Oil blowout and flat battery

Goldfinger said:
In my experience of cars and bikes the alternator is more likely than the clutch to fail without giving any warning.

Surely it's possible to design the engine so that access to the alternator can be gained without having to take the engine out?
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Bang on the money. It should be possible.
The bike is on its way back to the UK. I wonder how my local desler will handle it.
 
Goldfinger said:
Lots of bikes will never have alternator trouble in their whole life but if your unlucky and it fails your looking at big money to put it right.

Whoever designed the bike to need engine out to change the alternator should hang their head in shame.
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Engine out is not that big a deal! decent garage workshop & reasonable skills easily completed over a weekend, cant see what all the fuss is about given the clutch advantages- have you forgotten about the oil leaks & smoking dry clutches?
 
It is a big deal when you have to pay for the new alternator (or get the old one rewound ) and possibly the voltage regulator and then the 10 hours plus labour to remove the engine, fit the new parts and then reassemble the bike around the new alternator, all on a bike not yet 3 years old .

ps Cannot find UK price but new price for alternator and the voltage regulator is over $1350.00 , add labour at anything from £40 per hour (from an independant ) up to £100 plus from a main dealers



MrMcNamara said:
Engine out is not that big a deal! decent garage workshop & reasonable skills easily completed over a weekend, cant see what all the fuss is about given the clutch advantages- have you forgotten about the oil leaks & smoking dry clutches?
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Neil W said:
It is a big deal when you have to pay for the new alternator (or get the old one rewound ) and possibly the voltage regulator and then the 10 hours plus labour to remove the engine, fit the new parts and then reassemble the bike around the new alternator, all on a bike not yet 3 years old .

ps Cannot find UK price but new price for alternator and the voltage regulator is over $1350.00 , add labour at anything from £40 per hour (from an independant ) up to £100 plus from a main dealers
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Rainbow Parts

Part number 12317724032 Generator £688.55 :yikes
 
Unlucky to have this fault by all accounts? sadly all machines can fail, if you cant afford to run it - downgrade to a price level you are happy with
 
MrMcNamara said:
Unlucky to have this fault by all accounts? sadly all machines can fail, if you cant afford to run it - downgrade to a price level you are happy with
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Haha what a brilliant comment. Well done,very constructive.
There was a time I used to say stupid stuff like that, if people dared to say GS's werent perfect. You will learn, probably the hard way like me.
 
MrMcNamara said:
Engine out is not that big a deal! decent garage workshop & reasonable skills easily completed over a weekend, cant see what all the fuss is about given the clutch advantages- have you forgotten about the oil leaks & smoking dry clutches?
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Ha ha, funny boy.............. Yeah 'cos the clutch and resultant smooth, snickety, snickety gear change on all WC's is such an improvement (not) :rolleyes:

Andres
 
Clutches usually wear out and you can plan to change it. Alternator failure is always instant and is now a massive job. Its a real shame and terrible design.
 
Villanjc said:
Clutches usually wear out and you can plan to change it. Alternator failure is always instant and is now a massive job. Its a real shame and terrible design.
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I thought the engines are changed well before the clutch wears out on the LC ?

Now the alternator does not wear out it just fails and can somtimes fail before the engine requires changing :D
 
Well...I'm finally home a week earlier than expected. The bike will be back with me in a couple of weeks.

I simply cannot believe that this has happened. I feel so gutted for the mate I was with, who's trip was also cut short due to my GS breakdown.

Just to put "me" in perspective - I am 48 and have been riding bikes since I was 16. I have had had loads of bikes over the years and currently own an S1000RR Track bike, a R1200R 15 plate Fun Bike and the 2013 R1200GS LC for European, or further trips!

I am/was a huge BMW fan. The guy I was with owns a R1200GS, an S1000RR and an RnineT

I hope you get the gist that we are BMW not Anti BMW!!!
BMW bill this bike as a "Round the World" Adventure bike.Go anywhere, do anything!

I bought into this and was further swayed by BMW's infrastructure and dealer network.
It would appear I have made a big mistake. This part fails without warning and when it does you are f*cked. My mate and I swapped batteries 3 times on a twenty mile journey to the dealer in France, due to the electrics on these bikes, if the battery is not charging they are flat in minutes.

We were France, imagine if you were solo at the North Cape. Alternator failure on an LC is instant and not something you can plan for!

The dealer we had this misfortune to get to was Motorrad Motosud Evasion, in Narbonne. I called my sister who has lived in France for 30 years to call them and let them know we were on the way and what our problem was. When we go there, they said they did not speak English, I then called my sister again and passed my phone to the guy who told her that they could not even look at the bike for two days. When she "begged" them they said they would look that afternoon. About two hours later a guy came out and said in perfect English that the Alternator was more than likely the fault. It turns out he has an English mother and speak perfect English!

I will be visiting my Dealer this week and will report back on what they say. I have bought all my above bikes from them so it will be interesting to see whether my loyalty over the years will be worth anything!

The cost is around a £1000 to fix it, I had the bike service one week before the trip, new rear brake disc, new brake pads all round, new Michelin Tyres. As prepared and ready as I could be!


I simply cannot contemplate going on another "adventure" on a GS LC which is such a shame as I totally loved that bike!
 
Be interesting to find out if BMW have changed to alternator design and or supplier as all of the bikes I have read about with alternator failure seem to be earlier ie 2013/2014 gs wc models
 
Villanjc said:
Well...I'm finally home a week earlier than expected. The bike will be back with me in a couple of weeks.
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Shame you didn't have the extended BMW warranty:

"If BMW Insured Emergency Service cannot repair your vehicle within four hours we will, whenever possible, organise and pay for a replacement for up to two days (or two weeks in Europe, then three days upon your return to the UK)."finish

I am not rubbing it in, but you could have finished your holiday.
 
zoltan said:
Shame you didn't have the extended BMW warranty:

"If BMW Insured Emergency Service cannot repair your vehicle within four hours we will, whenever possible, organise and pay for a replacement for up to two days (or two weeks in Europe, then three days upon your return to the UK)."finish

I am not rubbing it in, but you could have finished your holiday.
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Good point Zoltan! Believe it or not I didn't even know it was available!

Apparently the alternator was changed in 2014 as the 2013 ones were deemed no man enough! So a known issue, hopefully won't effect too many others.
 
Villanjc said:
Good point Zoltan! Believe it or not I didn't even know it was available!

Apparently the alternator was changed in 2014 as the 2013 ones were deemed no man enough! So a known issue, hopefully won't effect too many others.
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If its a known issue you may get a bit of good will from BMW
 
Villanjc said:
Good point Zoltan! Believe it or not I didn't even know it was available!

Apparently the alternator was changed in 2014 as the 2013 ones were deemed no man enough! So a known issue, hopefully won't effect too many others.
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It does bring the topic of "development customers" though into focus. Same with many others makers, cars etc. Early models are nearly always full of problems and teething issues. I have 2 principles ( also after my early model experiences of an 05 reg hex and before that my 01 Fazer 1000, the only vehicles I have ever purchased early into a model cycle- you can read many of my angry colourful vents from 09 backwards):

1. never ever buy something within its first 3 years out of principle ( in model year terms I mean)

2. the last edition of an old model is a better more reliable machine than the new model.

You may agree or disagree, those of us on PCP may perhaps not care, but even the loss of 1 day holiday whilst Bmw warranty sorts you out would be too much.

I fully understand Villanjc and I would be super gutted too. In fact I would be so angry I would have likely vandalised my own bike with a stick - Basil Faulty like....
 
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