Paint bubbling.....

Hello all, I have a 1250GS TE, bought new in October 2020, currently has about 7200 miles. Paint/corrosion on the LHS side, Bahnstormer have raised a case and BMW have agreed to a warranty "fix" - booked in for July. No sign of anything untoward (yet) on final drive or the rest of the engine casing.
y4mZikgfdVmiYurvpdZaUq8f3-M_9VQ6pjx3OaA3v_qkt-GeFlRWFhHXh5sIqjwRVxQKkGuHEULy108_EyUdtvJLiTTjL8q9UYYo0DgPy97oYPfkwOKOg6rnihlmDUe5DnX6UBE2SJx_xc4BbZO1Ra-6ONnOdTTIgTa1IDvEBKW6LVHEBnhBYkNfLiPHXMkFEqT
 
Snap to the pictures above my 2020 te has just turned 2100 miles . Looking at the pics above my bike is going the same way.
Never been out in the winter or salt roads .
Going in for a service 20th may Iam I right to point this out . Another point when in the bike cruising there seems to be a ticking noise on the LHS ??


Sent from my SM-G990B using Tapatalk
 
Snap to the pictures above my 2020 te has just turned 2100 miles . Looking at the pics above my bike is going the same way.
Never been out in the winter or salt roads .
Going in for a service 20th may Iam I right to point this out . Another point when in the bike cruising there seems to be a ticking noise on the LHS ??


Sent from my SM-G990B using Tapatalk

See here buddy;

https://www.ukgser.com/forums/showthread.php/545140-cylinder-ticking-noise

Please report back with what your BMW dealership states regarding this LHS ticking issue/noise :thumb2
 
Jeez that's bad and a lot worse than mine looked.

Whilst we try to avoid the salt we may actually be unaware that its been put down. Its not many weeks ago since they were putting down the last of the salt, as opposed to grit and we've only really had two good days rain since. That white film on the road surface turns into salt dust. Bit of a late season ride and collect some of that dust. Leave unwashed and then winter condensation turns it into a salt soup.

Did you have any ACF on there Peejay?
 
I think the 2 year warranty is if you make a financial contribution towards the replacement.

This is correct :thumby:

The warranty on any parts fitted remains with BMW provided they paid for the repair in full. If the customer made a contribution towards the repair (however small) then the parts warranty would remain with the customer :D
 
It may seem extreme but this was one of the main contributing factors why I stopped buying BMW. I owned a 08 GSA, a 15 GSA and a 18 GSA. The price went up and the quality went through the floor - especially in the paint department. The icing on the cake for me - I also have a 2017 Duke 390 I ride through the winter. I am an ACF50 freak and my GSA sat in a garage coated in ACF50 vs a Duke 390 out being ridden and washed etc through the same winter - the Duke has no corrosion where the laid up GS did.

I also wanted to be riding a lighter bike - but when I went shopping as a previously loyal BMW customer - I did not even look at the BMW offering in the middle weight class due to the terrible quality (in my view for the price) of the BMW offering. I flagged the poor paint on my 18 GSA with the supplying dealer while under warranty and they advised I should look after it better. Farewell NOG and farewell BMW for me.
 
Did you have any ACF on there Peejay?

No mate, bike is always washed after every ride, dried with a pet dryer, ran up to temp, left to cool off and put away in the garage with a dehumidifer running.

I probably baby this thing more than any other bike I've owned and apart from the odd furry bolt I've had bikes that have sat outside under a cheap rain cover through all weathers and not had this sort of issue.
 
Hey all, been away a little while, work has been manic.

So I realise this is probably a well discussed topic (I did search but didn't see anything) but does anyone have any insight on how keen to fix bubbling paint BMW UK are?

Long story short, my PCP ends in December, the dealer I bought the bike from recently rang me and asked if I'd be interested in looking at figure to maybe trade my 2019 GSA in early into something newer. Given all the issues I've had with the bike (replacement engine being one of them) I wasn't all that keen but I said you may as well give me the numbers anyway. He asked me 3 things about my bike:

1. Whats the general condition like?
2. What are the tyres like?
3. Is there any bubbling paint on the engine, specifically where the cylinder head meet the engine?

Obviously I thought this sounded odd but he told me it's a common problem and if there was engine paint bubbling then it would significantly hurt the trade in value of the bike. So I went and looked and to my annoyance there is indeed bubbling on the front/underside and rear of both cylinder heads AND the engine block itself. Suffice to say the call ended there and I've now booked it into my local dealer to be looked at.

Having spent 5 days with friend on the bike in Scotland at the weekend it seems this is much more of a common issue than I realised. My bike is out of warranty from September so I'm unsure if BMW are going to try and say it's wear and tear etc but what are peoples experiences with this sort of thing? Obviously noone knows until it goes in to be looked at.

Obviously I'm not happy that an almost £20k bike thats been maintained and cleaned meticulously is showing this sort of corrosion but sadly I can't undo whats already happened.

Thanks

Above you state the dealer asked you to look for paint bubbling. You also state you have cleaned and maintained the bike meticulously.

Since you had to check for paint bubbling suggests to me your cleaning and maintenance regime was not meticulous. Ordinarily a meticulous manner of cleaning would include regular and thorough checking of the motorcycle’s condition.

The images look like an aggressive attack by either salt or a cleaning product. The metal of the down pipe sensor looks like it has been attacked too.
 
Above you state the dealer asked you to look for paint bubbling. You also state you have cleaned and maintained the bike meticulously.

Since you had to check for paint bubbling suggests to me your cleaning and maintenance regime was not meticulous. Ordinarily a meticulous manner of cleaning would include regular and thorough checking of the motorcycle’s condition.

The images look like an aggressive attack by either salt or a cleaning product. The metal of the down pipe sensor looks like it has been attacked too.

I have a feeling you're the sort who will argue or try to pick holes in anything I say, however.

1. On a visual look when kneeling, crouching and craning my head I could not see any corrosion. Only laying on the floor in a very uncomfortable position with a super bright torch was I able to see the corrosion. I maintain/clean my bikes well, but I do not spend hours laying on my back with a torch. If you consider that part of a meticulous routine then you're a better man than me.
2. The bike has only ever been ridden in the winter once, which was when the engine was replaced under warranty and was thoroughly washed and dried and has never since seen road salt. At least that I am aware of. It is washed/dried after every ride.
3. No aggressive products are used to clean, I use the same method I've used to clean bikes for the last 18 years and have never had an issue like this. if it was I'd expect corrosion elsewhere and yet it's only where the cylinder head meets the engine casing, a known area for this problem to occur.

I am not a metalurgist and I cannot say why the paint is bubbling, I can only state the known factors. I'm not a winter rider and I do not use any harsh chemicals or aggressive cleaners. My old Triumph Explorer which is now 6 years old with nearly 30,000 miles on the clock has no such signs of corrosion. I know this cause I know the new owner of it.
 
Above you state the dealer asked you to look for paint bubbling. You also state you have cleaned and maintained the bike meticulously.

Since you had to check for paint bubbling suggests to me your cleaning and maintenance regime was not meticulous. Ordinarily a meticulous manner of cleaning would include regular and thorough checking of the motorcycle’s condition.

The images look like an aggressive attack by either salt or a cleaning product. The metal of the down pipe sensor looks like it has been attacked too.

I had similar corrosion on the final drive. Paint was lifting, looked like air bubbles. No external chipping. FO to do with cleaning, it is poor pre paint preparation and thin layer of paint. BM changed the part, it was under warranty.
 
Bike went in this morning, dealer said it's "one of the worst they've seen", report submitted. She mentioned they also found corrosion on the gearbox AND the final drive. BMW have already responded and approved the claim and they are replacing the entire engine, gearbox and final drive. Can't really fault the outcome!
 
Bike went in this morning, dealer said it's "one of the worst they've seen", report submitted. She mentioned they also found corrosion on the gearbox AND the final drive. BMW have already responded and approved the claim and they are replacing the entire engine, gearbox and final drive. Can't really fault the outcome!

Good result, I'm pleased for your outcome !
 
Brilliant, that is good service.

Its a share that not all garages have a check around.
 
Bike went in this morning, dealer said it's "one of the worst they've seen", report submitted. She mentioned they also found corrosion on the gearbox AND the final drive. BMW have already responded and approved the claim and they are replacing the entire engine, gearbox and final drive. Can't really fault the outcome!

Congratulations on a good outcome and to BMW for the no-nonesense response, however, the paint bubbling issue has been around for years and years and still it goes on. Should this really be happening on a very expensive motorcycle in this day and age?
 
I had my complete engine, swing arm and final drive replaced on my new (as was) R1200GSA for the same reason. Crap quality for what you pay for them.
 
Congratulations on a good outcome and to BMW for the no-nonesense response, however, the paint bubbling issue has been around for years and years and still it goes on. Should this really be happening on a very expensive motorcycle in this day and age?

I get what you mean, I'm very glad their warranty system/process is so good, but ideally I wouldn't need it. These issues must be costing BMW a fortune overall and I don't understand why it's not been rectified given this issue has been known about for many years.
 


Back
Top Bottom