Is the front of your 1200GS straight?

[Windblast]

Allelujah! Its not just me then! I picked my 2011 GS up on 5 July and noticed the problem on the way home - slightly LH down when riding straight. I mentioned it at the first service and they said that they would look at it - can't say I have looked for the problem since. I think the running-in thing makes you conscious of the revs so you tend to look down more an perhaps notice these minor things. The other thing of course is that it appears not straight but relative to what? If you use the dash/clocks as a reference then you are making the assumption that the clocks are straight - might be an issue.

Anyway, another definite sufferer here but not something that I am going to worry about.

Yours sounds like the opposite of mine. I'm left hand up, right hand back. All the dealer test bikes where the same. I'm trying not to worry about it but it's in my head now. And therefore I need to know whether I'm correct, seeing things or insane! I've tried to ignore the clocks in my assessment as I know the GS front fairing is notoriously wonky (my 05 GS forks and bars were straight but the fairing was off to the left) but even standing up on the pegs and looking down the forks; or letting go of the handlebars and coasting in a straight line - it still looks off.

 

[bmwrover]

The German GS forum is on about it as well.
Apparently the 2011 models are affected.

Here is a link, but I dont know what auto translate does with it.
At least you know you are sane.

http://www.gs-forum.eu/showthread.php?t=62097

 

[rocky burns]

Do you wear a shoei hornet???? since i had mine my clocks look bent when the visor is shut sounds stupid but its true.........

 

[Pukmeister]

Yours sounds like the opposite of mine. I'm left hand up, right hand back. All the dealer test bikes where the same.

Must be nothing wrong with my 2008 GSA then, it also feels like my left hand is slightly in front of my right hand when riding in a straight line.

 

[Windblast]

Must be nothing wrong with my 2008 GSA then, it also feels like my left hand is slightly in front of my right hand when riding in a straight line.

Sorry - must have misread your post. That's how mine is. Left hand slightly forward (and higher because of the steering head angle) and right hand slightly back. i.e when tracking straight on the road the handle bars feel as if they you are steering to the right.

 

[Windblast]

Do you wear a shoei hornet???? since i had mine my clocks look bent when the visor is shut sounds stupid but its true.........

I have about 5 helmets as part of a quest to find a quiet one. It looks the same from all of them.

P.S. BMW Sport is my favorite quiet helmet of the moment.

 

[Windblast]

The German GS forum is on about it as well.
Apparently the 2011 models are affected.

Here is a link, but I dont know what auto translate does with it.
At least you know you are sane.

http://www.gs-forum.eu/showthread.php?t=62097

Now isn't that interesting. My schoolboy German and Google Translate seem to show they are talking about the same issue!

 

[Windblast]

So did anyone have a good look at there handle bar / fork position over the weekend? Beautiful weather Sunday - so some of you must have got out there!

 

[cryogenic]

I have exactly the same problem 30 GSA 10 plate had it in twice to no avail have got used to it now and don`t look anymore. I think my right arm has shrunk to suit.

 

[NigelH]

GS bars

My new Gs (in Dec) also had the same problem. Handlebars were replaced as there was also damage to the crash bars in transit.

The left grip is 2mm forward of the right but I leant to live with it after the not-so-good BMW dealer offered to do some black magic (hammer was going to be involved!)

Germany claimed never to have experienced such a problem, so I will live with it!

 

[Freddie]

My new Gs (in Dec) also had the same problem. Handlebars were replaced as there was also damage to the crash bars in transit.

The left grip is 2mm forward of the right but I leant to live with it after the not-so-good BMW dealer offered to do some black magic (hammer was going to be involved!)

Germany claimed never to have experienced such a problem, so I will live with it!

2mm?? WOW I'm not sure my 1000mm long arms are sensitive enough to notice - specially with gloves on! I've been getting progressively more paranoid reading through these posts - staring at the bike from various angles, and measuring anything that remotely looks out of line - can't say I've found anything, nor noticed anything while riding either. If it's really such a small amount, could the whole issue be anything to do with manufacturing tolerances and/or build, I wonder, thus only affecting a few unfortunate GSers?

 

[Pukmeister]

I took my GSA to its first MOT last weekend. The MOT tester asked me to sit on the bike with the bars straight ahead so he could check wheel alignment with a steel straightedge. I set the bars to straight ahead, at which point he asked me to steer a bit more to the right to get the front and rear wheels in line, at which point he declared the alignment fine.

This confirms for me that where I perceive the straight ahead position to be is actually a little bit to the left of centre.

 

[Windblast]

Straight Front Ends

Been emailing a few people in Germany (google translate is a great peice of kit) and they have quite a few examples of front ends that appear to have the handlebars pointing slightly right (left hand slightly in front of the right). Seems to only effect 2011 bikes though. There is a whole thread on 'gs-forum.eu' on the issue. The Germans have obviously been pursuing BMW on the issue but without much success. Reading between the lines - it seems to be an issue with setting up the forks and there is something in the manufacture of the later GSs that means when they are being constructed / bolted together that the handle bars are all off in the same direction.
I think I am going to try one of the solutions that involves using a ratchet strap to keep the front wheel straight while loosening the lower clamp bolts and then moving the bars to what I think is straight. It seems the most logical solution since just loosening the bolts without being able to ensure the wheel is straight is most likely to have you tighten them back up with the steering still off....... and especially if there is something in the setup that biases it that way.

 

[webbel]

my bars were noticably 'out' whilst riding,mentioned it to the dealer on the first service and the mechanic loosened the clamp bolts and reset it..he said its quite common on the new gsa's
been fine ever since

 

[Mr K]

Yes.

Thanks for asking.