R1200GS - Living With a Ticking Timebomb

[Deleted account 211025001]

Well, as I have nothing constructive to add to what must be one of the most oft repeated thread subjects I will instead use it as an excuse to post up one of my favourite songs.......................

<iframe width="640" height="480" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/foF5j4jMTI8" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Andres

 

[Bendy toy]

I dont know why threads like this one generate so much partisan heat. We get posters defending their choice of bike with the same sort of blind aggression they would use if someone had said to them " your wife's ugly". What's needed is a bit more thought and balance.

Reliability is a statistical issue. In this day and age, even Italian bikes dont go wrong other than rarely. Most bikes are reliable just like most cars are. The OP has got the issue of BMW reliability totally out of proportion as I tried to say in my first post. I've had three 1200gs and I wouldnt have even had a second one if they were totally unreliable. They arent. And they are a damn good bike to ride which in the end is more important anyway.

But they do have some issues, and all the chat I have had with multi bike dealers tells me that BMW have more issues than the Jap manufacturers. Not that the Japs are problem free or that the BMWs are crap. Just that BMW has more issues than say Honda. And the same thing applies to BMW cars by the way.

The OP said -
Here is a list of components I have had to replace since July 2007.

Battery x 2 (June 2008 and July 2011)
Seal behind alternator belt cover (October 2012)
Fuel pump controller (November 2012)

Which does suggest he's pretty pleased with his bike's reliability.

 

[snaponphil]

I bought a R1200GS SE in 2009 and did 64,500 miles with very little trouble. Spent lots on tyres a set of brake discs and servicing, but largely I just rode it. It was not as shiney when i finished with it as when I started, but then i was not kind to it. Soooo..... two weeks ago i bought a replacement (below). I hope it will be even nearly as good as the last one.

If you have an opinion, I am not sure how interested I am in hearing it.

I just like riding my BIKE!!! the rest is for tossers.

View attachment 242537

Wow, great milage & like previous posting most sports bikes will never see that much use. (if any)
In effect yours has done 10 times as much work so hard to compare like for like with other manufacturers.

 

[Bendy toy]

I do like that colour scheme so much brighter than my dreary dull black and magnesium GSA.

 

[DavidHale]

If I was setting off on a RTW tomorrow, a GS would be almost top of my list.....

Gowon then, I'll bite. What would be the top of your list, presuming it has two wheels?

 

[Steptoe]

Gowon then, I'll bite. What would be the top of your list, presuming it has two wheels?

I know what Bill will say = Honda C90 - Honestly.

And he's just about on the money.

 

[gerarddwatts]

Here at our biker hotel we get far more GS models than any other bike, in the five years we have been running we must have had thousands of the things through. If they were as unreliable as some on here suggest then we should have seen several breakdowns. But no, not a single one, a couple of issues with Sat Nav wiring but not one mechanical failure. Other bikes have broken down, several have gone home on recovery trucks (including a couple of other BMW models) Not a scientific survey I know but it does point to the beasts being generally reliable. There are always be exceptions just as those who believe in say Honda reliability will say the handful of Hondas that broke down here were exceptions too.

John

Five years thought you knew what you were doing.....hope my sparkly new (to me) GS makes it to you next year....looking forward to it already.... So far I'm loving it.

 

[drinkingparrot]

I'm on my 3rd, I bought my first in 2004 and sold it last year, I did 28,000 miles on it,not what you'd call high milage in the time I owned it, But allmost allways on long trips, never used it for work or nipping to the shops. I probably bought about 4 or 5 sets of tyres and a couple of sets of brake pads, it blew one headlight bulb and that's about it. I never changed a fuel controller, had no trouble with the brake servos. I used to wonder what all the fuss was about, and still do. The only thing that was ever replaced was the front engine cover twice due to the corrosion that spread from under the alternator belt cover caused by the lump of rubber that was under there to dampen engine noise, both occasions at BMW's expense under the warrentee. A fantastic machine that looked as good when I sold it as the day I bought it, and for the last 3 or 4 years I did all my own servicing. My only criticism not particularly of the model, but the BMW mark in general is I think the build quality is not as good as it was, and with every new model seems to be getting worse, and I wonder if a lot of it is to do with what is and isn't allowed anymore in manufacturing processes, like the use of water based paints.

Let the knockers keep knocking, I know how good they are

 

[Bendy toy]

I do wonder why powder coat isn't used more often by the factories. It's low cost and low emission (no solvents) so no need for the less than brilliant water based paints they use.

It's used a lot by JCB for secondary components and it's not like their products have an easy life.

 

[mark2jag]

Spot on Bill There are 1000's of GS's out there doing all sorts of trips from the sunday bimble to RTW and most just get on with it. With the amount on the road any small issue will seem to be magnified. Using the cross dresser as a comparison is bollox because they have only sold about a dozen and most of those only go to Tesco as long as it's not raining

Not quite. I bought my Crossdresser(sorry got to stop fucking calling it a Crossdresser)On Friday. Today (Wednesday) its got 1560 miles on it, its absolutely filthy,and is going to get ridden no matter what the hell the weather is doing,with the one slight exception of snow, which will see me either walking or taking the car. Err that's it really, carry on chaps........

 

[Mr K]

Been loving my timebomb for 9 years