Just changed belt, rollers and air filter, but all in good shape

[Delray]

Always a good feeling to update the maintenance on your bike. In my case, I spent yesterday installing a new Mitsuboshi CVT belt with Dr. Pulley sliding weights. Also changed the oil and filter and put in a new air filter. This is for a 2019 C 650 GT at 13,800 miles.

While I had the case open, I cleaned the clutch pads and bell with Emory cloth (Fine-grade) and blew out any dust with a leaf blower. I cleaned both CVT filters, charged the battery to 100% and set the tires to 38/44 (I know the spec is 36/42 but I like to be ahead of the game for the inevitable loss of a few psi's in hot weather). This machine is ready to ride.

Photo of old parts is in my next post. All are definitely serviceable (I am at my son's house dog-sitting and don't have measuring tools to compare). I am thinking my original instinct to wait until 20,000 miles for this work is a-okay. I am glad it's done with a Florida-to-New York round trip coming up this summer. But I'm wondering if BMW maintenance recommendations of performing these jobs at 12,000 miles is a bit ... over-zealous?

I will note that my riding style is smooth and gentle. Although I like getting from 0 to 50 or 60 mph "right quick," as they say in the South. That's the big reason I went with Dr. Pulley 38-gram sliding weights vs. the OEM 43-gram rollers (roller weight was increased in the last few model years from 33 to 43). I sense there will be more zip in my trips on this bike, but I can't tell how much for a few days. After I install a new belt and sliders, I take it easy for 100+ miles while the new and old parts get to know each other. I don't know if that is mechanically necessary but it feels right.

 

[moodleman]

Useful pst, thanks Delray. My 2018 C650GT is getting close to the 20,000km mark (about 12,500 miles) and I am planning on doing the belt change etc soon. In fact I also have a trip of 4,000km planned for the near future, but based on your experience I will do that first, it sounds perfectly OK to go a bit over BMW's "over-zealous" recommendations.

A question for you - or anybody else who might know. I did an oil change recently, and reset the service warning using my OBD and the Motoscan app on my phone. At least I thought I reset it. However, the word "service" still appears on the instrument panel. Did I miss something when doing the reset, or should that word (no warning light) be there all the time?

Another question: is it OK to leave the little green OBD unit plugged into the bike's interface, behind the right hand panel? It would save a few panel removals, make checking faults a lot quicker, but perhaps there is a reason not to plug it in permanently.

 

[Delray]

Managed to post a photo of the old parts at 13,800 miles (if an Admin fixed the pic-posting issue, thank you).

Definitely could have kept riding with these. After finding them in good condition, I still put in the new parts because, a) it's good for the bike and, b) The PITA factor, meaning as long as I have all the plastic off and the case open ....

To Mr. Moodleman's queries, "SERVICE" should definitely disappear. I've turned off that alert on two GT's with OBDLink LX and Motoscan. I'm guessing you know Motoscan has a few "pay more" tiers to activate various functions? It's been awhile since I used the app, but IIRC turning SERVICE off is low-level and activating a TPMS sensor requires the highest pay tier. Also seem to remember the key had to be on to do certain tasks.

I'll defer to someone with more expertise on keeping the OBD plugged in, but my shade-tree mechanic sensibilities say "why the heck not?" ... unless it activates the Power light on the OBD. That would be a definite no-no.

 

[Ceesie76]

I'll defer my major maintenance until at least 15K miles based on Delray's experience, thanks much for posting that.

If my memory serves me correctly, you have to enter the new service date with motoscan; I set it a year into the future typically.

I would not leave the obd scanner plugged in, the led comes on when you plug it in, even with ignition switch off/removed, so it's drawing power constantly. Maybe not that much, but that's enough for me, I don't scan codes etc THAT often anyway.

 

[moodleman]

Thanks Delray and Ceesie76. Had another go at the service reset, it worked this time. Earlier attempt included turning the ignition key on (to perform the operation) then off again, then next time the ignition was turned on, the "service" reminder still appeared. Today, after resetting the OBD I started the motor. "Service" has now disappeared! Successful. And this time I had a look at the OBD and indeed, as Ceesie76 observed, the LED comes on when it is plugged in to the bike. I agree - no thought now of leaving it plugged in!

Thank you both for your input.

 

[Billy Goat]

I'm pondering the above comment by @Delray about the potential overzealousness of BMW service schedules. Never having a belt drive bike before, if I was to delay the replacement of the CVT belt (to get the most wear out of the existing one before replacement) how would one know when it's about time, apart from catastrophic belt failure? Slippage? Loss of power? I don't suppose there is any way to know without the labor required to remove the clutch cover and inspect the belt and rollers for wear?

 

[Delray]

how would one know when it's about time, apart from catastrophic belt failure? Slippage? Loss of power? I don't suppose there is any way to know without the labor required to remove the clutch cover and inspect the belt and rollers for wear?

The only way to know for sure is to open the case and look. You can get a pretty good idea based on the riding history of the bike. I'm older and ride in gentlemanly fashion, so when I arrive at 12,000 miles my belt will very likely still be like-new (I bought it at 1,192 miles from an older owner).

OTOH, if the bike was ridden like a bat outta you-know-where, a new belt might be timely.

I'll check my belt at some point before 12,000 miles, to make sure all is well and blow out any rubber dust with a leaf blower. Opening the case is easy. There is one tricky bolt where you need to insert a torx-30 bit through a pre-drilled hole (photo with instructions). I use a T-handled T-30.

Once you're inside the case, you can check for cracks in the belt and measure the tolerances to be precise about replacement needs. Sorry I don't know the minimum, recommended tolerances, but the measurements for a new Mistuboshi belt are shown on this link: https://www.carpimoto.it/en-US/Bike...67-Mitsuboshi-Transmission-Belt-BMW-C600-.htm

Mitsuboshi belts, btw, are the OEM belts without "BMW" stamped on them. That's the difference between paying $75 for a new belt vs. $450 at a BMW dealer.

Checking the rollers and/or clutch is a little more labor intensive and best done with a BMW variator holding tool (< $50 and worth it). Photo and instructions are shown. My rollers have always been in basically the same condition as the belt. Worth noting: the clutch nut loosens CLOCKWISE. Torque for clutch and variator nuts is 100 Nm.

While you have the tupperware off in this area, you can clean the second CVT filter (the first and obvious one is attached to the outer case cover). The hidden filter slides out like a tray (photo) and snaps back in place. A lot of owners don't know this filter exists, so you may find a lot of debris in there on an older bike.

 

[Billy Goat]

The only way to know for sure is to open the case and look. You can get a pretty good idea based on the riding history of the bike. I'm older and ride in gentlemanly fashion, so when I arrive at 12,000 miles my belt will very likely still be like-new (I bought it at 1,192 miles from an older owner).

OTOH, if the bike was ridden like a bat outta you-know-where, a new belt might be timely.

I'll check my belt at some point before 12,000 miles, to make sure all is well and blow out any rubber dust with a leaf blower. Opening the case is easy. There is one tricky bolt where you need to insert a torx-30 bit through a pre-drilled hole (photo with instructions). I use a T-handled T-30.

Once you're inside the case, you can check for cracks in the belt and measure the tolerances to be precise about replacement needs. Sorry I don't know the minimum, recommended tolerances, but the measurements for a new Mistuboshi belt are shown on this link: https://www.carpimoto.it/en-US/Bike...67-Mitsuboshi-Transmission-Belt-BMW-C600-.htm

Mitsuboshi belts, btw, are the OEM belts without "BMW" stamped on them. That's the difference between paying $75 for a new belt vs. $450 at a BMW dealer.

Checking the rollers and/or clutch is a little more labor intensive and best done with a BMW variator holding tool (< $50 and worth it). Photo and instructions are shown. My rollers have always been in basically the same condition as the belt. Worth noting: the clutch nut loosens CLOCKWISE. Torque for clutch and variator nuts is 100 Nm.

While you have the tupperware off in this area, you can clean the second CVT filter (the first and obvious one is attached to the outer case cover). The hidden filter slides out like a tray (photo) and snaps back in place. A lot of owners don't know this filter exists, so you may find a lot of debris in there on an older bike.

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[Billy Goat]

Excellent tip on the filter and tolerances @Delray, added to my upcoming service notes, as I’ve been gathering the tools and belt, mostly through the good info on this forum. There’s a quite clear, high definition, step by step video on changing the rollers/belt here:

I believe the bloke in the video is working on a sport model and it’s in French but you can switch the captions to English. Anyway, just adding to the knowledge bank.

 

[Ceesie76]

The video is by Easyboost, the French vendor/manufacturer of a set of tools for the variator/clutch maintenance work. I bought the set a few weeks ago and it came fast and well-packaged. It all works perfectly. I bought two belts from Caprimoto and, again, they arrived quickly from Italy (within the week) and the total cost was around 1/3 of one belt bought from the BMW Motorrad dealer.

 

[Billy Goat]

Right you are! I did not make that connection. I bought the tools from them too - I even got a 10 % discount. I was going to buy two belts like you @Ceesie76 but then wondered if they perish over time in storage.

 

[Ceesie76]

I am guessing the belts don't deteriorate, at least not appreciably, while in dry, cool storage, but I could be wrong. They seem to come with a healthy 'margin of error' anyway, and I expect to add quite a few miles commuting over the next few years anyway, so the next belt change should, in my case, not be all that far into the future.

 

[Billy Goat]

Makes good sense and better use of international postage.