winglets fracturing 08 Gsa

[gspizza]

has anyone else experienced this....
The winglets on my 08 Gsa have fractured ...
significant spider web fractures from the screw holes out-wards have appeared on both winglets they have not been adjusted or tampered with bike is always garaged and one winglett has recently been replaced under warranty following a service only 3 months ago and this has also fractured
....any advice would be appreciated ...is this a common problem and a warranty issue

 

[The Machine Cat]

I had the exact same issue with mine (installed on 08 1200GS) and I believe it is due to a brutal temperature change when there is a liquid trapped between the winglets and the plastif frame of the bike. It happened once I cleaned my bike and used a bit of ACF-50 on every bolts including the ones fixing the winglets to the bike. During a few days I was able to see a trace of liquid below each winglets, close to the bolts. After a brutal change of temperature (very hot day - very cool night in my garage) I found the winglets on my bike exactly like yours.

 

[gspizza]

what did you do?I would not expect parts to fracture so easily and so soon, did you approach the dealer & get them replaced under warranty?

 

[theop]

I had the exact same issue with mine (installed on 08 1200GS) and I believe it is due to a brutal temperature change when there is a liquid trapped between the winglets and the plastif frame of the bike. It happened once I cleaned my bike and used a bit of ACF-50 on every bolts including the ones fixing the winglets to the bike. During a few days I was able to see a trace of liquid below each winglets, close to the bolts. After a brutal change of temperature (very hot day - very cool night in my garage) I found the winglets on my bike exactly like yours.

not the temperature. Machine Cats hairline fracture because of contact with ACF, have yours come into a contact with petrol perhaps? quite common as any splash from refilling will pretty much destroy winglets and/or screen...

 

[The Machine Cat]

what did you do?I would not expect parts to fracture so easily and so soon, did you approach the dealer & get them replaced under warranty?

Parts are not covered by warranty : don't forget that winglets do not come with a 1200GS

 

[Beemerman59]

I had this on both winglets and the screen. All recently replaced under warranty by the very helpfull chaps at Bahnstormers. I had wondered if I had overtightened the screws but the new ones came back fitted much tighter than I had them. Maybe they were too loose and vibrated themselves into oblivion. No problems with temperature extremes or petrol spillage in my case.

 

[loftyboy]

Parts are not covered by warranty

Clearly they are if you read the other threads

 

[The Machine Cat]

Parts are not covered by warranty

Clearly they are if you read the other threads

I had the winglets for more than a year. I though parts were under a 3 or 6 months warranty ? Winglet do not come with a 1200GS, therefore they are not covered by the standard bike French warranty.

 

[gspizza]

I had this on both winglets and the screen. All recently replaced under warranty by the very helpfull chaps at Bahnstormers. I had wondered if I had overtightened the screws but the new ones came back fitted much tighter than I had them. Maybe they were too loose and vibrated themselves into oblivion. No problems with temperature extremes or petrol spillage in my case.

I cant see how petrol can be used to explain this problem as I'd be pretty wreckless & daft spilling petroll over both sides of the tank and exactly on each winglett screw ....No petrol didn't happen !

These are functional integral plastic parts located next to a petrol tank on a very expensive market leader road-trail bike: reserched & designed to the highest specifications for a bit of rough and endurance... I would expect all parts should be fit for the purpose not fail & fracture after 11 months.... I'm thinking there may be a design quality issue arising here .....what do you think?

.

 

[Chris Terry]

This sort of thing is very annoying. It sounds to me like they have been over tightened, and or without a washer. IMO plastic, rubber or fiber are the best washers for this application. I would be careful not to use any chemicals during assembly. Grease or oil would tend to help you over tighten and break down the washers, may also attack the plastic.
Not sure if that helps

Could be just cheap plastic...

 

[steve g]

Mines done the same (09 adv). OS winglet cracked around both fixing screws. Noticed it when I pulled it out of the garage. Both plastic inserts in place. See what the dealer says when its in for a service.

 

[Prattapillar]

Also have a look at Exploding Winglets.

 

[gspizza]

How much in irish yoyos or norn Iron silver are a new set of winglets for a Gsa?

 

[loftyboy]

winglets

After reading this thread I have checked my 2009 GSA and bugger me if the off side winglet is'nt cracked...no petrol or other chemical spill involved, never been fiddled with since new, so I'll be down to my BMW dealer first thing for a new one!

 

[pathfinder]

After reading this thread I have checked my 2009 GSA and bugger me if the off side winglet is'nt cracked...no petrol or other chemical spill involved, never been fiddled with since new, so I'll be down to my BMW dealer first thing for a new one!

Are they very small cracks radiating fom the screw hole?are they the same as the cracks around your windscreen fixing holes?if so they are not broken,these so called airline fractures are part of the manufacturing process and can be seen on every bike you look at!

 

[Wapping]

I cant see how petrol can be used to explain this problem as I'd be pretty wreckless & daft spilling petroll over both sides of the tank and exactly on each winglett screw ....No petrol didn't happen !

These are functional integral plastic parts located next to a petrol tank on a very expensive market leader road-trail bike: reserched & designed to the highest specifications for a bit of rough and endurance... I would expect all parts should be fit for the purpose not fail & fracture after 11 months.... I'm thinking there may be a design quality issue arising here .....what do you think?

.

I think.....Um....Er...... That you are making a mountain out of a molehill and traipsing out the usual, 'Not fit for purpose' nonsense, coupled to an inventive, reserched (sic) & designed to the highest specifications

Go and ask BuMW to replace them; you have tried, haven't you?

If they won't, buy some more, or leave them off or live with the cracks.

 

[gspizza]

I think.....Um....Er...... That you are making a mountain out of a molehill and traipsing out the usual, 'Not fit for purpose' nonsense, coupled to an inventive, reserched (sic) & designed to the highest specifications

Go and ask BuMW to replace them; you have tried, haven't you?

If they won't, buy some more, or leave them off or live with the cracks.

I Know ...self help is often better than a rant...
however with the benifit of this forum I do want a bit of insight into this issue & if justified:; to be able to reasonably approach the dealer
if not ...not to waste their time and my credibility I have a lot of respect for the dealer I use, J.D.s sales and service are a reasonable bunch of guys

.

 

[Wapping]

I Know ...self help is often better than a rant...
however with the benifit of this forum I do want a bit of insight into this issue & if justified:; to be able to reasonably approach the dealer
if not ...not to waste their time and my credibility I have a lot of respect for the dealer I use, J.D.s sales and service are a reasonable bunch of guys

.

OK, no problems.

I wouldn't worry too much about what you hear here.

Just approach the dealer, in same way as you would any shop, with any product, with any problem. Lots of people work on the assumption of "Dealer says, no'' (see similar threads) agonising for hours or days and / or plotting needless rants or ever more cunning strategies.... when by the time they have finished gaining courage or whinging, they could have been to the dealers and been satisfied. Look at the number of threads that end up with matey saying how happy he was.....once he had been in....

For what its worth mine, on an 06 GSA with close on 40k miles, developed tiny radiating cracks after a few months. I have no idea why, nor could I ever be bothered to do much (or anything) about them. They have not got any better or worse.

Take care

PS As to insight as to why they crack? Who knows? Fuel and maybe some polishes doesn't do them much good. Maybe they 'hum' inaudibly in the wind, oscillate at some odd frequency and crack? Maybe they are just crap plastic? Maybe they are too tight, or not tight enough? Whatever the cause, plenty of 'em do it and the world is still spinning on its axis.

 

[gspizza]

Washers changed to carbon fibre may be causing this problem

.My bike was just in for a service and the winglet problem was explained and inspected... I was adamant this was a warranty issue as neither abuse nor over tightening screws or petrol was an issue

The Bmw engineer was sceptical about Bmw standing over complaint and replacing winglets, he will however write a report and submit it to the company and come back to me...

given the days that are.. I hope I'm wrong but I think I may have to be persistent to get this problem satisfactorily resolved

Apparently washers in 08 wingletts were recently changed to a carbon fibre washer. This change I believe is causing the shattering problem,

Can any one else confirm or shine a bit more light on this subject?


.

 

[Beemerman59]

I recently had both winglets and the screen replaced under warranty and they fitted the new ones using the old black plastic/rubber washers.