Deleted account 191119001
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Broke down, help req
- Thread starter Yogibear69
- Start date
Not the case. My new 1250 GS gave me the following fault screen whilst in Austria
Fault in engine control
Onward journey possible
Ride to next specialist workshop
Contacted BMW recovery who collected the bike with a HIAB van and took it to Innsbruck. I checked the next day and the dealer who had it said they did not have time to look at it as they where busy. It appears that Alliance who administer the recovery side of things don't have the power to get dealers to look at a bike which is broken down abroad. Even when it is only 2 months old. I had to go to the dealer in Innsbruck and sort the problem out myself and eventually got the bike back on the third day.
Not impressed by the service provided by Alliance at all.
Shocking service
ianm00
Registered user
Not much use if you only have a motorcyle licence though?
We’ve been through that.
I imagine.
What I was referring to was the bike lifetime cover provided to my (then) new R1150R by BMW in Italy (I suppose it was the same all over Europe). The cover roadside was provided by Europassistance, vehicles and rest by BMW.
It's reasonable to expect that things might have changed a bit since 2003.
I have seen (and experienced) motorcycle recovery in action a few times. On each occasion it has been tip-top.
My 1600 dumped the contents of its radiator down an Austrian alpine pass. I and my pillion were recovered to the nearest BMW deslership, about an hour away. I guess we waited 90 minutes for the flat bed to get to us.
The 1600 was new out then, so nobody had really clocked the problem it has with possible overheating if the obscured lower 1/3 of the radiator is blocked.
The dealership got it up onto the ramp, checked the system for leaks, checked the thermostat and radiator cap. Refilled the system and sent me on our way with just a shrug to say, it’s a mystery.
The second time, I ‘flew’ a Pan European, buckling the front wheel. The bike was recovered to a Honda dealership in the south west of France, shut as it was now early evening. I was carried by taxi to my hotel. The dealership was shut the next day, Sunday and, as it was France, up until after lunch on Monday, the earliest they could look at it. I needed to be on my way home before then, so they gave me an excellent Golf Turbo Diesel. I was then given the option of having the bike’s new wheel fitted in France (about a week) or the bike recovered all the way back to London, Honda at Chiswick.
Agreeing that by the end of the week I would be in Calais, it was crazy to then drive all the way back to SW France, to return the loan car and pick up the bike. This the recovery agent accepted, no problem. As it was a French hire car, it was agreed that I would drop the car at the ferry terminal at Calais, they would taxi me to the boat and arrange a British car for me to drive on arrival at Dover. Bang on cue, there it was on arrival. I was then given the choice of keeping the British car until my bike was recovered to the UK and repaired by Honda Chiswick (about three weeks) or - if I had other transport - they would pick the car up from my flat in central London, at my convenience. I opted for the latter.
All arranged with the minimum of fuss. Yes, I drove around in a car. Yes, my mates piled it up with their luggage. Yes, I went the same way as the bikes, down the country roads. Did I miss my bike? Not much. Did I enjoy my holiday? Of course.
My 1600 dumped the contents of its radiator down an Austrian alpine pass. I and my pillion were recovered to the nearest BMW deslership, about an hour away. I guess we waited 90 minutes for the flat bed to get to us.
The 1600 was new out then, so nobody had really clocked the problem it has with possible overheating if the obscured lower 1/3 of the radiator is blocked.
The dealership got it up onto the ramp, checked the system for leaks, checked the thermostat and radiator cap. Refilled the system and sent me on our way with just a shrug to say, it’s a mystery.
The second time, I ‘flew’ a Pan European, buckling the front wheel. The bike was recovered to a Honda dealership in the south west of France, shut as it was now early evening. I was carried by taxi to my hotel. The dealership was shut the next day, Sunday and, as it was France, up until after lunch on Monday, the earliest they could look at it. I needed to be on my way home before then, so they gave me an excellent Golf Turbo Diesel. I was then given the option of having the bike’s new wheel fitted in France (about a week) or the bike recovered all the way back to London, Honda at Chiswick.
Agreeing that by the end of the week I would be in Calais, it was crazy to then drive all the way back to SW France, to return the loan car and pick up the bike. This the recovery agent accepted, no problem. As it was a French hire car, it was agreed that I would drop the car at the ferry terminal at Calais, they would taxi me to the boat and arrange a British car for me to drive on arrival at Dover. Bang on cue, there it was on arrival. I was then given the choice of keeping the British car until my bike was recovered to the UK and repaired by Honda Chiswick (about three weeks) or - if I had other transport - they would pick the car up from my flat in central London, at my convenience. I opted for the latter.
All arranged with the minimum of fuss. Yes, I drove around in a car. Yes, my mates piled it up with their luggage. Yes, I went the same way as the bikes, down the country roads. Did I miss my bike? Not much. Did I enjoy my holiday? Of course.
it's an insurance policy; the onus is on the buyer to check the terms meet their needs. Most policies offer alternative options such as a hotel near the repair workshop, onward travel by public transport etc. If the policy bundled into the bike purchase does not meet your needs then you should make alternative arrangements.
I'd be surprised if it was a vacuum. The op says it stopped within yards or miles. A vacuum wouldn't be created within yards?
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nikos
Registered user
What was the prognosis?
Yogibear69
Registered user
Just to give you all an update, new fuel pump fitted on Wednesday morning after talking to bmw technical and we are now in the alps on our way to Italy. Cannot fault the dealer it and bmw rescue did it’s job but just very slowly. Seem to have issues with dealing with two countries and we needed it sorting quick and no one at bmw wanted to take hold of the problem and sort it out, too easy to pass the buck 
Hope you have a less stressful continuation of your holiday.
Stay safe
Stay safe
When you get there, relax and have a great holiday.
In years to come you'll look back and laugh.
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In years to come you'll look back and laugh.
Sent from my SM-G925F using Tapatalk
On what day did your friend's bike suffer its breakdown? It sounds like sometime on Tuesday?
At what time of day did your friend's bike break down?
Where was your friend when it happened? In a decent sized town? On a motorway? Up a goat track, miles from civilisation? Logically, it was somewhere in Belgium or was it that Belgium was the closest BMW dealership your friend's bike could be recovered to?
When did the Belgian dealership start looking at your friend's bike?
Your opening post of disaster was at 07:42 our time yesterday. Your final update - everything mended and hooning into the alps - is timed at 20:42 our time today. That doesn't seem too bad from Belgium, surely?
As to BMW not being bothered? I assume your friend was dealing with BMW Assist or whatever it's called? That is just a BMW brand slapped onto a European wide service (multiple vehicles from motorbikes to cars - with and without caravans and trailers - and vans - maybe even up to lorries - of multiple makes) probably operated by Axa or Allianz. Oddly enough, you will not be the only vehicle to have broken down in the past 48 or so hours, them all requiring help no doubt or "Sorting quick" as you put it . Maybe you'd like to arrange it all yourself next time; how's your French or better still, Flemish?
Enjoy your holiday.
Good news! Enjoy the alps!
sagalout
Registered user
That’s what I was thinking. I mean, it’s dissapointing that the bike broke down in the first place, especially on holiday, but on the face of it, it was resolved pretty quickly?
Hope the rest of the trip is smooth sailing
Yogibear69
Registered user
Sorry for the shortness of reply’s but some late nights on the last few days.
Just to fill in some gaps.
The last break down was on a slip road ( it had concord out 5 times on the motorway but manages to get it going ) and we pushed it off and down to a lay-by at the bottom. Apparently we rang bmw Uk assist but they sent the recovery truck to the hotel rather than where we were, (about an hour away.) as they had given bmw international assist the wrong details. In all we were on the side of the road for about 5 hours. As it was late (about 8pm) the recovery truck took it to there yard overnight and would drop it off in the morning. It was then taken to the local bmw car dealer as bmw international had given them the wrong details. All in all we lost about 2 days and as the plan was to do about 300 miles a day on side roads once repaired we decided to have one long day on a motorway and catch back up to where we should have been as we had booked hotels which needed to be paid for as bmw would not pay for them as the bike was fixed.
As I said before dealer was great, and in reality it was quick to repair but bmw we’re pushing to get the bike recovered, get my pal a car and get him home not carry on his holiday on his bike.
Anyway all sorted now and was not a common fault.
Thanks for all your help and support and in case you want to know, I love my GSA, especially in the alps
Just to fill in some gaps.
The last break down was on a slip road ( it had concord out 5 times on the motorway but manages to get it going ) and we pushed it off and down to a lay-by at the bottom. Apparently we rang bmw Uk assist but they sent the recovery truck to the hotel rather than where we were, (about an hour away.) as they had given bmw international assist the wrong details. In all we were on the side of the road for about 5 hours. As it was late (about 8pm) the recovery truck took it to there yard overnight and would drop it off in the morning. It was then taken to the local bmw car dealer as bmw international had given them the wrong details. All in all we lost about 2 days and as the plan was to do about 300 miles a day on side roads once repaired we decided to have one long day on a motorway and catch back up to where we should have been as we had booked hotels which needed to be paid for as bmw would not pay for them as the bike was fixed.
As I said before dealer was great, and in reality it was quick to repair but bmw we’re pushing to get the bike recovered, get my pal a car and get him home not carry on his holiday on his bike.
Anyway all sorted now and was not a common fault.
Thanks for all your help and support and in case you want to know, I love my GSA, especially in the alps
DC
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Glad your sorted OP. I’d say you were treated quickly and effectively,we do hear of horror stories on here were a bike breaks down a few miles from a dealership and that’s takes an age to sort. So all in all considering your in Europe, you have done ok.
Enjoy the remainder of your trip
Enjoy the remainder of your trip
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