Liquid cooled BMW 1250 GS update

[JohnG.]

http://www.motorcycle.com/manufactur...iew-91202.html

[BigSteve]

Yeah John......Lookin forward to giving one a good thrash when theget a demo in......

Now it's got water cooling it might be as fast as our Capo's...

Reading this weeks MCN..new Z1000 Versys has a top speed of 144mph...

[Kelt Kurmudgeon]

Hopefull they addressed the final drive reliability in the redesign - I've heard the Triumph Explorer's is massive.

[Capoandrew]

But but but..... It's a BM effing W!!!!

Please tell me you aren't serious!!

Note: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iaB40TLQE8M

[Precis]

Massive changes - does this suggest they've recognised a flawed design and completely reworked it?
Interesting they've put the shaft-drive on the left side - and there appears to be a spin-off oil filter under the left cylinder too.
No doubt the price will be huge - and wealthy lemmings will flock to buy them.
Bah, humbug!

[JoelWisman]

I don't think they are addressing a design flaw .

BMW had been working feverishly on this engine for a couple of years when I left. 10 years ago BMW made exactly 2 engines and outsourced the making of one other.

BMW actually tried to kill off the air cooled boxer a few times before cause it got harder to meet modern emissions with an old design each and every year.

Today BMW has 4 engines in production and 4 outsourced to Rotax and Kymco as well as the water cooled boxer coming up. I suspect they will get this newest engine right as they are already a year behind when they hoped to release it which was last fall. To me, this is a sign they are doing the beta testing themselves.

Last I had heard, it was to be the same final drive in a slightly modified housing as the K1300's used. I suppose it's possible they redesigned it but I sort of doubt it. In all fairness BMW made a big running production change on all of their final drives mid 2010 and as yet, I haven't seen any longevity issues with that design, but neither have I seen any with more then 40K on them.

Quite honestly, I think the big GS's are great road bikes, good on gravel, and tough enough for pretty heavy off road though lousy suspension for such.

Issues were:
ESA leaks, (electronic shock) possibly fixed by a vender change but too early to tell.

EWS rings (anti theft encoded key antenna) fixed by a recall

Shitty running and stalling caused by bad cam position encoders, fixed by recall.

Hit and miss final drive failures, possibly fixed by running production change mid 2010 but to early to tell.

Clutch hydraulic failure, partially addressed by a recall but still there if you get the bike hot enough. Bleeding brings the clutch back.

Fuel pump controller failure that stops engine, Mostly fixed by a recall and meticulous cleaning and greasing of O-ring

Front brake lines cracking or bursting. Possibly fixed by 3 recalls, was always rare but disconcerting.

Brake rotor warpage, never addressed or acknowledged.

Floating front rotor springs, not officially acknowledged but internally clarified to be a warranty item

Fuel pump failure. Super common but less likely with constant use of BMW or Chevron techron concentrate, avoidance of ethanol fuel thats water contaminated.

Fuel injector sticking. Same as fuel pump

Oil leakage at back of engine, fixed by recall

Most of the above has been addressed by recalls and campaigns. All that seriously remains is warping rotors, failing fuel pumps and fuel injectors and a whole lot of uncertainty of if other problems are truly resolved.

My fear with new BMW products is that it may not be reliable till 3 years of recalls have been conducted. If you ride gently and don't put on that many miles, you only have the slight annoyance of visiting the dealer to conduct campaigns regularly. If, like me, you ride hard and long, you are the beta tester.

In fairness, this is the case with new models in every brand to a greater or lesser extent, it's simply towards the greater side with new BMW motorcycles.

[Precis]

BMW have a poor reputation for expecting their customers to pay (exhorbitantly) for the privilege of conducting Product Development; yours is an interesting list of major-league failures that you'd complain about on a Ural, never mind the supposed Uber-Alles BMW. You omitted the 50c o-ring which would refuse the bike permission to start in damp weather, the misting of early instruments and sporadic, intermittant, unpredictible and inconsistant failures of bits of the CanBus electrical system that would shut down various components at inoportune moments.
One of my dream bikes is a Daytona Orange R90S, and I wouldn't mind a 650 Dakar - but no way would I contemplate spending money of any spanking-new BMW.

[BigSteve]

One of my dream bikes is a Daytona Orange R90S, and I wouldn't mind a 650 Dakar - but no way would I contemplate spending money of any spanking-new BMW.

...I love the old R90S as well Steve, it has real class about it, I'm a bit too big for the 650 dakar though

I rode the 2011 BMW Adventure GS1200 and whilst it's a nice bike, over 80/90 mph it starts to run out of steam

I'm looking forward to riding the new LC one to see if it's got some get up and go like our Capo's...though it does have loads of farkles on it to play with...

[JohnG.]

One of my dream bikes is a Daytona Orange R90S, and I wouldn't mind a 650 Dakar - but no way would I contemplate spending money of any spanking-new BMW.

Yup,But may consider a sorted 2yr old BMW...c wot 'appens...
anyway, the Capo's still a keeper

[Stanleybobly]

WTF ! 50cc more,
it''s getting heavier..!

[Stanleybobly]

B.t.W
any NEW Caponord news?

[Precis]

B.t.W
any NEW Caponord news?

See "Moto Guzzi Stelvio NTX"..
Now available in any colour you like, as long as it's black... now, where have I heard that before?

[Stanleybobly]

See "Moto Guzzi Stelvio NTX"..
Now available in any colour you like, as long as it's black... now, where have I heard that before?

Ugly, We want a proper replacement with V4 engine from the RSV4~~!!@

[Precis]

Ugly, We want a proper replacement with V4 engine from the RSV4~~!!@

"Beauty is in the eye of the beer-holder" - at least it has shaft-drive; I haven't ridden the V4 - do you think it would have low-down torque for gently chugging up some rutted rocky or muddy off-road inclines?

[Stanleybobly]

and a Pegaso 800 would be fine too