Rusty GSA !

[Bob]

Copy of an email to BMW earlier this week, have any one else found similar? Any thoughts.....


Good morning,

In September 2008 I purchased a R1200 GSA from Ocean BMW in Plymouth. WG58XYT

This was my first ever bike and I have been delighted with both the bike and the service from your dealer.

The bike has been used purely on tarmac and has been garaged throughout. It has been washed regularly and has been treated like our Z4 that we also bought from Ocean. I was therefore shocked that when I came to look to part exchanging the GS Adventure against a K1300S that the corrosion on the bike was rated so bad that the cost to put it right would be between £2000 and £2500.

With a bike that has done just 11,000 miles is less than 3 years old, never been off road, garaged every night I am staggered that the corrosion (Not stone chip damage) should be so bad. The Z4 (4 years old) has never been garaged, done 3 times the miles and lived outside (The bike has the garage space), infrequently washed and has not one spec of rust!

My expectations of a BMW product were so much higher than this!

 

[Magwa]

bikes been ASALTED !

SALT is a killer for any motorcycle finish, many people wash there bikes ( and cars)with washing up liquid/ water


The main baulking agent that makes it 'sqeaky' clean is SALT
Here lies the answer...

Plain warm water/ dry it afterwards
ACF50 or WD40 afterwards
Back to black silicon spray liberally applied works too
my bike is 9yrs old and not a spec or rust anywhere ( as I take my own advice)

You can use a car wash / wax product but even these contains SALT ( lesser degree)

bit late to find that out by the sound of it.

To add insult to injury SALT on roads in winter is supplemented with PIG Urea ( piss to you and me!) when the temps get well below ZERO
This with salt is highly corrosive to cars/bikes.....

This is why EU countries rarely ( if ever) SALT roads but insist drivers have winter and summer tyres for there vehicles

no help to you now I know but a idea to future care of cars/bikes

I bet the underneath of the Z4 has rusty nuts and bolts everywhere as well but they just don't show ( till you try and undo them and they snap/ shear!)
Time for clean and WAXOIL for the Z4!

dooh


Beware

 

[Robbo1200ADV]

Get Some pictures up lets have a look!!

 

[Yonkyo]

Yes, show us your rust.

I have a 2009 GSA with 20,000 miles on it, used all year round and rarely washed.

Not a spot of corrosion anywhere.

Strange why some do and some don't

 

[Bob]

ok, nnow how do I transfer pic's up ?

 

[Bob]

 

[Bob]

ok that didn't work then!

 

[cookie]

ok that didn't work then!

to use the button you have to host the pics on the web somewhere.

try the Manage Attachments button near the bottom of the page.

 

[ianran]

I know this is no good to you now but to others reading this, if its rusting take it to a dealer. BMW fix them, just had entire rear sub frame and back wheel replaced. (Dealer thought I was taking the piss when I asked if the new wheel came with a tyre) It was very minor corrossiont high level of care IMHO. TO put in context, my 1150gs was written off because of a damaged sub frame!

 

[Hax]

ok, nnow how do I transfer pic's up ?

I dont know

that didn't work!

ok that didn't work then!

thats what l said!

shows yer pics then

 

[zoltan]

If the corrosion is so bad , how come you didn't notice.