I admire your dedication but for some of us that approach isn't always practical.
GS build quality
- Thread starter markymark
- Start date
I admire your dedication but for some of us that approach isn't always practical.
my 1200 has been treated with ACF50. i clean it once a year. maybe.
if it goes out in salt, i give it a quick hose down before wheeling it, wet, into the garage.
it's not perfect, but it's pretty good, with very little signs of corrosion. if i could be arsed to clean it, it would come up very nicely, but i can't
it has had the front engine cover replaced under warranty about 2 years ago. the new one is still good.
all in all, pretty much like my 1150 then.
if it goes out in salt, i give it a quick hose down before wheeling it, wet, into the garage.
it's not perfect, but it's pretty good, with very little signs of corrosion. if i could be arsed to clean it, it would come up very nicely, but i can't
it has had the front engine cover replaced under warranty about 2 years ago. the new one is still good.
all in all, pretty much like my 1150 then.
Build quality and reliability to my opinion are to be treated as two different subjects. A bike with average build quality can still be utterly reliable (Honda Africa Twin, Varadero, Suzuki V-Strom 650).
All the GS parts that have become renowned as unreliable are 3. party parts from European suppliers. Overall built quality however is at least as good as others in this segment, in some areas so I feel even a bit better.
All the GS parts that have become renowned as unreliable are 3. party parts from European suppliers. Overall built quality however is at least as good as others in this segment, in some areas so I feel even a bit better.
muppix
Registered user
To some extent it does. The engine of our 2006 Mini is a mess, and that's hidden under a bonnet and dried off (natch) each time it's parked. It's just the painted panels of the car that look to be in better nick than the exposed chromed / galvanised bits of the bike.
Also, the underside of cars is coated in materials whose first purpose is to prevent corrosion, not to look good. If you covered a bike in the same stuff it'd last forever, but nobody'd buy it.
I used to ride an 1982 R100RT all year round, through all the salt, for 10 years, it didn’t get any special treatment beyond frequent washes like my car, it was 20 years old when I sold it and it still looked good. No corrosion. That’s build quality.
Mark Hooton
Cymarcbikeparts
Fast becoming a poll
For what it is worth I have a 2006 GS & it is IMMACULATE and I have an eight week old 2010 with 600 miles on the clock and it `looks` sheddy..................
Paint finish & colour perhaps?
Photo evidence to prove if required.
Odd? I think so!
Mark
www.cymarcbikeparts.co.uk
For what it is worth I have a 2006 GS & it is IMMACULATE and I have an eight week old 2010 with 600 miles on the clock and it `looks` sheddy..................
Paint finish & colour perhaps?
Photo evidence to prove if required.
Odd? I think so!
Mark
www.cymarcbikeparts.co.uk
ianp5uk
Registered user
I have a 2004 GS. Bought it off a friend who did 40K miles on it in all weather as he doesn't have a car and I thought it was in pretty good condition considering.
The G Man
Registered user
1983 R100RT
Sold mine when I bought a GS in 2009 (figured it was probably time for a change).
Used all weathers & all year round ('cept obvious ice & snow) - 83 k miles in total
It was mostly in OK condition, but there was quite a lot of rust on it - the rear footpeg hangers were brown, rather than their original black & much of the rest of the frame was similarly afflicted.
However it was very reliable - Other than consumables 2 spark plug leads went, dropping to one cylinder till replaced & the front wheel bearings collapsed leading to a visit to the BWM car garage in Wank, Austria (that's exactly what I thought). They found matching bearings which remained OK till I sold it.
Hope the GS (now on 23k miles) is as reliable!
G
Sold mine when I bought a GS in 2009 (figured it was probably time for a change).
Used all weathers & all year round ('cept obvious ice & snow) - 83 k miles in total
It was mostly in OK condition, but there was quite a lot of rust on it - the rear footpeg hangers were brown, rather than their original black & much of the rest of the frame was similarly afflicted.
However it was very reliable - Other than consumables 2 spark plug leads went, dropping to one cylinder till replaced & the front wheel bearings collapsed leading to a visit to the BWM car garage in Wank, Austria (that's exactly what I thought). They found matching bearings which remained OK till I sold it.
Hope the GS (now on 23k miles) is as reliable!
G
I've owned many BMW's over the last 20yrs and many bikes over the last 38yrs.
I do ride my bikes all year and have a system for looking after them that has not really varied over that time.
Around the beginning of November I give the bike a very detailed clean and polish every thing I can using a quality polish,for the last few years that polish has been" Bilt Hamber".
As soon as salt is used on the roads I rinse the bike off before putting it away then give it a spray with WD40 that is kept in the house so that it still mists properly.
I've never had any major corrosion problems apart from the early Hinckley Triumphs which corroded before my very eyes.
I'll usually give them another good clean about the beginning of april,though not as detailed as the November clean.
Steve
I do ride my bikes all year and have a system for looking after them that has not really varied over that time.
Around the beginning of November I give the bike a very detailed clean and polish every thing I can using a quality polish,for the last few years that polish has been" Bilt Hamber".
As soon as salt is used on the roads I rinse the bike off before putting it away then give it a spray with WD40 that is kept in the house so that it still mists properly.
I've never had any major corrosion problems apart from the early Hinckley Triumphs which corroded before my very eyes.
I'll usually give them another good clean about the beginning of april,though not as detailed as the November clean.
Steve
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