Fork Stanchion recall?

But would you be happy,even if you know you won't ride off road, but at the end of the day that's what it's designed for.
Yes, the bike is just over a year old, it is going for its 12,000 mile service in four weeks. If I hit a major pot hole or some how bashed the front I might feel differently. Flippantly I said before it's never been more off road than a Waitrose car park and it hasn't. The dealer has told me this has only been flagged up for bikes used off road, I trust the dealer.
 
Yes, the bike is just over a year old, it is going for its 12,000 mile service in four weeks. If I hit a major pot hole or some how bashed the front I might feel differently. Flippantly I said before it's never been more off road than a Waitrose car park and it hasn't. The dealer has told me this has only been flagged up for bikes used off road, I trust the dealer.

Thing is what will they class as 'off road use' some of the video footage on facebook etc showing failure is not of bikes doing full blown enduros or off road jumps, in one case the bike is being ridden on a gravel road with pot holes that are not much worse than some UK C class roads or any of the unmade pass roads in the Alps
 
Another reason why the new unstoppable LC GS is all but unstoppable.

I wonder what other failures and faults are lurking around the corner for this model?
 
There are a number of factors that have led to the GS being the most successful m/c, excluding the Honda Cub, in my lifetime, if those are not good enough for you or are worried, chop it in for a super dooper Africa Twin or KTM SA.

You are not forced to own a GS, life is too short, my younger brother dropped dead at 32, no warning, no fuckall. I'm here to enjoy what time we have and cannot be doing with all this whinging.
 
You are correct, the fork tubes are not load bearing the ball joint and wishbone take all the load BUT the fork stanchions hold the wheel in place.
If our bikes are involved in a frontal shunt and the stanchions break the bike collapses.
A conventional forked bike would take much more of a frontal force before the fork tubes break.

I'm not sure that is correct (just imagining the layout) - I think in a conventional suspension layout, the length of unsupported fork is longer (from the headstock down) - so the lever about the lowest support of an impact to the fork end will be greater, causing earlier deflection?

Put simply - the fork design with the lowest support ....... should be the strongest. That would appear to be the Telelever.
 
The published BMW Motorrad Service Campaign sums up the issue and circumstances pretty well IMO!

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/41350769/Photos/GS/Forum%20pics/BMW%20R1200GS%20Checking%20Fork%20Tube.pdf

So it's only really going to be an issue if you do serious off-road work or the bike has taken a heavy hit on the front-end. That said I think we will see BMW roll out the fix to all bikes in due course once a good supply of the parts become available.

And that is the very reason it should be a full DVSA recall as BMW may well ask the current owner of a newish bike still under the BMW service unbrella if their bike is used off road and the owner says 'NO' so nothing is done .

The next owner buys it through a non franchised dealer and proceeds to seriously use it off road , the forks fail and the rider is severely injured or killed . All because of a known fault .

The litigation could eaily prove seriously damaging for even BMW (as the law will rightly say they failed in a duty of care for the end user of one of their products)

Then they would be forced to carry out a full DVSA recall and rectification of all bikes on the DVLA database
 
I contacted BMW direct. Apparently letters will be sent to owners of bikes that it concerns to take bike in for checking. It will be included in service as well, but worth mentioning that you want it done.
 
I contacted BMW direct. Apparently letters will be sent to owners of bikes that it concerns to take bike in for checking. It will be included in service as well, but worth mentioning that you want it done.

Checking does not stop a fault occurring though does it
 
They aren't just going to check it and if it looks OK do nothing!

The service campaign states:

If gap <0.2mm Repair fork tubes.
if gap >0.2mm Replace fork tubes.

also states:
A fixed fork tube bush must also be press-fitted on a fixed fork tube without any gap.
 
Checking does not stop a fault occurring though does it

You are absolutely right, but I strongly suspect they will not be replacing forks on every bike if they cannot detect a fault. Having them checked by a trained technician :toungincheek will be better than me looking myself, I hope:rolleyes:
 
Back from the shop, with new shine fork tubes fitted, as per
service campaign, couldn't fault the service from the dealer,
excellent as ever.

Bike: 2016 TB, 18,500 fun filled miles, mixed riding.
 
Back from the shop, with new shine fork tubes fitted, as per
service campaign, couldn't fault the service from the dealer,
excellent as ever.

Bike: 2016 TB, 18,500 fun filled miles, mixed riding.
Where yours found to be faulty or they just replaced them?
 
Mine were found to be faulty, they checked as part of the service, as in earlier
post I take my bike off road, so it's had a hit or two, usually because I'm not very
good off road, and seem to have a rock fixation, oh look rock...
oh yeah rock bad.
 
Mine were found to be faulty, they checked as part of the service, as in earlier
post I take my bike off road, so it's had a hit or two, usually because I'm not very
good off road, and seem to have a rock fixation, oh look rock...
oh yeah rock bad.
LoL..... it's nice to know the dealers are acting on it.
 
Just returned from Cannon. Had the check. Nothing to do. All good. Apparently i was the first on the "Campaign" for cannons, which begun today. although the workshop haven't received the tooling yet .
 


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