Christ, what a dreadful bike?

TrickyWoo

Guest
My first post was called, "Cripes what a bike :)" because I was, well, happy.

This time I am not :-(

Bought 2005 GS1200 with 8000 miles from a dealer on Saturday.

On the way home, the indicator failed.

Dealer (who has been absolutely exemplary throughout) retrieves bike and replaces right-hand side switch.

Into London on bike yesterday - all is right with the world. Top chuckles all the way.

Riding home last night in the rain (that's very light Surrey drizzle not a proper 'Welcome to Belgian stupid English type" downpour).

Bike runs, bike runs, bike stops. Him no start.

Dealer retrieves bike and replaces (you can see what's coming here, right?) - the fuel pump relay (and the battery :) ).

Bike returned home today.

So, what the rubbery Biggins is going on when a £7,000, 8,000 mile good-as-new fully serviced Panzermoto chucks a sickie twice in as many days? I've had £300 bikes which have taken me to Paris and back with less bother (unless you count the entire fairing falling off on the N1 which was (a) bloody dangerous but (b) properly funny and (c) only in France anyway so (d) doesn't count).

How the heck am I now supposed to take this bike plus easily infuriated Sith Ifrican wife to Italy if I think it'll chuck its toys out the pram at the first sign of rain? Which will probably either be just after we board the ferry in a great holiday mood or deep in the forest, in the rain with a bellyful of wine so rough it actually gives you a hangover as you drink it? Neither situation would be a good one and I speak a bit of Sausage and Frog so BMW Europe would get a nasty wake-up call. Mind you, if German build qualitaet was this bad in the 20th Century we would have 6.5m more Jews and the Iron Curtain would never have happened and I wouldn't have ended up doing a totally pointless degree in Russian. So it's not all bad.

Also on the credit side, the loan bike was a new thing called a G650 X-Country or some such and is a major, scrotum tingling giggle bus. You have feckin' got to try one of these little demons.

Yours in hope,

Richard
Sussex
 
Bought 2005 GS1200 with 8000 miles from a dealer on Saturday.
Click to expand...


Its quite old and has a lot of miles, what do you expect :rolleyes:
Trade it in for a newer one :thumb
 
Look at it this way - your bike has had 2 known faults replaced FOC by the dealer for only a bit of hassle - bad luck on you for getting an 05 bike which hasn't had this happen before but now that they have been sorted it won't happen again. You FD and mainshaft seal may go but the dealer will sort this too. Neither of these problems will bring you to a halt on your tour...

Welcome to the world of 1200 GS's!
 
The faliures are carefully dished out evenly amongst 1200 owners...they must have cocked up the distribution and gave you a lifetimes worth :augie
 
Easyrider5258 said:
Its quite old and has a lot of miles, what do you expect
Click to expand...

:nono


do a search in the 1200 section. There are some problems, but not as many as people think and it is always the afflicted who shout the loudest. When people are happy with their machines they tend to have huge grins, which is quite difficult to convey on t'nternet.

Also check out the ride reports as to what people bring as spares on long trips, ie outside their own country......depending on your own level of spannering.

Enjoy your trip.:thumb2
 
"How the heck am I now supposed to take this bike plus easily infuriated Sith Ifrican wife to Italy if I think it'll chuck its toys out the pram at the first sign of rain? "

leave er in the kitchen where she belongs?


:hide
 
if you got any worries bring yer bike round here my mates in the fire service. He could giver yer bike the once over with the big water squirty pipe thingy at full blast, which will either prove the bike as being sound or you'll get it all replaced by the insurance.:thumb2
 
I've been advised that the replacement pump relay is a different type and will go the distance. I'm a little concerned about the EWS failure now but the main thing will be to get some serious miles in to get the confidence up.

I must say I do find it odd that a £7000 bike would have these faults - not just mine but the others on here who've seen similar things.
 
Just keep exercising the faith that brought you to buy a 2nd hand 12 in the first place :augie
 
TrickyWoo

Sorry to hear about the failures but I must admit that I enjoyed the manner in which you told it.
 
Welcome to the world of BMW 1200 series bikes..............:augie

Oh and the 1150's/1100's and airheads too have their problems

On the whole Hondas are a complete dream.............but lack soul

On the BMW G650 series............they rock, I have the XChallenge:thumb
 
!200's

Get an 1150, 2001, 72000 miles, no probs. Only probs been me hitting things, namely trucks and dogs!.
It'll be ok just be glad it's under warrenty now get out there and thrash it!.
dave gs.
 
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The fuel pump controller is a pain. However, it is easily fixed and you should have plenty of miles with a new one before there's any risk of failure. If reliability is going to be a major issue (as it is likely to be for a trip to Italy) I'd suggest you buy a spare and take it with you. If the current one fails, it'll take five minutes to replace.

Should you have to do this on a relatively new bike? No, of course not. Is the world an ideal place? Ditto.

If it's any consolation, my fuel pump controller went on the Grossglockner pass in Austria last summer (also an '05 bike). An enormous disappointment when it happened, but looking back it makes a better story than "bike went perfectly for 2,000 miles." I have now slathered mine with silicon grease in an attempt to keep the water out. Maybe this will help, maybe it won't, but at least I feel like I'm doing something.

Anyway, by having a replacement with you, you reduce the chances of failure of the original by an enormous amount!

Presumably you have a dealer warranty for at least 12 months. Make sure they sort out anything else that does go wrong. Keep an eye out for oil leaks either side of the gearbox, and also the final drive. If there's any problems, get the dealer to rectify it within the warranty period. If there are no problems in 12 months, you've probably got a good one. Or keep extending the warranty - you've paid for it as part of the price this year, even if not overtly, so why would the situation be any different next year? Also, keep an eye on the front engine cover.

(A slightly more serious answer than "should have bought an 1100...." And anyway, it doesn't matter what you do to an 1100 or 1150, it'll still be heavier, less powerful than your bike and not necessarily any more reliable. Fork brace corrosion? Failed 1150 final drive? Had 'em both on my 1150...:thumb.)
 
S'easy Carry an ignition ring and a pump controller with you and learn how to fit them at the roadside!

Also teach Irritable wifey that if she hold Umbrella steady for 5 more minutes and stop dumping water in the hole you'll get away quicker!

Then when you can do it in daylight try it in the dark in your garage! I mean Fitting the parts to your bike! :aidan :aidan :aidan Pervert! :aidan :aidan :aidan

I've an 1100 I'm really only worried about the Hall sensors and fuel pump I fink

Then Mines not a real GS it's a Mish MAsh Hybrid sort of thing :aidan with a stuffed gearbox anyway
 
My '05 (14k now) has been fault free (apart from the dreaded gearbox oil seals getting replaced @ 12k during the service and only 6 days inside the warrenty). I sprayed WaxOil onto the pump controller and covered the slots in the cap with duck tape. Don't know if that's completely wise, but no problems so far.
 
Nippy Normans supply Touratech, Wunderlich, Desert Fox and many other makes of accessories.
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