oxforshirerider
Registered user
So, its been another winter of fun here in the UK - with more snow predicted on Sunday.......oh the joys!
I ride all year round for commuting 150 miles a day (75 miles each way) on motorways and back roads. The issue is that no amount of regular cleaning and ACF50 can protect the bike! Washing it down with cold water from a bucket, after your hosepipe freezes, believe me, can get tiresome and frustrating, but try as one might, there is no beating the Salt build-up on our roads if your using the bike everyday.
As a result, my beloved 16'Plate GSA has corrosion rife on it, and paint literally worn off in places, because it is so thin! I realise that bike manufacturers are in the business to make money, but cost saving on paint thickness has to be an odd decision. I am fortunate enough to have the top model of GSA with all the toys, but all the issues I have had with it are down to mechanical failure or corrosion. New engine - tick, new swing arm - tick, new swing arm again - tick, new cylinder heads - tick, new exhaust headers - tick, new exhaust headers again - tick, new pro-shift hardware - tick, new gear selector hardware - tick, new switch gear - tick, new wing mirror - tick.
Now before I continue to moan, ALL of the above has been done under warranty by BMW, so fair play to them. I do however have to get the bike serviced every quarter, so its not a one way street in terms of expense, and I've paid for them happily knowing its my way to and from work and my lifeline to my salary. My most recent service was over £1200 with new brake discs and the rest of the stuff the fails when racking up miles!
My biggest gripe however is how badly protected these adventure bikes are against British weather , or more specifically British transports treatment methods for the weather. Rust shouldn't be appearing on the bike where my boots (covered soft leather & textile clothing) rub the frame......I've never had this on my past Triumph's or Suzuki's - and they were a lot cheaper to buy! Rust and corrosion is taking over and thats with regular maintenance, an ACF50 routine which is bordering on obsessive and cold water washes after rides even though my fingers and body are screaming for me to get into the warm house!
Ok moan over, I am one that does 'just go and ride it' but sometimes its nice to have a moan.
On a more positive point, its great to see all the bikers starting to come back to the roads, I miss you all in the depths of winter, so welcome back. I almost got hit in a head on with two sports bikes on my side of the road around a corner yesterday, I should of been mad as they were being driven dangerously at a very rapid speed, but I avoided them and off they went, leaving me with a grin that they were out there enjoying themselves.......I'm not condoning the driving, but its great to see bikes back out on the roads and the camaraderie of a nod or a wave! Bring on the spring and summer folks!
Ride safe and ignore the moaning muppets like me!
I ride all year round for commuting 150 miles a day (75 miles each way) on motorways and back roads. The issue is that no amount of regular cleaning and ACF50 can protect the bike! Washing it down with cold water from a bucket, after your hosepipe freezes, believe me, can get tiresome and frustrating, but try as one might, there is no beating the Salt build-up on our roads if your using the bike everyday.
As a result, my beloved 16'Plate GSA has corrosion rife on it, and paint literally worn off in places, because it is so thin! I realise that bike manufacturers are in the business to make money, but cost saving on paint thickness has to be an odd decision. I am fortunate enough to have the top model of GSA with all the toys, but all the issues I have had with it are down to mechanical failure or corrosion. New engine - tick, new swing arm - tick, new swing arm again - tick, new cylinder heads - tick, new exhaust headers - tick, new exhaust headers again - tick, new pro-shift hardware - tick, new gear selector hardware - tick, new switch gear - tick, new wing mirror - tick.
Now before I continue to moan, ALL of the above has been done under warranty by BMW, so fair play to them. I do however have to get the bike serviced every quarter, so its not a one way street in terms of expense, and I've paid for them happily knowing its my way to and from work and my lifeline to my salary. My most recent service was over £1200 with new brake discs and the rest of the stuff the fails when racking up miles!
My biggest gripe however is how badly protected these adventure bikes are against British weather , or more specifically British transports treatment methods for the weather. Rust shouldn't be appearing on the bike where my boots (covered soft leather & textile clothing) rub the frame......I've never had this on my past Triumph's or Suzuki's - and they were a lot cheaper to buy! Rust and corrosion is taking over and thats with regular maintenance, an ACF50 routine which is bordering on obsessive and cold water washes after rides even though my fingers and body are screaming for me to get into the warm house!
Ok moan over, I am one that does 'just go and ride it' but sometimes its nice to have a moan.
On a more positive point, its great to see all the bikers starting to come back to the roads, I miss you all in the depths of winter, so welcome back. I almost got hit in a head on with two sports bikes on my side of the road around a corner yesterday, I should of been mad as they were being driven dangerously at a very rapid speed, but I avoided them and off they went, leaving me with a grin that they were out there enjoying themselves.......I'm not condoning the driving, but its great to see bikes back out on the roads and the camaraderie of a nod or a wave! Bring on the spring and summer folks!
Ride safe and ignore the moaning muppets like me!
its madness.
