brand new bike and valve failure

I'm no an expert but I would defo say that the engine in that picture was not running weak prior tp the valve hitting the piston far from it! I know a lot of oil has found a home on top of the combustion deposits but the valve seat and all look fine. My guess would be badly made valve allied to poor lubbing of stem leading to a stuck/ slow returning valve and hey presto contact. Remember that valve has to flow back and forth without the slightest hinderance the piston only needs to kiss it and its f'd.

I agree, you can't really tell from a photo but it looks pretty ok to me. I hadn't meant the failure was due to running weak - I guess it was just one of those things?

I was just referring to Miff's post and making the point that the engines ARE relatively modern - they put out a lot of power and run pretty weak at the same time - no mean feat without modern materials, manufacturing methods and complex EFI systems.

If the dyno charts published on here are anything to go by, the earlier GSs in particular, verge on dangerously lean yet get away with it.

Andres
 
Slightly off topic but it always ends up the same moan, on this forum japs shite :blagblah

On jap forums BMW shite :blagblah

All bikes,cars in fact any mechanical bits of kit have there problems I have an 05 blade and the staters burn out, Honda does not recognise this in the uk but does everywhere else.

Enjoy what you ride, you just need to tinker a bit more with the Beamer as mentioned

I enjoy riding the blade and the GS but obviously for completely different reasons and they both have character IMHO ...;)
 
Being relatively new to BMWs I find the reliability debate quite interesting. Clearly it's not a scientific or statistical analysis but I have to say that the forums I used for all my other bikes did not report such major issues as this one does, though the major problems seem to be pretty much all on the FD.

I doubt the tossers around here are much different to the tossers on other forums, and no more or less likely to moan, though we do more miles than riders of most other makes.

FWIW common problems on other bikes are electrical, timing chain tensioners, seized brake calipers, poor fuelling at low speeds, OEM suspension too hard/soft. We don't seem to suffer much from any of these, though I would trade my FD worries for reg/rec worries.

Despite all this I still love my GS and intend to keep it a long time.
 
Make that another one!! :friday

2004 R1200GS 11,916 miles checked oil started her up and went a wee run to warm the oil before changing it and doing the service

About a mile up the road and not having exceeded 4000 revs I do a right turn into a junction and come all the way round to head back down my road

clutch in for second and clatter clatter clatter!

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Did NOT Make Oi Larf!

Nasty that! Just out of curiosity what was required to put the motor right?
 
Sair yin right enough! But replacing the rod would have been a mare into the bargain, just as well it did not need it.
 
I had to :D go into any Bike shop and look at the mileage on any 5 years + Jap bike and you'd be lucky to see any with 5K + some not even breaking 1K.
How you can gather statistics when most jap bikes cover so little real world mileage is beyond me.:blast
Someone will be along with 300K Blackbird in a minute:blagblah
My Fridge has more inticement than modern Jap4's

Just have a look at mileages of the GS sold on here and your argument dies a death. Remember, 99% of the GS riders are ex-jap bike riders and just buying a GS doesn't mean they ride any more. Just following fashion with their Tesco Trolley.
 
I've come from sports bikes and have doubled the mileage I ride with the GS, what is it with all this fashion thing I'm in my 50s now and had 30 years on sports bikes if I buy a GS it's not because I'm a fashion guru it's because I've test rode the competition and liked the GS simples!
 
Sair yin right enough! But replacing the rod would have been a mare into the bargain, just as well it did not need it.

Well Folks can't say I didn;t have a good look LOL the one thing I did forget about was the lamda probe it got damaged and made the bugger hard on fuel till I replaced it

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Guzzi Stelvio has valve and cam wear problems. No re call but they fix them when they break, if you have a Guzzi service history. No bike is perfect, including Jap bikes.
 
In all my time riding bikes and driving cars, I only know of ONE person who had a dropped valve. I burnt a valve out on my first car (probably due to unleaded fuel and my constant thrashing it).

Here we are in 2012 and the only vehicles it seems to happen to are BMW bikes.

Yamaha thunder cats and R6's drop valves a lot more than the BMW 1200, I have seen quite a few smashed up 600 heads. R1 engines aren't exactly problem free either. It still shouldn't happen though.
 
Yamaha thunder cats and R6's drop valves a lot more than the BMW 1200, I have seen quite a few smashed up 600 heads. R1 engines aren't exactly problem free either. It still shouldn't happen though.

All attributable to poor quality supermarket fuel in my opinion...... :blagblah
 
RTP's have a history of r/h exhaust valves dropping. Supposedly because they park up on side stand with engine running.
RT's also have front master cylinder failure problems.
 
RTP's have a history of r/h exhaust valves dropping. Supposedly because they park up on side stand with engine running.

Does starting the engine from cold on the side stand also risk engine problems?

I just get on start the engine and ride, but have often seen it done while rider puts his hat and gloves on. To me it seems a waste of petrol to be just idling the engine. It will heat much quicker when its making useful power.

Bouncing a newish engine (under 10K for a Beemer some say) off the rev limit also wont do it any favours.
 


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