Bullet-proof oil filter?

[deilenberger]

Odd thing happened today. I learned how it is to ride through an S curve with a totally oiled PilotRoad-2.

It feels a lot like a suddenly deflated rear tire. The bike moves beneath you and you better not fight it.

I was heading home today from meeting some friends for lunch on the other side of the state.. and about 15 miles from home, I suddenly heard a BANG and felt something on the bike. The bike immediately started feeling very squirrely - and not a lot I could do about it since I was in an S curve on a road with a car right on my butt, so I rode it through the curve. It felt very much like when I've had a high-speed rear blowout.

Found a bit of shoulder and pulled (wobbled/swerved really) over. Put my feet down - and tried to put the bike on the sidestand - but the slope of the road was too great - couldn't. Looked down and saw a large amount of oil draining off to the side of the road.

Opps. That shouldn't be there. Immediate engine shutdown commenced.

I was stuck since I couldn't put the sidestand down, and it would be difficult to get off the bike and keep it upright at the same time.. and I had gone out for the ride in an attempt to make my back better, which has been giving me holy-heck for the past 3 weeks... so the bad back wasn't helping.

Somehow the doGs were shining on me.. and a chap was pulling out of his driveway across the street on an old Goldwing - and yelled to see if I needed help. I replied "YES!"

He pushed me across the street into his driveway - where the bike continued to ooze oil out the bottom.

Long story short - bike came home via a friends trailer, and we got down and looked.. to find what looks like a bullethole in the oil filter. The hole was in the part of the filter that is enclosed by the engine casting - so I doubt if it really is a bullethole, but it sure looks like it. When I have a chance, I'll post a few photos.

New filter, new oil - and several hours using all sorts of ugly chemicals on the rear tire to de-oil it, and the bike seems fine.

I'm now thinking of how to make a guard for the oil filter.. dunno if the GS one will bolt up.. but I'm gonna check. I don't recommend riding a bike on an oiled tire - it's not a bunch of fun.

[deilenberger]

No fun to ride on:



Dripping filter:



Trail of oil:

[deilenberger]

Oh - one thought. For people thinking of using alternate filters on their R12R.. like an R11 filter.. the factory filter is somewhat protected by being recessed in the oil-sump casting. With a filter like the R11 filter, which is longer - more of the filter is exposed to possible damage. As I've proven - it can - and does happen. I wouldn't do anything that made this more likely to happen.

[sandycruz]

Don,

Glad to see you are OK.

Whoa, that tire looks nasty! At speed the story could have been very different.

Have you any idea how the filter could have been ruptured? A stone would have to be traveling with some speed to puncture the case on a BMW filter. I understand the case is one of the thickest is the filter industry. Hope you can get to the bottom of this.

David in Santa Cruz, CA

[deilenberger]

Don,

Glad to see you are OK.

Whoa, that tire looks nasty! At speed the story could have been very different.

Thanks!

There are advantages (like living) to being a cautious rider.. I was doing about 45MPH when this happened.

Have you any idea how the filter could have been ruptured? A stone would have to be traveling with some speed to puncture the case on a BMW filter. I understand the case is one of the thickest is the filter industry. Hope you can get to the bottom of this.

David in Santa Cruz, CA

Only thing I can think of is some piece of metal in the road got kicked up by the front wheel and wedged into the filter by the movement of the bike. That would account for what I felt. Or someone was trying target practice from a manhole cover..

It's very odd. I'll have to take a photo of the filter before I toss it.

[mogu83]

Don,
I can report that the skid plate ( Underride Protection in Beemer talk ) from a R1200GS will definitely fit our bikes. Here's a pic fresh from the garage. Got the plate and most of the hardware used on the net for a little over $50. Had to buy a few pieces but they were reasonable.



Had lunch at the Ship Inn today.

[deilenberger]

Harry - thanks. Know what I'm ebay-searching for..

[BigEasy]

Scary stuff, glad you're ok. Hummmmm GS skid plate, maybe, maybe. I like the thought

[bobw]

Glad you're OK! That is amazing. As you posted, the filter location alone make the odds of this damage almost impossible to create if you tried let alone from random debris. You are lucky as well as being a skilled rider......go buy a Lottery ticket while your mojo is on high

Please let us know if there are any pieces of ?? inside the filter.

Safe travels!

Bob

[hjsbmw]

Sounds like the movie 'The curious case of Benjamin oil filter', and I'd be interested how it ends. The only thing short of a bullet I could think of is some sort of metal rod from the road being kicked up and wedged right into your filter. To explain the location I'd think this also must have rotated the filter. Otherwise, how would something get in there between the engine case?

Pretty strange but good to hear you got out of it unscathed.

[thepeacebullgrunt]

Lucky you Don !

Sudden Oily Tire and engine vomiting boiling oil happened to me twice on an Honda CB750--1978 and my GSX1100G-1992. Both happened at slow speed or at the red light.

It is terrible to feel the effect of this smelly, smoky, boiling oil underneath an almost uncontrollable bike...

[Dale_K]

I'd sure like to see a picture of the damaged filter after it was cleaned up. Can you see external impact damage on the filter casing?

[deilenberger]

I'd sure like to see a picture of the damaged filter after it was cleaned up. Can you see external impact damage on the filter casing?

Sure can - looks like a bullet hole. 38 if I had to guess. Lemme go take a picture of it.. hang on..

Here ya' go.. crappy pic, battery on camera was dying, and lighting in the garage is fairly awful:

[thepeacebullgrunt]

This is weird....do you have a macro mode on your camera ?

Did you drive on something
that could have rebound under the bike and "stab" the oil filter ?

Is there a bullet inside the filter or a second hole ?

[deilenberger]

Frede asks a buncha questions ("I didn't expect the Spanish Inquisition..")

This is weird....do you have a macro mode on your camera ?

Yes - and a dying battery that allowed me to get off that one shot in almost dark conditions. A better one may, or may not appear in that spot depending on the level of my ambition.

Did you drive on something
that could have rebound under the bike and "stab" the oil filter ?

Jeeze Frede - that IS the $64,000 question isn't it? I dunno. I heard a BANG, I felt something, then it became most important to me to complete going through the S turn upright, so I pretty much ignored everything else. I'm going home that way tonight, so I'll be watching. I've been taught to look ahead whilst riding, not at the pavement in front of the bike.. This spot has an S curve with a sideroad coming into it in the curve.. so I'm very attentive to left-turners into the sideroad, and people pulling out of the sideroad in front of me. That unfortunately means I can't concentrate on the surface of the road all that much.

http://maps.google.com/maps?sourceid=na ... 5&t=h&z=17

I was headed east - and the bang was just as I entered the S turn (BANG HERE!):

http://maps.google.com/maps?sourceid=na ... 92,,0,8.45

and I pulled over after getting through the curve (first shoulder I could find..):

http://maps.google.com/maps?sourceid=na ... 64,,0,7.99

And ended up in the driveway across the street..

Is there a bullet inside the filter or a second hole ?[/color][/b]

Dunno. Haven't cut it open. Know a good forensics lab that has a motorcycle rider working there?

[parkec]

that IS the $64,000 question isn't it? I dunno. I heard a BANG, I felt something

Been thinknig...it could have been a jelous GS owner taking a shot.. a little drastic, but probably not for a GS'r.

[waynemathews]

that IS the $64,000 question isn't it? I dunno. I heard a BANG, I felt something

Been thinknig...it could have been a jelous GS owner taking a shot.. a little drastic, but probably not for a GS'r.

That means the shot came from the grassy knoll on the left?

[thepeacebullgrunt]

Detective
Hercule Poirot


Maybe there was 4 gunners
I mean one in a big building behind your bike
2 guys behind a wood fence on your right
and a mysterious fourth gunner on the bridge in front of the bike.

Well now remain to prove if JFK had an oil filter under his human mask and if Don look like him when he wear is helmet. So this eventually might explain the fortunate targeting confusion that saved Don's life.

This is exciting !
We NEED to find out what Happened ?

[famousperson]

Don,

Weren't you worried that stuff like oven cleaner would harm the tire? Or did you figure that it didn't matter if it did becauase if you couldn't get rid of the oil the tire was trash, anyway?

[deilenberger]

Don,

Weren't you worried that stuff like oven cleaner would harm the tire? Or did you figure that it didn't matter if it did becauase if you couldn't get rid of the oil the tire was trash, anyway?

Oven cleaner? I can't recall mentioning oven cleaner. I used brake cleaner and carb cleaner.. both should be safe for rubber since rubber seals are not uncommon on brake systems and carbs (and fuel injection..)

The other stuff I tried first was some mild wheel cleaner (P21S) which is just a surfactant (floats the oil off.. at least the top layer of it.) When the tire remained slick to the touch I went with the somewhat stronger chemicals.