Rad guard and warranty

[Fat Biker 66]

Dropped various bits to bling up the my GS I am getting next week. Dealer is fitting them free whilst I am away. upper and lower Bars, engine covers , fender extender, camel toe mudguard etc. Weird bit is they refused to do the radiator guard even when i offered to pay.

Ask why and he said it would make them liable if it overheats and BMW wont then pay out for damage on under warranty. Legal friend reckons their liability is limited/ almost negligible as they are doing on my behalf /request so that is not strictly true. The risk and consequences are mine as I am aware and have chosen to proceed.

Apparently, BMW have said if bike has radiator guard fitted it invalidates warranty should engine overheat and or get damaged. When I bring it in I should take it off (mechanic in dealership said that bit). Personally never heard such BS in my life.

Having lived & worked in Munich for a while, I speak bit of German and rang the BMW mother ship. Guy on the phone (Alistair) happened to be from Glasgow but he confirmed the same. All to do with restricting air flow & if something then goes wrong its my fault. He said its why they don't make them themselves.

I am fitting one anyhow and not going to worry. This is my first BMW and never heard such crap with my Honda or Suzuki.

Is this sort of thing common with the dealers?

Ride safe!
Mike
PS. Waiting for the new bike is doing my head in so too much time on my hands

 

[Fat Biker 66]

Excuse the typos bloody annoyed when posted

 

[Joe narvey]

Perhaps the new bike has low tolerances on heating and they are sensitive and cautious, etc

 

[JohnnyBoxer]

Don't fret

You and BMW mothership will get along just dandy

 

[Deleted account 190920001]

Yep bmw says don't do it so the dealer won't do it. It's all well and good your friend saying their liability is limited but why take the risk. You could be some raging idiot that takes them to court if it goes wrong denying they ever told you it could go wrong.
It's a sad world but it is the one we have right now. Neither bmw nor his insurance would indemnify him for doing the work.

 

[Nutty]

My dealer fitted mine to my new bike a few weeks ago, so they obviously aren't worried. I've never heard of own with rad guards overheating, even in hot countries.

 

[WindyChuffer]

The bike has a temperature guage. Use it. Simple.

 

[dave hendy]

I've been using r&g rad guards for over 3 years without any problems in temperatures in the mid thirties and in traffic, I think it's BS!


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[Goldfinger]

The engine is more likely to overheat if a stone goes through the radiator.

I fitted guards to mine and it hasn't made a jot of difference to the temperature gauge.

BMW should have fitted them as standard in my opinion.

 

[malcopopolo]

out of interest how many radiators have actually been damaged with out having protection fitted? I cannot recall one incident on this site, but i stand to be corrected.

 

[DRAIN MAN]

Mine have been on for 68,000 miles now, been down to Senegal and hit 48 degrees on the way down, no trouble with any overheating.
Water temp was running at a steady 95 with the fan running but never gave any problems

 

[Fat Biker 66]

Thanks everyone. I am just going to keep riding and ignore the mothership

 

[Stevie4scoops]

There have been several on S1000R & XR. They are very vulnerable

out of interest how many radiators have actually been damaged with out having protection fitted? I cannot recall one incident on this site, but i stand to be corrected.

 

[Glen]

With guards or without guards I find there's no difference in temperature. Although if my dealer suggested BMW wont then pay out for damage under warranty, I would for sure remove them before a service.

 

[Engineer]

I raised this airflow thing ages ago and got slagged off for it - anything placed in front of the radiator will change the airflow and therefore the calculations BMW did during the design will now be invalid, simples - so naturally they are going to say don't fit them as they cant predict that effect your particular choice of rad guard will have - so why should they still warrant the bike?

If you fit them you take responsibility for any problems - that seems fair play to me.

 

[Goldfinger]

If the temperature remains exactly the same with or without rad guards it can't be having much affect on the airflow can it?

 

[Glen]

I raised this airflow thing ages ago and got slagged off for it - anything placed in front of the radiator will change the airflow and therefore the calculations BMW did during the design will now be invalid, simples - so naturally they are going to say don't fit them as they cant predict that effect your particular choice of rad guard will have - so why should they still warrant the bike?

If you fit them you take responsibility for any problems - that seems fair play to me.

I've no doubt some radiator guards may indeed have an affect on the airflow,
but surely if the temperature remains the same in all riding conditions would it not be prudent to have the protection particularly when riding offroad behind another bike.

 

[telbenj]

out of interest how many radiators have actually been damaged with out having protection fitted? I cannot recall one incident on this site, but i stand to be corrected.

I've had a 2013 GS done 12000 miles no rads guards no damage, a 2014 same but 10,000 then picked up my 2016 GSA and the first weekend got a bloody great ding in the R H rad from a stone or something it didn't put a hole in it but fitted rad guards on the Monday.

Terry

 

[MondoRich]

Motorrad Central sell and fit Touratech radiator guards - I bought mine elsewhere as their technician said they're laser cut and sharp on their hands.

 

[mrtee43]

If the temperature remains exactly the same with or without rad guards it can't be having much affect on the airflow can it?

I agree. I've had Rugged Roads rad protectors on mine for the last 18000 miles or so, been through lots of different climates in Europe and never had an over heating problem.
The Nav 5 statistics back this up as would the ECU if interrogated.

It's a shame BMW didn't sort out the other heating problem, the early heated grips for which they said there was no problem and no solution, the lying bastards !