New BMW G650GS

[Richard Simpson]

They've had probs with fork legs snapping too.

Can you make a warranty claim if you are dead?

Buy one? I wouldn't ride one if it was a gift!

[IainD]

I bought one in June, specs looked good, price excellent and initial write up's seemed positive. How wrong could I have been? I have been riding for over 30 years and have never had a bike with so many issues.

BMW seem to have provided me with a gearbox with a second neutral, between 4th and 5th, is this a new design initiative? Sometimes the gear goes in sometimes not.

The Rev Counter jumps up and down on its own between 4 and 5 thou without any change in throttle or speed.

A dark shadow has appeared on the LCD screen, a not so nice vertical line at LHS.

Bike sometimes won't start after being run for half an hour or so, needs to be left for about an hour and starts perfectly. Great when you need to fill up with petrol and have top stand around waiting for it to eventually spit into life.

Rust has started appearing on the frame near the rear footpeg brackets.

and best of all.... it is now off the road awaiting BMW assistance collecting it as the rear shock has given up and with no damping it is like riding a pogo stick.

The dealer tells me they have never had any other issues with this model, however an internet search says different.

I am at the point of rejecting mine and getting my money back. Do not go near this bike for a couple of years till they sort out all the issues that are going to arise. I, unfortunately, seem to have got most of them at once. It is a great bike to look at, but don't expect a trouble free ownership.

[-Ralph-]

BMW bikes have always been very good and are mostly decent products. My experience with BMW cars on the other hand is terrible. As a organisation and a dealer network they think they don't need to sell decent products, or have happy customers, because there will always be another customer in the queue to waiting to buy into the BMW badge. You will always eventually run into quality issues, when demand outstrips supply, and an organisation doesn't need to rely on maintaining high standards of quality in order to sell their products.

[Richard Simpson]

I bought one in June, specs looked good, price excellent and initial write up's seemed positive. How wrong could I have been? I have been riding for over 30 years and have never had a bike with so many issues.

BMW seem to have provided me with a gearbox with a second neutral, between 4th and 5th, is this a new design initiative? Sometimes the gear goes in sometimes not.

The Rev Counter jumps up and down on its own between 4 and 5 thou without any change in throttle or speed.

A dark shadow has appeared on the LCD screen, a not so nice vertical line at LHS.

Bike sometimes won't start after being run for half an hour or so, needs to be left for about an hour and starts perfectly. Great when you need to fill up with petrol and have top stand around waiting for it to eventually spit into life.

Rust has started appearing on the frame near the rear footpeg brackets.

and best of all.... it is now off the road awaiting BMW assistance collecting it as the rear shock has given up and with no damping it is like riding a pogo stick.

The dealer tells me they have never had any other issues with this model, however an internet search says different.

I am at the point of rejecting mine and getting my money back. Do not go near this bike for a couple of years till they sort out all the issues that are going to arise. I, unfortunately, seem to have got most of them at once. It is a great bike to look at, but don't expect a trouble free ownership.

You are not alone See:

http://advrider.com/forums/showthread.p ... 16&page=22

I'd ask for my cash back if I were you.

[africajim]

The guy moaning about the G650GS in his blog appears to have an old F650GS? The clocks are certainly from an F650, not the new G650GS released in Britain.
Fiona's one's still with Calterdon BMW in Inverness, the re-incarnation of Fawlty Towers.
They say they received a new control unit but it's not compatible with their s/w so they can't reprogram it?
Incompetence at its best, my opinion of them has been passed to Motorad at the weekend so hopefully someone might have a word with them regarding their s/w package before I go up there and punch one of them? They've had it a week now. No courtesy bike. Shocking, certainly putting me off buying anything with BMW on it.

[DizzyDee]

Bike sometimes won't start after being run for half an hour or so, needs to be left for about an hour and starts perfectly. Great when you need to fill up with petrol and have top stand around waiting for it to eventually spit into life.

Welcome to my world - I love my Baby Beemer but I dread filling him up cos I know that its going to take over half an hour to be able to restart him. Its fine cold start though. I'm not the only one either Bumpy from the F650 forum having probs. too we both bought from the same place in Hertford and when he mentioned his problems the said they never had any problems from anyone else - so what was my rant at Stevenage Bikefest then BMW!! was over an hour late to set up Curvies Stand coz bike wouldn't start again and they just happened to be at the entrance - captive audience what luck.
Dizz

[africajim]

Funnily enough,,,, I couldn't start Fiona's F650GS, it always refused for me? Fiona could manage it fine, it only seemed to happen when I tried to start it? Possibly a user thing? (Touch throttle when starting or something?) I don't know but I can't start them!
Saying that, my Ickle Beemer (F650ST) always starts on the button? Maybe I'm better with manual chokes? LOL!
It really is a shame though as Fiona loves her GS. Hopefully we'll get this sorted out soon.

[LargeWayRound]

Funnily enough,,,, I couldn't start Fiona's F650GS, it always refused for me? Fiona could manage it fine, it only seemed to happen when I tried to start it? Possibly a user thing? (Touch throttle when starting or something?) I don't know but I can't start them!
Saying that, my Ickle Beemer (F650ST) always starts on the button? Maybe I'm better with manual chokes? LOL!
It really is a shame though as Fiona loves her GS. Hopefully we'll get this sorted out soon.

Ahh , I remember us both nearly ending up in a ditch when we bumped fiona's old bike.
:laugh: :laugh:

Hope Fiona gets her bike back soon , and she has no further issues.

cheers LWR

[pfitskie]

3 months and 6000km on the clock Still going strong

Cheers, Peter

[africajim]

3 months and 6000km on the clock Still going strong

Cheers, Peter

Glad to hear it, Fiona's is also 3 months old and 3500 miles on the clock, into its second week at Calterdon BMW Inverness, they called today and told her more parts ordered, 3 to 5 working days, so that'll be another week then eh?

Aye Craig, that was my last attempt to start her bike, ended up bumping it along the road,,, almost to its demise! LOL!

If she doesn't have it back in time for the Ullapool gig they'll be told to use it as a two wheeled suppository!