Im with Wilb, i reckon the problem with a 'fair' amount of the faults highlighted on here couldhave been caused by the (as i said earlier) 'Sloppy link'. You know, the one between the handlebars and seat. Either dont read the manual prior to use for operator faults, or have a little knowledge of how to fix/fit something and cause even more problems.
Some people have obviously had bad experiences and i feel for them, but without wishing to tar everyone with the same brush, as im sure Wilb had no intention of doing, it would interest me to know how many of the faults/problems occur on bikes that have had all manner of electrical wizardry, exhaust systems, any other bling fitted.
The same as DIY in the home, i have seen some terrible engineering DIY on bikes and lots of blank looks when you ask them how it affects other systems on their bikes.
Some people have obviously had bad experiences and i feel for them, but without wishing to tar everyone with the same brush, as im sure Wilb had no intention of doing, it would interest me to know how many of the faults/problems occur on bikes that have had all manner of electrical wizardry, exhaust systems, any other bling fitted.
The same as DIY in the home, i have seen some terrible engineering DIY on bikes and lots of blank looks when you ask them how it affects other systems on their bikes.
The common faults are very well-documented and unrelated to what you call "the sloppy link" or bling. For instance, have you examples of where fuel pump controllers, EWS failures or gear selection indicator problems are the result of rider negligence or bling? In my view the sloppy link in these common cases is poor engineering design and poor quality control by BMW. For example in a separate thread on here on the changes to the 2008 GS there are some excellent photos which show how fundamentally they have redesigned the fuel pump controller and its location yet they still refuse to acknowledge to many of us that it is problematic on the pre 2008 model. The reason those of us who have suffered get angry about it is this reluctance of BMW to sort these things properly these days. What is more puzzling is the variability of response - some people get good backup, some get none. I've had very good warranty experiences with BMW in the past, appalling experiences with these common problems in the past year and I'm out of pocket as a result. 
This group must be crackers because they whinge like hell then scratch their heads over the alternatives to persevering with the thing. I am in this group and I accept I am acting emotionally and irrationally in ignoring the facts and not trading the thing in for something marginally more reliable like a Hongdou.
