are still failures occurring, but most likely lack of maintenance. Dirty or old brake fluid could be contaminating the ABS pump. I find that tires loose pressure all the time. I do have TPI on my bike but I bought a new compressor and it is easy to pump them up at home before I ride. During the summer I don't worry about it because I ride all the time, but in the Winter in the cold weather you can't take chances
You made it out - great. Looked quite sunny and dry, even better. Looking forward to more photos. Glad you got your brake fluid looked after, I love my mechanic too. He actually loves telling me about what he's doing.
ReplyDeleteKaren:
DeleteI do a lot of reading on forums and I decided that old brake fluid could cause ABS problems. Whether right or wrong I decided to have the brake flush done as soon as I could as it could cost BIG money to fix. Small dollars now could save big dollars later = my motto
That is pretty ice that you could ride up to your mechanic and he could get you right in. But then it probably isn't good for him that he wasn't busy.
ReplyDeleteWe used to always have the tire pressure monitor light come on in our Nissan Versa and the mechanic said if there was radio interference when the engine was talking to the tires it would turn the light on. It would eventually go away. Weird. I think that would be a different light than the ABS light.
Looking forward to the rest of the pictures.
Trobairitz:
DeleteMy mechanic is great, I trust him and he does good work. I walked in and asked if he was busy or had time . . . I told him what I wanted done and he moved my bike right onto the lift and it was done immediately
My ABS light already came on, but it eventually went off. this is what prompted me to check out the Beemer forums and I discovered that I should have a brake flush done every 2 years. My Beemer also has Tire Pressure monitoring, and also Traction Control.
Ed:
ReplyDeleteMy brake flush cost $35.00 and my mechanic showed me what he did while we talked about things.
At 12°c you were 2° higher than we were. I don't mind colder temps but I worry about frost or slippery roads. Street tires lose traction below 7°c