I'm just registered... F800GS blown up!

[moto1527]

Sounds like a catalogue of misfortune, hope you mate gets full satisfaction Magwa.

I dont think his experience should colour the model itself though, the f800 engine has been around for afew years now and has a good reputation, and given that it was a demo bike, well anything can happen to any bike engine if someone along the line decides to say,...start it with oil or do extended wheelies etc.

As an aside, i know of a brand new zxr owner who took his bike back to the dealers after afew hundred miles with a siezed engine, the mechanics were all duly puzzled as the oil pump appeared ok.
What he didnt tell them is he like to wheelie, not just 20 yards or 50 but for mile after mile- what happened is the oil ran to the back of the engine and out of reach of the oil pump inlet- so it ran dry! and the engine died

Im not suggesting this is what has happened here but i dont think its a design fault.

The other thing is my mate had a 1200 GS and had no end of trouble with it but most people love theirs so its clearly not a universal problem.


Cheeeeeers

moto

 

[ZZ10]

What he didnt tell them is he like to wheelie, not just 20 yards or 50 but for mile after mile- what happened is the oil ran to the back of the engine and out of reach of the oil pump inlet- so it ran dry! and the engine died

Most engines need a change of oil pick-up to survive that.

 

[Magwa]

update

Well the bike is now on its THIRD engine.
running OK at present ( its in store in the garage)
so watch this space for the next 'Bang'
My mate considered a PX against a R1200s road bike which he loved but the PX was so poor against it ( would you take a PX of a bike like his!)
he's stuck by the 800 for now

Happy new year all

 

[Wizard]

Well the bike is now on its THIRD engine.

Sorry, but that's got to be a case of a really really useless mechanic, or a complete twat of an owner. Either that or there's something being said/done that just isn't true.

 

[NeverRodeBefore]

I think I would've pushed for a replacement bike after the second engine went. I got my GS secondhand after the bikes rear shock failed whilst the owner was on holiday. He wasn't happy as his previous BMW had also let him down quite badly. He received a full refund from BMW, I got a £1000 off the list price for a nearly new bike... I didn't mind, and he got his money back.

 

[moto1527]

Sorry, but that's got to be a case of a really really useless mechanic, or a complete twat of an owner. Either that or there's something being said/done that just isn't true.

I have to agree, i havent heard of ANY modern bike that has had that kind of failure rate?

Magwa can you supply details of the dealership concerned?

Cheers

M

 

[morrisw7]

Hi all - just registered cos I was looking for info if anyone else has had an engine failure on an F800GS.
Mine's a very sick puppy in the dealers right now!

I heard that there was an early bunch of problems with pistons but that was a while ago. How old is yours and what happened?

Hi - thanks for that info... mine died almost instantly... 1 year old almost to the day - 5400miles on the clock!
filled up with juice, 26 miles b4 hand, sounded fine... 25 miles later started to loose power, wouldn't rev past 5k.. started to sound like a bag of nails being rattled .. pulled over - oil light blinking on idle.. got recovered to home from oxford to mk.

Had a great ride that weekend though, popped to a mate's in Somerset took the long way home,, nearly hit Southampton with the diversion I took to get home & kerbang, clatter, rattle... thank god for the SV1000 hiding in the garage! better change the insurance to more than 2k a year I think....

Welcome along, sorry to hear of your sick GS, hopefuly back on the roads soon..............

thanks, the dealer reckons about 3 wks, but that will be cutting it fine, I've booked on 20th June chunnel to france, coming out in spain 8 days later... so running it in again and gettin' a 600 mile service is gonna be tight!

Adamski appears to have had similar trouble

I'm 99.9% sure that you have shuttered Connecting Rod Bearing - Bearing Slight. My dealer wanted at first change what was needed but after they took measurements of the cylinders they have to change the whole engine.
The symptoms where exactly this same as you describe. This is my theory, but I think when you open the throttle to much when the engine is running at low revs you put a lot of stress on those parts. At this moment you can actually hear the metallic noise. Ones at 2.5 - 3.000 revs everything is ok. I did 4000 km on the 2nd engine and it runs OK, of course this doesn't mean anything, the first died at 9000 km. Somebody on Isle of Man had this same problem http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=445755
Good luck I hope you'll get new engine.

Hi - Thanx for that info - almost exactly the same milage as mine went bang... very fishy!!

Hope I get a new engine too.. and very quickly running out of time before my france / spain tour! we check your link as well

 

[martin c s]

Hi all - just registered cos I was looking for info if anyone else has had an engine failure on an F800GS.
Mine's a very sick puppy in the dealers right now!

Hi morrisw7. Any news from BMW as to why your "unstoppable" engine......err.......stopped!?

 

[morrisw7]

No news from BMW re Unstoppable!!!

Hi - to all that are following my sorry tale of misery...
Still waiting for follow up..
Dealer still has the bike, told me last Saturday that they would fully strip by Wed last week! no contact from them so assumming the worst!
rang today several times... voicemail ? voicemail / voicemail !!!!
bloody annoyed.....

keep you posted ... will ride there tomorrow on lovely SV1000 if they can't work out how to use a phone!

mad morrisw7

 

[morrisw7]

Got the bike bike last weekend! the oil pump & crankshaft were replaced, put 5oo miles on it that weekend with a 24hr overnight blast to Wales.. went well all the way, however seemed to drink a bit of oil, as it was on min when I got home. in for it's 6000 mile service tomorrow, so will keep you all posted:

 

[Dr JM]

Been lurking for months, finally decided to register. My F800GS blew up yesterday, suspected big end failure.

Had it since new - April 2008, 8500 on the clock, no warning signs at all. On my way to work at 06.45 just about to join the M40 when the oil light came on accompanied by a terrible noise and an instant lack of power.

Looks like it will be in the dealer for at least a few weeks.

Only positive thing was that BMW assist were speedy in getting out to me and recovering the bike.

Seriously in a grump now....

 

[Richie3264]

sorry to hear the news

Im contemplating a 800gs or 1200GSA, your news, and the others on this thread, are definatey giving me cause for concern

theres a big difference in price which has to be considered but....and there is aways a but, this news of engines blowing up is making me doubt the 800

Richie

Pot luck..................so to speak

Plenty of 1200 series Boxer engines (GS/GSA/RT) that have detonated the right hand cylinder..........by letting go of the valve(s) at low mileage

I suppose your right..... you pays your money you takes your chances. but...another "but".....£8 grand (800GS + farkels) of anybodies money is a lot of spondoolies to pay for a bike and a pocket full of faith.

and yeah I know the next reply....well dont buy one then.
But I am kinda smitten with both.

And I suppose BMW back is pretty good

 

[Dave Ett]

Here's a thought: How many have been sold? How many have gone bang? How many havent?

The one I just bought has 8500 miles on it, racked up riding round Africa, and is running perfectly, so that cancels one of the blow ups out!

 

[morrisw7]

F800GS goes bang again!

Well I must admit had a great France Spain trip after my rebuild, got to 8100miles after the tour, sounded a bit rough about 100 miles from the ferry, I thought just tired sore after 9 days riding.... no such luck! back returned to dealers again "sounds a bit bottom endy" was the statement... brand new F800GS received immediately, keep it sir was the words.. we'll get yours sorted asap now a new engine is approved, just waiting for collection date?
8100 miles not a good sign but hopefully new engine will be perfect... I'm sure the casings on the new one I've got are different to my own original bike... maybe improvemets have been made?

 

[ILMV]

Sounds good, be sure to keep us informed.

 

[Robbo1200ADV]

you come across as a Chilled out chap considering what has happened to your bike! I bet that has helped in getting the service from BMW that you have had.If you can remain calm, things tend to go better for you ,a lesson to us all

 

[morrisw7]

Hi Robbo1200.. yes I am calm about it, but so far your right BMW has done everything right - my only grumble is speed it takes to get things sorted, but I take the view that it's not the dealers fault the product is defective, they just end up with the responsibility!! and they have to convince Germany to give me a new engine not me.. so it pays to be calm & chilled.
Having their bike in my garage helps too!!

 

[dogman]

Looking at this, it would appear that the 800 is a reliable bike with only 2.5% saying that they disagree that it is reliable overall. You just wouldnt want to be one of the 2.5%!! Not bad odds though?
http://f800riders.org/forum/survey.php?&do=results&sid=35

 

[martin c s]

Just had new pistons fitted, after having a rattle from the engine for about 5000 miles, that steadily got worse. Got to pay for the oil though!

 

[bubbles]

Hi Martin, My 1978 bmw 80/7 still has its original pistons, one careful owner (me) 160,000 miles, what happened to progress?