Up in Smoke - engine sounds like a box of spanners!

[iaindoha]

If I dig hard enough there is probably information on my problem in here but the last couple of hours haven't been my best so to be honest I want to just pitch straight in and ask for some guidance.

On the way home from work .. mid overtake on a B road at about 70 (not thrashing it at all) and the bike suddenly felt as if it was powered by a big box of loose spanners. Lovely plumes of grey smoke out the back and rolled to a rattling standstill. Unsafe location with cars passing at 70mph and getting dark. Couldn't raise a signal on the mobile. Restarted and limped about a mile to a pub. Rear of bike was coated in a layer of wet oil and looks like none left in it.

The bike is now in a shed behind a pub 10 miles from my house. At least I was able to have a Guinness while I wated for my wife to come.

Bike was serviced 2 weeks ago by main dealer. I checked the oil on Sunday and it was spot on.

Running fine this morning and right up to the problem.

2007 model R1200GS with about 7,000 miles on it. No warranty.

Need to recover the bike tomorrow (somehow) and figure out where to take it for repair (Northern Ireland) in between showing up for work.

Any idea what the problem is likely to be, what bills am I'm facing? Felt and sounded very very bad and emtying itself of oil is pretty scary so I'm braced for bad news.

 

[Pukmeister]

Probably a dropped exhaust valve in the RH cylinder ???

Happened to a mates 2005 bike the day he agreed to part-ex it.

 

[Timolgra]

Yet another 1200 with a dropped valve?

 

[iaindoha]

Wow - that's two quick responses - thanks!

So this dropped valve business. Would that be bad, very bad or very very bad?

 

[Timolgra]

Middle to latter

 

[ghiribizzo]

Very very bad sadly. New barrel/rings/piston and head repair or more probably, replacement.
Plus a major general clean-up of the oilways.

 

[kentgal]

might be worth you checking out ebay item number 290452037457

 

[Toad]

I'd be straight on the blower to the dealer.

Just serviced, and only 7K on the clock.....

I'd want a fecking big contribution to any costs.....

 

[iaindoha]

Bad enough then. Any views on what causes this? Pretty concerning for an engine to just give up so dramatically.

Can't say I'm looking forward to shelling out for a major repair on a bike with such low mileage. 7,000 miles (I've had it from new) is just well run-in, hardly time to expect something this serious.

Are we talking £500 / £1000 / £1500 more? Any approximations?

It's the not knowing that will wind me up.

 

[Toad]

Bad enough then. Any views on what causes this? Pretty concerning for an engine to just give up so dramatically.

Can't say I'm looking forward to shelling out for a major repair on a bike with such low mileage. 7,000 miles (I've had it from new) is just well run-in, hardly time to expect something this serious.

Are we talking £500 / £1000 / £1500 more? Any approximations?

It's the not knowing that will wind me up.

Have a beer, chill out, and call the dealer in the morning and give them hell

 

[Timolgra]

Bad enough then. Any views on what causes this? Pretty concerning for an engine to just give up so dramatically.

Can't say I'm looking forward to shelling out for a major repair on a bike with such low mileage. 7,000 miles (I've had it from new) is just well run-in, hardly time to expect something this serious.

Are we talking £500 / £1000 / £1500 more? Any approximations?

It's the not knowing that will wind me up.

There's been plenty of speculation on here from the ridiculous 'because it's on the sidestand draining oil from the RH cylinder' to more measured responses about valve fatigue through poor design/materials.

You need to let your dealer know you're VERY unhappy, which I'm sure you are.

 

[Packer]

Are we talking £500 / £1000 / £1500 more? Any approximations?

The first figure will cover the dealer recovery.
The second figure will cover the cost of the exploratory/investigative work.
The third figure will possibly cover the bulk of the parts.

I don't know how much the dealer labour will come to, sorry.

 

[Steptoe]

At a rough guess going by other GS's with dropped valves i'd say about £500 (or less depending on what price you can get the parts for) to repair with used parts. That's for a used barrel, piston and head complete with valves, and a new head gasket.

 

[iaindoha]

Seems I am rightly in the sh1te then.

I don't have any relationship with my local dealer other than that last service and buying a Rallye Pro suit from them.

I bought the bike new in Qatar in August 2008 though it is a 2007 model. Shipped it home to N.Ireland last year but it has sat in my garage for the year while I got it sorted for the single vehicle approval test and got my UK bike licence sorted.

All legal and on the road for the last few weeks and had it serviced to keep everything right. Literally just outside the 2 years warranty by a couple of months though the 1 year service didn't happen until 2 years as the bike was laid up so I suppose that would have invalidated it anyway.

Dealer here doesn't owe me any favours so I have the feeling that I have a very expensive paperweight for the forseeable.

 

[Brian ROSEN]

Don't jump to conclusions

Whjatever it is or is not, consult (not insult) the dealer who did the service and put the matter entirely back into his hands; You will achieve very little by confrontation; I know exactly how 'my' dealer would react and it is important that he is on your side;

 

[Toad]

Speak to your dealer then look at getting the bike to Steptoe

The dealer will want to do something for you if he can get the bill covered by BMVV.

You have the advantage that it was serviced recently.

 

[Toad]

I was going to PM you with some other thoughts, but you're not a subscriber so I can't

 

[Yonkyo]

I'd be straight on the blower to the dealer.

Just serviced, and only 7K on the clock.....

I'd want a fecking big contribution to any costs.....

What he said.

A catastrophic engine failure on a bike with only 7k miles?
Must be component failure, due to substandard/faulty materials.

BMW must contribute or foot the entire repair bill on this.

 

[iaindoha]

Having taken a deep breath I think the dealer is the best recipient for my first call of the morning. Of course they won't make any suggestions, commitments or offers until they get to inspect it so I'll have to pay for that. Better that than leaving it in a shed behind a pub forever. Once they give their repair estimate (and if ity's crazy money) I suppose I then have the option of finding someone else, not that I know any BMW focussed bike mechcnics in Northern Ireland.

 

[Toad]

Having taken a deep breath I think the dealer is the best recipient for my first call of the morning. Of course they won't make any suggestions, commitments or offers until they get to inspect it so I'll have to pay for that. Better that than leaving it in a shed behind a pub forever. Once they give their repair estimate (and if ity's crazy money) I suppose I then have the option of finding someone else, not that I know any BMW focussed bike mechcnics in Northern Ireland.

Start off like that, and you might as well write a blank cheque.

i'd be asking the dealer to collect and tell me what he's going to do about it....