New Bike - Corrosion Test
- Thread starter Warlord
- Start date
It's all a bit smug saying look after the bike and you won't get any issues. I ride all year, use ACF50, am a bit of a detailing freak, sluiced the bike down after every ride with cold water in winter, it was garaged, cleaned top to bottom every weekend. Never left wet as I use a bike drier and my RT still disintegrated.
There is a thread in here with pics. It it had;
Engine
Paralever
Final drive
Rear wheel
Centre stand
I could go on and on, it's almost a lottery.
I'm at 7k miles on the K1600 replacement now and it's had a new centre stand on warranty due to corrosion.
I had the backup of the dealer as they told BMW they'd never seen any of my bikes in anything less than sparkling condition.
My R Nine T has had no corrosion issues but it had to have a new motor because the crank case bolts were coming loose. Turned out to be faulty cases so they swapped the engine.
It's not simply a case of "some people don't know how to clean a bike" , there simply have to be issues with manufacturing and the fact that (as has been said before by many) issues with thin, water based paint.
It's not just BMWs, a friends got a 17 year old firestorm, immaculate apart from the starter motor, but they always get hammered, his 10 month old Africa Twin looks like it was pulled from the wreck of the titanic, and he's being faught all the way by Honda at the moment so he's now going through formally rejecting it.
Both my GS LC, and my RT LC had corrosion problems, both had replacement engines, the RT was almost a total rebuild.
There is a thread in here with pics. It it had;
Engine
Paralever
Final drive
Rear wheel
Centre stand
I could go on and on, it's almost a lottery.
I'm at 7k miles on the K1600 replacement now and it's had a new centre stand on warranty due to corrosion.
I had the backup of the dealer as they told BMW they'd never seen any of my bikes in anything less than sparkling condition.
My R Nine T has had no corrosion issues but it had to have a new motor because the crank case bolts were coming loose. Turned out to be faulty cases so they swapped the engine.
It's not simply a case of "some people don't know how to clean a bike" , there simply have to be issues with manufacturing and the fact that (as has been said before by many) issues with thin, water based paint.
It's not just BMWs, a friends got a 17 year old firestorm, immaculate apart from the starter motor, but they always get hammered, his 10 month old Africa Twin looks like it was pulled from the wreck of the titanic, and he's being faught all the way by Honda at the moment so he's now going through formally rejecting it.
Both my GS LC, and my RT LC had corrosion problems, both had replacement engines, the RT was almost a total rebuild.
A lot of people were commenting yesterday on my Dent ride,yesterday..... how good a nick my 12yo 60k GSA was and how good the finish was, even compared to a 62 plate 90th TwinCam GSA which was exhibiting whitening of the black engine cases
Paint has gone downhill over last 10 years
Paint has gone downhill over last 10 years
demonbiker
Registered user
Just looked at mine while fitting an ez can and extra lights - centre stand is rusty!!!
Done 5k and been wet twice
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Done 5k and been wet twice
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
- Joined
- Dec 20, 2004
- Messages
- 33,547
- Reaction score
- 469
Just looked at mine while fitting an ez can and extra lights - centre stand is rusty!!!
Done 5k and been wet twice
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Mines done 24k and I can see that the paint has been 'blasted' off in the centre of the cross bar of the centre stand BUT this is my 4th 1200 and I learned early on that as long as you clean it and put some ACF50 on the stand the rust IS kept at bay - to be frank if one makes a bit of effort at cleanining and protecting then it will stay looking good for years.
demonbiker
Registered user
This isn't a year old yet!!!! Had acf 50 on it & not ridden in salt!!!
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Or stop it from being blasted in the first place. A length of convoluted split cable sleeve secured with tie-wraps does the job.
demonbiker
Registered user
Good idea but at the price we pay should have better finish
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Mines got a new centre stand at first service, no paint left on 75% of it , my 2 yr old one was still sitting in the showroom (sold) and it was like newJust looked at mine while fitting an ez can and extra lights - centre stand is rusty!!!
Done 5k and been wet twice
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Sent from my SM-T210 using Tapatalk
Bungy
Registered user
That was me and my bike. It is really depressing watching your pride and joy actively disintegrate with what are very clearly shortfalls in quality, especially when you look at the quality of finish on older bikes.
Yours does look very well Johnny.
- Joined
- Dec 20, 2004
- Messages
- 33,547
- Reaction score
- 469
On my first 2 1200s I put some thick clear protective tape over the centre stand, that did he trick, but haven't bothered on the last two, just FS365 and/or ACF 50 after the weekly wash, all bikes have been ridden through winter too. In the words of Trigger - look after your bike
- Joined
- Dec 20, 2004
- Messages
- 33,547
- Reaction score
- 469
You don't ever ride through winter, do you?
The bike in question was used over winter by the previous owner.................no corrosion though
'Or stop it from being blasted in the first place. A length of convoluted split cable sleeve secured with tie-wraps does the job.'
Done
Done
Last edited:
Like I said you peaked to early on buying the last of the best GS,s
Mines a 63 and is perfect, well I'm assuming it's perfect under the grime.
My recommendation is ride often, wash less, buy 365 in 5lt and apply often and not just after a wash. It only takes a minute to to coat everywhere.
The bike may not be pretty but an oily grime is a good protector
I resolved the centre stand rust issue.
I don't have one
I don't have one
I was surprised at your bike - particularly the cases as the rest of the bike looked good
I do think the older bikes were slightly better - but all will corrode if you let them, even Airheads
My 3 month old R1200R went back to BMW last month with just 1,700 miles on the clock.
First was rust around rear subframe, followed by all the paint on the centre stand disappearing, then paint bubbling on rear rack and the final straw was paint bubbling on front alloy wheel.
From the dark side this was sent
First was rust around rear subframe, followed by all the paint on the centre stand disappearing, then paint bubbling on rear rack and the final straw was paint bubbling on front alloy wheel.
From the dark side this was sent
Similar threads
