I think i will stick with chain final drive

[Shep]

Pictures paint a thousand words

[Lord Vader]

Ohhh BMW has build in BBQ's now How cool is that

[Shep]

The top picture is the new BMW "Lowrider" GS model

I thought BMW were supposed to be quality "engineering" ?

[Lumiya]

I thought BMW were supposed to be quality "engineering" ?

Qualty engineering is only as good as those who maintain it. Though no idea what happened there as shaft drives are normally idiot proof.

Kymmy

[Rubberchicken]

The 1200 doesn't exactly have the best of reputations...
They made that bike something like 30 kilos lighter than the 1150, seems some of that weight did have a function after all.

[mudplug]

Pictures paint a thousand words

I bet thats going to be expensive to fix

[Whealie]

Is that where the phrase "well and truly shafted" comes from?

[samwise]

Pictures paint a thousand words

I bet thats going to be expensive to fix

The second one is R1200GSA's bike from ADVRider - it was 5 months old at the time, and had 11,300 on the clock. All was replaced under warranty. Not what you want to see on that new a bike though - especially with the R1200GS having a "sealed for life" FD (it is only checked at the 600 mile service, IIRC, never again).

[Rubberchicken]

especially with the R1200GS having a "sealed for life" FD (it is only checked at the 600 mile service, IIRC, never again).

That's... Ambitious.

[Jenna]

its over engineered and that in my book is a disaster waiting to happen ( yes i say that as a highly qualified automotive engineer ), from the pics it looks like the bearing has seized causing it to weld its self to the shaft and go into melt down....

personally i wouldn't touch a shaft drive with a barge pole, sure chains wear out and need maintainance but then i like to know when some part is on the way out and not find out when it goes tits up on the fast lane of the motorway...