1200GS Broken!

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MayaMonkey

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Seems like the curse of BMW reliability has caught up with me!

I've got an '07 1200GS which I've had since February. I commute everyday to work (42 miles round trip) and all has been fine up until this evening. I got on the bike as I was leaving work, turned the ignition key, allowed it to do it's warm up checks etc. As I pressed the starter to start the engine, it briefly coughed and then.... nothing!

The dash board was dead (i.e no signs of life) and no matter how many times I turned the ignition key, nothing happened.

I'm kind of assuming it's the ignition switch and will call BMW tomorrow to get it recovered. I couldn't be arsed with the hassle this evening as it was after hours and a colleague of mine offered me a lift home in his car (the indignation!!)

If anyone has any other ideas as to what it can be, please let me know. Could it be the immobiliser from the alarm? Are the keys coded and could the key be knackered? Or is it my first thought and the ignition switch...

And to think, the bike has only done 10k miles! It's barely run in!!

Thanks all...! :)
 
Same thing recently happened to my R1200ST in Amsterdam. Missed my ferry home but there are worse places to break down :augie

Fault was traced a small switch in the ignition circuit which either works or doesn't. 50 euros to supply & fit got me on my way again.
 
I had a quick check on the battery connections and everything looked fine to me. The way it just died when I pressed the starter makes me think something is wrong with the ignition. I remember my Blackbird did a similar thing last year, but that had 30k miles on the clock and never went wrong, so I was kind of a little more philosophical about it!

Still, fingers crossed it'll get sorted under waranty...
 
MayaMonkey said:
Seems like the curse of BMW reliability has caught up with me!

I've got an '07 1200GS which I've had since February. I commute everyday to work (42 miles round trip) and all has been fine up until this evening. I got on the bike as I was leaving work, turned the ignition key, allowed it to do it's warm up checks etc. As I pressed the starter to start the engine, it briefly coughed and then.... nothing!

The dash board was dead (i.e no signs of life) and no matter how many times I turned the ignition key, nothing happened.

I'm kind of assuming it's the ignition switch and will call BMW tomorrow to get it recovered. I couldn't be arsed with the hassle this evening as it was after hours and a colleague of mine offered me a lift home in his car (the indignation!!)

If anyone has any other ideas as to what it can be, please let me know. Could it be the immobiliser from the alarm? Are the keys coded and could the key be knackered? Or is it my first thought and the ignition switch...

And to think, the bike has only done 10k miles! It's barely run in!!

Thanks all...! :)
Click to expand...

Can I join your dead gs club mister ?

My Guess BATTERY.

My 07 gs 6.5K miles gave up the ghost on Saturday, all fine during last ride on Thursday evening but when I tried to start sat morn fuel pump kicked in - control check cycled thru pressed the button nowt. Original battery dead as a dodo. Called BM assist and 3 hours later very nice chap rolls up with new bat and alls well.

Did notice over last few weeks that when bike was parked up with BM charger connected thru aux socket lights F & R would flash together every now and again. Since new bat installed this no longer seems to be happening! don't know if it was a sign of impending bat failure. Strange things these canbus systems.
 
Hmmm... that's interesting...

I'll give BMW assist a call from work tomorrow and see what they say. Thankfully it's in the carpark at work, so not like I'm stranded somewhere with it. Be good to get it sorted ASAP as the thought of any serious amount of time having to use the train to commute is... well, not exactly thrilling me! :blast
 
Happened to me three times, three recoveries needed. Twice it was the battery and once it was the fuel pump thingy.
 
Yep Battery, when mine went I thought it was wierd that there was no signs it was on it's way out, one day fine the next beyond dead :(
 
Another battery vote....
I pulled in for fuel, came back out and exactly that happened...one new battery later and all is well....
 
Well thanks to all of you for your feeback and advice.

And the answer was: (drumroll) Battery!!

One nice, new battery later and all is well again.

Thanks again guys... :)
 
My battery is on optimate whenever bike in garage, does it make any difference to battery life then if this sort of unanounced event can happen?
:duno
 
macca said:
My battery is on optimate whenever bike in garage, does it make any difference to battery life then if this sort of unanounced event can happen?
:duno
Click to expand...

consistent stories like this on the site, and common sense, suggest they are of no use at all with a gel or AGM type battery, unless you have a permanent current draw on your bike when you leave it.
 
macca said:
My battery is on optimate whenever bike in garage, does it make any difference to battery life then if this sort of unanounced event can happen?
:duno
Click to expand...

Mine also lived on an optimate as the alarm is always on, however, mine started fine just 15 mins before being DEADER than a dead thnig....:(
it's not gone flat, one of the cells "dies" leaving it foobared !
 
My Beemer is used every day for work and it suprised me that there was NO WARNING before it went kaputt! Usually you expect a bit of inconsistent starting etc.

Also it begs the question as to what's the point of the battery warning indicator on the dash??? In this case it's been absolutely no use whatsoever! :augie
 
Nippy Normans supply Touratech, Wunderlich, Desert Fox and many other makes of accessories.
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