Fluid maintenance is key to the long life of any vehicle. Our Airhead Maintenance 101 series continues with changing the gear oil in the transmission. This series is meant for riders new to Airheads who may not have a lot of mechanical knowledge. In many cases, you’ll be learning right along with our host!
The process shown in this video applies to BMWs from the 1970s and possibly the early 1980s and beyond. CHECK YOUR SHOP MANUAL FOR DETAILS associated with your particular motorcycle.
Tools needed:
- Torque wrench!
- 8mm allen socket & driver
- 19mm socket
Parts/supplies needed:
- Two crush washers, one each for the transmission drain and fill plugs. They are different sizes!
Fill – BMW p/n 07 11 9 963 300 Gasket Ring – A18x22-AL, $1.63 (this is the same size as the oil pan drain bolt’s crush washer)
Drain – BMW p/n 07 11 9 963 200 Gasket Ring – A14x18-AL, $0.77 - 1 quart of the appropriate weight oil for your bike (refer to manual)
I used Lucas Oil Heavy Duty Gear Oil 80W90, it costs about $12 a quart. You can use any gear oil of this weight provided it “meets or exceeds” the API GL-5 standard. - Catch pan for 1 quart of oil
- Beauty bottle or angled funnel
- Rags and contact/carb cleaner for tidying up
Unlike other MOA Garage videos, we provide torque values here because they’re unlikely to change – they’ve been in place for 50 years or more at this point, so we feel pretty confident stating them. Having said that, you should always look up the torque values appropriate for your specific motorcycle. There is some variance between models and even model years, so while the torque values and other information provided here definitely apply to a 1976 R 90/6, they may or may not apply to your motorcycle. ALWAYS USE A TORQUE WRENCH!
This video series is made possible by Morton’s BMW in Spotsylvania, Virginia. Help support your local BMW motorcycle dealer! Find out more about Morton’s BMW at mortonsbmw.com.
Thank you for visiting the MOA Garage. If you’re an MOA member in Virginia and would like to see your bike featured in an MOA Garage video, contact us through the MOA website.
