Help ! 1200GSA buckled rear wheel

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smartr

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Off to Scandinavia on Tuesday so had new tyres fitted to the bike yesterday. Tyre fitter noticed when he was balancing the rear wheel (GSA spoked wheel) that it was very slightly buckled.

I've noticed recently a slight low speed "shimmy" through the handlebars which is still there after the new tyres were fitted, so must be down to the rear wheel buckle.

At a loss to how it could have happened as I have not gone off road and not miss treated the bike or had any accidents (done about 16,000 miles since new last year).

My local BMW dealer was a complete waste of time telling me that "we don't have the facilities to straighten a spoked wheel" and "guess you'll have to order a new one"

Stunningly poor response from a main BMW dealer selling a "go anywhere" adventure bike !!!


Has anyone had a similar problem and if so were BMW any help or can you recommend a decent repairer (kent area) ??

Unlikely to get it fixed before Tuesday, but thankfully bike is rideable.

Any feedback would be much appreciated.
 
Thanks John, very helpful. I'll be back on to the dealer as it looks to be way out beywond the BMW tollerence so sholud be replaced under warranty.
 
;) also...to help out you can straighten a slight "shimmy" very easily, used to do it all the time with dirt bikes and supermoto's
essentially find out where the shimmy is by spinning the wheel and then mark the area with tape then 1/4 turn at a time slacken the opposing side spokes then return to the start and tighten the other side spokes again 1/4 turn, this will "Pull" the rim back into shape repeat as needed...
don't forget the nipples turn the "wrong" way as they thread from INSIDE the wheel ie ANTI-clockwise tightens !

it's surprising what you can straighten on a spoked wheel..:)
 
Thanks Funners

I did consider having a crack at it yesterday as I have a lot of experience with Bicycle wheels. The only thing concerning me is that on these wheels the niple is on the hub rather than the rim (so the normal tubeless road tyres can be fitted), so I'm not sure if the dynamics of slackening one side and tightening the other work in the same way and I guess the spokes tighten clockwise as they are being "pulled" through the hub by the alen key style niple.

Hope his makes some sense !!!
 
smartr said:
Thanks Funners

I did consider having a crack at it yesterday as I have a lot of experience with Bicycle wheels. The only thing concerning me is that on these wheels the niple is on the hub rather than the rim (so the normal tubeless road tyres can be fitted), so I'm not sure if the dynamics of slackening one side and tightening the other work in the same way and I guess the spokes tighten clockwise as they are being "pulled" through the hub by the alen key style niple.

Hope his makes some sense !!!
Click to expand...

I haven't had a close look yet but if I understand you right then the "back" of the nipple is exposed outside the tyre ?
if so then yes normal tightening rules apply !;)

if you can do Push bikes then dirt bike wheels are NO different at all...:thumb

EDIT.just re-read your post properly and the nipple is on the hub I see, still the same rules of slacken one side tighten the other apply and it doesn't matter which end of the spoke you pull, so long as it's the right SIDE of the wheel !
 
buckled wheel

My 1200GSA also has a buckled wheel,however,my front wheel is the problem,my back wheel is within 0.1mm,my front is out 1.9mm.I contacted customer support and was told to contact my local dealer.I live in Swansea,so my local dealer is a 190 mile round trip,i was told to bring the bike up to be checked,if the wheel was found to be outside the bmw tolerance of 1.7mm then a new one would be ordered thereby needing another 190 mile trip.Due to the negative attitude of the various dealers i have spoken to about the problem,(tolerances varying between 1.5mm to 3mm,)i have decided to forget about it and just ride the bike as i have for the last 18 months.BTW,central wheel components in Birmingham will not touch a GS wheel because of the way it is laced,and state their tolerance on a standard wire wheel as plus or minus 1mm.:nenau:confused:
 
Adjusting the spokes on the BMW cross spoked wheels is very different to regular spokes. My understanding is that if the wheel is out then they change the wheel rather than try to adjust it. I understand that there are some specialist wheel builders that can do it - Hagons rebuilt a wheel on my R100GSPD a few years back - they do charge a highre rate for the BMW cross spoke wheels.

I have had seven BMWs with these cross spoked wheels since 1990 and it was never a problem before - but is does seem that their wheels are now less round than they used to be...............how can something so simple as round wheels elude them today? I have had a new front on my 1200GSA.
 
The problem started when BMW decided to leave the Spanish accrond (I'm not sure I'm spelling it correctly) but the thing is cost cutting.\
They are receiving the rims from somewhere else. The production has a problem when fixing the 2 parts of the rim together.
The issue is at the central hub, no matter how good one can be with spokes tuning and no matter how many rims you change the problem will be there still.

I've learned to leave with it
 
:augie I have a good friend who is a wheel rite by trade, I'll quiz him next time I see him regarding the X-spoke pattern and whether or not it makes a difference to straightening them...
I personally can't see what difference it would make, but as it's not my trade I'll make no definitive comments....:D
 
Funners said:
:augie I have a good friend who is a wheel rite by trade, I'll quiz him next time I see him regarding the X-spoke pattern and whether or not it makes a difference to straightening them...
I personally can't see what difference it would make, but as it's not my trade I'll make no definitive comments....:D
Click to expand...

The difference is because of the cross axis arrangement. The spokes pull from the outer edge of the rim and not the centre. Hagons explained to me that if you start with a slightly out of true rim on a regualar spoke arrangement you can straighten the rim with the spokes - but that is not really possible with the BMW wheel - with the BMW you have to start with a round rim.

I had also heard that the problem started with the new supplier - but again, how can you not make wheels round - even BMW now state a wider tollerance as being acceptable.

It just seems nut that in these days of all the clever gadgets etc (like riding along being guided by sattelites for start) that we can't make round wheels:blast
 
Jon P said:
The difference is because of the cross axis arrangement. The spokes pull from the outer edge of the rim and not the centre. Hagons explained to me that if you start with a slightly out of true rim on a regualar spoke arrangement you can straighten the rim with the spokes - but that is not really possible with the BMW wheel - with the BMW you have to start with a round rim.

I had also heard that the problem started with the new supplier - but again, how can you not make wheels round - even BMW now state a wider tollerance as being acceptable.

It just seems nut that in these days of all the clever gadgets etc (like riding along being guided by sattelites for start) that we can't make round wheels:blast
Click to expand...

Quite !
I've just read the thread posted up there ^^ somewhere and the problems in that are unreal !:spitfire
it seems it might not be just a "wavey" wheel rim, but one of a whole host of other issues inc the disc carrier the hub bearings or a host of other stuff....:eek:
a simple rim movement can be dealt with (or ignored) unless it's immense but the rest is just plain wrong...:blast
 
Hello Mr Funners, there's no Justice in the world is there....:)
What you doing on here, not joining the 'New Dark Side' are you?

Regarding the BM wheels issue, even Mark thinks their a PITA, but I uderstand he will do them. I've just had one of my fronts down at Devon Rim Company and Dough can't fix it, but my has a 'proper' dent in it!!

Up your way in two weeks for the Rydale, pop over if you're about, unless you've entered yourself like.
 
Spikehammer said:
Hello Mr Funners, there's no Justice in the world is there....:)
What you doing on here, not joining the 'New Dark Side' are you?

Regarding the BM wheels issue, even Mark thinks their a PITA, but I uderstand he will do them. I've just had one of my fronts down at Devon Rim Company and Dough can't fix it, but my has a 'proper' dent in it!!

Up your way in two weeks for the Rydale, pop over if you're about, unless you've entered yourself like.
Click to expand...

Hello mate..yes, I've bought a GSA mate...so all this is relevent.....:blast
and cheers for the Broken Legs info, saves me ringing the bugger up like !;)

I may well pop over and see you at Rydale..for a pint of course !:D
 
yes, I've bought a GSA mate
Click to expand...

Well there goes the neighbourhood guys..it was nice knowing you!!!..........:)




We're up on the Friday afternoon and will leave on the Sunday afternoon/evening so just give me a bell.
 
Nippy Normans supply Touratech, Wunderlich, Desert Fox and many other makes of accessories.
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