My R1200S blew its engine yesterday

[1RUN]

The Nikasil problem was hugely overstated, IMO. Same with the final drive on the bikes. I think there were a handful of people with problems and they created a shit storm on the internet. Again, IMO. YMMV..

The final drive issue is real. The grenading motor issue is real. Just because we now have the internet to share this info doesn't mean that it is being overstated.

BMW bikes, and especially GS's were known for durability and reliability. To have them deliver the exact opposite experience (my '06 gs had more problems than all my previous bikes combined), is relevant and valid news that should be shared.

 

[nvp]

Dropped valves, I suspect? When was the last valve adjustment done, and who did it? You have to stay on top of the valve adjustments on the R motors, because the lash gets tighter over time. Especially when the motor is new; the lash can change quite a bit until the motor is fairly well broken in. It's deceptive because as the lash tightens the valves get quieter, and you'll think the motor is running better. In reality you're running a risk of burning a valve.

There's the saying that "A tappy valve is a happy valve".

Last valve adjustment was completed in April 09 @ approx 8100 miles by Moto Marin. I have been going to the same dealer since, and asked them as recently as last weekend as to whether it needed any other service, and they said no... not until 12k miles. I have done everything to follow the dealer and manufacturer reco on service and maintenance.

Anyway, the dealer now has the bike and they will begin the detective work. I will let you all know what I hear. Again, thanks for the thoughts.

p.s. Moto Marin has been nothing but helpful thus far... as I would suspect.

 

[zrex]

I've heard boxer twins are very sensitive to oil level.
You stated oil was middle of the glass sight. Oil might have been to low.

I dunno!

 

[nvp]

I've heard boxer twins are very sensitive to oil level.
You stated oil was middle of the glass sight. Oil might have been to low.

I dunno!

That's where you want the oil level.

 

[zrex]

I don't own a Beemer so WTF do I know. My friends who ride them say they are very sensitive to oil level.

I hope they make it right for you.

 

[SLOspeed]

The final drive issue is real. The grenading motor issue is real. Just because we now have the internet to share this info doesn't mean that it is being overstated.

BMW bikes, and especially GS's were known for durability and reliability. To have them deliver the exact opposite experience (my '06 gs had more problems than all my previous bikes combined), is relevant and valid news that should be shared.

Maybe so. I'm on my first BMW bike, which has only 30k on it now, so I might be in for a surprise further down the road. Who knows.

Prior to the GS I had an Aprilia. I spent more time working on it than riding it. Literally. So far all I've done to the GS is change the oil and adjust the valves. It's the best bike I've ever owned, by far.

 

[ob1ventura]

The final drive issue is real. The grenading motor issue is real. Just because we now have the internet to share this info doesn't mean that it is being overstated.

BMW bikes, and especially GS's were known for durability and reliability. To have them deliver the exact opposite experience (my '06 gs had more problems than all my previous bikes combined), is relevant and valid news that should be shared.

Thought some had surging issues and others abs issues. Have a couple of riding friends that have late model GS. lots of small but irritating issues.

Many yrs ago a friend picked up one of the last K100s new. Factory replaced the original and a 2nd motor due to excessive oil consumption.

Had a k75 many bikes ago. No issues and recently considered another bmw. Thought better of it.

Can't imagine a modern bike should lose a motor due to minor issues concerning oil changes, valve adj, warm up proceedure, break in etc. So many morons out there on bikes w/o a clue or simply abusing them w/o costing them a motor.

 

[1RUN]

Can't imagine a modern bike should lose a motor due to minor issues concerning oil changes, valve adj, warm up proceedure, break in etc. So many morons out there on bikes w/o a clue or simply abusing them w/o costing them a motor.

Mine had a motor failure without any of those "oversights" - just excuses is all they are...

 

[bluenoser]

Maybe so. I'm on my first BMW bike, which has only 30k on it now, so I might be in for a surprise further down the road. Who knows.

Prior to the GS I had an Aprilia. I spent more time working on it than riding it. Literally. So far all I've done to the GS is change the oil and adjust the valves. It's the best bike I've ever owned, by far.

Yeah, but your beemer is water-cooled, apparently

 

[Climber]

Don't forget to mention to the dealer that they should let whoever they're dealing with at BMW know that 'over 12k members of the Bay Area Riders Forum are looking forward to seeing how this turns out'.

It never hurts to apply a little pre-emptive leverage to help them with perspective with this single case.

There is power in numbers and BMW has always been 'image conscious'.

p.s. Don't use the term 'BARF', that will cause a lose in anything gained.

 

[ob1ventura]

- just excuses is all they are...

that was the point I was trying to make I should have been more direct.

 

[1RUN]

that was the point I was trying to make I should have been more direct.

No, I got that - I was just agreeing in my own special way

 

[russ69]

I would be surprised if BMW pays for this. You are the second owner and the bike is well out of warranty. On the plus side you have been having your bike serviced at the same dealer and he may help with your claim with BMW, if you ask the dealer honestly about your chances of a warranty claim he'll most likely give you an honest answer.
The other thing to remember is to always save the stock equipment and return the bike to stock before you submit it for a warranty claim. I'm an honest guy but it just makes sense to present the dealer with the original delivered product that he knows how to service than to present a custom retro fitted bike. Just saying.

Thanx, Russ

 

[Teddy]

They haven't been "bulletproof" since they went Fuel injected and oil cooled. The carb'd air-heads were bulletproof....not the newer gen bikes. Reliable after broken in, yes, bulletproof, NO.

Nobody ever believes me when I say this....and to be fair, it was years ago that I worked in a BMW shop (still hear similar stories from current "insiders")....but newer BMW motorcycles can be some of the most problematic bikes when they are new. I still remember being blown away at the %age of new bikes that came back with significant problems. BMW always took care of it under warranty.....but there were certainly some consistent issues. Oddly enough, it was usually about the 10-12k mile mark that the bikes "broke in" and many of the issues were gone...but there were still problematic bikes, like every mfg has....

Sorry for your problem....hopefully your service records will give BMW good reason to take care of you, just dont be upset when they ask you to pay something for it....sometimes dealers and mfg's have to be very careful because of a situation called "implied warranty". If they fix your bike for free when it is not officially covered under warranty anymore (especially if the dealer does it), legally, they may have to fix it for free forever (if similar problems ever arise again and the customer pushes all the way to court) because of their generous actions to try and make you happy. One of the many reasons that dealers sometimes anger customers (not just fixing something on a just-out-of-warranty bike or a recently purchased used bike), yet, many times the shop is bound by so many stupid legal problems that can arise it is silly.

Good luck, I hope everything ends up going your way

 

[boney]

I've heard boxer twins are very sensitive to oil level.
You stated oil was middle of the glass sight. Oil might have been to low.

I dunno!

BMW boxers carry 4 quarts of oil and are generally very tolerant of differing oil levels. I'd say that low oil is probably not the case.

 

[boney]

Don't forget to mention to the dealer that they should let whoever they're dealing with at BMW know that 'over 12k members of the Bay Area Riders Forum are looking forward to seeing how this turns out'.

It never hurts to apply a little pre-emptive leverage to help them with perspective with this single case.

There is power in numbers and BMW has always been 'image conscious'.

p.s. Don't use the term 'BARF', that will cause a lose in anything gained.

So, you think that BMWNA will bend over backwards to help someone who is basically holding the "I'll say everything bad there is to say about you if you don't take care of me" card?

Think again. The several times that I've seen this kind of stuff come up, the cards have to be played close to the chest, at the right times, and in the right order. It would be a mistake to even suggest you're going to talk bad about a company when you're trying to get something from them, and that's what you imply when you bring up "waiting to see how it turns out."

The other thing to remember is to always save the stock equipment and return the bike to stock before you submit it for a warranty claim. I'm an honest guy but it just makes sense to present the dealer with the original delivered product that he knows how to service than to present a custom retro fitted bike. Just saying.

That's not a very honest thing to do. Just saying.

 

[ob1ventura]

Sorry for your problem....hopefully your service records will give BMW good reason to take care of you, just dont be upset when they ask you to pay something for it....sometimes dealers and mfg's have to be very careful because of a situation called "implied warranty". If they fix your bike for free when it is not officially covered under warranty anymore (especially if the dealer does it), legally, they may have to fix it for free forever (if similar problems ever arise again and the customer pushes all the way to court) because of their generous actions to try and make you happy. One of the many reasons that dealers sometimes anger customers (not just fixing something on a just-out-of-warranty bike or a recently purchased used bike), yet, many times the shop is bound by so many stupid legal problems that can arise it is silly.

Good luck, I hope everything ends up going your way

Yep.....OP should have bought his bike at Faultline!

I purchased a bike there new in, I think, 1/07. Almost 3 years later I took it in to a guy named Teddy. Told him that I think I may have a wheel bearing issue and asked if Harley would cover it. Got to give him credit for not . He pulled a couple of his best mechanics and parts staff asided and asked them to help me out. You would have thought I had bought a whole fleet of bikes from Faultline.

Top mechanic checks out "the problem" and tells me that he was of the opinion that the bearing was ok. He offered to replace the bearing anyway .........no charge. I wanted to do some work on the wheel so he pulled the bearing for me, gave me new bearings that I wanted to install myself and even printed out part of the service manuel without me asking. He then offered a few pointers that were not obvious to a shade tree wrench like myself.

Figured I had not wasted enough of their time so went over to the guy named Teddy and picked his brain re: dirt bikes, my daughter and the state of things I don't even recall.

Very generous!!!!!!

When I rack up a few 100K mi on the Dyna I will make sure and blame them if the wheel bearing goes out

Oh yeh, Faultline doesn't stock BMW do they........never mind.

 

[nvp]

So, you think that BMWNA will bend over backwards to help someone who is basically holding the "I'll say everything bad there is to say about you if you don't take care of me" card?

You made your point earlier and I had said I agree with you. I have not said anything outside of the objective truth surrounding the situation.

However, this is the age of social media... brands are built and eroded by their actions, translated by consumers themselves. This benefits us as consumers on a daily basis. BMW knows this... this is nothing new. You may see it as a threat. I see it as an opportunity for BMW to stand behind their product and benefit from many people knowing about how they handled the situation.

 

[Burning1]

Some people think that a rough break in ensures a long life of high performance.

People have specifically theorized that those "demo" bike motors may end up being the best ones, because people leaned on them a bit when they were breaking in.

A rough break-in, no. A firm break in yes. Lots of pressure in the cylinders to seat the rings against the walls. Revs in the middle of the tach. If you rev the bike out or lug it down, it's going to break in poorly.

My BMW service guy commented that the bikes which were broken in on the gas almost always consume less oil than bikes that were broken in with kid gloves.

Demo bikes are almost always broken in by an employee of the dealer. Brake in practices will vary between shops.

The 1200 series has a knock sensor, and adjusts timing for lower octane fuel, so that shouldn't be a problem. It's also got pretty complex engine management, so if this was caused by the engine running too lean, that's a software issue. Hopefully BMW will step up to the plate and fix your engine. I don't think they'll do it without a struggle though. . . .

As far as I know, all modern BMWs are also equipped with Oxygen sensors. The run a little lean for my taste, but the computer will automatically compensate for a free-flowing exhaust.

Figured I had not wasted enough of their time so went over to the guy named Teddy and picked his brain re: dirt bikes, my daughter and the state of things I don't even recall.

The last time I did that, I brought the mechanic a 6 pack of beer a week later.

 

[ob1ventura]

The last time I did that, I brought the mechanic a 6 pack of beer a week later.

You are right. I have done that in the past and I owe them a keg but damn, Teddy needs to move the dealership closer to 1/2 moon