Last time I had a conversation with the bmw service manager he told me they had successfully identified the whining noise , he said it was coming from the “nut” that connects the handlebars to the bike 
Whining noise on 1300 manual GS
- Thread starter bumble beemer
- Start date
What a shit show, cobble a bike together, sell it as fast as you can and let the consumer beta test it for you, then fix the faults as they arise, give it a few years of that and you'll have the best of that model, then change it !!
congrats BMW that's been a working model of yours for years and we swallow it
so glad I backed mine before it was too late, having to buy ear plugs and a loud can to disguise the noise, is not a solution for me on a bike of that supposed calibre, on a cheap Chinese bike, maybe when you can say "yes its ok, gearbox is proper noisy but it was only £7995" but not on a £20k BMW
got the balance of my refund back the day before yesterday so now severed my ties with Marshalls and BMW till the problems are sorted,
Good luck with it John I truly hope that is it, and it is a decent bike for you
Rob
congrats BMW that's been a working model of yours for years and we swallow it
so glad I backed mine before it was too late, having to buy ear plugs and a loud can to disguise the noise, is not a solution for me on a bike of that supposed calibre, on a cheap Chinese bike, maybe when you can say "yes its ok, gearbox is proper noisy but it was only £7995" but not on a £20k BMW
got the balance of my refund back the day before yesterday so now severed my ties with Marshalls and BMW till the problems are sorted,
Good luck with it John I truly hope that is it, and it is a decent bike for you
Rob
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After test riding the 1300 GS & GSA I personally wouldn't buy one. They are distinctly more agricultural than the 1250 when it comes to engine & gearbox noise.
Pale Rider
Registered user
Never had either personally but i did test ride a 1300 just after they were released and noticed it rattled like a bag of spanners.
I note the recommendation for oil is 5w40 which is obviously very thin and wouldn’t help the rattling situation whatsoever, but I noticed that 15w50 can be used as an alternative.
Has anyone on here complaining about rattling actually changed to the higher viscosity 15w50? And has it made a difference/stopped/quietened down the rattle??
I note the recommendation for oil is 5w40 which is obviously very thin and wouldn’t help the rattling situation whatsoever, but I noticed that 15w50 can be used as an alternative.
Has anyone on here complaining about rattling actually changed to the higher viscosity 15w50? And has it made a difference/stopped/quietened down the rattle??
I have a 2025 GSA and was so pissed off with the gearbox noise, sounds like a giant whisk I called BMW breakdown. They picked it up took it to the local dealer, no problem sir, as there are no fault codes. I asked if they had actually ridden it for the 20 mins needed to get the noise going, I was told categorically that yes they had done exactly that.
No, total lies I photographed my screen before they picked it using geo location and time records, did the same when it was delivered.
Guess what the mileage difference was for a twenty minute ride.
Yep you guessed it 1 mile.
So I’m just riding it till it explodes.
It’s such a shame as I absolutely love the bike.
I know what you mean about the noise on the 1300s ,
I was on a walk the other day down a narrow country lane with my wife when a motorbike appeared towards us at first I thought it was some one on a little scooter
until it got closer and turned out to be a 1300gs rally and I was quite shocked by the racket coming from the bike ,
Even my wife commented on the noise
I was on a walk the other day down a narrow country lane with my wife when a motorbike appeared towards us at first I thought it was some one on a little scooter
until it got closer and turned out to be a 1300gs rally and I was quite shocked by the racket coming from the bike ,Even my wife commented on the noise
Loose nut surely ?Last time I had a conversation with the bmw service manager he told me they had successfully identified the whining noise , he said it was coming from the “nut” that connects the handlebars to the bike
I notice the gear whine but I prefer gear whine over chain and tensioner clatter. My 2014 1200GSA motor was horribly clattery and noisy, my 1300 much less so, other than the slight gear whine. I occasionally ride w/o earplugs just to experience it, reminds me of my old K100 and K75's. 
Whats the latest John are they taking it back ??
Rob
Rob
If it's got a full tank of fuel, I'll up that to £30.
If it's got the wife on the back, you'll have to pay me... Because I can't stop mine from whining either.
Yep .
Martin GSA UK
Registered user
Mine doesn't whine. I think the components they built in, to make the whine, have dropped off mine. They're rattling around in the bottom of the motor at tickover!
They sound like a Skeleton having a wank in a biscuit tin.
It's recommended you own a Ducati or KTM before buying an R1300 so you're pre- conditioned
They could make them quieter. Thicker engine cases, heavier engine internals etc
Then everyone would whine how they were too heavy.
You can't make more power whilst keeping weight down to a minimum without the side effect of noise.
It's recommended you own a Ducati or KTM before buying an R1300 so you're pre- conditioned
They could make them quieter. Thicker engine cases, heavier engine internals etc
Then everyone would whine how they were too heavy.
You can't make more power whilst keeping weight down to a minimum without the side effect of noise.
Result now go and buy the Africa Twin and enjoy the 6 year warranty and 6 year European breakdown cover they offer with there bikes and don't look back, its not got as much power as the GS but it does not matter how much power you've got if your stuck on the side of a motorway with all the warning lights on, it also it don't sound like a maraca full of 5p pieces on tick over and has rock solid reliability,
Martin GSA UK
Registered user
No thanks
Sounds super exciting, they say you meet the nicest people on a Honda.
Did you buy a 1300GS in its place ?
There were a few in-between. AT 1100 was mistake #1, I traded it back in on an almost new KTM 1090 Adventure R that my friend had sold back to the dealer after covid almost did him in. It was essentially new but that was mistake #2. It was pretty tall, it had to be re-started a couple times before it'd keep running, and it was pretty hot in warm weather. Bought a Stelvio when it came out in 2023 which I enjoyed but had a few minor gripes; harsh suspension, top heavy, and engine heat. LOL you can tell I'm sensitive to engine heat. After a couple years and 15K I became interested in the new 1300GS, the Guzzi dealer also sells BMW's and he made me a very fair trade in offer so changed it for the 1300 GS I have now.
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