K1600GT Front Shock

[@lisaleedavidson]

Dedicated, persistent, meticulous is all I can say. I have a great deal of respect for you.

[@tonycarthan6425]

Thank you so much for the compliment and for watching.

[@steveottavaino3804]

You my friend are fearless!!! Mechanically adept myself I would not take on that job, mad respect for making it happen. Subscribed as any artisan of your capabilities certainly deserves it; more so for your service on that beautiful old gal the Mitscher!! Ride long, far, and safe. Be well.

[@edwardmcgrath5779]

Hope mine doesn’t go bad. Unfortunately the dealer will be doing it. I don’t have the patience for that. lol. You did a great job. Very informative.

[@tonycarthan6425]

Sorry I did the video after the repair 😞 Thanks for watching anyway.

[@gerardlunow567]

I love the "let's figure this out attitude" Careful and methodical. I bought a '16 last year so this really helps. Thank you for making the video!!

[@tonycarthan6425]

You're welcome and thanks for watching.

[@nikpol1998]

Тони ты красавчик спасибо большое за видео сам BMW пока не владею ну думаю скоро куплю Уважаю людей которые могут делать работу своими руками

[@tonycarthan6425]

Thanks for the compliment, I try to stay in shape. All brands have advantages and drawbacks but I love this model. Thanks for watching.

[@simoesc]

Man I thought...this guy is going to have some major issues in the end reassembling everything! Congrats!!!!

[@tonycarthan6425]

I just take my time. Never look at the whole tast at once. Know where you want to end and take it one step at a time. Take breakes when you are frustrated. Thanks for watching and commenting.

[@kevin-em5jq]

Wow !!! I take my hat off to you sir... amazing video many congratulations....I'm sure this has helped many BMW owners

[@tonycarthan6425]

Thanks so much for your comment.

[@kevin-em5jq]

Just know you're work and detailed video hasn't gone unnoticed.... respect from the UK brother

[@davidvanbrunt4233]

The dealership would would want 3k, plus the shock.....Great job Sir !!!

[@tonycarthan6425]

Yes I saved $$$$. Thanks for commenting and watching.

[@noseboramusic]

Great video Tony! Thank you for taking the time to make it!

[@tonycarthan6425]

You are welcome and thanks for watching.

[@user-hf5oo8ld8k]

You are my new internet hero. Wonderful job, not just with the mechanical but with filming and editing of the video. I love how your commentary remains so calm and laid back even when you encounter a setback. Great job. Thank you. 27:29

[@tonycarthan6425]

Thank you so much. I hope to get better going forward. Thank you for watching.

[@roberthicks6697]

Hey Tony, i wish i had your confidence, great video buddy !!!

[@tonycarthan6425]

Thanks for watching!

[@thomasjent1431]

Thank you Tony, for taking the time to make your detailed & excellent video. My 2014 GT, with a bit more miles than yours, still rides great and hopefully will for many more miles, but I was curious as to how it's done, so it was nice to see how to R & R the ESA front shock! Nice Job!

[@tonycarthan6425]

Thank you so much for the compliments. It was fun to make and share with the K Bike community.

[@Riverfurm]

Thank You Tony. Will be doing the front shock in the near future. I have the BMW repair manual but your video is so much better. Keep up the good work!

[@tonycarthan6425]

Glad it helped

[@ianlawrie919]

These are clearly complex and intricate machines though you fearlessly tackled the job jumping the numerous hurdles on the way with with masterly expertise. I do not have a K but was awed by the proficient video. 👍👏👌😮

[@tonycarthan6425]

Thank you!

[@atfsgeoff]

Thanks for the video, I'm about to purchase a K1600 with 33k miles on it so I want to be as aware of maintenance procedures as possible. Looks a bit daunting but doable with patience.

[@frankdamelio1664]

Nice job Tony 💪👍. I thoroughly enjoyed your video.

[@tonycarthan6425]

Awesome, thank you! For watching.

[@travis8404]

great job, no bull straight forward, my shock isn't leaking but have a squeal in the front , can't find the squeal. More investigating ,lot of crap to take off to get to. keep them coming.

[@tonycarthan6425]

I havent had any noise yet but I read that the ball joints can cause that.. If you are not having any handling issues, check to see if the fairing bolts are tight. Thanks for watching.

[@kennethwalton5582]

Great job, my man, I know you did this to encourage others to potentially try to do their own maintenance but you just made me FULLY aware of the possible maintenance issues. That was a lot of work on the 1600GT to remove the front shock. I can see why some have leaned towards the Honda Goldwing.

[@tonycarthan6425]

True. Dont know much about the GW but I believe any of these modern models will have various levels of complexity when majior components require service. It's all part of the love / Hate / Inconvenience / Joy of our sport. Thanks for watching and commenting.

[@rockout1180]

Damn you are brave and extremely competent. Great job. Thank you

[@tonycarthan6425]

Thanks for the compliment and for watching.

[@craigfavorito9050]

Dude, you rock! Not only are you a keen wrencher, your video was well made as too - thank you. !

[@tonycarthan6425]

Thanks so much for your comment and for watching.

[@victorluna8581]

Tony, I like your style. The bike is an engineering marvel. But it's still just a bucket of bolts. Patience is the key. Nice job and thanks for the video. Isn't it a good feeling not having that one extra bolt left over! 😂😂Keep the rubber side down!!

[@tonycarthan6425]

Thanks 👍for watching.

[@larrylarry1206]

It was a pleasure watching you solve problems in the maintenance of your K1600GT. As the owner of a 2008 K12GT I share many of those issues. I'm currently replacing my leaking front ESA shock, and plan to have the shock rebuilt and reinstall it. Your video helped solve many of the questions I had about doing the job. There were a few old write ups on the discussion boards and some even had pics, but seeing a video helps a lot. I also see that while I'm in there it might be the time to do the valve clearance inspection and coolant replacement since I have to remove so much tupperware. Thanks again. I'll be looking at your future vids. Liked and Subscribed.

[@tonycarthan6425]

I am so glad it helped you. I only have three GT related vedios that have gotten way more views than expected. Just purchased a gopro 9 and hope to create some more content with better quality. Thank you for watching and subscribing.

[@chrischassey4849]

My favorite color combo on the GT. Great video!

[@tonycarthan6425]

Thank you for watching and commenting.

[@nightcruiser99]

Good camera work

[@tonycarthan6425]

Thank you for noticing. I am going to invest In a better camera and computer soon. My phone and PC are more than 10 years old together. Also am going to work on lighting and sound. Thanks for watching.

[@williamjeter4667]

Mad respect for your mechanical skills! I wont be doing this level of maintenance myself! Enjoyed watching

[@tonycarthan6425]

Thank yo so much for watching and commenting.

[@williamjeter4667]

I’m in Virginia also!

[@marcbiff2192]

You are a better man than me Gunga Din,excellent job.

[@tonycarthan6425]

Thanks for the compliment and for watching. As I said in the video, you can DIY if you take time and be patient.

[@wadeblake3451]

Impressive. Thanks. I plan on changing to the Tractive shocks on my RT.

[@tonycarthan6425]

You are welcome and I dont think you will be disappointed with this product. Thanks for watching.

[@mottolife1543]

Awesome video Tony! pretty cool and smart moves to keep in right position the K and the whole video step by step. This models are complex and you made it..all the best! in the future I will have to replace the front shock suspension so this is saved.

[@tonycarthan6425]

Thanks! 👍

[@joenovak2725]

Great TOP NOTCH Job Tony! Hope you liked the biscuits.

[@tonycarthan6425]

They were great, especially since all the work was done. Thanks for watching.

[@richlew]

Great video, thanks so much for making this.

[@tonycarthan6425]

My pleasure!

[@BorisOnWheels]

That's awesome! You should have done valve check while at it! 😆

[@tonycarthan6425]

You are right but I havent done any research on that yet. I watched your vedio with the GS battery problem. Really great the way you captured the day and brought us along with you. Thanks so much for subscribing and watching.

[@tojays]

Thank you for the video my front shock just went pouring fluid all over after taking off center stand hopefully BMW will replace under warranty your video would be real helpful if I had to do myself

[@tonycarthan6425]

Hope they fix it with something better than OEM. Good luck and thanks for watching.

[@lancmac]

Dang ... thank you for the info.... Makes me remember my 1999 K1300s.... Changing the air filter was an all day job.....

[@scottwebb3916]

Great video, Tony. Very good commentary and editing. You are brave and I like watching you tackle complex stuff. Love my '15 K1600GT.

[@tonycarthan6425]

Much appreciated! And thanks for watching.

[@GrandpaJeffrey]

Your video is excellent, and I feel I must say thank you. I had my shock replaced under warranty and the dealer showed me what they charged BMW. No cost to me. I will save your video if I ever have to do it myself later. Thanks again!

[@tonycarthan6425]

You are so welcome. I am amazed at how many of my fellow GT owners have liked this video. Have a great day and thanks for watching.

[@Justsayin999]

Wow, that Galvanic corrosion on the threads was brutal

[@tonycarthan6425]

I think it was a combination of the corrosion and thread locker material, but yes it was a bear. Thanks for watching.

[@user-gl3nd1fo5y]

Outstanding job. Glad to find your channel.

[@tonycarthan6425]

Thanks for watching. Haven't posted in a long while but hope to change that soon.

[@bobhoward3460]

Your an absolute champion mate! I am in the process of upgrading my K1200 GT and for some time now have been looking very closely at the 1600's. I am an old school mechanic and have enjoyed working on my 1200. Like my 1200 my only concern was the difficulty in working on them. You my new friend have now convinced me that the 1600 is achievable from a mechanical perspective. I am contacting my dealer this week and looking at trading in the very near future. Thank you for the time and effort you put into your videos, extremely helpful!!! Cheers Mate!

[@tonycarthan6425]

It is a great bike. I wish there were more detailed OEM documentation available to us. Remember when you could buy a shop manual that detailed every system on your bike. I guess the manufacturers think we are incapable or just don’t want to do our own work anymore. Thanks for your comment and watching. I am sure you will enjoy your new K16 if you upgrade.

[@nimoconst]

That was very enjoyable to watch 👌 you're a hell of crafty amd skilled guy. I own a k1300gt

[@tonycarthan6425]

Thanks for the comment and for watching.

[@Normanthegerman]

great job my friend. I have the same motorbike in germany and my electric suspensions are for sure defekt. i want to learn, how it is to repair. Thank you very much Tony. I give you 1000 Thumbs ub👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍

[@tonycarthan6425]

Thanks so much for the 👍🏽👍🏽👍🏽 and for watching. I hope aftermarket parts and accessories cost less there than here in USA. Good luck with the repair.

[@Normanthegerman]

@@tonycarthan6425 i will find out and Tell you later How much it cost 😀👍

[@markman7]

I don't have a K1600, but they are impressive bikes. Thanks for the videos, Tony, as they are always interesting to watch.

[@tonycarthan6425]

You are welcome and thanks for watching.

[@jamesmelendez4549]

I would not even try and attempt that job. Kudos to you 👏 🙌 👍 👌

[@tonycarthan6425]

You can do it!, just time and patience.

[@jamesmelendez4549]

@@tonycarthan6425 I'm retired so I have the time. It's the patience that I'm lacking. Lol 😆

[@romesyoutubechannel5356]

Great work and video.

[@tonycarthan6425]

Thanks for watching. I see you are a Harley rider. Just about all my ride buddies are as well.

[@romesyoutubechannel5356]

@@tonycarthan6425 Yes, I unfortunately joined the Harley club back in 2011. Honestly it was a bad decision. I have owned 27 motorcycles and by far the Harley has been the worst one I owned. I am the original owner took delivery of the bike with 6 miles on it. Before I reached a 100 miles I had already had a number of problems occur. I have owned all of the Japanese makes as well as one triumph Thunderbird . Pretty sure I'm about to buy a K1600b or a R18B Before the week is out. Finishing up my last internet research before I pull the trigger. Your videos have been great help.

[@TheQwazar]

Хотелось бы версию этого мотоцикла с обычной телескопической вилкой и с минимумом электроники.

[@tonycarthan6425]

That would be an awsum ride!!

[@johnbrown4280]

Bloody excellent...thank you👍👍👍

[@tonycarthan6425]

You are very welcome. Thanks for watching.

[@divermel123]

awesome video! thanks for your time and effort to make it!

[@tonycarthan6425]

You are welcom and thanks for watching.

[@rickbyford7866]

Great video you might want to get a front fender extension works great and keeps a lot of road debris off the rad

[@tonycarthan6425]

Thanks for the tip!

[@hectorvara750]

Great job, Anchor Klanker! Thank you for a great video, Tony!

[@tonycarthan6425]

Thanks!

[@TechnMoto]

Great job Tony.

[@tonycarthan6425]

Thank you.

[@martinhendlin7302]

Great job, Tony! Excellent photography and hyper-articulate commentary. I like your style, man. You are a true super technician! I have a 2012 GT with 40+K miles on it. I'm guessing I will need to do this job sooner than later.

[@tonycarthan6425]

Thank you for the compliment and for watching. Hope it helps when you have to get it done.

[@westsussexbikers]

You are a very patient man. I would be shouting at the bike.

[@Juror63]

Thanks for your excellent video. I'm sure I'll need to use it, hopefully not anytime soon. 😁👍

[@tonycarthan6425]

Your welcome and thanks for watching.

[@Hmakimia]

great video, i am the same way, however, never video tape anything (my bike is much older 2006 K1200GT) guest the number of times i took it apart didnt see you torquing anything, dont take as a negative comment i am pretty sure you know what you doing geat job you made it look super easy with no repair manual

[@tonycarthan6425]

Right you are. A pro would have looked up the torque specs. I am a backyard technician and do a lot by feel. When specifications are available most times I use a torque wrench. I use it on all my wheel and brake components because the data is in the owner's manual. Thanks for watching and commenting.

[@christophgage]

Thanks for sharing! I just posted to you over at K1600 forums. I'm about to remove the front and rears to replace mine with Wilbers. The video is a great reference. Wanna come to VA Beach to supervise a retired OS! 😆

[@joeschmoe1301]

This was amazing 👏

[@tonycarthan6425]

Thanks, glad you enjoyed it.

[@Justsayin999]

Instead of the ladder arrangement you could just put a jack under the engine and jack until the bike is supported on Jack, Centrestand and back tyre touches the floor

[@cmii9966]

Well done sir

[@tonycarthan6425]

Thank you for watching.

[@hectorvara750]

Tony, I meant to tell you that Touratech sells these shocks and they ask how much you weigh so that they can set the preload for you. All the best, Sir.

[@tonycarthan6425]

They did ask for weight data and supposedly preload was adjusted accordingly. These came from the Beemer Shop out of California.

[@stewkeene]

New to the channel. I like the white letters on the tires. You’re doing? Color stick? 😊 on a side note, I think you can reset the shocks so that they sinc with one another for equal Elsa adjustment. You’ll need a GS 911. There is a video on how to do it.

[@Tenerisius]

Piece of cake! Easy!🤪

[@simongreenwood3806]

I did mine last year, didn’t video it! Pain of a job as you know, for future, there is a plastic pad between the exhausts under the gearbox, you can jack the bike up on that, no need for the ladders and ratchet straps.

[@tonycarthan6425]

Yes I saw that pad. It didnt look structurally sound enough to support the bike. Thanks for the comment and watching my video.

[@simongreenwood3806]

I can assure you it is, I use a trolley jack under there to remove the front wheel, and when washing to be able to turn the front wheel easily. Great video by the way

[@tonycarthan6425]

Thanks for your comment for watching and subscribing.

[@openscape7831]

Tony great work, i wish you were my neighbour, i have a 2005 K1200S. I am able to calibrate rear shock using Moto Scan APP, but Front not responding. Probably front shock needs replacement.

[@tonycarthan6425]

As you can see it is a bit involved but not out of the capability of a determined mechanic. Good luck and thanks for watching.

[@JSProjectWild]

Tony---you da man! Over 1g for one shock and all that labor? This and other horror stories makes me contemplate selling my GTL and just keeping my Goldwing. I wonder how much the BMW stealerships charge for that job. Any idea? Thanks for that great vid!!!🦾🦾🦾

[@tonycarthan6425]

Thanks for your comment and for watching. I dont know how much BMW charges because I never even considered going that way. I am sure I saved a few $$$

[@Heyzeus71]

A thousand for a shock is a steal. All machines require labor. I do not miss any of my Goldwings. I am used to 1200 to 1600 for Ohlins shocks. I will agree it is a bunch of labor. I appreciate the video. Makes me willing to see what a dealer might charge.

[@Letsgetit1600]

👍🏾

[@darrylbrooks7175]

Hey Tony, I am a first time viewer and I must say I was nervous as hell watching you take that a part. Awesome job! I must know....where did you get those raised white letter Michelin tires??? I love those! I'm running Michelin GT Road 6's myself. Please let me know about the tires!!! DB

[@tonycarthan6425]

White latex paint, an artest brush and some patience..

[@h65k60]

First of all, THANK YOU for the awesome video, you're a good mechanic, clean and organized. I have a 2014 GTL, and my front wheel is misaligned in regard to the steering plate. The handlebars look fine, but when the handlebars are parallel but the front wheel aims to the left and I have no idea how to align it. I tried to adjust the plate moving it to the next position removing the 27mm nut that holds the plate, but it is worst. I wonder if you have any suggestions. It is not a big deal but like you, my OCD triggers from time to time and bothers me. I will be very much appreciated.

[@tonycarthan6425]

Did you hit something or crash? I have not encountered this so I am not familiar with the handle bar to steering yoke alignment. I thought it was set by the link that ties the two together. If the answer to either of my questions is yes, that link may be damaged and possibly some other components as well. Hope this helps.

[@AB-hx9hs]

Hi Tony, Just got a 2012 K1600 GT. Both shocks seems to be dead, it is like riding on Gravel the entire time. Front mirrors and panel vibrates and shakes, front end dives when I brake. The rear moves when I make adjustments to the ESA but I do feel every pot and hole in the road. Bike has 90K miles on it. So I will need to replace both shocks, what a nightmare. Not sure where you live as I could use the help. Thanks, great videa.

[@tonycarthan6425]

Sounds like a big job. With that many miles I would also be looking at ball joints, swing arm bushings, wheel bearings ect. If you are going in that deep may as well get everything and do a deep cleaning and visual recon on everything. Good luck. I am in virginia.

[@phensriwood8081]

Need to carefully check the ball joints while your in there.

[@tonycarthan6425]

Thanks. It doesn't show it in the video but I did pull and pry on them looking for any type of play. Have about 5K on the bike since replacement with no handling issues so far.

[@laryangel4082]

W

[@eikodunn]

👍🏾👍🏾👍🏾👍🏾👍🏾

[@tonycarthan6425]

Thank you for watching!

[@claw1770]

great video, and very helpful

[@tonycarthan6425]

Glad it was helpful!

[@BMWLDRider]

Good work!

[@tonycarthan6425]

Thanks for the visit and your compliment.

[@AB-hx9hs]

Hi Tony, Do you have to remove the front wheel to do this? And lift it off the ground or can the wheel stay on the ground and remove the shock ? Also, can the Gas tank be pushed back to gain access to the bolt or does it have to be completely removed ?? Thanks.

[@tonycarthan6425]

I have had comments that state you can remove the lower control arm bolts and swing the wheel out of the way. I honestly dont know because I didnt try it. The tank has to be removed to access the top bolt.

[@AB-hx9hs]

Do you have one for replacing the Rear Shock please ? Thanks.

[@tonycarthan6425]

Sorry not yet!

[@johnmalenchek6597]

Lower ball joint does not need to be removed. How about checking BMW documentation

[@tonycarthan6425]

Didnt have it at the time. Some lessons are learned the hard way. Thanks for commenting and watching. 🙂

[@AB-hx9hs]

Hi Tony: Let me ask you a question. I know my Rear shock is gone, the dealer confirmed this. I already removed the Rear Shock. An independent mechanic shock tells me the front is gone too (He says he can tell just by looking at it). I did the bounce test you did in your video but my bike was on the Center Stand (Not the side one), the front bounces just once then it stops, it does not bounce multiple times like yours (I did this after I removed the Rear Shock). Does this mean the Front Shock is OK?? Removing the front is a lot more work than the Rear and I don't want to do it if I don't have to. I am getting the shock rebuilt. What do you think?? Thank you.

[@tonycarthan6425]

I did my test with the kickstand up and the full weight of the bike. Unless the shock is leaking you can't really tell if it is bad by looking at it. In my opinion the bounce test is the best way. A rebuilt OEM shock will be as good as what you had before the failure. I have had great luck so far with the Tractive unit.

[@BMRStudio]

I glad have a oil boiler 650 Bandit 😂😂😂 What a complicated mess BMW! What those engineers are smoking? Jesus!

[@tonycarthan6425]

😂

[@strenabarnes9373]

😊

[@tonycarthan6425]

Hay cuz. Merry Christmas!!! Thanks for watching.