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Any possible safety measure?
Forgive me for hijacking this fine thread, but it seems that all are done now venting their testosteron and bashing / defending BMW and most other bike manufacturers.
I have one of these bikes. I definitiely do not like the idea of it folding under me. So, what are my options? - Stop following Alibaba off the beaten track, and hope that my regular trip to church will not strain the fork too much - Park the bike until BMW decides to do the right thing - Sell it, let someone else get killed - Fork out (sorry...) about $1,000 for a pair of new fork legs - Play the numbers game. I will probably be run over by some latte sipping, cell phone yacking soccer mum in a huge SUV first anyway. The latter one is the most likely course of (non-)action for me and, I guess, most others. But can anyone think of a low-cost measure that would at least provide some warning to us irresponsile death wishers before it all goes pear shaped? Wrapping steel bands around the legs, or, or...? |
This is going to sound really negative, but I don't think there is much you can do. If, as the metallurgy people seem to suggest, it cracks from the inside, visual inspections, crack detection sprays and so on won't show anything. Finding one in the process of snapping would be nice, but I think it'd be a case of getting them X-rayed every few miles. You don't work in a hospital do you?
Adding something round the leg is risky. People think it's a casting or design issue, which to me screams that vibration is involved. Change how it vibrates and it might snap sooner. You'd also be taking away all your lawyers ammunition if it did and your insurers will love to call your bike modified and walk away while you get the bill. To me there are only three things to do and you've suggested them. In order of cost and living with yourself: 1. Get some earplugs that'll stop the voices in your head going on about the forks and get a sign made for the fuel tank that says only a dozen or so failures out of a couple of thousand bikes occured. This is not minimising the issue, I totally agree BMW should sort it, but you do probably have more chance of getting killed by a burst tyre, that SUV and so on. I'm a fine one to talk, I spend most trips listening to imagined gremlins in the motor eat valves, disconnect the oil pump, snap the chain, put sand in the bearings...... 2. Sell the bike. Personally I could live with this if I unloaded it onto a BMW dealer. If it helps, tell the dealer why you want to sell. They can't really turn round and say "we know they aren't right, that'll be $500 less trade in value". Isn't it then up to the dealer to tell the new owner or the new owner to do their research? Maybe I'm just a bad person for thinking that way. 3. Are new forks that expensive? What's the going rate at Motoworks or Motobinns? Can you get lowers only, you don't need the springs, damper bits, tops etc. It's a tough one. Good luck with it. Andy |
Hey Thor.
You see that’s why I always have my camera handy when driving with you. If I have understood this correctly all the incidents have been on low-mileage bikes. This might be because fabrication of some units has failed. What’s your mileage? I only have US-price for the parts and newer legs costs 500$ (for each leg!), not sure if they are interchangeable. Complete legs are 1600$ for a pair. There is a 2006 fork on ebay right now (450$), maybe something will pop up at German E-bay shortly. Threwheelbonnies idea of selling the bike back to BMW might be smart, but another option is to fit another type of fork. Touratech have an expensive kit and I’m sure there are other German companies that can help you out. Another possibility is to get a decent fork and adapt it. It’s a long way to go but we both know someone that can help you to make it fit. |
To get the good pics, you need to stay behind me - not a km ahead!
The US price is actually $321.66 each. (A&S, from Chigaco it's usually 20% less.) But in Norway, this usually translates to NOK 3200, including our modest 25% sales tax. This seems to be a general rule of thumb for everything, valid even when the USD was down to NOK 5,5. (Except alcohol, tobacco, gas, bikes and cars, of course.) It doesn't really seem to be all related to mileage. Some have had short, some long. Mine is around 40' miles now, IIRC. But way too many of them on smooth US hwys, I'm afraid. If I come across a usable fork at a nice price I might go for it, but I'll probably just pass the buck. I'm sort of smitten by the 1200. Will take my worrying to a whole new level: EWS (or whatever they call it) antennas that will not let me move. Dead servo brakes that will not let me stop. Weight I cannot lift. Canbus gremlins... |
- Stop .... let Alibaba get killed
- Play the numbers game. I will probably be run over by some latte sipping, cell phone yacking soccer mum in a huge SUV first anyway. A friendly BMW dealer, Good luck, |
I could absolutely do with some California beach time right now, Patrick. It's colder than a witch's tit around here now. I lived in Houston (yeah, I know) for a couple of years, hence the US hwys. But we all learn the Queens English in school, starting in fourth grade. Then at some point, Al Pacino takes over as your English teacher, and it's all downhill from there I'm afraid.
My forks are still OK, AFAIK, but around here you'd have to fork up (oops, I did it again) for your lawyer up front anyway. They are not allowed to do the percentage deals. (Let the ambulance chaser flogging begin!) |
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http://www.actiontouring.com/pic/ewsfrei.jpg I’ll take a chat with a lawyer tonight to see if there is any hope. |
Hey Thor!
I’ve checked with a lawyer at the consumer council and there is no easy way to do this because your bike is older then 5 years. She told me the best you can do is to get in touch with these guys: http://www.dsb.no Good luck! |
Thanks, but I believe the HPN forks will fit. I know where I can source one, and the owner will never even notice that I swapped.
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Further Information
We have received confirmation of posts and articles concerning the axle mount failures
Jim Tussey from the US has advised he was seriously injured in 2004 and had a metallurgy report done on the failed RHS fork leg at the time, it indicated metal fatigue. The machine had only 1400 miles on it at the time. Jim is a mechanical Engineer so is well qualified to comment. http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hub...4-4#post213501 A UK rider who posted to the UK F650 forum of finding cracking around the RHS axle mount in 2007 has confirmed in an email the content of his post BMW F650 (UK and Ireland) :: View topic - Any known fork recalls on F650 GS's ?? In addition to the above, in Australia the proprietor of an Insurance Assessment Co has advised he has assessed "1/2 a dozen" early F650GS machines and all had RHS axle mount failures. He described precisely the failures as per all of the pic's seen online to date. However the causes of the accidents are unknown. It seems with the information now coming to light that the failures are more widespread than initially believed. |
We need to file reports with NHTSA
I made some calls and the US National Highway Traffic Saftey Administration's Office of Defect Investigation is very interested in this sort of problem.
Unfortunately, they have only recieved one documented report of a problem for all F650s from model year 1999 to 2004. Please ask anyone who has personally had one of these fork failures to visit IVOQ - File a Complaint and file a complaint. It only takes 5-10 minutes, and you do NOT need to live in the United States to report a problem. If you file a complaint, please email the complaint number to me at f650forks@earthlink.net. As a german engineer who owns an '01 GS (with front wheel still attached) I'm more than a little pissed off about how BMW is handling this. I'm willing to spend some time pestering the NHTSA into taking action, but it would be a lot easier for me if there were 4-5 legitimate complaints filed. Feel free to forward or repost this to other forums. Once the NHTSA to does an investigation, we can get the report released via a Freedom Of Information Act request. Then, if there is not a recall, at least we'll have a straight answer on why they think one isn't necessary. (I tried getting a straight answer out of BMW Customer Service, but it was hopeless) |
The NHTSA report now stands at 5 with more expected
The report Numbers are 10244404, 10252808, 10238415, 10245369, 10250116 I would also like to hear from anyone who has had an axle failure or knows of someone regardless of the circumstances surrounding any accident There are more out there & most are buried in insurance write off's |
Update: NHTSA now on case...
According to something recently posted on Advrider, the NHTSA has just opened an investigation and formally asked BMW to respond.
http://i137.photobucket.com/albums/q...ionStarted.gif It is reference PE09026. I also gather that this being initiated is in no small part due to the efforts Rwolf01 (aka Ralph Wolf) who has already posted in this thread. Let us hope that the truth outs. Before any more people are hurt, or anybody dies if they haven't already. |
UK Investigation
As of 15/6/09 UK VOSA safety Authority has announced an investigation into the fork issues on the early F650GS
They have promised a full investigation Will post further information as it becomes available |
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