Poor Quality Paint Finish

[snerkler]

Well, I have to say.....................................HE IS RIGHT YA KNOW!!!!

Kind of agree, but not entirely. IF I get these issues I will try and get BMW to fix it, but if they won't I wouldn't exactly kick up a fuss and would do something about it myself, eg something along the lines he suggested.
Where I disagree is that we shouldn't expect it, or see it as being OK. I think for the price of the bikes we should expect a good finish. I'm not bothered about an odd rusty nut or bolt, but flakey paint??? Nope I don't see that as being OK, and is a poor effort. If they say it's to keep costs down, well I'm one person who would rather them put the bike up a couple of hundred quid and have the paintwork as robust as it should be.
However, I don't just think this should be directed soley at BMW, I think all Bike manufacturers are guilty. I have a FZ6 that corroded bad in 3 months

Just my opinion

 

[JJ Jeremy]

Poor quality paint finished parts replaced under warranty

Earlier this year I reported paint work failing on my GS 1200 Nov 2008 with around 20k Miles now 32k. Gear box cover was replaced without a problem but whole engine casing paint work was failing and I am happy to report that after a long period of several months Bahnstormer got the job covered under warranty. Since then and with the winter now upn us the bike is covered in ACF 50 rather than the scotoil product I used to use.

I gave it a good coating with ACF 50 (I literally sprayed everywhere I could (except brakes and discs and seat and handlebars; paintbrush for the spokes and bits I couldn't really get adequate coverage when spraying), then that was about it. I gave it a squirt with water last week as I was going to give it a service... and I had about a 1/4 inch worth of mud covering most bits. All of the silver bits look brown but probably at the end of next month I'll get some muck-off and give it a proper wash before applying the last of the can of acf with a cloth. I wash it more in the summer... maybe once a month. A can only costs what, a tenner or something so I don't use it sparingly.

With that said your 1200 is very different so maybe you can't just spray absolutely everything with all that plastic everywhere... mind you I'd probably just spray it anyway except where I came into contact when riding (i.e. tank, seat etc). Hell even my boots got coating from the gear changer!

 

[JJ Jeremy]

Poor quality paint finished parts replaced under warranty

Earlier this year I reported paint work failing on my GS 1200 Nov 2008 with around 20k Miles now 32k. Gear box cover was replaced without a problem but whole engine casing paint work was failing and I am happy to report that after a long period of several months Bahnstormer got the job covered under warranty. Since then and with the winter now upn us the bike is covered in ACF 50 rather than the scotoil product I used to use.

I gave it a good coating with ACF 50 (I literally sprayed everywhere I could (except brakes and discs and seat and handlebars; paintbrush for the spokes and bits I couldn't really get adequate coverage when spraying), then that was about it. I gave it a squirt with water last week as I was going to give it a service... and I had about a 1/4 inch worth of mud covering most bits. All of the silver bits look brown but probably at the end of next month I'll get some muck-off and give it a proper wash before applying the last of the can of acf with a cloth. I wash it more in the summer... maybe once a month. A can only costs what, a tenner or something so I don't use it sparingly.

With that said your 1200 is very different so maybe you can't just spray absolutely everything with all that plastic everywhere... mind you I'd probably just spray it anyway except where I came into contact when riding (i.e. tank, seat etc). Hell even my boots got coating from the gear changer!

 

[Stahlgewittern]

Salty nuts

My GS 1200 is 16 months old with 20k. Ridden year round but jet washed down regularly, especially after salty outings, and Scott spray used through winter. Paint work on the cylinders is blistering, and an area just in from the break pedal on the main engine casing looks like a layer of lamination is lifting.
My previous Bike a GSA 1200 after one year and 18k had its main frame replaced under warranty due to rusting on one side,plus the main stand being replaced also due to rust. Once again the bike was washed down regularly, and well looked after. Honest Guv! I have to say, that whilst I love these bikes I do think their finishing in my experience anyway really let them down. Am I over expecting and would any bike riden year round through British winters suffer to some degree. I had a Triumph Tiger for 2 years before the GSA and never had a any Paint work issues? I would like to hear from anyone that has had similar experiences. I am getting the issues looked at by the dealership and am confident parts will be replaced under warranty but thats not really the point in my view. maybe I'll just have to buy a Kwaka or Yamaha in the future. I gather they are bullet proof.

I know its a pain but every bike I have owned new or second hand has suffered the above paint problems,Jap, Kraut and Brit have all suffered.
Changing bikes for the sake of peeling paint seems a little extreme and expensive.
Personally I find worrying about my diff blowing up, fuel relay clapping out and fuel gauge telling me lies works very well to take my mind off paint problems.
Another method is to ride very fast so nobody can see your shoddy bodywork.

 

[bod]

I know its a pain but every bike I have owned new or second hand has suffered the above paint problems,Jap, Kraut and Brit have all suffered.
Changing bikes for the sake of peeling paint seems a little extreme and expensive.
Personally I find worrying about my diff blowing up, fuel relay clapping out and fuel gauge telling me lies works very well to take my mind off paint problems.
Another method is to ride very fast so nobody can see your shoddy bodywork.

Totally agree!

Anyone who believes Jap bikes don't rot have clearly not owned & ridden them through a winter!

Salt will corode anything quickly!

 

[Rasher]

Totally agree!

Anyone who believes Jap bikes don't rot have clearly not owned & ridden them through a winter!

Salt will corode anything quickly!

I think it is obvious you cannot rely on manufacturers to provide a solution, odd how consumer pressure got them to up their game with cars, when I was a lad 10 year old cars were rust buckets, these days most 20 year old cars have pretty decent bodywork.

Bikes are seen as playthings and built to a lesser standard, everyone cuts the same corners to some degree, I think my BM is definately better finished than the Kwak (of the same age) it replaced.

Moaning does little unless sales fall, but as other bikes are no better where do you go, the manufacturers know they are all just as shite and therefore safe unless someone ups their game, and who is gonna do that when they are all getting away with shoddy build quality.

Like Sgt Bilco I am a realist and keep my bike clean and apply ACF because I know that is what has to be done, if it still rots I will be having strong words with the dealer, I don't like having to be so careful and would love for standards to improve, hence i don't mind moaning, but think it is probably a waste of breath, one thing you can be sure of is that if nobody moaned things would soon get much worse!

 

[Oldrat]

With thousands of trouble free miles on my very shiney 2003 ST1300 under my belt I wonder what my new GSA will look like in time. The pan just needed a hose and a wipe down, the GSA is much more if a challenge. I think I'll need to buy a pressure washer, just to satisfy the warranty claims dept.

The Pan was by far my most reliable bike so far, and least corroded. Honda finishes will take some beating, just compare a new VFR 1200 tank with a new BMW, the BM is particularly poor.

Fingers crossed, the GSA is just soooo appealing, lets hope the owner experience doesn't let it down.

 

[bod]

I think it is obvious you cannot rely on manufacturers to provide a solution, odd how consumer pressure got them to up their game with cars, when I was a lad 10 year old cars were rust buckets, these days most 20 year old cars have pretty decent bodywork.

Bikes are seen as playthings and built to a lesser standard, everyone cuts the same corners to some degree, I think my BM is definately better finished than the Kwak (of the same age) it replaced.

Moaning does little unless sales fall, but as other bikes are no better where do you go, the manufacturers know they are all just as shite and therefore safe unless someone ups their game, and who is gonna do that when they are all getting away with shoddy build quality.

Like Sgt Bilco I am a realist and keep my bike clean and apply ACF because I know that is what has to be done, if it still rots I will be having strong words with the dealer, I don't like having to be so careful and would love for standards to improve, hence i don't mind moaning, but think it is probably a waste of breath, one thing you can be sure of is that if nobody moaned things would soon get much worse!

It's a good point - cars have upped their game! I remember sharpening my penknife on the road through the hole in the floor of the old mans Maxi.
5 year old cars allways needed welding to pass the MOT, they were dangerous and needed improving.
Not the case with bikes though is it? The odd blemish here, bit of paint rubbed off there, but you never see a bike that is rotten!
And, as has been said on here so many times . . . If you look behind the paintwork of modern cars, they are still rusty.

I still think £50 worth of stainless bolts & fastners would enhance the looks of a bike, and should be fitted as standard.

 

[greenlaning]

i'm on my 2nd gsa1200 the 1st 1 corrorded away before my eyes. i confronted the isues with my supplying dealer who informed me they corrode due to the metal they are made from, b....... i m a engineer thats like red rag to a bull. off to a new dealer same question and £4000 worth of repairs carried out. new bike 08 now has rear main oil seal leaking which bmw are paying in full as goodwill, is this being sorted due to a great dealer or pot luck