Wear 'n' Tear or Warranty Claim?

[Squigles]

Bike is currently 10 months old, some funny stuff going on with the paint on both the engine casing (both sides) and rear drive casing! Rust on front engine frame mount!

Would you expect to see this so soon or is it a case of suck it up it's a BMW?

 

[Fluffmeister]

I'd not be happy with that, for a moment I thought this was going to be one of those "frame paint is worn already" threads, but from those pictures, I'd be asking my dealer to sort it out, it's only going to get worse. At close to 15k list price, these unstoppable bikes should be able to handle a bit of winter without being bathed in ACF 50.

I've got a good one it appears, no corrosion issues, great (for a GS) gearbox, my only gremlins have been switchgear. That's not right though and should be resolved, there's folk on here that have engines swapped out for similar defects.

 

[Nice 'n' Fat]

I'd say that was warranty but take it to you dealer and get them to photograph it for BMW

 

[Engineer]

The paint finish could be better that's for sure, you really have wash regularly and drown vulnerable bits of the bike in FS365 or ACF50 to reduce the chance of that sort of thing happening. From the state of that bolt head on the rear drive I'd say that it's had salt on it - It's a pain but I am 'painting' ACF 50 over large parts of my new LC in order to stop that sort of thing happening.

I wish BMW could produce a better finish - even the 1150s had corrosion issues, the state of some of the front engine covers and forks was dreadful after the slightest exposure to salty roads.

 

[karlp]

What does a German or a French bike look like after one winter?

All I seem to see a UK bikes with corrosion issues

 

[Bigtrucknuts]

I have the same problem with my final drive. If you remove the rear mud catcher you will see that the paint just stops under where the catcher is bolted to the final drive.

As soon as moisture gets under the paint is game over as soon as there is a frosty day. Manufacturers error.


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[Bigtrucknuts]

Here is a pic of mine.


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[Fluffmeister]

I wonder if BMW own ACF 50

I never used ACF 50 on my RRN or RRX Fireblades or my ZX12R, just rinsed them off and put them away and no corrosion. Sometimes I get the feeling that if I don't coat the GS in ACF50, it may have dissolved by the time I get to the end of a winter ride. That said though, I've ridden the WC through winter, up and down to Scotland and down to Cardiff, and have only ACF'd the hub, engine bolts and engine cover, and sprayed a bit of FS365 over after rinsing it off, and when I de-gunged it ready for spring / summer there's not a single bit of furry rot anywhere so it's not a universal issue.

 

[Engineer]

Here is a pic of mine.


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As soon as I got my new LC I took the rear guard off and painted ACF50 onto the exposed metal under the bolt heads, around the 'hole' where it meets the plastic seal cover and over the entire painted surface.

Another area to watch out for is around the rubber boot between the rear drive and the swing arm, worth making sure the ACF50 gets right into those gaps too.

 

[Nutty]

Warranty claim.

 

[Bigtrucknuts]

As soon as I got my new LC I took the rear guard off and painted ACF50 onto the exposed metal under the bolt heads, around the 'hole' where it meets the plastic seal cover and over the entire painted surface.

Another area to watch out for is around the rubber boot between the rear drive and the swing arm, worth making sure the ACF50 gets right into those gaps too.

Oh you have to be fecking kidding me! Ok so my mistake I should be taking the thing selectively to bits to get ACF50 in between the components. Of course what was I thinking. Oh ya that's right I thought I'll buy a well built premium brand bike, the top of the line model by the way, from those bastions of engineering excellence z Germans. Shister, should have bought a TR7!

 

[Beemer Bob]

Oh you have to be fecking kidding me! Ok so my mistake I should be taking the thing selectively to bits to get ACF50 in between the components. Of course what was I thinking. Oh ya that's right I thought I'll buy a well built premium brand bike, the top of the line model by the way, from those bastions of engineering excellence z Germans. Shister, should have bought a TR7!

Totally agree.
A bike to go around the World and back again? More like a bike incapable of going round the shops without falling apart! Fucking disgrace IMHO.

Bob

 

[mrtee43]

Absolutely, and we should whinge and whine till they do something about it or BMW will just keep taking the piss.

Its the people on here who trot out the oft quoted line of " Stop whinging and just ride it" who let BMW off the hook and then they just gradually reduce the quality of their products.

Take it back to the dealers and tell them that you want everything that is affected replacing under warranty.

 

[Nutty]

As soon as I got my new LC I took the rear guard off and painted ACF50 onto the exposed metal under the bolt heads, around the 'hole' where it meets the plastic seal cover and over the entire painted surface.

Another area to watch out for is around the rubber boot between the rear drive and the swing arm, worth making sure the ACF50 gets right into those gaps too.

You certainly shouldn't have to do that

 

[Engineer]

Oh you have to be fecking kidding me! Ok so my mistake I should be taking the thing selectively to bits to get ACF50 in between the components. Of course what was I thinking. Oh ya that's right I thought I'll buy a well built premium brand bike, the top of the line model by the way, from those bastions of engineering excellence z Germans. Shister, should have bought a TR7!

No I am not kidding you, I ride lot of miles each year and though the Winter and I want it to stay looking good.

Why do you think BMW is a premium brand?, their bikes are same price as similar bikes from Europe e.g. KTM and Ducati - I'd be happy to pay a premium price if the finish was better but I guess that BMW think that they need to compete on price these days so quality is suffering.

 

[Engineer]

You certainly shouldn't have to do that

I know, but that is the reality of it - are the other European bikes any better?

 

[Neil W]

According to a dealer I was speaking to last week BMW are fully aware of the issues of corrosion and complaints of falling build quality, allegedly it was caused by the bean counters who they put in charge who wanted to increase profit margins per unit sale.
Allegedly the senior management and shareholders were getting peed off by excessive amounts of warranty claims ie £7000 to change a low mileage motor due to paint issues, the r1200rt suspension debacle (and loss of profits) and have got rid of that particular bunch of bean counters !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Wonder if it means they will go back to air dry enamel paints, hand lining on tanks, dell'orto carbs , proper switchgear and quality aluminium castings

 

[Engineer]

According to a dealer I was speaking to last week BMW are fully aware of the issues of corrosion and complaints of falling build quality, allegedly it was caused by the bean counters who they put in charge who wanted to increase profit margins per unit sale.
Allegedly the senior management and shareholders were getting peed off by excessive amounts of warranty claims ie £7000 to change a low mileage motor due to paint issues, the r1200rt suspension debacle (and loss of profits) and have got rid of that particular bunch of bean counters !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Wonder if it means they will go back to air dry enamel paints, hand lining on tanks, dell'orto carbs , proper switchgear and quality aluminium castings

I'd happily pay £1000 premium for a better quality finish but how would that effect sales? Dunno?

 

[stever1]

I'd happily pay £1000 premium for a better quality finish but how would that effect sales? Dunno?

You already are paying a premium. You can get a new pan-european for less than £13,800 inc top box . much cheaper than an RT, and now BMW want to charge you for paint.

 

[Engineer]

You already are paying a premium. You can get a new pan-european for less than £13,800 inc top box . much cheaper than an RT, and now BMW want to charge you for paint.

Maybe but I wouldn't been seen dead on a Pan, nor would my other half The GS is the same price or cheaper than the European competition with similar specification.