[Halonk]

I got my 2007 R12kR in 2011 as a private purchase. At the time it had 14000Km on the odometer and been serviced at the required 10k Km’s. First thing was to carry out a complete oil change on the engine, gearbox and rear drive using the recommended type of lubrication. I also applied new grease to the rear drive shaft and joint.
I made contact with BMW to confirm the service history. They could tell me that there was a re-call service letter on the bike which had not been followed up by the previous owner. I made an appointment and had the brake system upgraded free of charge, not bad considering the bike was already 4 years old – a tribute to the BMW service dept J.
Now to one of the sour grapes in this otherwise great motorcycle’s basket:
The engine emits a rattling/ticking noise from the right side as the engine temperature increases. I have checked the valve gear to confirm play and clearances to be correct, using the BMW RepRom DVD found on EBay as a service guide. Everything was spot on. I also had the right cylinder cam-chain tensioner changed without improvement. With the engine running on multigrade semi-synthetic oil at the time I changed back to the higher viscosity BMW spec mineral 20-50 oil without any improvement.
I did some further investigation online and found another possible cause; The right side throttle butterfly valve is not connected to any pot-meter and only follows as a slave. Without the pot-meter, the valve is suspended in a sleeve which will wear down as the Km’s stack up. This, allegedly, is the cause of the rattle.
Anyone out there who have experienced the same?
According to some German fellows you can remedy this on your own by purchasing “The TickerKiller”, see: http://www.boxer-design.de/en/detail.asp?ID=66&pID=581 (please bear over with the English translation, it’s VERY Teutonic!) which they claim will quiet down the racket and save on the shop expenses.
Anyone who have tried the “TickerKiller” or do I have to try it out by myself?

 

[Clem]

Hey Hanlok, That annoying ticking noise ? I had it on my high mileage R1100R. Other Roadster owners have had similar R. side ticking noises. Your research is probably correct. Many suspect the worn shaft of the right side throttle butterfly valve to be the source of the problem. The cost of the TickerKiller seems reasonable, especially compared to replacing the shaft or the entire TB. Worth trying it? Let us know if it cures it.

 

[Halonk]

Thanks Clem . I have already ordered the TickerKiller and will try it out. Soon as I have tried it out, I'll follow up on this string to report back - success or not.

 

[Halonk]

The TickerKIller did the trick!

Greetings everyone!
Success! The noise have disappeared after fitting the TickerKiller kit .
In case you want to try this retro-fit yourself, please be cautious. You can cause damage when drilling the hole you need in order to remove the original cap.
Inside the cap there is a butterfly valve shaft with about 8mm dia. The valve body rim is about 2mm wide and between these two is a Teflon seal ring, you do not want to damage any of those! The trick is to drill a 4mm hole into the cap between the center shaft and the rim wall without causing damage any of the above mentioned. Behind the cap and into the valve there is a 2mm space, so apply force to the drill very carefully.
After you have managed to remove the cap it is a very straightforward procedure to fit the kit, just follow the instructions.

 

[Hoshiko]

Greetings everyone!
Success! The noise have disappeared after fitting the TickerKiller kit .
In case you want to try this retro-fit yourself, please be cautious. You can cause damage when drilling the hole you need in order to remove the original cap.
Inside the cap there is a butterfly valve shaft with about 8mm dia. The valve body rim is about 2mm wide and between these two is a Teflon seal ring, you do not want to damage any of those! The trick is to drill a 4mm hole into the cap between the center shaft and the rim wall without causing damage any of the above mentioned. Behind the cap and into the valve there is a 2mm space, so apply force to the drill very carefully.
After you have managed to remove the cap it is a very straightforward procedure to fit the kit, just follow the instructions.

My bike is to new for that kind of noise but, this is great information, I wish you have some pictures or even a video.

Thanks

 

[Halonk]

Hi,
I should have taken some photo's during the fitting of the kit, sorry about that.
What I can do is to take a picture of the finished job and make a drawing out from memory on how the valve shaft etc. was arranged under the cap. I can also copy the instructions and then make a .pdf document of it all and post here, just give me some time and I'll see what I can do.

 

[Hoshiko]

Hi,
I should have taken some photo's during the fitting of the kit, sorry about that.
What I can do is to take a picture of the finished job and make a drawing out from memory on how the valve shaft etc. was arranged under the cap. I can also copy the instructions and then make a .pdf document of it all and post here, just give me some time and I'll see what I can do.

Don't be sorry Halonk, that info is priceless, something to keep in mind as our bikes get older.
Will be waiting for that drawing.

Thanks

 

[Halonk]

Maybe better than a drawing

Hello again,
I have made a dive into the BMW Rep-Rom but could not find any drawings or descriptions of the Throttle Bodies there; apparently BMW wants us to purchase the entire TB in such a case.
I have once more searched the net, and there are discussions about the TickerKiller around. This kit has some followers, but there are also quite a few people who claim that TK only applies a different force to an already damaged throttle shaft, quote: “The wear is lateral and you are "fixing" it with longitudinal pressure» (Throttle Body Repair [Archive] - ::. UKGSer.com .::).
As I can see, many of the users on this here forum are living in the US and complete repair kits are available at around US$ 160, complete with shaft. Considering the TK at US$ 80 (from Germany + shipping), maybe fitting a complete repair kit would be the best solution. These parts are available from Bing Agency, Council Grove, KS (Throttle Body Rebuild Kit). If you follow the links on the website you will find an image of a damaged shaft scary enough to make you buy the kit right away.
I have read the instructions about the throttle body and it is possible to do the repair on your own. Of course some skill, the appropriate tools and confidence in your own abilities will be needed. There is an abundance of info about the service procedures on the web.
A more expensive solution will be to buy a complete throttle body online (A&S BMW Motorcycles: BMW Motorcycle Parts - BMW OEM Motorcycle Parts Fiche - BMW Motorcycle Parts and Accessories - BMW Motorcycle Apparel - BMW Motorcycle Clothing - New and Used BMW Motorcycles - R1200GS - G450X - F800GS - F650GS - S1000RR - R1200R). A&S BMW also has the complete spare parts drawings online.
Then, of course, you have EBay. I’m not sure if I would like to purchase a second hand TB, though, the shaft bushings apparently not possible to change according to some.
To the defense of the TK, I would like to emphasize that there is a small spring loaded ball at the end of the set-screw; therefore the longitudinal force caused by the TK is very weak. The rattle is gone and I will trust it to function until I find a better solution. Another thought is that maybe fitting the TK before the problem starts will hinder the rattle to occur at all…..(?)
In case you want to try out the TK, my advice on how to remove the cap will be as follows: Measure half the radius from the cap center to the rim and make a punch mark there. Drill a small hole first, say 1,5mm, and then finish with a 4mm bit. Use a stopper on the drill bits so they do not go deeper than 2mm. Then you should have an opening big enough to get a pair of strong nose pliers into the hole and pry the cap off.
Here, in Norway, the prices on the throttle body repair parts lies around US$ 900 and shop charges equally immense. Therefore I will continue to search for the cheapest possible way to acquire the complete repair kit and then do the service myself. I could purchase the parts from US, but then the customs charges will triple the price before I get my hands on them. The socialist government even makes you pay custom and tax on the shipping fee (!).