Please reply if you have had corroded parts replaced under warranty

[GS_Chris-08]

In tomorrow

08 GS in tomorrow for replacement of front engine cover and both cyliner head covers. Already had the front shock replaced as the spring was rubbing against the damper unit housing.

Still love the bike though

 

[Kremmen]

08 GS in tomorrow for replacement of front engine cover and both cyliner head covers. Already had the front shock replaced as the spring was rubbing against the damper unit housing.

Still love the bike though

If you think that corrosion is bad on a BM .... you should have seen what my 2 year old MG 1200 sport was like.

And as for the warrant claims in that period it beggars belief..

Dash assembly replace due to MG forgetting to fit the bikes with MPH/Kph display
Dash/ speedo display replaced twice due to water ingress
Rear wheel replaced due to being porous
D
Front wheel replaced due to paint flaking off
Rear lamp replaced once for water ingress & the second time for LED failure.
Clutch reservoir replaced as leaking
Clutch push rod seal leaking (dumped G/Box oil over back wheel)
Engine stripped at 2500ml due to burning oil... re rung it even though it has nikasil bores
Engine replaced at 3500 mls as no improvement

Lost the will to live & got shot.

 

[NorthernBoy]

I wonder if there were people in Fiat owners clubs in the 80s telling the despairing among them that they should not expect the chassis to still be intact after their first british winter, and if there were old Lotus groups where the sanctimonious among them took anyone to task who expected their car to start in the winter months.

Some companies, at various times, have truly dropped the ball in terms of quality control in some areas. BMW seem to have done this on bits and pieces of these newer GSs, yet we still have people effectively telling us that when we find we've been served a shit sandwich, we should just grin and keep on eating it.

I side with the people who think that we can demand better, and, thankfully, even BMW seem to agree and to back down if you are persistent enough. It's disappointing that they sometimes make people fight so hard, though, to get what they should be offered up front.

 

[MartinL]

You can't blame them for asking the question, just answer it honestly and all should be as it should be.

Which is of course " I cleaned it religiously with BMW approved products as set out in the owners manual"

 

[JJ Jeremy]

I have on a April 2007 GSA since sold in jan 09. At one year old in 2008 after 20,000 mls and regular cleaning through winter, A frame replaced, as rusted up on left had side of frame, and small cross bar at top of battery. main stand also replaced. RHS of frame was fine!!?? Now got a jan 09 GS 1200 and Frame seems fine, but centre stand is going the same way. I had a Triumph Tiger 05 to 07 ridden year round and only some inexpensive chrome / wire fittings developed rust but none of the paint work. JJ

 

[Kremmen]

As i work in the motor trade to see the lowering of quality delivered is worrying to say the least.... and it doesn't matter if it's a Ford or Porsche

If a manufacture can save a dime producing the vehicle they will... i and is an example, several years ago VW decided to stop printing the outline of a cigarette & the smoke on the fag lighter... in the first year it saved them over 10.000Euros, so by reducing the thickness of plating of paint finish, using a cadmium plated bolt rather than stainless saves them 100,000 Euros...Of course the customer sees no saving does he

 

[NeverRodeBefore]

05 plate R1200GS, went in in 07 (about 23 months old ) for a new front engine cover.

Sold shortly after so don't know how everything else faired

 

[patboy]

Had my engine cover replaced due to corrosion on my 05 1200 GS, under goodwill gesture, but had to pay for the labour.

 

[Demongroover]

I had final drive unit replaced under warranty incl all internals.

Front timing cover and the other dozen or so parts I've had powder coated myself (out of warranty).

 

[FatBob]

Hey Fatbob..


that is great news about your bike, I am delighted for you

would you mind passing on the name of the dealer (even through PM )you went to cause if BMW have done it for one bike, it sets a precedent..


and maybe over here in Ireland we can use that to get our bikes done

cause we are getting nowhere...

It will probably surprise those who have heard of them that the dealer who got the warranty claim through is Cannon in Braintree. Generally they don't seem to have the best reputation for servicing but in this case they came through for me. But perhaps I should reserve final judgment until I get the finished bike back and see if anything falls off...

 

[noelirwin]

May 07 GS1200. Front plate bubbled up seriously with corrosion seemingly overnight, the month after the warranty ran out.

Contacted Belfast motorrad last week and they are replacing it out of warranty but I have to pay labour bill of £110.

All else is good and I use Muc Off on occasion. The Muc Off definitely discoloured the lacquer on the alloy of my Honda blackbird over time, so I use with caution and rinse VERY well, but can't get the bikes so clean without it. Last 2 litres to go and I'll go for something less nasty.

 

[FatBob]

All else is good and I use Muc Off on occasion. The Muc Off definitely discoloured the lacquer on the alloy of my Honda blackbird over time, so I use with caution and rinse VERY well, but can't get the bikes so clean without it. Last 2 litres to go and I'll go for something less nasty.

BMW have refused warranty claim before when people have used MucOff. Apparently someone did an experiement where they left an open container of MucOff in a garage next to, not on, a bike. Over time the side of the bike facing the can of MucOff corroded. Allegedly.

Anyway i use Sdoc100 from hein gerricke or online. Expensive at about £10/litre but great cleaner and BMW didn't make any comment about it when I made the warranty claim so I assume they are happy with it.

 

[Rodeo Ron]

It took 4 years for my front plate to show visible corrosion and 3 years with my sons GS. My solution was to buy a new plate which the dealer fitted foc. Hence I could keep the corroded one which I have had anodised and is now ready to be appropriately painted before fitting to his bike. Then his old plate will be anodised and etc.
Maybe I should start an exchange service.

Apparently, the quality of the alloy determines the rate the corrosion spreads, so the front plate could be made of really low quality stuff.

Until BMW suffer from high profile ( i.e. elsewhere - not here ) and sustained bad publicity on the corrosion issue I guess they will do nothing other than what they do now.

It's a blight on an otherwise cracking bike.

 

[Buttso]

rusty frame..

had my 08 GSA done by BMW, full frame replacement

front covers as well.. the bike was a disgrace ,corrosion everywhere.

Even when I removed the rear panels, it had got in all over the place

the bolts in the U clamps for the luggage rack had seized, and had to be drilled out

the long bolts holding the top cover (under the rear seat) had rusted to the

degree that they snapped off inside the frame when BMW tried to remove them.

but now its nice and shiny again

 

[andyshooter]

Interesting. If they've found a substance then they should know if it's acid or alkaline. Ask them which it is and if they don't know tell them they're talking shite. Is the wheel the most expensive part?

Could I just ask do you have a front fenda extenda fitted?

 

[jpooch00]

Picked up my brand new GSA from the dealer only to find small patch of rust on engine bar already evident before it left the fekkin showroom! This must be a new world record? My concern is firstly the QA standards being operated in the factory, secondly the standard of paint finish being used by the robots, but for me what this small patch of corrosion will look like in 2 years time after the rain and salt has had a go. Thankfully the dealer endorsed my invoice to that effect so I can claim a new bar under warranty at some point. I must admit to suffering a sense of humour failure at the time with the salesman, but I have now calmed down a bit. What made this worse was the fact that this bike was a replacement for a GS which pissed oil out of the engine at 300 miles! and had a slow puncture which nobody could fix and was put down to a faulty wheel cast.
Still love the bike though. Heaven only knows why.:

This reminds me of stories about the Chevy Vega from back in the '70's. They were literally rusting out on the showroom floors of dealerships in the southern states and on the coasts.

 

[K5elg]

Major Corrosion

Hi,
In reply to your question about corrosion... My 2007 adv started corroding when it was six months old. It was brought to the dealers attention and they got the bike in to check the extent. They came up with a list similar to mine and is as follows;
Both wheels..One Front fork tube..Both Front discs...Engine cover...Final drive unit..Rear section of frame...Luggage carriers..

I told them I wanted to reject the bike and requested a replacement as it was so new. They put that to BMW and a rep was sent to check the bike.

The end result was that everything was changed without any fuss. My fear is that the corrosion was not from any outside fault and that it was a manufacturing issue. That would mean the new parts would go the same way. (Which they have just started to) Even BMW's extended warranty does not cover corrosion.

I love the bike and feel let down by BMW as a company with regard build quality control. In the car industry Fiat got a bad name for corrosion and it took years to shake that. The Gs is a winning formula, pity it was'nt finished as it should have been.

Am going on a test on the new Ducati Multistrada sometime in March and will see how it fairs against the GS?

 

[jpooch00]

Hi,
In reply to your question about corrosion... My 2007 adv started corroding when it was six months old. It was brought to the dealers attention and they got the bike in to check the extent. They came up with a list similar to mine and is as follows;
Both wheels..One Front fork tube..Both Front discs...Engine cover...Final drive unit..Rear section of frame...Luggage carriers..

I told them I wanted to reject the bike and requested a replacement as it was so new. They put that to BMW and a rep was sent to check the bike.

The end result was that everything was changed without any fuss. My fear is that the corrosion was not from any outside fault and that it was a manufacturing issue. That would mean the new parts would go the same way. (Which they have just started to) Even BMW's extended warranty does not cover corrosion.

I love the bike and feel let down by BMW as a company with regard build quality control. In the car industry Fiat got a bad name for corrosion and it took years to shake that. The Gs is a winning formula, pity it was'nt finished as it should have been.

Am going on a test on the new Ducati Multistrada sometime in March and will see how it fairs against the GS?

Do they not have powdercoating technology in The Fatherland?

Or, if that's too advanced for them, how about high grade urethane paint applied to properly prepped surfaces. Surely they could manage that.

Seems like a pretty simple fix to me.

 

[Wrinkly]

Apart from other bikes, I've owned around 15/16 BMW's since the early 80's.
It is my opinion based on this ownership and the way which i ride my bikes,that leads me to believe that the finish and longevity has gradually improved over the years.
I had an R80rt and a k75s both from new both which looked fairly shabby after 2 yrs.
At the other end i had an R1100s that after 5yrs looked as though it had just come out off the showroom.
Last year i sold a 55 1150gsa which had some minor corrosion after 26k and certainly more than a friends 05 1200gs with 38k.
In the 80's I also had a Triumph sprint and then a Daytona both of which i sold because of continuous corrosion problems.
The design of the GS makes for a very exposed bike and much of it has little or no protection,it would appear that most of the problems are around these exposed area's,but at least in the majority of cases BMW and the dealers seem to be prepared to try to rectify any problems.
I believe also that over the last decade our expectations have risen above what manufacturers can produce.
At the end of the day motorcycles are still consumables.
Just to add, 59reg 1200gs 2700mls ridden through most of the winter,still looks like new.

Steve

 

[RATCATCHER]

CORROSION

I HAVE HAD A NEW WHEEL ON THE REAR (1200 GS 09) ALSO GOING IN TO BE REPAINTED ON REAR DRIVE/ GEARBOX/ETC. ENGINE NEEDS TO BE SPLIT TO DO THIS THEY WANT BIKE FOR A WEEK I DONT KNOW WHAT THE RESULT OF RE PAINTING WILL BE WILL HAVE TO WAIT N SEE.: