New GSA, sounding like a tumbler filled with bolts & nuts

[GSpot 1200]

Hey all.
Got my new R 1200 GSA last thursday, did the first 600 miles, and had the service done friday morning.
It is a fantastic bike, riding is sweet, and I love it. !
But I need your help, when i am accelerating normal, just opening the throttle a little bit, the engine says a unnormal sound.
It is only saying the sound under work load( in all gears, clutch ), not going throu the revs in neutral ( clutch in/out ).
It is like a grrrrararra and it sounds like the engine is gnagging,misfiring or mabye pinging.
its hard to describe the sound, but in denmark we pay arround 27,000,-£ for an GSA, so i cant accept any strange sounds, i thourght that the wery well proven boxer, was a studie in engine smoothness and running.
i took it to an authorized BMW workshop, and they took it for a ride, came back, and said > I can hear what you mean, but thats normal for a boxer engine with that level of tuning, I is supposed to run hard<.
I have been riding a little time on my buddys R 1150 RT, and it is quiet and smooth when it is running
Do any of you know what I schould check on the bike ?
I think that a knock sensor is malfunctioning, or it is way
to lean ( and therefore pinging), but any help is making me happy.
Thank you very much
Jan

 

[GSmonkey]

i thourght that the wery well proven boxer, was a studie in engine smoothness and running.

Those Danish salesmen are really very good

 

[Deadskin]

Did it do it before the 600 mile service ?

 

[Timolgra]

It is like a grrrrararra and it sounds like the engine is gnagging,misfiring or mabye pinging.

Say it again.

I would take it back to the dealer who did the 600 mile service

 

[GSpot 1200]

reply

To be honest, it rained 450 of the 600 miles and I was so
busy riding and finding out about the new bike, that I dident notice any strange sound.
But please give me an answer, is your bikes making "a strange sound ", or are they smooth and quiet , even under accelerating ( except normal engine sound and roar)
again, thank you very much
jan

 

[John Armstrong]

It's not something vibrating against something else? Like the engine bars against a cylinder?

Or you might have a silencer that's "noisier" than the RT one?

 

[Captain Pugwash]

A mate had a similar "worry" with his GSA on a recent trip.

It turned out to be a cable vibrating against a panel in the fairing somewhere,at a certain rev range.

 

[GSpot 1200]

Hello again
i know that the silencer is noisier than the one on the RT, but it is a engine sound, for sure.
and I dont think its a " rubbing against other" sound.'
Does your engine run completely quiet and healty. ?
Thank you again
Jan

 

[Blue Spider]

Mine is 300 miles old and I've stopped to check the oil a few times. The mill makes that much rattle and noise - that is saying something as my previous bike was a Hardly Worthitson! Dealer says normal - It'll clear up when the 600 Mile tightener sequence is performed - but he says they ALL rattle. I'm keen to see what everyone else thinks on this. It still goes very nicely up though and a little ratlle if it's normal ain't gonna put me off!

He who dies with the most toys, WINS!!!

 

[redcastle]

Gspot, mine was rough as a bears arse.

Its nothing like a jap engine so dont expect a sewing machine.
Ride it hard and try not to worry about it, mine got smoother and quieter the more hard miles I put on.
After 10,000 miles its relatively quiet and smooth and burns not a drop of oil.

I was too gentle to begin with and I suspect your probably the same. Dont worry about it, give it plenty of revs.

The gearbox gets easier and less clunky too.

 

[minkyhead]

ive had 1150 and 1200gs no strange sounds are usual can hear the tappets if they get a bit loose but basically mechanicle noise is minimal
cant think why the adv should be any different

 

[silvermog]

My 12GSA has been fine, typical boxer sound with one twist ... at specifically 3000 revs there is a different timbre to the sound, kind of tinny tappetty sound ... put it down to a resonance somewhere, probably the exhaust given the 'thin' sound.

It disappears at higher revs ... so I've just got to the point of riding thru it and expect it to clear as the engine settles in ...

4k miles now and its appreciably smoother than it was at delivery with a little more lugging ability as well I fancy ...

 

[jonothan]

My new 1200GS sounds a bit rough at times but I'm hoping that'll be sorted (to some degree) at the 600 mile service. It's a rough, noisy engine compared to Jap bikes, like Redcastle says.

Try to describe a noise (and all credit to you,

grrrrararra

is impressive, and conjurs up all sorts of things in my mind) on a forum is very hard. Difficult to know what it is.

Interestingly, my other bike, my 2003 BMW R850R, is the sweetest boxer I've ever heard. Much smoother engine than my GS.

J

 

[John Armstrong]

Interestingly, my other bike, my 2003 BMW R850R, is the sweetest boxer I've ever heard. Much smoother engine than my GS.

J

Smaller lumps of aluminium trying to eject themselves from the cylinders. IMHO.

 

[soma]

Sounds like a valve problems! It could be the distribution chain strut or expander.
Same problem in an spaniard friend.
Come back to dealer and no charge with BMW Guaranty.

 

[Twotter]

Can you get a test ride on another one to compare ???