How do I deal with Flaking paint and corrosion 2014 GS

Tetley · Apr 20, 2019

Looking to buy a 2014 GS, it has 780 miles on the clock. There is a lot of corrosion on e bike. I'm ok with the fasteners and stuf, but the flaking paint is a worry. I think the guy rode it on salty roads and just left it in the shed for four years. How do you deal with flaking paint and get the bike back to a "normal" standard.

malcopopolo · Apr 20, 2019

Buy it cheap. I would rub down with fine wet and dry and either mask and spray paint with a rattle can. Obtain the correct paint match obviously.

Take your time and will get good results.

Most GS will look worse than this when they reach 10 years old....

Bin Ridin · Apr 20, 2019

Are these cracks in a cast piece or is it a plastic piece?

dr nosh · Apr 20, 2019

Looks like that's just the paint lifting.

Ozz · Apr 20, 2019

Welcome to my world. Mine is a 2014 from new, 36k miles on the clock and I pride myself on how I've looked after it, but that is exactly what mine looked like. I'm sad to say that it will be worse (under the final drive boot - you may want to drop the final drive and make sure there isn't a lake inside the swingarm and that there isn't rust on the shaft drive). There will also be a lot of corrosion on top of the engine which is hidden by the intake and frame.

See here for the pics of mine and what I've had to do to stop the corrosion spreading as it was under the crap BMW paint. https://www.ukgser.com/forums/showthread.php/501831-Biting-the-Bullet

Tetley · Apr 20, 2019

dr nosh said:
Looks like that's just the paint lifting.

Yep just the paint.

Deleted account 191119001 · Apr 20, 2019

Salty roads, looks more like it has been ridden through the dead sea, if that bike is not going for mega cheap, and you have the time to strip it to an inch of its life, I would stay away from it......

Goldfinger · Apr 21, 2019

My dealer told me that my 2015 bike was from a "bad batch" but still kicked me in the nuts with a trade in offer against a new one, like that was my fault.

It must have been a huge "bad batch" and until I'm convinced that things have improved I'm not buying another.

BMW couldn't care less when they are still selling well.

I'm once bitten twice shy.

My bike has rusted from inside out and all the cleaning and treatments in the world wouldn't have stopped it.

The shame is that I love riding the bike, mechanically it has been excellent and I haven't seen another bike I would rather have.

Warlord · Apr 21, 2019

Goldfinger said:
My dealer told me that my 2015 bike was from a "bad batch" but still kicked me in the nuts with a trade in offer against a new one, like that was my fault.

It must have been a huge "bad batch" and until I'm convinced that things have improved I'm not buying another.

BMW couldn't care less when they are still selling well.

I'm once bitten twice shy.

My bike has rusted from inside out and all the cleaning and treatments in the world wouldn't have stopped it.

The shame is that I love riding the bike, mechanically it has been excellent and I haven't seen another bike I would rather have.

Then stop being precious about it, sand it down yourself and slap some new paint on it.

Paint is only cosmetic... rust and corrosion is damage that can be prevented.

If it's fooked and already looking bad, you can't make it much worse, but at least you can stop the rot.

twizzle · Apr 21, 2019

If it was cheap enough I’d buy it ride it and ignore the paint..... if it was market price, I’d walk away and buy another..

Nice 'n' Fat · Apr 21, 2019

How do you deal with flaking paint and get the bike back to a "normal" standard

That is a normal standard

Goldfinger · Apr 21, 2019

Warlord said:
Then stop being precious about it, sand it down yourself and slap some new paint on it.

Paint is only cosmetic... rust and corrosion is damage that can be prevented.

If it's fooked and already looking bad, you can't make it much worse, but at least you can stop the rot.

I'm not being precious about it but I have been riding over 35 years and had over 20 bikes none of which corroded like this.

My six year old Hayabusa that I traded in was still immaculate and I never had to sand it down and slap new paint on it.

malcopopolo · Apr 21, 2019

Goldfinger said:
I'm not being precious about it but I have been riding over 35 years and had over 20 bikes none of which corroded like this.

My six year old Hayabusa that I traded in was still immaculate and I never had to sand it down and slap new paint on it.

Times are changing. Nothing is built to last. PCP mean people swap every bikes every 3 years or less. My replacement GS has the black engine and will be a keeper. Any corrosion that i see and I am able to get to will be rub down gently and rattle canned in heat resistant black paint matching BMW colour.

There is a waiting list for the 1250 GS - says it all. While we keep ordering creating demand then BMW have nothing to worry about.

roamer · Apr 21, 2019

The corrosion will be a big job to do properly, it will go much further than the flaky bits,

Goldfinger · Apr 21, 2019

I understand that lots of people get bikes and cars on PCP and change them every couple of years and if that works for them that great. I prefer the old way of saving up and paying cash which is why I now buy new and keep my bikes around five or six years these days. It's disappointing to see your new bike start rusting in under two years.

I don't have the skills to carry out paintwork repairs and if I'm honest don't see why I should have to.

My advice to anyone spending their own hard earned cash would be to think very carefully before they buy a new GS even though they are great bikes the after sales service has in my case been poorer than I would have expected.

Perhaps I have just been unlucky.

mrtee43 · Apr 21, 2019

Just for balance, here is a recent picture of my September 2013 final drive, which to be fair was replaced by BMW at 3000 miles because of a few white spots that occurred because the previous owner had put it away over winter, dirty and unwashed.

When this picture was taken, the bike had done nigh on 26000.

Davy F · Apr 21, 2019

Is it worse than this ?

https://www.ukgser.com/forums/showt...igger-boat-!?highlight=think+need+bigger+boat

Ozz · Apr 22, 2019

For comparison...here is why I decided to bite the bullet. It's a 2014 LC from new and has 36k on the clock and was washed after every ride and ACF'd in the winter.

<a href="https://imgur.com/BaT4VYZ"><img src="https://i.imgur.com/BaT4VYZ.jpg" title="source: imgur.com" /></a>

<a href="https://imgur.com/fQfFUpe"><img src="https://i.imgur.com/fQfFUpe.jpg" title="source: imgur.com" /></a>

<a href="https://imgur.com/FAGhtG1"><img src="https://i.imgur.com/FAGhtG1.jpg" title="source: imgur.com" /></a>

<a href="https://imgur.com/DDF8qTR"><img src="https://i.imgur.com/DDF8qTR.jpg" title="source: imgur.com" /></a>

<a href="https://imgur.com/9Q9xTji"><img src="https://i.imgur.com/9Q9xTji.jpg" title="source: imgur.com" /></a>

Tetley · Apr 22, 2019

I can only conclude that corrosion happens. To deal with it properly requires some serious work. (Ozz) The bike I was offered was at a good ish price. But I have passed on it.

batman1 · Apr 22, 2019

I’m with Roamer on this one, only one right way, remove components where possible, strip off the mechanicals, fine shot blast or bead blast down to clean solid alloy, etch prime, and colour.
It’s very difficult to Emery out to the base of this type of corrosion in alloy.
Hopefully it’s very cheap, in which case just ride it as it is an leave the painting as a winter job.

How do I deal with Flaking paint and corrosion 2014 GS

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