Change of future plans!!
I'm keeping my 50R for at least another year or 2. What really soured me was reading the F800 chatboards on not so much the serious problems the 2006 and 2007 models had but how BMW handled those MANUFACTURER problems!! I also hate the CAN-Bus electrical system for it's arrogant, intolerant, inconsiderate, unreliable control over the bike. It may take years to wear me down so that I can accept it on my next BMW.
Have a look here:
http://f800riders.org/forum/showthread.php?t=20840
http://f800riders.org/forum/showthread.php?t=18225
http://f800riders.org/forum/showthread.php?t=20708
http://f800riders.org/forum/showthread.php?t=20759 <---Read well into all those pages. Sound familiar?
Here's a copy-n-paste of an especially honest one:
"I'm with you on the time to work on the motor. When they pulled my motor to pieces for the seized clutch as well as placing the drive bearing they had the bike for 2 1/2 months. That seems awfully long for waiting for parts. When the first lot of parts arrived it was missing a couple of parts. The final assembly was done within the week.
Personally I love what the F800 can potentially be as an all round bike. The ongoing failures is one problem. Sure many of them are fixed quickly but at what point does it become ridiculous. My bike has had 5 mirrors for example and will probably see two more before year end. What is that?
The early beta bikes were great for helping BMW sort out the many problems with the motor. As I understand it new piston design, new sleeve design, new clutch housing design, new clutch assembly design and apparently a change in the oil feed holes. Overall the engine has had significant modifications done to most of the innards.
The dealers have worked hard to sort things for me as a customer. They seem largely let down by BMW Germany. Although there is now a new note to that below.
At present I have one fault that BMW have advised they can't fix and an engine that I consider is knock, knock, knocking on deaths door.
As a result I've had discussions with BMW to take my bike and replace it with the 09 bike which should be problem free. Touch wood (with both hands).
We couldn't reach agreement on the change over and now I have advised BMW that my relationship with the bike is at an end and I am returning the bike. They have asked me to hold it for the moment while they talk with BMW Australia and BMW Germany.
My bike seems like the one built on Friday by a guy who'd been told he was being let go earlier in the week.
I would have been happy to take the 09 bike but again I think BMW just completely miss the mark in terms of the ABS intermittent fault on this bike. I am pleased to see it's occurring less on newer bikes and yet see it reported on an 08 bike.
BMW Germany have shown incredibly poor form that borders on gross negligence. Their support of dealers from what I see as a customer seems to be less than what it should be.
When the F800 goes well great. When it has problems for which BMW Germany have provided a fix then it's fine. Otherwise BMW Germany support is utter rubbish, slow, disorganised, unreliable, frustrating, insulting and bloody annoying. They know full well the early engines have problems. When a client has one that's failing the client has to ride it through the failure process until the vibrations are so bad you can feel it through the whole bike, the seat and even the pillion notices I've installed a massage seat. And BMW say "that's how BMW engines age" "there is no problem". My thumb and right two fingers are now continuosly numb. The vibrations are chronic. Apparently I have to ride the bike till the engine deteriorates more before someone at BMW goes, "ahh yess it is bad", "we have never heard of this problem ever in the world"' "this is a one off and we don't know what has happened", yeah right. There are many posts of riders with engine rebuilds. You buggers know what the hell is going on, you just hope it goes away.
Apparently this is not the first time BMW has left a design fault in the market place that causes rider injuries or could even kill. It seems they make an accounting decision and riders lives don't factor in could be the only conclusion I can draw from their actions.
That's the other side of BMW for you. Screw the fact that a rider could be killed or injured it seems profit comes before people with this company in my opinion. It's the same with the ABS failure. They decide they will just take their chances and deal with claims as they come in.
Sure there are people on here who think the sun shines out of BMW's backside but I am personally disgusted to learn that this company tolerates failures that potentially could injure or kill riders. I don't want to get into discussions on the other bike that I have seen posts on. They have done it again with the F800 ABS which seems to show three minor crashes on this forum with one being just a damaged mirror and the other two crashes.
At the end of the day this problem affects a small number of F800's and doesn't occur often. Some people think that because that is the case then we should say nothing. I personally disagree. To be quiet and let BMW Germany continue their shameful practise of leaving just one rider at risk is not my style.
Even if I had shares in BMW I would have the same view.
So I have a poor quality F800 that is finally being returned because BMW can't fix it and there are just more failures in the process of happening being the mirrors, engine and probably front brake rotors. I've had enough.
I may still end up with an 09 F800 and if I do that wouldn't be a bad thing. It would be nice to ride this bike problem free.
__________________
I'm collating Data on the F800 ABS Failure for sending to Germany. Please visit
http://f800riders.org/forum/showthread.php?t=18225 if you've had the problem.
Thanks."
----end of copy-n-paste----
I went to Atlanta BMW again today (Saturday) to have a talk with a service tech and see the 2009 F800-ST they had in Champagne (silver). What a great ride it was! I-985 and I-85 have a 70 MPH (112.6 kph) speed limit and the traffic was ALL moving at 84 MPH (135.1 kph). The white Jeep SUV in front of me was consistently between that high number and get this . . . 102 MPH (164.1 kph) on the open straightaways. Seen the number on the Zumo 450's display (GPS). I had no trouble keeping up using less than 1/2 throttle to accelerate with him when the slowpokes finally got out of the way. What a wonderful deep drone the intake and exhaust makes at 4,500 RPM in 6th gear (90 MPH, 144.8 kph). It was like riding on the German Autobahn and it felt like the engine's "sweet spot".
OK. So now I'm at the dealer and I asked 1 of the 3 guys in the service dept group about the engine replacements because of the piston problems and one at a time all volunteered that there weren't any engine problems (??). Asked me if it was the U.S. models (as IF that would matter!!). He said the F800 bikes were pretty problem free (??). I then got the details about the valve train, specifically that the shims were flat on one side and cup shaped on the other, serving as a ball socket pivot (like on our OilHeads) to minimize side loads on the valvestems as the rocker arm swings thru it's arc. I haven't yet seen any pics or drawings of exactly what it looks like, but can clearly envision the concept. To change the shims, you just slide the rockerarm on it's pivot shaft to the side, against it's weak spring tension, enabling you to remove and exchange the shim. It would be quicker than fussing with a threaded adjuster and the adjustment interval is 12,500 miles (20,117 km). He also admitted that the on board computer's "Service due" warning indicator (for regular scheduled service like oil, filter and valve adjustment) can ONLY be reset by the dealer's master gadget (!!!) Happy Birthday on that one! Do you also feel the inconsiderate arrogance from the maker??
Then I took a close look at the BMW bags again, even got the salesman's skilled demonstration on how to open and remove them. The size, shape and gaudy styling of them was disappointing on all 3 counts, even more-so when you consider their $890 cost. Yes, I looked at the Givi bags but their visible, unsophisticated looking support racks and bag positioning angle yelled out "one rack fits all" lack of integration. When I walked out to my bike my mind was solidly made up. The 50R stays. I may have to put a couple hundred $$$ into replacing both FD bearings over the Winter, but it's better than $9,500 + my bike for a new bike. A new bike WITHOUT the 50R's kickass 700 Watt car alternator and amazing TeleLever Ohlins front end. Also My bike runs beautifully on regular grade Chevron gasoline (with Techron) and is (electric motor) Gold Wing smooth at 70 MPH (112.6 kph).
Call off the VULTURES!!! I'm giving up buying
THIS and keeping
THIS .
.
