Fork Stanchion Issue... some perspective?

[Edmund Kean]

Road only bikes.

I posted this in the main thread. Not sure how tedious that thread is getting for some, so started a new one to hopefully establish some positivity...

I've put 3500 brilliant miles on mine in ten weeks. Like me, most of us appreciate the GS for all sorts of riding reasons. However, this captivating thread may be testing the confidence of those whose concern has been gripped by the potential for a riding disaster.

I'm as concerned as the next person (or maybe the next but two) but... I for one, as a pure road rider, would like to establish some perspective.

Who as a road only rider (A, B or unclassed roads) has established the aforementioned stanchion gap exists on their bike? It might be interesting to note the mileage, year or anything else of note; perhaps pillion miles covered etc... stuff like that.

Clearly I'm asking as I'm interested and interested in settling my mind.

No gaps on my stanchions.

2017 non ESA.

Mainly UK B roads.

Nothing else to note.

Ed

 

[Tripleblack13]

17 plate GSA euro 4
4000 road miles.
AIO

 

[chasbmw]

Rumor has it that BMW are halting sales of all GSs. If this turns into a general recall then it will be a right expensive bit of chaos.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[JohnnyBoxer]

Rumor has it that BMW are halting sales of all GSs. If this turns into a general recall then it will be a right expensive bit of chaos.


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Sales halted.....................that's some perspective

What has Engineer got to say about it now??

Power of social media on Twitter/FB, has been amazing ....on this one and no company can ignore it

 

[Engineer]

Sales halted.....................that's some perspective

What has Engineer got to say about it now??

Power of social media on Twitter/FB, has been amazing ....on this one and no company can ignore it

Sales haven't been halted as far as I know, they just have to check them before they release them to customers and then do the mod when they go back for the 600 mile service.

You are really turning into a worrying old woman - get a grip man.

 

[thebuyer]

No issue with mine

But interestingly my local dealer ( Chester) hasn't got the tool to repair and if it needs the mod, can't allow you to take it home !!!

I wonder how many people will try rejecting bike over this issue ... !!!

 

[Engineer]

REALITY CHECK.
Out of the gazillions of GS LC sold since 2013, a very few bikes that have had heavy off-road use have had their forks come loose.

BMW are checking all bikes and if they see a problem developing on a particular bike they are going to do a mod to 'fix' the problem.

Whenever anything like this happens, a few 'old ladies' take to the Internet and try to convince everyone that the sky is about to fall in! - it obviously ain't gonna happen - but such people are congenitally predisposed to behave in this irrational way.

 

[fred_jb]

I think the key issue, the one that people are justified in having some concern over, is that it now seems to be established that the design is not sufficiently robust for all the intended uses of the bike. Of course this does not mean that these bikes are all going to have the forks fail in the near future, or ever for that matter, but the fact that the possibility exists of the fault developing, without it necessarily becoming obvious to the user before it becomes critical, is cause for concern.

I think this is made worse by the fact that nobody knows for sure what can cause the forks to loosen. It could be only extreme off-road abuse, but equally, it may be that frequently repeated but lessor shocks, repeated very hard braking, or even heavy loading with pillion and luggage, etc, could all also cause eventual loosening.

It seems that BMW, perhaps belatedly, are not now dismissing this as only due to off-road abuse, so who knows what they have discovered about the causes and likelihood of failure? They certainly seem to be taking it more seriously now, given the extent and cost of the rectification program they have started, so why shouldn't owners take it seriously too?

 

[TwoTone]

I think the key issue, the one that people are justified in having some concern over, is that it now seems to be established that the design is not sufficiently robust for all the intended uses of the bike. Of course this does not mean that these bikes are all going to have the forks fail in the near future, or ever for that matter, but the fact that the possibility exists of the fault developing, without it necessarily becoming obvious to the use before it becomes critical, is cause for concern.

I think this is made worse by the fact that nobody knows for sure what can cause the forks to loosen. It could be only extreme off-road abuse, but equally, it may be that frequently repeated but lessor shocks, repeated very hard braking, or even heavy loading with pillion and luggage, etc, could all also cause eventual loosening.

It seems that BMW, perhaps belatedly, are not now dismissing this as only due to off-road abuse, so who knows what they have discovered about the causes and likelihood of failure? They certainly seem to be taking it more seriously now, given the extent and cost of the rectification program they have started, so why shouldn't owners take it seriously too?

You can't call it abuse when thats the way the bikes marketed plus you can go to BMWs Off Road Skills and they'll really show you how to put the bikes through the mill.
I use mine for trail riding so find it difficult to share the relaxed attitude of some here.

 

[JohnnyBoxer]

It seems that BMW, perhaps belatedly, are not now dismissing this as only due to off-road abuse, so who knows what they have discovered about the causes and likelihood of failure?

They certainly seem to be taking it more seriously now, given the extent and cost of the rectification program they have started, so why shouldn't owners take it seriously too?

Because Engineer has told us it's ok and it's nothing to become concerned about

Engineer has said everything is fine and it's just a lot of nothing

 

[roamer]

Road only bikes.

I posted this in the main thread. Not sure how tedious that thread is getting for some, so started a new one to hopefully establish some positivity...

I've put 3500 brilliant miles on mine in ten weeks. Like me, most of us appreciate the GS for all sorts of riding reasons. However, this captivating thread may be testing the confidence of those whose concern has been gripped by the potential for a riding disaster.

I'm as concerned as the next person (or maybe the next but two) but... I for one, as a pure road rider, would like to establish some perspective.

Who as a road only rider (A, B or unclassed roads) has established the aforementioned stanchion gap exists on their bike? It might be interesting to note the mileage, year or anything else of note; perhaps pillion miles covered etc... stuff like that.

Clearly I'm asking as I'm interested and interested in settling my mind.

No gaps on my stanchions.

2017 non ESA.

Mainly UK B roads.

Nothing else to note.

Ed

I have the same spec bike, and same riding profile 2015 model
both fork tubes deemed as over the tolerance, new ones ordered,
one side is knocking and weeping oil,

 

[Tricky]

Because Engineer has told us it's ok and it's nothing to become concerned about

Engineer has said everything is fine and it's just a lot of nothing

Maybe the balance is somewhere between your "Cassandra" style prophecy of doom (mixed with a little glee) at any potential problem with the LC in general and Engineers more relaxed stance.

And yes I have checked for any gaps on mine (and will continue to do so) and they are as tight as your wallet.

 

[JohnnyBoxer]

Maybe the balance is somewhere between your "Cassandra" style prophecy of doom (mixed with a little glee) at any potential problem with the LC in general and Engineers more relaxed stance.

And yes I have checked for any gaps on mine (and will continue to do so) and they are as tight as your wallet.

Pleasure

 

[Edmund Kean]

I have the same spec bike, and same riding profile 2015 model
both fork tubes deemed as over the tolerance, new ones ordered,
one side is knocking and weeping oil,

I wasn't expecting a road rider to show up positive for gaps. Are you the first owner of that bike?

 

[Victor c]

2016 std GS, 3000 road miles by me, 400 ? miles by World of BMW. No gap evident

 

[crotchrocket]

November 2015 GSA
20k miles
On and off road use.

No Gap.

 

[roamer]

I wasn't expecting a road rider to show up positive for gaps. Are you the first owner of that bike?

First owner, Ohlins ttx from new, make progress but no big speeds, 13 800 miles uk and europe, mainly minor roads.
Just had a call from a friend he had his basic gs 15 reg checked, new fork tubes ordered, they are over the spec, so theres another road rider, apparently its an identical part to esa bikes,
I doubt they will actually pull apart, the cap won't move if the stanchion is pushed up and down even the leaking one that knocks, been wondering where it was coming from, only found the oil residue when the rubber was moved,
The top of the tube is slightly flared using a micrometer, so the caps may be rocking slightly due lateral force, the pressed on sleeve should beef up the possibly too thin tube and look better than a bit of rubber inner tube,
Still riding the bike until the parts arrive,

 

[malcopopolo]

Sales haven't been halted as far as I know, they just have to check them before they release them to customers and then do the mod when they go back for the 600 mile service.

You are really turning into a worrying old woman - get a grip man.

And you engineer are BMWs best customer! You cannot see any wrong in their product.

 

[Engineer]

And you engineer are BMWs best customer! You cannot see any wrong in their product.

Nope they do have problems - my telever nut cover fell off last weekend, but I didn't have a fit of irrational whinging I just bought another. Earlier in the year my left hand switch gear failed and was replaced under warranty. At the 24,000 mile service they found that the oil temperature sensor was not responding (apparently it is not used) so I had it replaced.

 

[Deleted account Aberdeen GS]

And you engineer are BMWs best customer! You cannot see any wrong in their product.

Maybe he thinks they'll give him a job if he keeps this up ?