Has your GS1200 been reliable...or not?

[itchywheels]

I purchased my 04 from new it's only done 47,000 miserable miles !! I could write a massive list but I won't bother. "It's a bag of shit"

 

[(RIP) Arkwright]

Unfortunately my '07 model has just had 3 sets of tyres and 4 services..................it's still on its original battery.....................shush.............!

The Airheads get ridden a fair bit though...............and they are reliable too!

The fleet (that's on the road at the moment anyway)

 

[trainman]

this months Ride has the Power annual survey results

in the Reliability top 20 there are 5 BMWs (level with 5 Hondas), 2 of these are the 1200 GS and GSA (GS at 7, GSA 12)

given the number of GS and GSA sold and the mileage some have done (been around a few years now) this is maybe an accurate overview?. has been said maybe the GS issues are one or two key areas (FD etc)

the top bike was Honda VTR1000 (ever seen one?!) - and the BMW S1000RR was second!

 

[DJ GSA]

Had mine nearly a year, not a peep. Loving it

 

[fast and bulbous]

07 plate, 24000 miles. Absolutely no problems at all ever. ( I feel i may have just cursed myself)

 

[BBB61]

But they had all had major failures before 80k, I would not be bothered if things started going wrong beyond 80k, but several major failures from new to 80k is pretty poor, especially when clutches, gearboxes and drive trains all seem to fail repeatedly.

Not good enough and certainly puts me off another GS (or any other BMW for that matter) there are just more reliable bikes out there.

I know all bikes have issues, but with BMW it tends to be a lot of expensive items, the EWS / FPC issues are not so bad, most people can afford £100 to fix them, gearboxes, final drives and clutches I am guessing are all over £1k at stealer prices.

My GPZ900R had to have a full engine engine rebuild at 60000 miles when the big end bearings went. Half the valves needed replacing due to mushrooming too. So its not just BMW's that have their problems.

 

[dogman]

Unfortunately my '07 model has just had 3 sets of tyres and 4 services..................it's still on its original battery.....................shush.............!

The Airheads get ridden a fair bit though...............and they are reliable too!

The fleet (that's on the road at the moment anyway)

Are red vehicles more reliable than others then? I had a red Seat Ibiza and it was no problem at all. I wonder if BMW are going to do the GS in red again? I might get one..

 

[adventurecrv]

2008 GSA 20,000 KILOMETERS (KM)

Brilliant machine. Just love it. However...

Fuel strip went at 8,000 km. Fuel gauge was showing full all the time. I was really excited too...perpetual motion machine and all that

Fuel pump seized at 18,000 km. Battery went 400 km later. Took the dealer quite a while to repair as they only have one certified mechanic on staff.

Interestingly I was told that the fuel pump and strip issues are a big concern in some of the USA due to the higher ethanol content in the fuel...

Having the final drive replaced at 21,000 km due to corrosion. Looks like the metal was not cleaned when the tube was plated.

Thankfully this has all been under warranty. Overall happy with the bike, but my 2001 VFR, which this replaced, had fewer issues in 45,000 km...

I also have clutch squeak that I noticed this winter. Bike not running, first bit of clutch engagement. Coming from the rear of the engine/transmission. Any ideas? I will have the dealer look at it when it goes in next week...

Chris
Val-Des-Monts, QC, CA

 

[Gary59]

3 GS's 2008 to now, latest DOHC the best one yet, 47,000 miles in 4 years & apart from one faulty tyre valve no problems whatsoever.

 

[Haggis]

Shush!....

Had a 1999, GS 1100 for a decade needed a new battery when in czech republic and needed bump started every time I stopped on way to Koln.... No fun for my mates who were pushing in 30 degree heat ( thanks guys).

Now got a 1200- 2010 model and other than fuel every 190 miles and slightly random tyre pressure readings not an issue.

The temptation to keeping random kit to bolt on is the biggest issue....

 

[grin factor]

Don't have a GS yet, some of the storoes put me off, but other don't. There does seem a few common problems which should have been addressed by BM, but then they have such a cult following...
I still think I'll be getting one in the next few weeks or so, as its a bike I've always fancied, fingers crossed its a good one.

 

[xjr1200basher]

Brought in December 2009,
Ridden in all weathers,
Just gone past 18500 miles,
Booked in for a service at Bahnstormers in Bracknell a week friday,
No problems to report!

 

[Rasher]

Get the latest you can afford.

When I was looking I really wanted a 2008MU as it was supposedly more reliable (plus a shade more powerful) than the 04-07 models.

From what I see here they can be a bit of a lottery, but probably have slowly improved over the years, or you could argue the early ones will have all been fixed by now.

Someone will probably tell you to get an 1150 as they were best

 

[mrjim130]

I manage a commercial glider operation on the Boulder Airport in Boulder Colorado. I also do all of the maintenance and repairs and inspections on all of the company aircraft. Plus, I'm the chief towpilot and am on call to fly the glider towplanes when the other towpilots call in sick, interview, hire and train new towpilots, fire bum towpilots etc.

When I'm not doing that, I fly Cessna 185 and DeHavilland Beaver ski planes out of Talkeetna Alaska, taking climbers to and from the Mount McKinley base camp on the Kahiltna Glacier and also do tourist flights around the mountain and in & out of the Ruth Mountain House location in the Ruth Amphitheater and also do drop offs and pickups at remote hunting sites in the Talkeetna Mountains and remote mine and lodge operations support. I also usually do all or most of the wrenching and inspections on the company aircraft when I'm there too, depending on which company I'm with at the time.
Also, I occasionally fly in the "Iditarod Air Force" during the race, generally carrying film or local news crews out of Anchorage and/or musher supplies, sick dogs, sick mushers or whatever. That is an EXTREME PIA, but it pays damn good!

What do you do when you're not spending time reading what I have to say about these bikes?

If you are as busy as you say you are, you must earn enough that the cost of the bike would not be a big deal, and also would not have time to ride it. So you are probably best off just writing about it.

 

[wheelnut]

Final drive fairy has struck - 2011 bike, 17k, exiting a roundabout and lost drive in all gears. Lots of expensive sounding noises. :-(

 

[Martin]

2009 model
Ran out of petrol last weekend, with fuel guage showing I still had half a tankfull left.
Had foolishly relied on the guage, because it had recently been replaced under warranty after the original guage packed up.
Discovered that even with an empty fuel tank, 1200's are heavy to push uphill!

 

[Blart]

Picked up a 2007 R1200GS with 22k on Saturday after many months messing about, should I, shouldn't I etc..................
Rode to work this morning, in the fast lane, fuel light came on with 43 to go showing then 5 seconds later the motor cut, empty.

Clutch in, cross three lanes of rush hour traffic, sorry everybody, wife came out with a fuel can. Had plenty of time to read this forum on my phone while I was sat on the barrier, I'll use the tripmeter from now on and get it sorted at the next service.

Will get a spare EWS and FPC and stick them in the top box and keep an eye on the shaft.

I bought a new R80GS in 1988, a bolt dropped out of the UJ flange on the shaft and locked the back wheel at 4000 miles, got away with it but, I know, I know.....

Bought a new R1100GS in 1992, a gearbox bearing collapsed at 25000, apparently it was a Japanese bearing (oh the irony!) got it rebuilt by Andrew Sexton then some tw*t pushed it down the road in the middle of the night and put a match in the tank, RIP.

I do hope I'm not about to be disappointed by the 1200, but even if I am, the reasons I keep coming back to these bikes are:

1. They seem to fit me quite well, i.e. I feel comfortable on them.

2. They're useful i.e. you can get loads of kit on them, the luggage is brilliantly designed and they can go anywhere (except past a spares counter apparently, har de fecking har).

3. They're fat and ugly and I can identify with that.

4. The absolute clincher is that the single marque service you get when you buy one is second to none. I've been sat in a BMW car showroom in Inverness looking like Stig of the Dump after two weeks camping, been given coffee in a cup and saucer and asked that if 'we get the throttle assembly for your 20 year old R60/6 for tomorrow morning will that be OK Sir?'. Or another time in a BM car dealer's in Taunton, asked by the spares chief whether I wanted the clutch cable for the 'high or low handlebar R60 Sir, we have them both in stock?' That all impressed me and I have a reasonable level of confidence that if the bike disintegrated around me while I was riding it in the middle of nowhere I could put up with the inconvenience while a main dealer somewhere got it sorted. I don't know if they still do it, I haven't looked at my docs yet, but you used to get a book with a list of every dealer in Europe, their address and phone number, and whether they took credit cards or not etc, I liked that (time for an app I think!).

Still, I've commuted and toured over the last 25 years on nothing else and never been let down, I'm sure it will happen soon enough, they're so much more complex now, but then they go and stop so much better.

Have looked elsewhere but every time I sit on another make it just isn't the same, and here I am back again.

I have a Land Rover Discovery as well. That could be described as an unreliable, expensive to run, piece of junk too, but my wife and kids would kill me if I sold it and I love driving it. It's not just a car, it does other stuff too.

If that all makes me a sad feck, then that's what I am.

 

[CaptainSlow]

Rode 4500 miles to Moscow and St. Petersburg last June. Apart from overheating a tad in crazy Moscow traffic in 30deg heat the only this that went wrong was the after-market hugger lost two of its three bolts mounting the plastic bit to its own mounting bracket. Now fitted a Mudsling Max for a trip to Ireland in June.

Remembering the heat across Europe and Russia last summer, maybe BMW could fit some Aircon to the GS...

 

[dogman]

Picked up a 2007 R1200GS with 22k on Saturday after many months messing about, should I, shouldn't I etc..................
Rode to work this morning, in the fast lane, fuel light came on with 43 to go showing then 5 seconds later the motor cut, empty.

Clutch in, cross three lanes of rush hour traffic, sorry everybody, wife came out with a fuel can. Had plenty of time to read this forum on my phone while I was sat on the barrier, I'll use the tripmeter from now on and get it sorted at the next service.

Will get a spare EWS and FPC and stick them in the top box and keep an eye on the shaft.

I bought a new R80GS in 1988, a bolt dropped out of the UJ flange on the shaft and locked the back wheel at 4000 miles, got away with it but, I know, I know.....

Bought a new R1100GS in 1992, a gearbox bearing collapsed at 25000, apparently it was a Japanese bearing (oh the irony!) got it rebuilt by Andrew Sexton then some tw*t pushed it down the road in the middle of the night and put a match in the tank, RIP.

I do hope I'm not about to be disappointed by the 1200, but even if I am, the reasons I keep coming back to these bikes are:

1. They seem to fit me quite well, i.e. I feel comfortable on them.

2. They're useful i.e. you can get loads of kit on them, the luggage is brilliantly designed and they can go anywhere (except past a spares counter apparently, har de fecking har).

3. They're fat and ugly and I can identify with that.

4. The absolute clincher is that the single marque service you get when you buy one is second to none. I've been sat in a BMW car showroom in Inverness looking like Stig of the Dump after two weeks camping, been given coffee in a cup and saucer and asked that if 'we get the throttle assembly for your 20 year old R60/6 for tomorrow morning will that be OK Sir?'. Or another time in a BM car dealer's in Taunton, asked by the spares chief whether I wanted the clutch cable for the 'high or low handlebar R60 Sir, we have them both in stock?' That all impressed me and I have a reasonable level of confidence that if the bike disintegrated around me while I was riding it in the middle of nowhere I could put up with the inconvenience while a main dealer somewhere got it sorted. I don't know if they still do it, I haven't looked at my docs yet, but you used to get a book with a list of every dealer in Europe, their address and phone number, and whether they took credit cards or not etc, I liked that (time for an app I think!).

Still, I've commuted and toured over the last 25 years on nothing else and never been let down, I'm sure it will happen soon enough, they're so much more complex now, but then they go and stop so much better.

Have looked elsewhere but every time I sit on another make it just isn't the same, and here I am back again.

I have a Land Rover Discovery as well. That could be described as an unreliable, expensive to run, piece of junk too, but my wife and kids would kill me if I sold it and I love driving it. It's not just a car, it does other stuff too.

If that all makes me a sad feck, then that's what I am.

Blart - You are correct about the good service you get from a BUMW dealership (although many on here may challenge that) I received superb service at Barnstormer Alton. Now I have a Kawasaki (love the bike) but the service standards received from the monkey's at the reading dealer will almost certainly make me do the servicing myself now!

 

[original_concept]

but you used to get a book with a list of every dealer in Europe, their address and phone number, and whether they took credit cards or not etc, I liked that (time for an app I think!).

Agreed. The book was great, maps 'n' all. You're right an app would be great.