5k miles trip. 1k to go. End of trip. Dead tranny. Need help.

At day 13 of a two weeks trip on my 2006 1150GSA SE from Montreal, to Sebring, Gulf of Mexico, Montgomery, Selma, Louisiana, Clarksdale, Memphis, Birmingham then Tail of the Dragon and some Blue Ridge Parkway, while on the highway 61 in Abingdon, Virginia, my tranny self-destroyed. Gears don't change. Rear wheel is completely stuck and I suspect shaft bearings are toast. Therefore the tranny is done. It needs to be changed.

I am now in a motel room in Abingdon, Virginia, stranded 1000 miles away from home with the bike that I managed to have safely towed out of the highway, sitting at the door. Being way too far from home, I can't return, get a trailer and pick the bike up. so, I have two possible alternatives.

1- Find a tranny locally and ask if a local shop would let me use their tools for two days so that I can swap the transmission. Shall be a day and half actually.

2- 1- find a member locally and ask if I could use his garage (if equipped) so that I can swap the tranny.

3- Not the solution I prefer, but it is to sell the bike ASAP and return home by bus or plane. ;-( Bike is a US-spec GS in very good shape, so no problems with the papers.

Having a tranny shipped by UPS can probably be possible too. No need to fit an ADV tranny necessarely... I can send a Paypal ;-) Maybe the motel manager will even allow me to do the work here, but I have no tools.

I will post this call for help on i-BMW.com. Let's we what we can come up as a solution.

that blows Lee!!

can you rent a U haul and get the bike at least closer to your home?
even if you grabbed a trans along the way the truck would give you work space?


I'm a ways away in AR but let me know if I can be of any assistance by shipping or anything

hmmm put a tool kit together with the needed stuff and mail it your way?

The tow guy (who happens to have a 1979 Honda CBX 1000 and is definitely a motorcycle guy) left me his card and said that if I need tools or a place to work, he could help. I have no problem giving him a few notes if it happens to be the best solution. As of tools, those that are hard to ge would be the 30mm socket with 1/2" drive for the pins. The rest is pretty common. I am looking for a transmission at the moment. Standard (non-adv) tranny will do.

I don't think I can rent a truck and trailer locally and cross the border with it. Maybe I am wrong.

I am open to suggestions.

PS - After 4k miles, the bushings haven't moved and they don't skweek ;-)

I will locate my 30mm socket in preperation of you finding a trans

Isn't JVB in Virginia?

Didn't look at where you're at...but maybe a solution.

I had happen something similar to my car a couple of years ago.

Transmission blew hundreds of miles away from home. Had my car towed by those long distance towing vehicles, for may be $500-$600, from Pennsylvania to Tennessee. They pick up in a window of a few days and drop it a few days later in a window of a couple of days. They pool many vehicles on the way and in the area, so they are not as expensive as towing a single item on a tow truck. I had left my car and took a rental, and the towing people picked it up from the motel and delivered to me. I didn't have to wait at motel till the car was picked up.

For a bike, I could imagine much less, for the reason of it takes much less space.

I think what I learned about that business is, that logistic business works like, there are actual towers and there are agents who find business for them for a commission. Well, pretty much all businesses work like that, I guess. But things to look out for is, if you do go that route, they will make you agree to a contract of a estimated quote and then try to find an actual tower who will do it for that much money, minus their commission. So, you can pick any amount for the estimate, keeping in mind that, less the amount, harder to find somebody wanting to do it and vice verse. what I learned is, there are no advertised price that you can decide to pay and they will pick it up right away. (Actually, I think there are some very high end reputable companies that will instant quote you and they will be the movers as well, they typically move corporate executive and the like, but they are typically much more expensive then trying your luck with the logistics industry in general.)

Let me know if you want me to do a search and talk to a couple of agents to get an idea of how much it might cost.

Declaimer: I am not in business of this or have any connection. Just helping out.

Sam

Get a U-Haul to the border and have someone in Montreal meet you there would probably be the option I would try to go with.

Sucks though.

Id go this route too. I wish I could help you out but I'm obviously on the West coast. It'd be worth a call to U-Haul and check with them about going over the boarder with one of their trucks. I don't see why you couldn't?

Anyone with a transmission they would be selling? Preferably from the region?

Lee

Florida is kinda close to you but I'm not sure if you could express ship it.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/D-00-04-BMW...OEM-/201326822038?hash=item2ee0038296&vxp=mtr

Contact Anton http://www.advrider.com/forums/member.php?u=3907 he is in Charlottesville VA and is acknowledged as the go to guy for airhead and oilhead transmissions. I would be surprised if he did not have something on the shelf that could get you on the road again. I've been to his shop, he is truly a craftsman.

Don't have his phone number but others might.

Jim
Canton, OH

I just called u-Haul. Cost is $1000 for a truck, or $1300 for truck and trailer.

Then, I still have to wrench on the bike to free up the rear wheel by removing the final drive, disconnecting the rear Ujoint and refit the final drive. All that so that I can move the bike on a ramp. So, I will have spent $1300 and the transmission still needs to be done.

if I find a $400+ tranny, i can swap it in two days. I need then to find a place to do the work.

Lee

Will do.

Thanks for the lead

lee

Found Anton's website, but no phone number. Hope this helps: http://www.largiader.com/

Jim
Canton, OH

Just sent you a PM.

I'm in Richmond and you can use my garage. I have air tools etc

I referred him there, and here: http://beemersuberalles.com/

I don't have any parts.

I can supply a trailer and a place to work if the parts are available.

When I read the topic of the thread, I thought Bruce Jenner died .
Sorry I couldn't help myself
Good luck I hope it all works out for you

^
I hope Massive finds the humor in that one. I laughed.

Good luck Massive! I hope to NOT be in the same shoes in a couple of months. I hope you get a good trans and continue the ride home.

Well. That Bruce dude seems to have been looking for him (her) self for many many years.

My oine single advice for you guys is that if you start sensing some bearing noises from the tranny, especially when it is hot, then don't wait too long to change it. And don't do the Tail of the Dragon, followed by 4 hours of Blueridge Parkway. That will definitely kill the tranny.