I have noticed several posts on this forum about BEC gearbox failures and as my next car might very well be a BEC one I wondered what sort of life one
can expect from BEC gearboxes.
The question is how many trouble free miles can you get between gearbox faiures driving like the car invites you to drive?
Done 4500miles on mine with no probs as yet...`Touch wood'
dunno yet, still trying to diagnose mine!
i must've done 1000 miles and 3 trackdays without it breaking. Sold it now though so who knows! 
There's been a spate of them lately (including mine) but its not always like that on here!
Ive done around 25 trackdays (probably ~3000 track miles) and maybe 10k road miles and my failure at Spa a couple of weeks ago is the first Ive
had.
There's little relevence in a poll based on mileage though because you're not factoring in how many miles the engine has already done in the
bike, which could vary from zero miles to 20k+
[Edited on 8/9/07 by ChrisGamlin]
quote:
Originally posted by ChrisGamlin
There's little relevence in a poll based on mileage though because you're not factoring in how many miles the engine has already done in the bike, which could vary from zero miles to 20k+
[Edited on 8/9/07 by ChrisGamlin]
The bigger and more powerful the bike, the more chance there is of the gearbox being able to handle the extra weight due smaller difference in bike
weight to BEC weight.
As for replacing/repairing, I'd say a bike engine repair was quicker and easier as you can just lift the whole unit out (in one) and work on it.
Try doing that with a car engine!
Regarding cost - bike would probably work out more expensive...
Steve
Hi Ivan
Yep I can see what you were aiming at but I suspect there's probably too many variables involved to just tie it down to mileage.
For example, people who are unsympathetic / have poor technique when changing gear (even on the bike) or cars that have poor linkage / cable designs
that aren't particularly precise are much more likely to bend forks for example, and something like that plus secondary damage caused by bent
forks (ie chipped / rounded dogs) aren't really related to the additional loads going through the gearbox, although they may appear more often on
BECs because of the varying quality of the gearchange mechanism solutions used.
Chris
Thanks all - hopefully more will fill in the poll but it looks like there are a high number of early failures that might be put down to an already
dodgy box at installation, poor linkages or poor technique followed by a gap and then longer term failures which may indicate that that ultimate life
may be around 10000 miles given normal trackday use, a sympathetic driver with good technique and good linkages.
I am learning something - the answer to BEC gearbox longevity seems to be a big engine from a heavy bike with excellent linkages and good change
technique plus maybe an uprated clutch and a realy light car.
Must start keeping my eye open for a Kawa 1400
quote:
Originally posted by Ivan
I am learning something - the answer to BEC gearbox longevity seems to be a big engine from a heavy bike with excellent linkages and good change technique plus maybe an uprated clutch and a realy light car.
Hi
2 Suzuki RF900 engines both with 2nd Gear problems.
1st did not show problems until used hard then jump when in 2nd.
Then No. 2 from ebay . This was worse.
Buying Cheap second hand engines from broken or old bike's means they they may well already be duff.
Second engine now fixed.
3 gears and 2 selectors (£200 approx).
No problems since.
3000miles so far.