For a couple of years now my regularly dealer serviced K1200GT SE (K44 model) felt "low" somehow, the handling also felt nervous and twitchy.
It had had a replacement "dog bone" as a recall.
It would slightly improve with new tyres, but soon revert as the tyres wore slightly.
At one point the dealership diagnosed a duff rear ESA shock, which at 31,200 miles was "just" over the extended warranty mileage clause for shocks. I pointed out that technically it wasn't as it was replaced at 20,000 miles under warranty so had only actually been in use for 11,200 miles or so. They said this wouldn't matter as the bikes whole mileage applied.
Anyway they got BMW to agree a "goodwill" replacement on the rear shock as it was just over the assigned limit.
Sure enough, like the tyres it made things slightly better but still not great.
The low feeling was attributed to me being sure when I first had the bike that I was on the balls of my feet with the seat in the higher position. But now I sat flat footed on it.
Anyway, I pressed the issue recently as it was feeling really horrible. There's a sweeping dual carraigeway corner I take on the way to work and the F8GS with its K60 Scouts handles it fine at 80 mph. The KGT was plain scary at 70. Now given the K with its Pilot Road 4 GT's out tyres the GS by a long chalk that rang alarm bells.
I suggested to the dealers that perhaps the bearings had collapsed in the rear dogbone etc. They agreed, took it in and what a mess, especially the one that's in the swinging arm. So much for sealed for life! They were corroded to a rusty mush. Which had lowered the back end down by about a half inch or more.
The whole lot's now replaced and the bike rides much better, and is back to floating over the bumps
Oh and the height is back. I've not used my 49l BMW top case for ages because it compounded the horrible handling, now you barely know it's there.
Greasing the bearings is not in any service schedule, so I can't really blame the dealership. I suggested to them that they advise BMW that they really should be perhaps in at at least a bi annual service check or to suggest to owners that it's an advisable thing to do. Once on the ramp it shouldn't take more than 30 minutes to do to be fair.
It had had a replacement "dog bone" as a recall.
It would slightly improve with new tyres, but soon revert as the tyres wore slightly.
At one point the dealership diagnosed a duff rear ESA shock, which at 31,200 miles was "just" over the extended warranty mileage clause for shocks. I pointed out that technically it wasn't as it was replaced at 20,000 miles under warranty so had only actually been in use for 11,200 miles or so. They said this wouldn't matter as the bikes whole mileage applied.
Anyway they got BMW to agree a "goodwill" replacement on the rear shock as it was just over the assigned limit.
Sure enough, like the tyres it made things slightly better but still not great.
The low feeling was attributed to me being sure when I first had the bike that I was on the balls of my feet with the seat in the higher position. But now I sat flat footed on it.
Anyway, I pressed the issue recently as it was feeling really horrible. There's a sweeping dual carraigeway corner I take on the way to work and the F8GS with its K60 Scouts handles it fine at 80 mph. The KGT was plain scary at 70. Now given the K with its Pilot Road 4 GT's out tyres the GS by a long chalk that rang alarm bells.
I suggested to the dealers that perhaps the bearings had collapsed in the rear dogbone etc. They agreed, took it in and what a mess, especially the one that's in the swinging arm. So much for sealed for life! They were corroded to a rusty mush. Which had lowered the back end down by about a half inch or more.
The whole lot's now replaced and the bike rides much better, and is back to floating over the bumps
Oh and the height is back. I've not used my 49l BMW top case for ages because it compounded the horrible handling, now you barely know it's there.Greasing the bearings is not in any service schedule, so I can't really blame the dealership. I suggested to them that they advise BMW that they really should be perhaps in at at least a bi annual service check or to suggest to owners that it's an advisable thing to do. Once on the ramp it shouldn't take more than 30 minutes to do to be fair.
