Slop in drive train

  • Thread starter Thread starter IanC
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4 out of 1300 faulty in UK (last Tues)

After having a few words with my dealer today, basically saying that apart from a likely 3 weeks off the road, I was not impressed with being kept in the dark - i.e. a lack of feedback about what exactly was happening with the final drives.

They seemed to think it was due to incorrect shimming of the gears, although they were not entirely sure, but they did tell me that they had had only 4 failures out of 1300 UK bikes. I did point out that not many had done many miles so far, but as it seems to be more of a manufacturing/quality issue than a durability problem, then perhaps things aren't so bad after all.

They did also say that the final drive was the exact same part on the new K1200S, so I guess they must be pretty sure it's OK. They also said that my replacement unit was coming "staright off the production line" - perhaps the latest one's have been slightly modified, or at least better quality control?

Oh, and apparently dealers have had an email asking dealers to check all drives. I didn't get the impression this was deemed "urgent", maybe just when in for a service.

I feel a lot happier now I have had some info and reassurrance about what's going on. Sometimes trying to get information, it seems like you're dealing with the North Korean government or something, like they're in denial of anything possibly going wrong!:)
 
Re: 4 out of 1300 faulty in UK (last Tues)

IanC said:


They did also say that the final drive was the exact same part on the new K1200S, so I guess they must be pretty sure it's OK......................

More dealer disinformation..............how can it be the exact same part..........?

The K1200S has the swingarm on the left and the final drive housing is a completely different shape, including longer 'fins' on the outer casing......extra stiffening perhaps......?

My 'old' GS arrives back at the dealer, from Norway later today, and they have been instructed to remove the whole swingarm and return to BMW GB, and fit an entire new swingarm/final drive assembly.....I doubt if we'll ever get to hear what went wrong....

Meanwhile, true to their word, BMW gave me a brand new bike, because I rejected the failed one, delivered to my door on Wednesday....

Interestingly, only 959 digits separate the two VIN numbers.....so I guess I'll have fingers crossed until I've exceeded the 3000 miles the 'old' one had covered when the final drive collapsed.....
 
Oh dear. Just when I was starting to have a little more confidence in the dealer/manufacturer!
 
No, CW at Dorchester - who I have noticed often seem to be voted "Dealer of The Year" or runner-up, in RIDE mag.
 
Re: Re: 4 out of 1300 faulty in UK (last Tues)

Dutchman said:
More dealer disinformation..............how can it be the exact same part..........?

The K1200S has the swingarm on the left and the final drive housing is a completely different shape, including longer 'fins' on the outer casing......extra stiffening perhaps......?

My 'old' GS arrives back at the dealer, from Norway later today, and they have been instructed to remove the whole swingarm and return to BMW GB, and fit an entire new swingarm/final drive assembly.....I doubt if we'll ever get to hear what went wrong....

Meanwhile, true to their word, BMW gave me a brand new bike, because I rejected the failed one, delivered to my door on Wednesday....

Interestingly, only 959 digits separate the two VIN numbers.....so I guess I'll have fingers crossed until I've exceeded the 3000 miles the 'old' one had covered when the final drive collapsed.....

As much as you... hate me, I need to comment on your post.

My thoughts exactly on the swingarm between S and GS... BMW gives different part numbers even for 99% same things (maybe little updated or whatever), so I would never expect for a swingarm: black, on the opposite side, different shaped strengthening "vains" etc. to be same part. Dealer BS here.

I hope I could ever see such kind of service for ANY product... tottaly replaced and on my doorstep? Nice.

~1000 bikes "later" is not a small number when we talk about such an expensive built-to-order product. A 1200GS will never sell like a 316 or a 520 or a Seat... so 1000, 2000 and so on, are not small numbers. Esp. since the new bike came to replace something SPECIFIC and SERIOUS that faulted on the original, I expect they DID send you an (ok maybe early) version 1.1 bike. So I would be ok with this.
 
IanC said:
Oh dear. Just when I was starting to have a little more confidence in the dealer/manufacturer!

The rumor on Advrider was that 1300 have been sold in the UK and that 3 or 4 (I forget) have had a final drive problem. A higher % than any of us would like to see, but not really too awful.
 
Emoto, I think that was posted by me on ADV, so same source (may or may not be correct then)
 
Got it back

Picked it up with replaced final drive on Saturday (after 3 weeks!). To be fair, CW fitted it pretty quick, arrived Thurs/Fri. The problem was not bearings or bevel gears, but wear in the splines (the female part, which the disc mounts to), due apparently to bad tempering (you're telling me!). So new final drive, disc rotor thing (i.e. bit with splines that disc bolts to, which they showed me), and also disc and caliper and a few sundries. I did manage to see their internal/BMW invoice, which I think was £714.

HOWEVER, my original problem of slop is still there!! Obviously the final drive had created some play in the wheel (which I hadn't even noticed), which is why BMW wanted to replace it. But now they're talking about putting in a new gearbox, "in September", to see if this makes a difference. At least they should only need the bike for a day (they said it's 6 hours' work).

Not sure if it's time to give them the bike back - it seems that most of it will have been rebuilt shortly - can't be right for a new bike. CW did give me a tank bag, and 6000-mile service (exc. oil + filter!) FOC, which I suppose is better than nothing, but hardly as good as a trouble-free bike! Still, nice to have it back.
 
I'm glad to see that CW are trying to make ammends. I am planning to buy my GS from them and this news has backed up all the other good things I've heard about them. Its not their fault the bike breaks but at least they do their level best to get it sorted and keep the rider pacified.
 
ah all becomes clear

It was a bad tempered female part.

Say no more, got one of those at home ever since I picked the bike up in June and keep disappearing off to ride it at weekends!!!!!!!!
 


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