Hi Guys,
I know that often threads like this tend to get witty replies and I'm often one stoking those fires. I this instance, I would ask that replies be kept on track and there be no piss taking.
I'm having an ongoing "discussion" with a BMW dealers service department and I'm rapidly losing my rag as I feel that I'm being fobbed off.
I own a 2017 GSA that I bought new. When it had done 2500 miles, I was told that it needed new rear brake pads. A cost that I hadn't budgeted for and, Ill admit I was a bit pissed off. I rarely use my rear brake and that mileage seemed VERY low. At it's annual service (at the 6000 mile point) I was again told that it needed rear pads. I discussed the matter with the service manager and I was advised to have the calipers cleaned as well. More expense that I hadn't budgeted for.
Further discussion and he agreed verbally that it seemed a low mileage. We agreed that I would go off on the trip that I had planned over the following weeks and return a couple of thousand miles later to see what the wear of the new pads was.
I did my trip and sent him an email. No reply. Several more emails throughout a few busy weeks for me at work... all with no reply. Finally I sent an email "snotogram" set at "high priority" on my mail system and I got a reply and made a date to have the bike looked at. It needed a new rear tyre, so I thought it the perfect time to have that rear brake checked - especially with the worry of rear calipers dropping into spokes on some machines!
The bike got a replacement rear tyre and a "health check" - which found the rear pads worn by 60%, the rear disk worn down to it's "minimum limit" and a small perforation in the rubber concertina gaiter on the drive shaft. As well as those things, I pointed out the fact that the centre and side stands were, in my opinion, excessively corroded for a 15 month old bike as well as the paint at several point around the engine bubbling.
The bike was valeted and ACF50'd (as I have had done several times since I bought it) and the service manager took some photos of the corrosion points that I was raising. He said that he couldn't do anything right then as his head of department was away on holiday.
Two weeks later I get a reply from said bod...
"After talking with ******* and looking through your bike history, I think it would be best to arrange an appointment in the workshop so our guys can take another look at the caliper, just to make sure we didn't miss anything last time. Once we've done this, are happy that there is nothing wrong with the caliper, have recorded the mileage and pad wear. I would suggest riding the bike and then at the next service or when passing, pop in and we'll check the wear of the pads and again record the mileage.
This will hopefully give us a more accurate picture of the wear on the pads."
This got an "NO! not happy with that" reply including a line that suggested that I considered their answer one that would have been received from "Motorcycle City" rather than a BMW dealership.
So yesterday he comes back with...
"I'm sorry if my e-mail has come across in the wrong way. If I'm honest, after speaking with ****** and the technician who worked on the bike I was happy that the braking system is ok, but because we're ****************** and not Motorcycle city, I didn't just want to tell you there's nothing else we can do. So my offer to take another look was purely an effort to show good customer service.
I understand you don't use the rear brake and yet it's worn out before the front pads, however in our experience we find this to be completely normal; front pads can last over 20,000 miles and rear pads anywhere from 4,000 miles to 12,000 miles depending how the bike is ridden. I'm led to believe that if the bike is ridden carefully and the front brakes not used hard then a lot of the braking is then apportioned to rear brakes, leading a lot more wear of the rear pads and a lot less on the front.
Something else to consider is exactly how worn the pads where when we replaced them each time, because if for example they were 80% worn, then you would have been advised to replace them as they are unlikely to make the next service. But this does mean that the pads would have still had 20% left of wear.
If we've told you that the rear disc is below the minimum thickness, then it'll be fine to leave until the pads need changing and I'll be happy to talk to BMW customer service tomorrow to see whether they can do anything to contribute to the replacement when it comes.
I would happily come and collect the bike to take another look, but my feeling is, because we've already looked at this several times before, we are not going to find anything this time?"
Not yet one mention of the corrosion issues just (as I see it) attempt after attempt to bodyswerve the (as I see it) shortcomings in the brake pad wear
Do the great collective think - as I do - that a) to be on the third set of rear pads and to have worn out a disk in 9000miles is a bit shit and therefore there must be a problem b) as a BMW dealer, they should be going that bit further?
Thanks in advance for your thoughts guys and, as I asked before... no 'smart' answers (I'm getting enough of those from the dealer!)
I know that often threads like this tend to get witty replies and I'm often one stoking those fires. I this instance, I would ask that replies be kept on track and there be no piss taking.
I'm having an ongoing "discussion" with a BMW dealers service department and I'm rapidly losing my rag as I feel that I'm being fobbed off.
I own a 2017 GSA that I bought new. When it had done 2500 miles, I was told that it needed new rear brake pads. A cost that I hadn't budgeted for and, Ill admit I was a bit pissed off. I rarely use my rear brake and that mileage seemed VERY low. At it's annual service (at the 6000 mile point) I was again told that it needed rear pads. I discussed the matter with the service manager and I was advised to have the calipers cleaned as well. More expense that I hadn't budgeted for.
Further discussion and he agreed verbally that it seemed a low mileage. We agreed that I would go off on the trip that I had planned over the following weeks and return a couple of thousand miles later to see what the wear of the new pads was.
I did my trip and sent him an email. No reply. Several more emails throughout a few busy weeks for me at work... all with no reply. Finally I sent an email "snotogram" set at "high priority" on my mail system and I got a reply and made a date to have the bike looked at. It needed a new rear tyre, so I thought it the perfect time to have that rear brake checked - especially with the worry of rear calipers dropping into spokes on some machines!
The bike got a replacement rear tyre and a "health check" - which found the rear pads worn by 60%, the rear disk worn down to it's "minimum limit" and a small perforation in the rubber concertina gaiter on the drive shaft. As well as those things, I pointed out the fact that the centre and side stands were, in my opinion, excessively corroded for a 15 month old bike as well as the paint at several point around the engine bubbling.
The bike was valeted and ACF50'd (as I have had done several times since I bought it) and the service manager took some photos of the corrosion points that I was raising. He said that he couldn't do anything right then as his head of department was away on holiday.
Two weeks later I get a reply from said bod...
"After talking with ******* and looking through your bike history, I think it would be best to arrange an appointment in the workshop so our guys can take another look at the caliper, just to make sure we didn't miss anything last time. Once we've done this, are happy that there is nothing wrong with the caliper, have recorded the mileage and pad wear. I would suggest riding the bike and then at the next service or when passing, pop in and we'll check the wear of the pads and again record the mileage.
This will hopefully give us a more accurate picture of the wear on the pads."
This got an "NO! not happy with that" reply including a line that suggested that I considered their answer one that would have been received from "Motorcycle City" rather than a BMW dealership.
So yesterday he comes back with...
"I'm sorry if my e-mail has come across in the wrong way. If I'm honest, after speaking with ****** and the technician who worked on the bike I was happy that the braking system is ok, but because we're ****************** and not Motorcycle city, I didn't just want to tell you there's nothing else we can do. So my offer to take another look was purely an effort to show good customer service.
I understand you don't use the rear brake and yet it's worn out before the front pads, however in our experience we find this to be completely normal; front pads can last over 20,000 miles and rear pads anywhere from 4,000 miles to 12,000 miles depending how the bike is ridden. I'm led to believe that if the bike is ridden carefully and the front brakes not used hard then a lot of the braking is then apportioned to rear brakes, leading a lot more wear of the rear pads and a lot less on the front.
Something else to consider is exactly how worn the pads where when we replaced them each time, because if for example they were 80% worn, then you would have been advised to replace them as they are unlikely to make the next service. But this does mean that the pads would have still had 20% left of wear.
If we've told you that the rear disc is below the minimum thickness, then it'll be fine to leave until the pads need changing and I'll be happy to talk to BMW customer service tomorrow to see whether they can do anything to contribute to the replacement when it comes.
I would happily come and collect the bike to take another look, but my feeling is, because we've already looked at this several times before, we are not going to find anything this time?"
Not yet one mention of the corrosion issues just (as I see it) attempt after attempt to bodyswerve the (as I see it) shortcomings in the brake pad wear
Do the great collective think - as I do - that a) to be on the third set of rear pads and to have worn out a disk in 9000miles is a bit shit and therefore there must be a problem b) as a BMW dealer, they should be going that bit further?
Thanks in advance for your thoughts guys and, as I asked before... no 'smart' answers (I'm getting enough of those from the dealer!)