had enough

[ktmmark]

but are also now refusing to acknowledge the problems. At least they swapped our 1150s' fork braces etc out no questions asked... [/B][/QUOTE]


Thought they still changed the corroded parts on the 1200's

 

[gooseman]

Thanks to those who chose to talk sense - your advice helps.

My point is this : My bike is great, I absolutely love it.
BUT why put up with these problems on a bike that costs way more than any equivalent market? I have ridden most other makes and never had this amount of problems.
The points about depreciation were a factor in my buying the 12, and the ride is fantastic (coming from someone from a sportsbike background). Its without doubt the best bike I have ever owned - which makes the whole situation worse, but I am not prepared to return back and forth to a dealer getting parts replaced throughout my entire ownership. Its almost like I am an Lab rat/test rider - trying bits until they break and then getting them replaced until BM gets the design right. If thats how BMW operate (which many of you seem to give me that impression) then they have just lost a customer.

 

[ktmmark]

Don't think any testing can equal how the bikes are used all over the world . All i ask is bmw put thing's right when they go wrong .

 

[Pukmeister]

I had the same problem with corrosion, replaced under warranty. I have fitted a fenda extenda to help prevent dirt & salt hitting the front engine cover, and use Scottoil FS365 in copious quantities after each wash to try and keep things corrosion free. So far, so good though it is early days yet.

 

[Twotter]

It does seem to me that BMW dealers are a cut above the normal Jap bike dealer and that's another reason why I would keep with the GS. It may be that there are some crap parts out there and gooseman has been unlucky but since he enjoys the bike normally and his dealer is doing his job then I don't see much in the way of an alternative....certainly not a KTM.

Mind you I'm toying with the idea of getting an airhead as a second bike so what do I know

 

[Taff]

The dealer is doing his bit for now, but how long will it last and what happens when the extended years warranty is up ?

 

[riverking]

OK Gooseman fair enough, I was being flippant not serious ( I happen to think that Gs ownership is enhanced by not allowing oneself to be bogged down with small details all the time).

But to answer you seriously,

1) Start with the asking price for your (secondhand) 12,000 mile bike which, in your words "would cost £9,000+ from a network dealer" - though you do not actually say that this is what you paid or where you purchased it.

2) Deduct from £9,000+ (or the actual purchase price) the following PC sums:
a) A fuel level sender £......
b) An indicator unit £.........
c) All surface corroded items £............
D) Inconvenience factor £......

Interim value = £............

Add back;

a) Dealer funding of indicator unit £.......
b) Dealer funding of fuel sender £......
c) Value of extra years warranty £.....
d) Dealer funding of replacement surface corroded parts £...

Deduct value of surface corrosion of affected parts (new 2005 under dealer replacement) at a reasonable depreciation per annum until no longer fit for purpose ( has anybody ever reached this point?)

Add back value of the beemer being (your words)

a) "My bike is great, I absolutely love it."
b) "The ride is fantastic".
c) "Without doubt the best bike I have ever owned".
d) " I love my beemer".

When you have finished calculating the above, repeat the exercise for your intended alternative, add up the points, and if your alternative is better, enjoy it and let us all know..

Serious enough for you?

Post results here ............................

 

[JayGee]

OK Gooseman fair enough, I was being flippant not serious ( I happen to think that Gs ownership is enhanced by not allowing oneself to be bogged down with small details all the time).

But to answer you seriously,

1) Start with the asking price for your (secondhand) 12,000 mile bike which, in your words "would cost £9,000+ from a network dealer" - though you do not actually say that this is what you paid or where you purchased it.

2) Deduct from £9,000+ (or the actual purchase price) the following PC sums:
a) A fuel level sender £......
b) An indicator unit £.........
c) All surface corroded items £............
D) Inconvenience factor £......

Interim value = £............

Add back;

a) Dealer funding of indicator unit £.......
b) Dealer funding of fuel sender £......
c) Value of extra years warranty £.....
d) Dealer funding of replacement surface corroded parts £...

Deduct value of surface corrosion of affected parts (new 2005 under dealer replacement) at a reasonable depreciation per annum until no longer fit for purpose ( has anybody ever reached this point?)

Add back value of the beemer being (your words)

a) "My bike is great, I absolutely love it."
b) "The ride is fantastic".
c) "Without doubt the best bike I have ever owned".
d) " I love my beemer".

When you have finished calculating the above, repeat the exercise for your intended alternative, add up the points, and if your alternative is better, enjoy it and let us all know..

Serious enough for you?

Post results here ............................

HELL, HAVE I GOT TO THE BEAN COUNTERS SITE BY MISTAKE?

 

[BBB61]

At least BMW will replace the corroded parts. My 2004 Triumph Sprint ST had a number of painted brackets where the paint was literally flaking off. The dealer passed the info on to Truimph (along with photos of the offending parts and photos of the whole bike to show its overall condition), but Triumph have turned down the claim, pointing to the "corrosion not covered under the warranty" clause in the owners handbook.

My dealer has ordered the parts in and is going to replace them free of charge. They will then take the matter up with Triumph. Top marks to the dealer (Boyer Racing in Plumstead) but I am not impressed by Triumph's lack of action.

Bob

 

[Fanum]

Corrosion on fork braces etc is a well known (if not desirable or even acceptable) feature of the last ten or so years of GS's......

Mine are due for replacement on the Adv before the warranty runs out..I've already pointed it out and had it agreed with my dealer, but rather than put on the same items as they stand, I've agreed with them that I'm going to get the parts from the dealer at no charge, take them to a place locally that'll powder coat them in a colour of my choice (my cost, but well under 50 quid for all the fork bits that corrode) and then the dealer will fit them under warranty......

Yes, I'd rather have a bike that didn't corrode like this, but I knew about it before I bought it, accept that the shit-eating grin that it gives me everytime that I ride it and everything that it gives me far outweighs the minor blemishes that the BWM QC people seem to think is acceptable and after I've had everything changed that I can get changed, I'll have a bike looking like new (ish) that hopefully won't look any worse than any other brand after a whole lot more miles than those other brands are ever likely to do.

Job done

 

[Mike Peers]

Well said Fanum, I think that would just about sum it up, don't forget to post those powder coated piccies.

 

[Twotter]

The dealer is doing his bit for now, but how long will it last and what happens when the extended years warranty is up ?

Going off the performance so far I'd say the dealer 'doing his bit' will last for the warranty period. Since that has been extended, and since I'm sure gooseman will be making sure all his replacement parts are warrantied, then I'd say he's going to be covered for as long as he owns the bike.

 

[Pukmeister]

Well, me and my big mouth. Just got the GS out of the garage (been riding the Yamaha lately) and looked her over. The front engine cover is already corroding even though it was fitted in May. Looks like the fenda extenda and FS365 were a waste of cash.

I read somewhere that the steel bolts cause galvanic corrosion (battery effect) of the alloy cover, and this holds true with mine, the paint is beginning to blister around the bolts.

Looks like yet another warranty claim then. Bearing in mind that BMW are fitting this engine in the whole range now and not just the GS, they need to sort this one out sharpish if they are going to keep owners happy.

 

[ktmmark]

Can you take the cover off & see if the foam is inside as mine is an 05 & has no foam inside which i think they removed as it just held salty water here in the uk

 

[Stella]

Face it...the writing's on the wall for the 1200.......you might as well bin them all quick, buy an ADV and cut your losses.

 

[Pukmeister]

It gets a service in 2 days time, I'll ask the dealers about the foam. I haven't time to check it at present.

 

[Tim Angus]

A used Lexus comes with a 3 year unlimited mileage warranty, regardless of mileage. How can Lexus do this? Simple - they don't go wrong. With dealers allocating up to 20% of their service time to warranty & recalls, BMW HAVE a quality problem. This is however related to the cost of their bikes. Relatively they are cheaper now than they have ever been and this cost cutting compromises quality. . Coating the fork brace on the 1150GS and then drilling holes in it is asking for the paint to bubble, but it's probably cheaper to do it this way. More people are now buying BMW and the alternative of making them to the quality we would all like would put them out of the range of the very people now buying the product for the first time. You pays yer price etc!

 

[Pukmeister]

If the materials and processes used were sufficient for their purpose, the corrosion wouldn't happen and the price difference would be minimal. Galvanic corrosion on the front engine cover of a new design of bike isn't a good advertisement to any prospective buyers. If my bike starts looking shoddy this easily then someone at BMW hasn't done their job properly.

Sorry mate but this isn't a cheap bike at over ten grand of my hard-earned cash (relatively speaking or not). My joy of owning and riding a prestige motorcycle, nice though it is, is becomming a little soured by someones lack of attention to detail.

I suspect I will eventually need to use different fasteners and get the cover hard anodised rather than painted once the warranty expires in an attempt to keep the corrosion at bay for the third time.

 

[Tricky]

Face it...the writing's on the wall for the 1200.......you might as well bin them all quick, buy an ADV and cut your losses.

Ever get fed up of quoting the same chapter and verse all the time...

 

[riverking]

Ever get fed up of quoting the same line and verse all the time...

Why do you say that?