BMW R1200 right-side piston failures
Mon, 29/03/2010 - 09:55
I have heard stuff about piston failures in BMW R1200 engines (as fitted to R1200RT and R1200GS). I saw the aftermath of one first hand on an 06 R1200GS in my local garage and the damage to the engine was pretty much terminal. It is something to do with oil starvation caused by running bikes while on the side stand (when the right side cylinder is left pointing up into the air). I also heard that 09 plate bikes onwards don't have this problem. Does anyone have any more info?
Mikey
Tue, 30/03/2010 - 09:27
#2
It's not one bike. I know of at least four
It's not one bike. I know of at least four others (R1200RT) that have done the same. I have had a R1150GS since 2002 and it has never missed a beat. I don't know of a single R1150 that has suffered an engine failure, but it seems odd that so many R1200 should have a problem. I had previously thought their main problem was electrical gremlins (especially fuel pump controller). I'd love to get an R1200 but hearing about serious engine problems is holding me back - hence wanting to find out more here.
Tue, 30/03/2010 - 10:20
#3
Mikey. Don't forget that BMW make massive
Mikey. Don't forget that BMW make massive numbers of the 1200 boxer when compared to other manufacturers. I think they sell around 20,000 plus units in Germany alone per annum so a few failures will be statistically small.
However I understand your concern but would be unhesitant in re-purchasing a 1200GS MK2.The engine is fun and versatile.I am not sure about the latest engine as have no experiance.
Have you tried the dedicated forums or picked up the phone to one of the non-franchise service/boxer specialist?
ps Last September I was in the Alps and Dolomites and reckon I saw 10,000 GS's - no exageration - all ridden by conservative Germans. At every stop I asked them about their bikes and no one mentioned engine problems just the usual recall stuff for suspension, switches, brake lines, electics, fuel this and that blah blah blah. Eventually I stopped asking.
Tue, 30/03/2010 - 12:21
#4
At the risk of sounding pedantic but to our
At the risk of sounding pedantic but to our friend Mr In Circles - isn't it Honda who claim to have made more than a million of the V-TEC engine and never had a single one fail? If it's true and the failures of the GS12 motor are also true then statistically sppeaking it will be pretty pants! I may be wrong in that but it seems to stick in my mind, along with all the other crap that inhabits the place.
Tue, 30/03/2010 - 13:20
#5
shuggiemac; Honda are pretty peerless these
shuggiemac; Honda are pretty peerless these days unless you bought a new 08 Blade using oil at 1 litre per 700 miles.
The point about failure is that if it is a few per 100,000 then it is just bad luck. But if it is hundreds then it is gross incompetence. I just judge the MK2 GS engine to be 'abuse proof' as long as it has oil in it!
I FORGET the numbers but BMW used to have small failures in the scheme of things, I do not know current facts but they do not operate lean manufacturing so will always be behind the Japs in my opinion.
Engine builders often hide their problems by quietly replacing engines that fail PDQ. Both BMW with the 5 series replaced engines and Jag XJ's when the Nikocil? cylinder coatings failed in the early days but the general public were unaware;they cleverly blamed UK petrol quality.
Honda UK must be under the cosh as they refused to deal with my Blade and kept changing the acceptable in warranty oil consumption target to avoid cost implications.
Anyway it is pants if you have parted with a wodge of Queenies Greenies and the engine fails! Statistics are always used to rationalise issues and that is pants also!!!
There we both agree
Mikey Mikey get a push bike and play it safe!
Tue, 30/03/2010 - 13:31
#6
Mr InCircles - as ever my friend good points,
Mr InCircles - as ever my friend good points, well made and indeed Honda are peerless in these things.
Statistics are indeed pants in nearly all instances!
Tue, 30/03/2010 - 19:13
#7
Shuggiemac; Did you realise that
Shuggiemac; Did you realise that statistitions will always prove that homosapians, and thus bike riders, have on average less than 2 legs!
Yes it is fact because of the unfortunate people with one leg. So statistics prove that bike designers should duplicate brake and gearbox pedals both sides of a bike. I believe the EU are working on legislation.
This is why the VFR, with the twin clutch auto box, will shortly be declared Bike of the Year by all one legg Journalists.
Tue, 30/03/2010 - 19:01
#8
Brilliant - that made me smile, thanks for
Brilliant - that made me smile, thanks for brightening up another wise dull evening.
Tue, 30/03/2010 - 19:35
#9
I'll put the boxer piston reliability issue
I'll put the boxer piston reliability issue to BMW for an official response and have a word with some others in the know for an unofficial view.
I have heard of high oil consumption sometimes with them, but not this specific issue. I imagine if there is something generic BMW might well have fixed it when the bikes came in for servicing. Having said that, there were no related safety recalls on these bikes, just one to correct a possible gearbox lock-up problem in 2002, which was sorted. Yet piston failure could well have counted as a safety issue and there's no official sign of the problem.
Mikey Mikey. Piston failure can be several things from material fatigue thru' ring failure to seizure from oil starvation or some top end catastrophy. So you need to understand what failed or the cause of failure before a judgement can be made.
In a previous life I was involved in supplying BMW and their warranty figures on boxer engines was first class, very rare for failure of any kind. They can profile from the ECU what the running in revs are on the later bikes I was told by a dealer - don't know if this is fact!
I have done 50,000 miles on boxers in high temps at all speed over long hours, Morroco and Spain, with no problems.
It must be a rogue bike or lack of oil that you saw.
When run in Boxer engines will run with little oil consumption then, for no apparent reason, use half a glass in one day. If you miss this it can do the same and become low on oil. You do need to watch the glass and make it a habbit in my opinion.