How reliable is your 1200?

[Deadskin]

Did you really have your bike recovered because of this?

Driving with defective lights increases the danger to you and other road users

As for taking out the bulbs this is also an offence
as indicators fitted on a vehicle must work ...

Anyone for a bacon sarnie

 

[IanC]

Oh dear.

The original question was to see how many GS12's had ever needed the computer in order to run, i.e. the bike was immobilised, such as would be big problem away from civilisation. A problem that would be more serious than a failed final drive, for instance, which at least you could get shipped out and fitted without the need of a BMW computer.

OK, indicator electronics shouldn't fail. While not ideal, it wouldn't take much to blank them off or even bin 'em and use hand-signals if you had to ride through a busy area - at least you wouldn't be stuck.

 

[TENTOONE]

The bike is no longer made for RTW. Its no better than a Ducati monster in terms of reliability and alleged pose value. I applaud BMW marketing for so successfully selling a lame duck to so many (i got caught too).

For what its worth, the only journo mags to challenge the invincibility of the BMW lustre has been Performance Bike and Superbike. I suppose thats why they never get offered long term bikes because of the potential slating they would write.

 

[marcus]

My 1st 12 GS had a catalogue of things go wrong, which whilst annoying were (I'm reasonably confident) mechanical / electrical issues and could have been fixed pretty much anywhere, dealer computer or not!

 

[kb45]

My tail of woe............

Me......
I want a bike that's keener than me to go out in winter, is that a BMW?

SPC Salesman...
BMW's are made for riding, all you need to do is put oil and fuel in them. You won't regret it.

I love the bike, don't get me wrong.
There again, I love my wife too, don't get me wrong.
AND SPC are extremely tolerant of the rantings of a maniac, but................

My 05 (July) GS12 has had a new battery within a few thou, gear selector switch about 4.5K (allergic to water, worrying for a BTB), r/h indicator switch about 5.5K. Then nothing until 12K service last week, clutch seal blown (no wonder it wouldn't go into 1st without rolling the bike backwards for the last 3K). They are also ordering new disks all round - warped (well I have been training for my IAM test, so doing stoppies into 30 mph zones - not!!). Oh and the Datatool System3 alarm has been a pig since day one. Although much like the emperors new cloths, only I can see it. So much so, that tonight after a ride out and it auto setting, it refused to register that either fob was trying to reset it. Eventually after setting the alarm off three times it responded to the fobs. Hardly BMW's fault but just a note of the fact (oh and they have ordered an new PSB for it).

As for oil and fuel, I wish. My GSX750F 35K has NEVER faild me once, never. Oh and it also has a Datatool Veto alarm that also nevr let m down either. Typical

KB

 

[birdseye]

And why should they not? Should I really expect my BMW bike to be less reliable than my BMW car? There is no reason for bikes to have switches that are likely to fail. Riders should not expect to have to know how to fix the bikes themselves by the roadside.

Yes you should expect it to be less reliable than your BMW car since the car has lots of protective bodywork and because it is also made in much larger numbers in far more mechanised factories.

That said, your BMW car is not completely reliable, or at least mine has not been. Head gasket at 50k for example? Water leaks into the cabin for another.

I reckon that if you dont know how the bike /car you are driving works you cannot understand what is happening when inevitably things go wrong and you are not therefore safe. Ignorance is never a virtue.

 

[Geordietraveller]

I Take it all back....

The tranny seals have just gone again!

 

[IanC]

Sorry to hear that SiFi - and tales of your high-mileage not-too-much-trouble trip had eased my anxieties about buying another GS(A) next month!

Is that a major job, like the whole back of the bike has to come off? I would imagine so.

 

[Geordietraveller]

Sorry to hear that SiFi - and tales of your high-mileage not-too-much-trouble trip had eased my anxieties about buying another GS(A) next month!

Is that a major job, like the whole back of the bike has to come off? I would imagine so.

You could call it major I suppose

The betting so far is that when they replaced the seals the first time they didn't seat them correctly and hence the leak 15k miles later. They also attempted to 'repair' a damaged balancer shaft and we're having that replaced as well. We'll see if it's caused any damage to the transmission or contaminated the clutch when they come off.

I'd much rather it WAS caused by human error - it goes in on Wednesday, should find out next week

 

[IanC]

Glad you're not in the middle-of-nowhere! While not ideal, do you think a non-BMW mechanic could have done the work, with the right parts?

Assuming yours in a UK bike, did you encounter any problems with warranty claims in US/Canada, or did it make no difference?

Mine is in shortly for the corroded front engine cover (dealer asked if he could do it before warranty expiry next month), and they also want to replace the balancer shaft bearing (while cover's off). I'm not sure if this is similar to your balancer shaft probs, or something completely different - if a bearing goes it can cause a seal to fail once the shaft is running out of line?

 

[NorthernBoy]

Yes you should expect it to be less reliable than your BMW car since the car has lots of protective bodywork and because it is also made in much larger numbers in far more mechanised factories.

I don't know the numbers, but I drive a current model M3, that is not produced in stratospheric numbers.

Interestingly, it produces more BHP per litre than the bike as well (343 bhp from 3.2 litres).

 

[TENTOONE]

''Yes you should expect it to be less reliable than your BMW car since the car has lots of protective bodywork and because it is also made in much larger numbers in far more mechanised factories.''


please..anyone told honda this?

 

[IanC]

Despite my long-standing faith in Honda...

I actually got stopped by a copper on Sunday on his ST1300. Although my experience of an ST1100 was faultless, his wasn't of the ST1300 - unstable (as I'd also read in MCN), and he actually didn't want to switch the engine off, as he was worried the battery wouldn't manage to restart it (I thought it was illegal to leave an engine running in an unattended vehicle??). Oh and I read there are also ECU problems on them.

Maybe it's just another case of hi-tech (new Pan/GS) being less reliable than lo-tech (old Pan/GS)?

 

[NorthernBoy]

Yes you should expect it to be less reliable than your BMW car since the car has lots of protective bodywork and because it is also made in much larger numbers in far more mechanised factories.

Absolute rubbish.

They knew when they made the bike that it would be more exposed, and the increased margins reflect the reduced numbers.

I will repeat that I love my bike, and do not want to change it, but the build quality is atrocious compared to a modern Honda. Fasteners do not need to corrode, joints do not need to rust, and drives do not need to fail in the numbers that they do.

 

[Gipsy]

''Yes you should expect it to be less reliable than your BMW car since the car has lots of protective bodywork and because it is also made in much larger numbers in far more mechanised factories.''


please..anyone told honda this?

BMW have been making both cars and bikes for a long long time. The boxer engine with shaft drive has been around 60 odd years. They should have made enough of these to not need Beta testers. I also agree that fastners, screws and bolts etc don't need to rust or corrode. Correct specification at the design stage together with good quality control should all but eliminate this problem. Viz Honda getting it right so often.
Don't get me wrong, I love my 1200 Gs to bits, and provided it stays reliable, and ongoing running costs are reasonable, I intend keeping it for some time. However I have stopped looking at 1200 Gs's through rose tinted spectacles. I don't believe the model has earned the right to be regarded as a premium product. In fact I'm beginning to wonder whether this might apply to more bikes in the BM range. Dealer satisfaction is always rated as high in the surveys, perhaps this is because they have so much practice fixing the bikes, especially under warranty. I'm also starting to wonder whether the customer satisfaction ratings, which are always high, may be due to the wearing of rose tinted spectacles by some BMW/Gs owners, who may be prepared to overlook some problems because of brand loyalty.

 

[NorthernBoy]

I'm also starting to wonder whether the customer satisfaction ratings, which are always high, may be due to the wearing of rose tinted spectacles by some BMW/Gs owners, who may be prepared to overlook some problems because of brand loyalty.

I am definitely starting to think this, too, and this is mainly because of the views expressed on here. However reliable or well finished the bikes are, there seem to be a lot of owners who just refuse to accept that the genuine faults exist. This is going to skew any sort of reliability survey compared to other brands (unless other brand owners do likewise, but they just don't seem to).

Some people on here are doing a genuine disservice to potential owners. We al lknow about the good points of the bikes (and they are many and varied); lying about the bbad points is just dishonesty.

 

[Captain Pugwash]

Pile of shite ?

I was going to possibly order a GS 1200 A tomorrow.

Perhaps I shouldn't if it is going to rust and fall to bits

 

[wilbjr21]

lying about the bbad points is just dishonesty.

Perhaps a little on the strong side. Can't think why anyone would lie? - Have another G & T

I was going to possibly order a GS 1200 A tomorrow.

Perhaps I shouldn't if it is going to rust and fall to bits

Well the 2006 model does seem to be a lot better than the previous two model years - my 1200GS was 2004. I've got the 1200GSA and it's brill. Engine crash bars a little rusty but replaced by dealer.

 

[NorthernBoy]

Perhaps a little on the strong side. Can't think why anyone would lie? - Have another G & T .

Yeah, fair enough.

There definitely seems a lot more willing blindness towards BMW faults than with other brands, though.

 

[Captain Pugwash]

I've got the 1200GSA and it's brill. Engine crash bars a little rusty but replaced by dealer.

Crikey.

How quick did they rust ?

You can't have had the bike long ?


So no rusty bolts or oil leaks yet ?