Is this normal !

[Georgeeboi]

I tested the new GSA last week for a few hour's after having my 2013 for 18 months and 9k on the clock I didn't notice that much difference with the heavier flywheel to be honest and I did give it some through the gears but its not so jerky at low speed, the quickshifter is awsome so much more fun and your probably right engineer if you've never had it you wouldn't miss it but once you try it you want it, I was lucky with my 2013 no problems with gearbox or clutch but liked the road presence of the GSA and being over 6 ft it suited me I felt I could do everything on the gsa as the gs so ordered one, I feel for you ding dong hope you get it sorted.

 

[DING-DONG]

But even the dealer admitted every bike seems to be different, So I'm miffed at the truth .

 

[Engineer]

But even the dealer admitted every bike seems to be different, So I'm miffed at the truth .

In my experience they are all the same, I have experience of a 4 LCs and there was bugger all difference between them as far as I could tell, so they can't ALL be different.

I suspect that the riders that are far more variable than the bikes - I have no experience of your bike so can't make a judgement about that particular machine it may well be faulty so you need to get another opinion from another dealer or experienced LC rider.

 

[DING-DONG]

so you need to get another opinion from another dealer or experienced LC rider.

Steve bellars (field service manager at BMW) rode my bike and he said its the characteristics of this model and as stated in the email from the dealer (below) the previous engine (as per my original engine) did not show the same traits.

(I have also tried the same test on one of the bikes we have in the showroom that has the first generation engine and found that this did not happen with that particular bike)

So 2014 - 2015 bikes show different characteristics this clarified by BMW staff i brought a 2014 model but have to accept a 2015 model engine, (not sure why as member on here whom called me has just this week had a 2014 like for like engine fitted in his bike by another dealer) i personally would have not brought a new 2015 model for several reasons and as per my test ride on a GSA demo bike, now the gearbox was sublime no clonking but i could feel the difference over the flywheel and felt it took the edge off the bike.

Tbh I'm puzzled dealers say one thing, but all the emails and pm's I've received state there bikes don't have these characteristics, and others state there gearbox's are shit as well.

Tbh it would be beneficial to BMW if i no longer owned a WC bike and i can put my hand on heart and state i would never buy a WC engine bike again, this crap does not help anyone especially with the power of Google, but I'm not going to sell this privately especially with a new engine buyers are suspicious so unless BMW buy me out, ill be in for the long ride.

 

[Nutty]

Dave, I can see your point about getting BMW to sort it out, but if I'd had this many problems, I'd ditch the brand and not turn back. It's embarrassing that BMW are continually fucking you around, especially as you have been a very good customer over the years. I'm very happy with my GSA, but if I'd had the problems you'd had, BMW wouldn't see me for dust.

 

[DING-DONG]

Rich, there was a point all this pissed me off and trust me I've repeatedly spoken over the phone/emails and pleaded with Andy cook from BMW UK regarding all the issues and the fact this bike was a replacement for my original complaint (bike) don't help, it was supposedly or hopefully should have been a great experience to buy a brand new model bike.

But now i don't give a fook, I've gone past caring and whilst it has warranty any problems they will get the bike back trust me.

I do not dislike the brand or the bike because i love the gs range but not the wc now and to show that my rants are not purposely directed at BMW, i will be having the new s1000xr .

 

[Headout]

Wow, This is a volatile thread (with good reason of course), with little, real consensus toward a solution from either owners or BMW.
It seems just like Human beings we are fundamentally the same with profound variations which is hard to reconcile when talking
about a piece of fairly straight forward engineering !

My Experience with my 13 reg bike has been diverse, to the extent that I had reservation about riding it when I first got it as
it had been laid up for months (nearly a year old and only 650 miles) which made the clutch a complete demon and unpredictable.

However now with 6500 miles on the clock the situation has changed completely and rides like a pussy-cat (I have adapted too).
1st is as all describe, so I now do not use neutral at all in normal conditions - I start in first always, and when touring, at toll roads etc
I stop in first hit the kill switch deal with whatever, and then the pull clutch, hit start and go, its quicker than finding neutral in the first place!
One curiosity that does exist is clutch bite (as many seem to find) The other day in stop start traffic the bite was about 20mm from the
bars for a long time but then suddenly after a 100mtr quicker section changed to 3/4 of the way out (with more revs than I meant).
Hmm ! (is this the American magazine mentioned centrifugal clutch assist ?)
I'm planning on asking to have the oil way mod , anyone had this ? it involves having a rod placed into an oil feed track so reducing the
feed to the clutch and helping with the drag (apparently).
The later machines may have this I guess, but like people, not every bike needs it.

Still love the GS very much - like trying to understand a teenager.

 

[cusi]

Wow, This is a volatile thread (with good reason of course), with little, real consensus toward a solution from either owners or BMW.
It seems just like Human beings we are fundamentally the same with profound variations which is hard to reconcile when talking
about a piece of fairly straight forward engineering !

My Experience with my 13 reg bike has been diverse, to the extent that I had reservation about riding it when I first got it as
it had been laid up for months (nearly a year old and only 650 miles) which made the clutch a complete demon and unpredictable.

However now with 6500 miles on the clock the situation has changed completely and rides like a pussy-cat (I have adapted too).
1st is as all describe, so I now do not use neutral at all in normal conditions - I start in first always, and when touring, at toll roads etc
I stop in first hit the kill switch deal with whatever, and then the pull clutch, hit start and go, its quicker than finding neutral in the first place!
One curiosity that does exist is clutch bite (as many seem to find) The other day in stop start traffic the bite was about 20mm from the
bars for a long time but then suddenly after a 100mtr quicker section changed to 3/4 of the way out (with more revs than I meant).
Hmm ! (is this the American magazine mentioned centrifugal clutch assist ?)
I'm planning on asking to have the oil way mod , anyone had this ? it involves having a rod placed into an oil feed track so reducing the
feed to the clutch and helping with the drag (apparently).
The later machines may have this I guess, but like people, not every bike needs it.

Still love the GS very much - like trying to understand a teenager.

And whilst you and other owners find this acceptable then BMW will be laughing to the bank. I'm pretty sure you wouldn't tolerate these issues with a new car.

 

[red1]

And whilst you and other owners find this acceptable then BMW will be laughing to the bank. I'm pretty sure you wouldn't tolerate these issues with a new car.

You don't really want to go there. I got flamed by the collective when i put that opinion forward with previous faults with major components. The general consensus was to stop whining it's under warranty and BMW will fix it and it's only a small percentage of bikes.

 

[johnfoxllb]

How on earth can BMW claim to have carried out proper research and development on this bike with failures ranging from switchgear to water pumps to engines and gearboxes and plenty more besides? Did these problems not surface during testing?

It's hard to imagine the OP's bike ever being right. It's been cobbled up in a workshop. Are these bikes with replacement engines much better than insurance wrecks that have been built up again? Who wants to own a bike built this way as opposed to a factory build?

Maybe for the next model BMW will tear down a Crosstourer or Super Tenere and work out how to build a reliable motorcycle.

 

[DING-DONG]

It's hard to imagine the OP's bike ever being right. It's been cobbled up in a workshop.
.

John to be fair to my dealer the fitment of the new engine was exceptional so i cannot fault that and would happy for this particular dealer to carry out any additional work, one particular person at the said dealership is a true gent and in fairness to them whilst bmw UK say there's not a problem there's not a lot the dealer can do because there hands are tied.

I do feel for the dealers as I'm sure forums can generate bad press and its the dealer whom we as the buyer have a contract with so they take the impact, it takes years to build a good name and only minutes to lose it on the Internet.

I was in a dealers showroom today (down south) and got talking to a bod whom worked there that i no, he openly said to myself he would not have a new gs even if it was given free to him, he did say buyers expect the new generation bikes to be better than previous generation and whilst they should, there not, manufacturing has back peddled and we are blinded by cruise control - shift assist - led lights ...

 

[Headout]

Attn. Mr Cusi.
Of course despite my experience that seems relatively tolerable (ie. bike poor then seems less poor)
You have, as it appears others have also, a situation in a different realm altogether.
Frustration is wholly individual with little others can do except offer a solution
Which as we know rarely happens.
When you say 'you wouldn't put up with it if it were a car' you're absolutely right, but of course
These bikes cost as much as many cars so no comparison item should be necessary it's just
Intolerable full stop.
It's only right that you should feel the parent company is doing all it can to resolve your
Problems , then you might at least feel more disposed toward the brand.
Shame bikes can't be like computers and these issues fixed by subsequent upgrades.
( they seem to get away with doing that don't they !)

 

[stevemersey]

Ding Dong,
I think this all a bloody shame, the more so because the WC is pretty dam amazing in some respects, and it is easy to forget that. My gearbox is the least good part of the bike, but not bad enough to spoil the excellent handling and intoxicating grunt. It is crazy that BMW have not got their act together and sorted out your fix, but when they do I hope you enjoy it as much as I am.

 

[Toddmeister]

What he says!

Hope it all works out for you Dave, you deserve some good fortune with this!

 

[DING-DONG]

Taken from adv-rider, demo ride on a 2015 model.

-speaking of the gearbox... shifts were incredibly slow and clunky. Upshift... 1.5 second-long CLUNK. I swear the gears on a kmart garden tractor as smoother. Again maybe something was wrong, or is this normal?

So its not just me making this up !

 

[mrtee43]

I would like to see on bike videos of these bikes poor gearboxes and also see what the riders technique is because I just cannot believe it takes 1.5 seconds to change gear with a clunk !

My bike is my first ever BMW and the gearbox is as good as any bike I have owned before. Clunks into 1st but so did my Suzuki, Yamaha and Honda before it. Changes up are quick and precise, clutch or clutchless.

So come on you naysayers, show us your duff gearboxes and possibly duff technique !

I have an old bullet cam that I think I may put on the bike to record my gearbox so we may compare.

 

[DING-DONG]

That's me out than, I'm more hammers and spanners than computer savvy, you ever Derbyshire way feel free to take it for a spin ..

I agree with you totally tho every bike clunks into first, but they don't clunk into second and so on and also when coming down the box.

I also have an old bsa that has a better gearbox

 

[GS_or_bust]

I've had a 2013 gs and now have a gsa. I never use neutral so 1st gear clunk is not a problem. The gear shifts are sweet and fast. I will admit that the bite point moves occasionally but hey ho. I've had the right switch gear changed for free. I am a very happy owner. The bikes have taken me on some great journeys. Maybe I'm just a glass half full kind of guy.

PS . I test rode an s1000rr today as a possible 2nd bike and it clunked into 1st gear.

 

[Headout]

Going back a few comments here on this thread I said exactly the same
Thing about not using neutral and it removes one issue right away.
I did however break my rule yesterday at some lights with a friend on
His RR1000- so we both hit first as the lights changed and hey -Exactly-
The same clunk not just similar !
So just need to adjust mentally to the other gears doing the same
and job done !!

 

[Titto]

Nope. It's not job done at all.
Please refer to the other world famous thread on this subject where there are thousands of comments and opinions.

My replacement 2014 gearbox is silky smooth, no clunking. No crashing. Neutral is now available as opposed to being impossible.

No "technique" required or adjusting the way I have to change gear.

The 2013 piece of junk I had first however was just that. Ding dong knows all this, he's experienced it too.
I tested multiple bikes like engineer too, and rode friends gs's. They were all great, apart from my 2013 model.

Engineer definitely has valid points. However this isn't cut and dry, this isn't "I'm right and you are wrong", there are definitely bikes with shite clutches and boxes. With the vast quantity these bikes sell clearly there are ones with issues, and they are in the minority.

What ding dong has put up with is not acceptable surely anyone can see this? He knows how to ride and change gear Ffs.

Just Google the clutch or gearbox issue. In most languages there are people finding the same problems.

The s thou gearbox is different. That machine has its own issues, but the ones I've ridden also clunk into first, the f800s / s / gs I've owned were perfect but none of this is relevant for this gs issue...