Disappointed So Far

Hi,
This is my first post since joining this forum.
In June 2013 I bought my first GS after several years without a bike. I bought a 2003 R1150GS from a Midlands dealer (non franchise). It was the 'facelift' twin spark with ABS. It had good history-mostly BMW.it had done 44000 miles It was expensive for what it was (£4200) but came with a lifetime warranty as long as it was serviced by the dealer.
I chose the GS because I had always wanted one. Their reputation for reliability and ease of fixing/maintenance was what appealed as well as their supposed longevity. I didn't want to be a slave to a dealer and so an expensive 1150 seemed preferable to a cheap 1200.
All went well and it was brilliant. It ticked every box. I felt that it was a decision well made. My other half was inspired!!! She decided to pass her full test and bought a bike from a main dealer. We started to tour.
All went well until in April this year the ABS started to become erratic. Module failure was diagnosed and a bill followed. The dealer was good and went halves but with the service etc etc it still cost a considerable amount. I got the bike back in May with the ABS removed.
A month on ( and 1400 miles more on the clock )and it's broken down again. It's been fully serviced as per BMW's schedule and I was assured that there were no issues. This time the bike stalls and loses power. It's revs rise and fall when idling until it simply stalls. Above 3000 rpm it's ok but seems to be holding back. It's a pig to ride in town.I changed the stick coils (another £160 ) and although it seems better when revving it now idles even more poorly.
It's going back to the dealer in 10 days. They are too busy to look at it til then. They are 50 miles away. So I am without a bike again.
I appreciate that most will say that I should sort it myself. But being honest I don't have the tools,ability or time due to work. I can probably fathom out what's wrong ( with help from this forum ) but there is a difference between knowing and doing.

I have two questions:-

1) Have I bought a heap or is this what I can expect from now on. Is it a case of expecting constant maintenance?
2) Is there a good and knowledgable BMW specialist in the South Birmingham area who I can trust? ( I am after someone who knows the BMW bikes not just a good bike mechanic ).

To make matters worst my other half bought a Ducati. I was merciless in my p**s taking and assured her that I would pillion her home when her Monster broke. Now she waits for me whilst I cough and splutter along the road!!! She wants me to trade it for a Multistrada.

Have you ever had the fuel filter changed ?

Yes apparently it was changed at the last 46000 mile service as per BMW's instructions.
This new fault is odd because it will suddenly clear-almost as if a switch is thrown. It initially started as a 'hot start' issue but now occurs when starting from cold as well. The revs gradually fall then rise again and so on until it stabilises. You can ride through it by heavy right hand usage-but as I said it's not great to ride.

All bikes will need maintenance during their lifetime, things will wear out/fail, it's the nature of the beast (any beast)

Although the more complex the beast the more there is to go wrong

So, what happened to this "lifetime warranty" that the dealer gave you??

Uncle-Fester said:

So, what happened to this "lifetime warranty" that the dealer gave you??

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That was going to be my question. Surely a lifetime warrantee would cover abs pump fully and the stick coils???

You've been unlucky. The abs and the stick coils are the weakest link on the 1150's, one of the reasons I like the older single spark bikes.

You're next thing will most likely be the pivot bearings and then the final drive bearing

Hmm, the lifetime warranty seems very bizarre and it doesn't seem the dealer is being particularly helpful!! He probably hasn't a bloody clue what he is looking at .

My advice would be to PM Mikeyboy who is over in Leicester and get him to have a good look at it for you. He will give you an honest assessment and probably sort your problems out for a sensible price.

You are better off forgetting the lifetime warranty nonsense and get it sorted by someone who knows what they are doing and get on with enjoying the bike.

If, as you say,you got the bike back from the dealer with the ABS removed and got considerable bill I think you need to talk to them about their charges. Look it up on here, it's not a long process.

John

Like all warranties it is limited in what it will cover. Effectively it covers the catastrophic non wear and tear items that rarely occur ( so little or nothing really! ).
When I bought the bike I was realistic and didn't buy it for the warranty. I bought it as it was well looked after and because it had a substantial history. I did quite a lot of research and the general opinion was that the 1150 was a strong and reliable beast if regularly serviced ( in many ways better than the 1200 )
I appreciate that all things need maintaining.I have done just over 4000 miles on the thing so far though and it has cost over £1000 in maintenance ( almost 25% of it's value ).
I don't want to sell it. When it runs it is perfect for my needs. But as the post title says-I am disappointed.
If I can find a knowledgable and reliable non franchise mechanic in the area then I am sure that it can be fixed at a reasonable price. I have tried a couple of local BMW Internet advertised specialists-one answered after 6 weeks and the other failed to answer at all.
I am contemplating putting it in a van and seeking advice in the London area. I know that I can get it fixed there.
But at the moment with work commitments ( plus the money ) I simply don't have the time. I need someone I can get to locally for proper advice who has the knowledge ( and who frankly is interested ).

As Bilco has already said... Give Mike ( Mikeyboy on here ) a call .... he's just North of Melton Mowbray, so about an hour from Birmingham.....

Overland and Classic

07786 340692 .... He'll sort it out for you

http://www.ukgser.com/forums/showthread.php?359292-OVERLAND-AND-CLASSIC

Mark0638 said:

Like all warranties it is limited in what it will cover. Effectively it covers the catastrophic non wear and tear items that rarely occur ( so little or nothing really! ).
When I bought the bike I was realistic and didn't buy it for the warranty. I bought it as it was well looked after and because it had a substantial history. I did quite a lot of research and the general opinion was that the 1150 was a strong and reliable beast if regularly serviced ( in many ways better than the 1200 )
I appreciate that all things need maintaining.I have done just over 4000 miles on the thing so far though and it has cost over £1000 in maintenance ( almost 25% of it's value ).
I don't want to sell it. When it runs it is perfect for my needs. But as the post title says-I am disappointed.
If I can find a knowledgable and reliable non franchise mechanic in the area then I am sure that it can be fixed at a reasonable price. I have tried a couple of local BMW Internet advertised specialists-one answered after 6 weeks and the other failed to answer at all.
I am contemplating putting it in a van and seeking advice in the London area. I know that I can get it fixed there.
But at the moment with work commitments ( plus the money ) I simply don't have the time. I need someone I can get to locally for proper advice who has the knowledge ( and who frankly is interested ).

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The warranty you describe is not worth having in most cases. But the dealer has an obligation to fix things during the first 6 months. Removing the servo and and ABS should not have been expensive. If it was it is the dealer and not the bike that is at fault

John

Just one other thing-I have no issue with the dealer who to be fair has tried to help me out with the bike. He has split the bill and tried to resolve the issues. Also I knew what I was signing up for when I bought it so no issues there. I just anticipated that it would be more reliable/easier to fix.
Anyway this is an 'onwards/upwards' post not a moan. I still have faith-I just need a fix.

Have you checked that both cables going into the throttle bodies are correctly seated?

.....can't find Steptoes much viewed photo showing what I mean.

If the coils have been replaced then I might want to be checking the Hall Effect Senser - good link HERE

Andres

Yes I thought the Hall sensor was the next likely suspect.
I have PM'd Mikeyboy as suggested.
Thanks for all your input.
I am away tomorrow for 9 days in The Ardennes,Black Forest and Italian Lakes. I was supposed to be going on the bike-hence my semi rant.
I am just disappointed with it-but onwards and upwards. There will be other trips. And at least I now have air conditioning for the trip!!!

And yes I have checked the cables-they were an issue before when I raises the tank to fit crash bars. So I learnt from a previous error on that one (thanks Mr RAC).

Perfect if you rang Mike, got the bike over today... and then left it with him until after your holidays - you could have a fixed bike by then ( providing he's got a window of opportunity of course )

I have spoken to Mike and arrangements made.
Thanks to all for your input.

mark don't give up !! bike will be sorted nothing that cannot be fixed !a lot of bmw riders in the world bike is not that bad chin up

Mark0638 said:

Just one other thing-I have no issue with the dealer who to be fair has tried to help me out with the bike. He has split the bill and tried to resolve the issues. Also I knew what I was signing up for when I bought it so no issues there. I just anticipated that it would be more reliable/easier to fix.
Anyway this is an 'onwards/upwards' post not a moan. I still have faith-I just need a fix.

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My point is removing the ABS is a simple operation and should not have cost a lot of money.

John

Sheene, thanks for that and I won't give up without trying. As you say there are numerous satisfied owners-and I am sure I will be one.Although the spousal pressure re the Multistrada is building!!!

As regards the brakes I appreciate that it should be simple ( and probably is ). I was told initially that it was a sensor fault following the fitting of new tyres.However once the bike was back with the dealer and in pieces being looked at, it was not the strongest position to negotiate from. So unfortunately the price had to be paid ( and as I have said the dealer split the cost because I bought it from them less than 12 months previously ). I did contact Neil Harrison via email and got a quote ( so I do know how much it should have been-and really wanted him to do it ) but as I have already said the bike was in bits and I couldn't get it to him.The servo unit was unsurprisingly not covered by the warranty. I simply didn't trust myself enough to try to do it myself. The positive is that with fully fitted braided stainless steel hoses, the brakes are much better than before and the insurance company charged me nothing for the amendment.

So it's not all doom and gloom-I am just frustrated. It's the loss of the bike for lengthy periods and the messing about rather than purely the money ( although I am not rich and could do without it ). We had lots of plans for this summer which are unfortunately on hold for now.

However now I have a garage hopefully that knows about these bikes then hopefully it will be resolved.

I remember reading one thread a while back ( sorry I can't remember who posted it? ). It said that there is a difference between a local motorbike garage that deals with all bikes and someone who knows specifically about BMW's. I agree totally.