BMW Motorrad has announced a service campaign for R 1200 GS and R 1250 GS models produced between 2013 and 2021 in order to retrofit a ventilation valve to the driveshaft. Globally, 4,40,000 bikes are subject to this service campaign, however, it’s unclear how many units are affected in India.
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Number of units affected in India unknown
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Work to be carried out free of cost
The problem BMW is addressing is related to damage that could be caused to the driveshaft, which could result in a loss of power. BMW will drill a hole near the cross joint and insert a valve that will allow air and moisture to escape from the cardan tunnel, without coming in.
The brand will rectify this issue free of cost for customers. The issue is relevant to the R 1200 and 1250 RT models too, but it’s exaggerated on the GS models due to the angle of the swingarm between the driveshaft and the rear axle. The GS’ longer suspension travel compared to the RTs is a contributing factor as well.
BMW has been aware of the issue for some time and, since October last year, has been fitting all new shaft-driven motorcycles with this modification. For existing owners, the brand advises that there is no need to sort the problem right away and that they can wait for their next scheduled service.
Vishal Venugopal
Ved Janve
Azaman Chothia
