Love the bike, hate the corrosion.

[Omias]

My bike is coming up to its 1 year service with only 3000 miles on the clock. About a month ago, i took it into my local dealers in Cardiff to have some corrosion issues investigated. I have found a few areas showing what i consider to be unusually high or early signs of corrosion. The rear hub has bubbling paint at the machined surface, so has the front engine cover. The wheel hubs have corroded where the spokes fit through, all the brake line banjo's and calliper bolts have corroded, The centre stand has no paint left on it and the rear subframe has rust coming through the paint is so thin. The dealer took photographs and submitted a report to BMW UK Warranty dept. I've called the dealer today to find out what BMW have said and have been fobbed off with the offer of a new centre stand and rear hub because it has obviously been caused by use in road salt/not washing and stone chips. If this bike had been abused then fair enough, but it hasn't done a lot of miles this year due to work commitments, has never been offroad and has only seen rain twice! She lives in a garage on a battery tender under a cover and is always clean. So Mr. BMW, is this really what i should expect from a £15k bike or is it a one off? (as the dealer claims) None of my Jap bikes have corroded like this and my last BMW (K1200S) was beautifully built with no corrosion in 35000 miles and gave me the confidence to buy another BMW.
Im not a happy bunny. Anybody else suffering like this?

 

[Edster191]

My GSA is 10months old and covered 6k, I have similar problems and I am awaiting a decision from BMW.

 

[Omias]

My GSA is 10months old and covered 6k, I have similar problems and I am awaiting a decision from BMW.

I failed to say that mine is a GSA, i'd like to hear your dealers response. I hope its more favourable than mine!

 

[TJ]

I failed to say that mine is a GSA, i'd like to hear your dealers response. I hope its more favourable than mine!

Omias,

I have a 2010 ADV and have corrosion issues.

To date I have had the following changed under warranty with no issues....

Front eng cover
Left hand rocker cover
Front wheel
FD....
Main stand
and now it's going to have a new back wheel.

I am the second owner, it only had 4500 on the clock when I bought it but was showing signs of corrosion.

No issue from BMW getting it changed. If I were you I would be getting hold of BMW and having a quiet word....

 

[oyster]

Rust !

Must admit when i bought my GS in 2010, i used the advice on this forum and bought my first bottle of ACF 50, as i have always used my bikes during the Winter, i covered the whole bike in it, in October then cleaned it off with Sdoc in April/May, no corrision, no problems with the bike and i've done 9000miles.
Good tip i have always followed, is to look at a used bike your thinking of buying,looking at the corrision spots,then remember to spray you new bike with a barrier film of anti corrision of your prefrence, before the Salt goes on the roads.

 

[Omias]

Ive been using ACF50 since M&P started stocking it, and it is good stuff. All my other bikes have survived well - even my all year round commuter. Maybe i'm just anal or fussy about my bikes condition, but i don't expect a fair weather, low mileage bike to have bubbling paint and visible rust before its first birthday!

 

[Nutty]

Some on here have taken the piss out of my regular bike cleaning , but couple that with a fender extender, crud catcher and Mudsling, and none of my GS's have had any corrosion issues.

 

[Fluffmeister]

Some on here have taken the piss out of my regular bike cleaning , but couple that with a fender extender, crud catcher and Mudsling, and none of my GS's have had any corrosion issues.

What he said, bought mine at the beginning of May, done 6k and no corrosion (apart from an initial scare over poor application of datadots).

Regular anally retentive cleaning, use of FS365 / ACF50 and a bit of care, no corrosion. (Yes it is used in all weathers)

 

[Omias]

What he said, bought mine at the beginning of May, done 6k and no corrosion (apart from an initial scare over poor application of datadots).

Regular anally retentive cleaning, use of FS365 / ACF50 and a bit of care, no corrosion. (Yes it is used in all weathers)

So with a similar anally retentive cleaning regime, half your miles, very little wet use (2 Days), and dry storage shouldn't i expect a corrosion free bike? Or at least a coat of paint thick enough to prevent moisture getting to bare metal? Or a layer of paint at all would be nice in some places! Bare Ali open to the environment?
And it would seem not to be an isolated case.

Anyway, enough of my complaining. I'm off to check my oil and tyre pressures, Riding around Wales this weekend in aid of the Air Ambulance (Which you can still sponsor me for @ www.justgiving.com/longwalesround)
Happy Riding Everyone!

 

[Fluffmeister]

Good man

One thing I am thinking is that some of the "Special" editions have better paint, the black engine on my Rallye, and the frame paint etc all "appear" to be pretty thick. You are right though, it should not be happening on a bike so new.

Good luck with the ride, I hope the routes are ok

 

[GSmonkey]

Get a winter hack for when the salt goes down. My 5yr old gs has no corrosion. Happy days

 

[Greenman14]

Just repainted the cross member on the centre stand of my 2012 GS. BMW hadn't put much on so I added a couple of coats of black enamel. I shouldn't have to do this but I couldn't be arsed complaining. The last bike I had with paint that thin was a 1976 Kawasaki Z400, and the dealer stove enamelled the entire frame. Result!

 

[david a hall]

My 2001 gs 1150 has rusted to fuck! I have never cleaned it owing to hose pipe bans in the south. I took it back to the dearler to see if out of good will they would exchange it for a new one but they told me to feck off and called the police.

 

[Flipper_Man]

30th Anniversary

Good man

One thing I am thinking is that some of the "Special" editions have better paint, the black engine on my Rallye, and the frame paint etc all "appear" to be pretty thick. You are right though, it should not be happening on a bike so new.

Good luck with the ride, I hope the routes are ok

I've got the 30th Anniversary GSA and this is the worst I've had for corrosion yet (5th GS).

Awaiting outcome of PUMA report from dealer to BMW....

 

[adyb]

Does anyone know if the smaller G650GS suffers form similar corrosion issues ?

 

[trainman]

Get a winter hack for when the salt goes down. My 5yr old gs has no corrosion. Happy days

i bet dealers love you!!

would car owners do this/put up with corrosion this bad?

 

[Snoopy]

Rain is all that is needed. The spokes are stainless, the hub is alloy. Spokes rub the paint away and the reaction starts. To prevent the paint rubbing away, stones chips and so on there are special primers which stick better like etch / 2k, but they are not allowed these days due to EU regulations.

 

[Sgt Bilco]

would car owners do this/put up with corrosion this bad?

You can't see it on cars because all their vitals are covered in a nice rust proof metal skin

The paint quality is now shite on all bikes due to EU regulations on what paint can be applied so you have to take measures to try and stop the corrosion. It's a pain in teh arse but it is what it is

 

[trainman]

You can't see it on cars because all their vitals are covered in a nice rust proof metal skin

The paint quality is now shite on all bikes due to EU regulations on what paint can be applied so you have to take measures to try and stop the corrosion. It's a pain in teh arse but it is what it is

agree about the paint but surely cars have the same paint types too?

i was always told that preparation is the key to good painting, maybe the way cars and bikes are painted differ, or do bike makers farm it out to sub contractors with lesser quality?

 

[technotony007]

The paint on the back frame of the bike is crap , and very Thinly coated. It has been back to the dealer already for a touchup and the paint is off again. everywhere else on the bike seems ok. The zinc plated bolts are showing signs of rust also. I am in the process of changing out what i can to stainless steel where possible.
one idea i am think of having this winter is to have all the frames , handlebars ,yokes, folk outers powder coated black.

I think i will start a thread and called it the quadruple Black GS project ..

mines a 2010 ADV by the way.

regards

tony