Alf
Active member
Hi JMac74, your leak looks very similar to the one on my machine! May I please ask if you could report back on here what Bmw say. My dealer cant investigate my R18 for another month
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No worries at all mateHi JMac74, your leak looks very similar to the one on my machine! May I please ask if you could report back on here what Bmw say. My dealer cant investigate my R18 for another month
Hi @Alf Bike came back from BMW yesterday. They cleaned the area and rode it to monitor for further leaking. They apparently observed no further leaks and asked me to monitor especially around the final shaft and, if it returns to come back. LOL. So alas I have nothing further to add at this stage. I would like to think that this was a one off, maybe due to excess oil, but have my suspicions that there is a faulty seal and will need to revisit. I'll report back if the issue persists and advise the outcome. Let me know how you go mate.Hi JMac74, your leak looks very similar to the one on my machine! May I please ask if you could report back on here what Bmw say. My dealer cant investigate my R18 for another month
"Glad" that was the cause and easily sorted. It reminds me of numerous worries of leaks on new Triumphs in the early 2000s that were actually cosmoline residue dripping from various nooks and crannies after the protectant was (mostly) cleaned off for prep, but wind and engine vibration when first ridden caused similar results as your F.D. residue.Just received my R18 back from the stealer post investigation into a final drive “leak”..
It appears it isn’t an oil leak but residue from the rear wheel Cush drive! I have requested pictures of the rear seal and there is no leaks evident.
The dealer told me its a common issue on the R18 and that I just need to wipe the residue away after every ride…
Alf this is fanciful from your dealer. According to the photo you posted of your bike the deposits are coming from the gap between the bevel housing and the drive plate. For it to be "deposits" from the cush drive it would have to come from between the drive plate and wheel hub. Whilst the drive plate houses the cush rubbers the only pathway to the outside would be between the wheel hub and drive plate. The "rivulets", of something with liquid like properties, are being formed as a result of centrifugal forces which will either flick material off onto your wheel rim and tyre or take a pathway to ever greater diameter on the drive plate - lateral rivulets.Just received my R18 back from the stealer post investigation into a final drive “leak”..
It appears it isn’t an oil leak but residue from the rear wheel Cush drive! I have requested pictures of the rear seal and there is no leaks evident.
The dealer told me its a common issue on the R18 and that I just need to wipe the residue away after every ride…
Thank you for taking the time explaining this in detail.Almost certainly grease. Was this event associated with hard riding and high air temperature? It happened to me on two occassions, the first coincided with air temp about 30 deg C. Eventually BMW took a look.
First photo is the back of the bevel drive housing, its clean. If there was an oil leak from the seal you would expect oil/drips on this face (it is static). This face can be inspected without removing the drive plate, just remove the wheel and take out the cush drive rubbers - they have spigots that fit into holes in the drive plate which allows inspection of this face with a torch.
If you wipe the deposits off onto your finger and smell it, if it was transmission oil it would smell sulphurous.
BMW did not want to go further than this as they said there was no oil leak, but I pursuaded them to remove the drive plate which is a significant job to remove and replace.
The second photo shows the inside of the drive plate. With the characteristic streaks only on this inside face. Apparently fitting the drive plate requires lots of heat and grease to fit onto the splined shaft. So when the drive plate eventually goes on it will push the grease to the back, where given the right conditions it will fling off onto your rim, tyre, and you may find it on the back of your number plate. Where it cools and has the consistency of grease again.
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