Tank unit corrosion

[Cone Bolt]

Just taken my tank side panels off to run loom in for additional aux socket and found corrosion on mtg ring for tank unit. Warranty issue or are they gonna say I should have cleaned/protected it better? Bike is only 6 weeks old.

 

[Jimb]

That looks like salt corrosion, I would say normal wear & tear, salt will do that overnight.

Good luck to you.

 

[Cone Bolt]

That looks like salt corrosion, I would say normal wear & tear, salt will do that overnight.

Good luck to you.

I think you are probably right but will see what dealer says if it is wear/tear, maybe it needs refering back to BMW as the side panels act like scoops for all the crud.

 

[John Armstrong]

That looks like salt corrosion, I would say normal wear & tear, salt will do that overnight.

Good luck to you.

Surely we shouldn't expect any bike or its components to fall to bits if there's some salt on the ground / in the air? Bl00dy warranty claim for sure IMHO. Also makes the idea of using one of the protective sprays a rather good idea. On the same thread I wonder what state the Adv's are that crossed the South American (Peru / Bolivia?) salt lake?

Of course the previous incarnations of GS's don't have this problem But it does seem to inflict some rather more than others within the same model range.

 

[Cone Bolt]

In view of the corrosion found on the tank unit ring, while the bike was stripped down I thought I'd take a closer look. The corrosion seems to be set in on various parts of the bike:
1. Front engine casing around the bolt holes, paint bubbling up
2. Fins on fuel pump unit, powdery corrosion due untreated alloy
3. Gear change shaft casing boss, paint bubbling up
4. Outer casing of silencer, rust pitting, will probably come off with Autosol, but might mean removal of silencer for full access.

Strangely the areas of untreated alloy on lower engine casings seem to be unaffected, could the bubbling paint be an issue of application or are BMW using a less robust paint finish. It is almost as if the casings were painted then drilled thus breaking the bond of paint and allowing corrosion to start. A colleague at work has the same issues on a F650GS. Warranty issue or wear and tear? :dunno: The bike is only 6 weeks old. Anyone any thoughts.

 

[Cone Bolt]

Had a call from dealer this morning and BMW have decided to replace the cylinder heads, rocker covers and front engine case, the tank ring will be cleaned up and monitored. So pretty satisfactory result I think. To save further grief I think I will try the wax treatment mentioned here