Alright folks, today I tackled my old BMW R1200c. Noticed some weird noises last ride and figured it’s time for some TLC. Been meaning to do this for weeks, stuff keeps coming up, right? Finally got my Saturday free.
Getting Ready Was Half the Battle
First things first, dragged the bike smack into the center of the garage. Need room to move around it, especially with that boxer engine sticking out both sides. Tripping over tools is the last thing you want.
Dug out the basics:
- My trusty set of metric sockets and wrenches
- A couple of decent oil drain pans (learned the hard way one ain’t always enough!)
- Fresh jugs of oil and a new oil filter – gotta have the right stuff.
- Some brake cleaner spray, rags, you know, cleanup junk.
- Degreaser for the wheels and engine bits.
Rolling Up the Sleeves
Got started with the easy stuff. Gave the whole bike a good spray down with the garden hose outside to loosen up the road grime. Let it drip dry for a bit back in the garage. Then it was time for the real fun.
Grabbed the degreaser and went to town on the wheels. Man, those spokes collect gunk like nobody’s business. Sprayed, scrubbed with an old toothbrush, wiped. Repeated. Felt like forever. Engine cases were next – sprayed ’em down carefully, wiped off years of oily dust. Looks way better already.
Then onto the oil change. That’s usually messy. Got my drain pans positioned under the engine oil drain plug AND the transmission drain plug. Remembered to warm the bike up first this time – cold oil drains slow! Cracked the sump plug open. Whoosh! Hot oil everywhere. Okay, mostly into the pan, but some splash is inevitable. Got soaked onto the driveway. Wiped everything down quick. Same dance with the transmission drain. Filter came off easy – used a rag around it, still a bit drippy. Slathered some new oil on the rubber seal of the new filter, spun it on hand-tight. Filled up the engine oil slowly, checked the dipstick obsessively. Same for the transmission. Cleaned up the inevitable spilled drops.
Went around the whole bike tightening bolts and screws. Stuff vibrates loose after miles. Rear brake pedal mounting bolt was surprisingly loose! Tightened every fastener I could find – footpegs, exhaust clamps, handlebar controls. Used a screwdriver to carefully clean the chain. Lots of gunk stuck there. Checked the tension – seemed okay, not too tight, not too slack. Gave it a proper soak with chain lube.
Checked the tire pressure. Both were low, way low. Probably the cold weather. Pumped ’em up hard to what the manual says.
The Final Bits and Lessons
Gave the brake discs a quick wipe with brake cleaner. Can’t hurt. Took a step back. Bike looked cleaner, felt tighter. Fired her up. Listen… listen… weird noises gone! Just that sweet boxer rumble. Oil pressure light blinked off fast. Huge relief.
Key takeaways for the next guy (or me next time!):
- Two drain pans = Less mess stress. Seriously.
- Warm oil drains faster but you gotta move faster too!
- That toothbrush for wheel spokes? Pure genius. Cheap and effective.
- Checking all bolts? Found the loose one. Totally worth the time.
- Stop watching the clock. Rushing means mistakes and forgotten steps.
Shut the garage door feeling pretty chuffed. Maybe took me most of the afternoon, elbow deep in grease, but knowing I did it myself? And the bike’s happy? Worth every oily rag. Ride safe.
