So Do Ya think Maybe possibly ........

DrFarkoff · Oct 29, 2009

It's fecked!

Valve dropped anyone???

JohnnyBoxer · Oct 29, 2009

Another Right pot again

RickG · Oct 30, 2009

It is no more, it is an ex-cylinder.

Looks like the head of the valve has come off and had a fight with the piston

Timolgra · Oct 30, 2009

JohnnyBoxer said:
Another Right pot again

Yep, after all these years of developing the boxer engine, BWM have finally cracked it and made one that blows up :clap

GS TRV · Oct 30, 2009

how many miles had it?

(RIP) Bin Ridin · Oct 30, 2009

I just did the tappets on mine at 73K kms, last done 50k km.
Found inlets loose but exhausts tight, not bound but tighter than should be.
I wonder if this happens to the extent the valve does not seat right and overheats, drops off, etc...feck.
Either that of over-revving on downshift? Bent valve ?

Jaythro, wotcha think?

Bin

karlp · Oct 30, 2009

What I would be interested in ------ how was this engine treated in its early days.

Do you know the total history of this bike?

Was it run in - as per book or 'rode it like you stole it'.

maybe then it would be possible to ascertain a true picture of the reliability of these engines and if there is any correlation between RH cylinder valve failure and running in procedure.

DrFarkoff · Oct 30, 2009

The guy that owns it is a friend of mine and is quite ill with a severe form of sleep apnia so I had it to replace the front cover of it and replace all the yeughy fasteners and generally give it a tidy up. for 2 years it's lived in an TA barracks in a Climate Controlled garage till it came to me

It was "Run in" within the spec with "occassional" low load blips it was used friskily in it's life but with "Mechanical sympathy" the guy has been a Ducati officianado for many years until he bought this bike.

What gets me is that Thank Feck it went on me and I shut it down almost immediately BUt I had just pulled away from a junction and for the mile prior had been treating it with utmost respect due to the leaves and the state of our country road

Again Thank feck it wasn't Pete Making progress up the Antrim Coast and Entering a corner when it went!

Yes there are loads of 1200GS's that behave themselves but there are loads that do very naughty EXPENSIVE things and hurt people too! And Bee Em just ignore them?????????

I think I'll be sticking to Airheads and Old K's from now on

You must admit there is a frightening frequency of similar mechanical failures with these bikes
What was a bit worrying was I did a search because I knew this dropped valve was an "Issue" here's a copy of the mail I sent to the owner!

Timolgra · Oct 30, 2009

At least they're lighter and faster

I know I'm often seen as outspoken re 1200s but surely with at least a little justification, BMW should address these failures without expense to the owners even though they may be out of warranty

DrFarkoff · Oct 30, 2009

Timolgra said:
At least they're lighter and faster

I know I'm often seen as outspoken re 1200s but surely with at least a little justification, BMW should address these failures without expense to the owners even though they may be out of warranty

Hmm The Line from the Sale of goods act "should be fit for purpose"

I would say it will be a slanging match between the valve manufacturer for doing it to Bee Ems specs and BM saying that they Skimped makin them somewhere along the way?

It certainly is a Russian Roulette to take your 1200 out isn't it? :green gri

DrFarkoff · Nov 8, 2009

Bin Ridin said:
I just did the tappets on mine at 73K kms, last done 50k km.
Found inlets loose but exhausts tight, not bound but tighter than should be.
I wonder if this happens to the extent the valve does not seat right and overheats, drops off, etc...feck.
Either that of over-revving on downshift? Bent valve ?

Jaythro, wotcha think?

Bin

Sorry for not responding earlier Bin

I'm waiting to get this into my garage and pull all the bits off frankly I have no idea what caused it I know when I do a service on mine I tend to veer to the loose sliding fit at 0.30 mm
Usually at next service time they have closed a little but then again mine needs to be pushed a little harder (with mechanical sympathy) than a 1200 to make progress

I'm looking forward to trying to discover what happened but then again the question arises do I change the exhausts on the other cylinder???

DrFarkoff · Jan 18, 2010

Answers found and most definitely fecked!!!

(RIP) Proff · Jan 18, 2010

Just typing this and you PM me...
With the low mileage and obvious condition of the bike, I reckon that the valves were not fit for purpose, it's a documented fault and should be subject to a recall....
Wonder if it's the cheap Chinese valves that BMW are using now instead of the Hungarian ones pre 2004

Aidan1150 · Jan 18, 2010

Jaythro said:
Answers found and most definitely fecked!!!

Ouch.

Deleted acc oony · Jan 18, 2010

I've seen two at seperate times in a workshop on the outskirts of Glasgow.

Right hand cylinder is it :augie

Sleepy · Jan 18, 2010

Honestly.. what a disgrace!
Do BMW have any Idea what this sort of thing is doing to their reputation? do they care?
Whilst not big numbers I know of three 'dyed in the wool' BMW riders who have given up on the marque because of bad experiences with 1200's, I've been hanging on to my 1150 for the same reason.. (plus I've spent the money I had.. :augie

).

JohnnyBoxer · Jan 18, 2010

Shocked to the core :augie

Seen too many also

mechcanico lee · Jan 18, 2010

Bin Ridin said:
I just did the tappets on mine at 73K kms, last done 50k km.
Found inlets loose but exhausts tight, not bound but tighter than should be.
I wonder if this happens to the extent the valve does not seat right and overheats, drops off, etc...feck.
Either that of over-revving on downshift? Bent valve ?

Jaythro, wotcha think?

Bin

A have seen quite a few burned valves on cars that run on gas , a have never seen the heads fall off usually they burn out and it puts a V shaped "nick" in the outer circumference then the cylinder looses compression and the owner realises theres something wrong before the valve head would have got so bad to fall off.
Over revving as you say could cause piston to valve contact but this seems to happen more than usual on the boxer engine and i carnt see all the unfortunate folk with this problem causeing it themselves by revving it to death.
Could this be metal fatigue or heat not dissapating through the valve stem...............i dont know ??? or is it just cheap quality valves and i wonder why the right hand pot seems to me more common for failing, there will be some engineering reason ??

murdo · Jan 18, 2010

Timolgra said:
At least they're lighter and faster

I know I'm often seen as outspoken re 1200s but surely with at least a little justification, BMW should address these failures without expense to the owners even though they may be out of warranty

Mine went between Xmas and New Year,
2K's worth of damage and the warranty had just expired, BMW picked up total cost of parts and 50% of labour.
It had just gone over the 25K mark, full service history.
I think they recognised this was a common fault, otherwise i would have been shelling out 2K.
hope this helps.
M

Snoopy · Jan 18, 2010

What are the valves made from?

So Do Ya think Maybe possibly ........

Grumpy Ole Git!!!

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25 Mar 1949 - 10 Nov 2016

Nice but unfortunate husband.

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