This thread is both interesting, comforting and alarming. I have a 2007 GSA bought new, now with 40,000 odd mls on it. It's won't say it's been perfect because it hasn't but generally the bike has performed well. It has a history of "difficulties" but that's for another post. Out of the warranty period, It has never been touched by a BMW main dealer for servicing except for notifyable recalls. The reason being a) I'm a time served mechanic, and b) because an unmentionable, BMW dealer "mechanic" allowed brake fluid from the master cylinder to spill down the tank and make it's way to the right hand cylinder where it sat doing what DOT4 does to paint.... The dealer didn't tell me and neither did I notice till way too late. I couldn't be doing with the blame game so it has a cosmetically blemished cylinder.
On Sat 13th June this year, 2026, I was due to go to France. On the way to Redditch from Fishguard Friday 12th I smelled fuel. On investigation I (thought I) found a leaking Q/R union so changed the o ring for a used spare. Temporary result but still smelled fuel. At a fuel stop at Membury the pump outlet was swimming in fuel, the ring doughnut clamp full of the stuff so my mate and I ran to Bahnstormers in Alton for a genuine o ring. I bought two just in case.... and fitted one there. No improvement, so looked at it in more detail. What I found was that the female tank fitting was leaking, not the male o ring. Expletive. This is going to be expensive, untimely and possibly bugger the trip.
Reported to Service reception...
I won't name him but the gentleman there came and had a look, confirmed the diagnosis, went away and priced up the parts etc., £600+, they hadn't got one (didn't expect them to given the age of the bike) and couldn't fit it before July anyway (expected)... No beef there.
He took my V5 (needed for the trip) and headed for his computer.
"When was this bike last in a dealership?"
I hesitatingly told him and why.
"It's subject to a service campaign to replace the fuel pump so the repair will cost you nothing!" I also got a look saying, naughty boy for not visiting a dealer. Fair enough, I'll take that.
We had a chat about what I was doing, where I was going, where home was and he proffered advice along the lines of "try Dick Lovett's in Bristol" All good.
Now, I've had minor dealings with Bahnstormers before and a good friend who was a customer of theirs lives round the corner, speaks well of them too. Take that as you will.
I cleaned up and headed for our overnight stop in Pompey, fed, drank and decided not to go to France but head home rather than be a liability to the other lads. Fine.
I turn up at Lovett's at 8.30 the following morning (Sat 13th) where I told them a tale, they looked into the campaign thing and booked me in for 8.30 on Thursday 18th for an all day appointment and did I need a loan bike, can I take you to Cribbs for shopping (no!), how more helpful can I be? Great.
All I have to do is Fishguard to Lovatt't on Thursday for the remedy.
Returned to Fishguard, mopped up fuel, washed, showered, fed, drank and had a kip.
The up shot of all this is that I learned that BMW Service Campaigns are not notifiable, yet Safety Recalls are. Being particularly skeptical/cynical this means that Service Campaigns cost BMW nothing if the owner doesn't know of them. saving them money. In this age of information transparency that's wrong, especially if there's a risk of being showered in hydrocarbons while riding a red hot bike.... and that's my beef. Previously, the GSA had a Notifiable Recall ref the rear caliper bracket, and my previous Beemer a K1200 RS (also bought new) had one for an oil pressure sender, possible leak onto the rear wheel (eek!).
I'll let you know how I get on at Lovatt's in due course.
P.S. I'm ignoring the fuel strip thing and use the trip. And, yes, I know all about the pezo-zapper-ex-fire-lighter-thingy temp cure.