Reliability, the statistics.

[JohnnyBoxer]

Bump.
Any other GSers fancy posting your votes? Pulease
45 votes out of 4,246 members I know it`s a boring subject but it`s useful data for those interested. Goowan folks tick your boxes

Perhaps because the which GS is best has been done to death............over the years........
Pick one you like and stick to it or change it when it breaks down

 

[Timolgra]

So about 18% of owners have had problems.

The important question is why some breakdown and others don't. Having been to the factory I doubt quality control to be the real issue.

 

[lkyphl]

2000 mandarin GS, 152,380 kms.
Nothing broken/fallen off, although she has sticky clutch splines again (happened first time at about 100,000kms)
Almost all the kms have been done in 6th gear, very little around-town work (3.2 : 1 rear drive).
The engine is pulling at least as well as ever, if not the strongest it's ever felt.

Pity about the corroded fork brace .....

Phil

 

[Gas'd Off]

which GS is best

I hope I haven`t been misunderstood, this poll is purely about the statistics.
We already know that the "GS is best"

152,380 kms

That`s some milage Phil, over 95K!

The important question is why some breakdown and others don't.

That is what I`m hoping to find out here Timolgra.
Is it down to riding styles and generally excessive abuse or material quality or what, and why? Is 18% higher than average for any type of vehicle?

 

[marcus]

1200GS

1. Gearbox completely failed at 150 miles.
2.3.4.5. Repeated flat battery in cold weather (Winter 2004-2005). Anecdotal evidence suggests I’m not the only one.
6.7.8.9.10 Top box system - Bike manufacturers own brand: I’ve been given a full refund on this as the top box plastic locking mechanism is completely crap, meaning that if you go over a rough surface such as a leaf or a cats eye the top box is prone to fly off.
Luckily nobody was hurt when mine flew off by the I-max cinema. All my shopping was destroyed however.
Also, Give the locks a nasty stare and they will spring out (I lost about 4). Also, the plastic carry handles are prone to snapping If you carry something heavy like a cheese sandwich in the box. Especially in cold weather.
11. Ignition barrel – this suffered some damage through attempted theft and was taken in to be looked at. Gargage gave a clean bill of health, however I suffered numerous electrical gremlins afterwards. Garage competency under question.
12.13. (happened twice) Complete electrical failure
all of a sudden no lights, abs, horn, etc etc. Not amused. Ignition barrel subsequently replaced after I brought the bike back in for the ignition to be looked at AGAIN.
14.15. Front headlamp now on its third bulb. Seems a little odd.
16: ABS failed
17: Speedo / rev counter failed.
18: Servo assist brakes failed (although everything else worked)
19: Neutral indication failure
20: Gear indication failure (so can’t start etc) The gear indicator would bear little resemblance to the gear the bike is in. The sign would flicker 0-3-1-2-3-1-0 etc. whilst stationary in neutral
21: gearbox: Repeatedly falling out of second gear.
After lots of jumping up and down via the showroom I finally got my bike looked at and I believed work has been done to resolve the above, however:
22: gearbox failed 300 miles after being fitted.
3 gearboxes gone then - all my previous bikes never had gearbox trouble

 

[Vern]

My 1100 is the most unreliable bike I have ever owned,it's trashed just about everything that can be trashed,and sometimes,just to be sure,it's trashed the same thing again.How about;
2xgearboxes
2xcamshaft failure(quite spectacular as well)
1x shaft failure
2xstarter motors
2xclutch actuation arms(how the feck they break I'll never know)
1xbevel box
not to mention loads of other annoying things

BUT,it's the best bike I've ever owned,despite being total crap,and it will get buried with me(if I don't bury it first)

 

[Schwarz Baron]

First GS was an 1100: Had me first 1100GS 7 years, 1 leaky seal in the gear
linkage fried the clutch whilst on holiday in Devon. I
didn't blame the bike. But it only stopped me for a few
minutes in the middle of Exmoor. BM assistance sorted
the rest
2nd GS 1150 ADV: 14,oook in 2 years No Probs

3rd GS 1200 ADV: I'll let you know


However, my Dutch mate still has his 15yr old, G/S100PD, with wait for it 250,000 Ks and still going strong. Yes the rear drive let him down once, but he put that down to home servicing and ignoring the manual advise. Lets face it It's been around the world more than twice. Now I don't think there will be too many other makes capable of that....

 

[Gas'd Off]

Sorry! another gentle bump to ask for more votes.
More votes = more acurate result.
A picture is starting to develop, settling at a 5% major failure rate so 1 in 20 then. Not brilliant is it.
Cheers for the feedback from those encountering trouble

 

[Vern]

I never voted,what do you think I should go for.I can't see a "chuck it in a skip option"

 

[Gas'd Off]

I can't see a "chuck it in a skip option"

You`ll ave to ask a moderator Vern, I don`t know how to change a poll

 

[marcus]

Can it be fixed to vote once for each bike owned?

1 failed very early 1200GS

1 lasted until nicked by pikeys at about 40k, 1 electrical failure, that's it. All else wear & tear R850R

 

[Crazy Horse]

The only bike I've had to call the RAC out to (completely stranded) in the last five years was a VFR. Also had such bad corrosion on the mirrors on the VFR that one fell off (one year old). Oh no! - that can't be right can it? I mean, it's only GSs that break down and suffer corrosion isn't it? Tempting fate now but here goes: 25,000 miles on an 1150 and it runs like a dream. One minor fault: ABS light - replaced under warranty and braking not affected anyway (non servo). Steptoe now looks after mine...

 

[Mzokk]

You forgot the loads of crappy irritating little problems that don't amount to show stoppers but generally piss you off option!!

 

[Crazy Horse]

I should also add that mine appears to be the only 1150 without any corrosion on the forks/brace, anywhere. Maybe I'm just lucky - maybe its because I can't see the forks from the riding position.

 

[Gas'd Off]

Boing!

 

[Brian V]

1998 1100 with ABS, had it since new.
Just turned 144,000 (this morning) Apart from oil,filters, pads etc. I've had one rear disc at 14,000, 'cos I forgot to check the pads. New filler neck in the petrol tank at 120,000'ish, new bushes on the front discs, new clutch operating arm also at about 120,000. New fuel filter/fuel pump plate when one of the short steel pipes started to weep where it passes through the plate, that was at about 132,000. New speedo drive gear box, two new batteries.
Most inconvenient and major problem was the bearing in the rear wheel/final drive falling apart in France at 125,000. Replaced the next day by BM dealer
in Clermont Ferrand.
I also had to replace the short cable loom between the ignition switch and the connector under the tank about three years ago.
Can't think of anything else, off hand, at the moment. Except it broke the first clutch cable at 98,000 when the operating arm I mentioned before started to seize.

Cheers Brian V

 

[Gas'd Off]

Thanks for run down Brian, 144k!

 

[Tsiklonaut]

1998 1100 with ABS, had it since new.
Just turned 144,000 (this morning) Apart from oil,filters, pads etc. I've had one rear disc at 14,000, 'cos I forgot to check the pads. New filler neck in the petrol tank at 120,000'ish, new bushes on the front discs, new clutch operating arm also at about 120,000. New fuel filter/fuel pump plate when one of the short steel pipes started to weep where it passes through the plate, that was at about 132,000. New speedo drive gear box, two new batteries.
Most inconvenient and major problem was the bearing in the rear wheel/final drive falling apart in France at 125,000. Replaced the next day by BM dealer
in Clermont Ferrand.
I also had to replace the short cable loom between the ignition switch and the connector under the tank about three years ago.
Can't think of anything else, off hand, at the moment. Except it broke the first clutch cable at 98,000 when the operating arm I mentioned before started to seize.

Cheers Brian V

Good info. 144K miles, it's bloody 230K kilometres! I think it's the proper mileage to change the FD bearing - it's cheap afterall - much cheaper than a chain-set and how many chain sets would you replace with that mileage?

Also it seems to me the most ironed-out GSes in history ('97-'99 models of 1100 - rear frame, gearbox, etc etc revised) are the most bulletproof GSes ones out there in known history of GSes - the 1100s were in production the longest right, since 1993 till 2000. Also the later ironed-out 1150 seem to be good before 1200 came out, but early ones were bit dodgy as it was with 1100s also. Comments?

 

[Vendome 41]

On my 4th GS

No 1 160 000 miles for an R 80 monolever sold it for spares because did not have time or space to do maintnance

No 2 36 000 miles (R80 P/D) and finished under a Merc van ( 2 wrte offs)

No 3 About 70 000 (R1100) bought at 35 000 nothing else than consumables

No 4 Not 40 000 for a 25 year old R 80 monolever only had it 4 month and nothing to report

To G S is the way forward

 

[turbine_2]

To be fair, it's only failed 'big time' twice, both of which were fixed under warrantee (slipping clutch c/o leaking clutch cylinder, and a load of bodges that Park Lane did that I'm still not sure if it was a problem originally or just that bunch of shaven monkeys they call mechanics 'fixing' something) and the only time I've been stuck by the roadside was down to the front brake seizing.

At 48k miles she's doing okay in my opinion although the finish is not that good.