R1200GS Blues
 

I just completed a 12,000 mile trip on an 05 R1200GS around the US and Canada in 62 days. The bike ran flawlessly for most of the trip. At the completion of each day, I would check both the tire pressure and the oil. I'd put the bike on the centerstand and check the oil giving it 5 or 10 minutes to settle while hot and then add, if necessary, enough oil to maintain a three quaters level in the sight glass. With the coefieceint of expansion of 20W50 BMW oil, this would drop the oil level to aproximately 1/3rd the sight glass when cold. The oil level is always meticulously maintained on my bike. The bike was never beat or top ended. I got 12,000 miles on the original Metzler tourance tires. OK, now for the problem. At 15,700 miles I felt the bike surge while riding towards Big Bend National park in Texas. At first I thought I had been buffeted by a wind gust. Then I heard the knocking. Very similar to loud rockers or valves. I stopped the bike, had a smoke and checked the oil. The oil level was in the 3/4 range in the sight glass. As i was in the middle of nowhere with only Buzzards and Rattlesnakes to keep me company, I decided to proceed to the next town of any size which was Fort Stockton, Texas. I found that the knocking would subside if I kept the bike at 60 mph at approx 3000 rpms. Any load placed on the engine either by throttle or say going up a hill it would return. I wound up towing the bike to San Antonio, Texas. Alamo BMW of course check the valves (O.K.) and replaced the cam tensioner. This did nothing to quiet the knock. The bike is under warranty and they told me they would put a new engine in. It has yet to be determined what failed. The bike was serviced at 6,000 and 12,000 miles by BMW in Greenville, South Carolina and Missoula, Montana respectively. There was no indication until it happened such as a rise in oil temperture prior to failure. I have heard rumors that being a first generation engine, when the bike reaches the 15 to 20 thousand mile range, blockage causes insuficient oil to the bearings and of course they fail. My question to you is this. Have you heard of this problem occuring to other members. I have yet to confront BMW until all the facts are in. A new engine is fine however will I wind up telling a dealer every 15,000 miles or so "Check the oil and, oh yeah, replace the engine". Thanks Smitty

Hi Smitty, sorry to hear about your problem but to give you a bit of reasurance as regards 1200GSs, mine is a '04 UK model and as from yesterday it had just over 56,000mls on the clock. Yes I have had some problems but enginewise nothing, lets just hope that you purchased a Friday afternoon built moto and your new donk was built on a Monday. Ride safe, Mike.

Appreciate the comeback maja!
 

Yes, I may be riding a two wheeled "Lemon". It has yet to be disected but I figure a bering or wrist pin. I have my trusty "Goose" (Moto Guzzi for all of you non Guzziholics) to putt putt around on as a backup (beats peddling a Schwinn).
I hope BMW (Best Motorcycle in the World) doesn't turn into BMW (Bust My Wallet). I truly "wish" this all didn't happen, But "If wishes were horses, begars would ride". Best......Smitty

Starboard piston is toast!
 

Just stopped at the dealer to take a look-see at the damage. The noise(ruby crested woodpecker?) was from a scoured cylinder (starboard side),((right side)),( sorry, I work on ships). This was causing a slap ( the woodpecker!). The valves are fine. The (portside), ((left)) cylinder is fine..... Go figure.... Their was erosion in specific areas around the rings on the stbd cylinder. The dealership hasn't finished it's "evaluation" of the problem and the "BMW Rep" is "researching" it. From what I can see, looks like a lube failure on the starboard cylinder. Any ideas what else it could be? I will continue this "Soap Opera" on tuesday when they give me and I quote "The Full Evaluation" on what failed. The bike has sat in their shop for over a month with nothing being done to it so I already feel like they are giving me the "full treatment". Thanks, Smitty

The verdict is in
 

Got the diagnosis from the BMW doctor the other day. He said "You got a sick puppy there". The right cylinder was "defective". Possibly out of round or the entire bore was off. I guess sombody fell asleep at the switch on the assembly line. So much for quality control. It was decided to just change out the right cylinder and piston by the BMW rep.. I argued my case for a new engine. According to rep, there are no 05 engines left as spares. When they determine the new model engines seem to be O.K., they use the spare inventory in the bikes they are producing(or something to that effect). My bike was only 8 months old at the time of the incident. I spoke with the dealer and told him that I wanted both cylinders and pistons renewed for continuity. It's a new bike and I don't want 16,000 miles on the left side and be breaking in the right side. This would also throw the maintenance schedule off. He agreed with me and it was decided to change both cylinders and pistons. The oil and filter were examined for metal and none was found. So, hopefully that won't be a problem. I got the bike back yesterday and so far, it's running great. So much so that I am now convinced that the knocking noise was always there. When I purchased the bike and was "riding off" on it, as I let the clutch out and loaded the engine, there was a knock. I asked the dealer who was "waving me off" what's that? Is that normal? He said "That's no problem". Some of these bikes are a little louder than others.???? The sound doesn't exist now. It has a sound which I now preceive as normal. The "traditional" sound is gone. It stands to reason to me that if one of the cylinders was a problem, I may have been correctly hearing the symtoms of what turned into a major headache for me. When it finally "blew", The knocking noise now seemed to be an amplified version of what I have always heard from square one. Anyway, I'm not a "Happy Camper" that this all happened in the first place. I have a different perception of BMW now. I had to pressure them and raise hell a couple of times to get things done to my satisfaction, but in the end, they came through(I hope). When I first talked to the BMW rep (before we got to the point that we decided we didn't like eachother any more), he was on his cell phone from Colorado. He told me he was enroute to check on "another" 05 with a similar problem. Well, I don't want to sound like a cronic crybaby. I truly like the bike and hope it is "well". My last trip was truly great and I met some incredible people and had a wonderful time. Breaking down and mechanical screw ups are "Part of the Joy of motorcycling". Let's face it, just to bring ya back to reality, if it gets to heavy for ya to bear, you can alway just WALK. All the best, Smitty