BMW R1200 GSA Rallye

For those with spoke issues, do you really need spoked wheels? After seeing the picture of the Rallye with the blue cast wheels, I’d be asking BMW for a set of cast wheels, get them painted to match the frame, and the difference in price between spoked and cast back as a refund, for all the hassle.
 
What about if your tone deaf and cant hear the difference between a ting and a tong? :/

Thats quite a good idea Nutty.
 
For those with spoke issues, do you really need spoked wheels? After seeing the picture of the Rallye with the blue cast wheels, I’d be asking BMW for a set of cast wheels, get them painted to match the frame, and the difference in price between spoked and cast back as a refund, for all the hassle.

I missed that picture. can you give a link please?
 
Came back last week from the Motorrad Tour to the Garmisch BMW do and there were two 18 reg GSA's in our group with very noisy exhaust flappy valve thingies. Also one of the 18 reg GSA's had to be taken into the Motorrad service tent to have the spokes tightened and the wheel trued. It was well wobbly after the 700 mile ride down.
 
What about if your tone deaf and cant hear the difference between a ting and a tong? :/

Try downloading an app onto your phone. Some are string tuners that allow you to change the sensitivity of your microphone.

Maybe they can tell you the sound frequency of each ting tong on a graph.
 
Oh bollox ....

I need blo ody blue cast wheels for my Rallye GSA now :blast
 
For those with spoke issues, do you really need spoked wheels? After seeing the picture of the Rallye with the blue cast wheels, IÂ’d be asking BMW for a set of cast wheels, get them painted to match the frame, and the difference in price between spoked and cast back as a refund, for all the hassle.

If I may say so, that's a silly question since they already have the wheel. Debating whether they need spokes or not is like suggesting to a guy that is about to drown that he would be better of mountain climbing.

Anyway, back to what this is all about, loose spokes.

BMW has been using spoked wheels since they made their very first bike, and it's been working fine over the years. Last thirty years they have made spoked wheels combined with tubeless tires, and it has also worked with no issues. When done properly, the spokes will remain tight over it's lifetime. My 1975 90S still have tight spokes, and they have never been adjusted.

So now that we have a few cases of loose spokes, something must have been done wrong. The design as such has been proven over the last 30 years, so I don't think it's a design issue.

If I should be bold enough to make a suggestion, my 2c would be on a faulty torque wrench at the production-line. Perhaps the one for torquing the grubscrew. That way, the wheels would pass any quality inspection along the production line. Then, once the wheels start to drive, the problems occurs. Since there are reports of several loose spokes on the same wheel, we can certainly rule out a coincidence.


Do I belive BMW is taking the problem seriously? Yes I do. I don't expect them to advertise to the world what their intentions are, but I feel confident that they realize the seriusnes of the matter.


I know for instance one guy that discovered loose spokes on his -18 GSA the day before he was of to his vacation. The dealer he got in touch with did not have a spare wheel in stock, so deqler went to his showroom and pulled the wheel of a bike on the floor and ordered a new one. The dealer would not have done this unless he was backed by "the mother-ship".


To the ones that like to complain I will only say this: BMW have been making spoked wheels since 1923, with no issues. I understand that loose spokes from the factory is not acceptable, and so does BMW. I expect them to rectify the problem in an orderly manor, and in the meantime I don't feel silly just because I cut them some slack..
 
Very please I've read this thread.

Rally GSA registered 28 March 2018. 5718 miles and over 6 very loose spokes in the rear wheel.

Just checked up and I've owned 10GSes in the past going right back to my 1100s. Never a single loose spoke on any of them till now.

I covered 64k on my trusty 1150!

Telephone call to the dealer tomorrow, me thinks!

Mike

Quick up date

After speaking to Alan Jefferies the bike was picked up this morning by a BMW Motorrad sub-contractor.

About 3 hours later I was contacted by the dealer to say than they had found 9 loose spokes and had tightened them up. They are also going to contact BMW regarding a new back wheel which I hope to have fitted at the 6k service in about 3 weeks.

Jefferies are going to contact BMW recovery to have the bike returned to me tomorrow.

Shouldn't have happened in the first place but I am impressed with the response to my problem

Mike
 
If I may say so, that's a silly question since they already have the wheel. Debating whether they need spokes or not is like suggesting to a guy that is about to drown that he would be better of mountain climbing.

Oh no it isn’t. :D

It’s an option for those that don’t want or need spoked wheels though. There’s no option for cast wheels on the Rallye, and not everyone wants spoked wheels. If people aren’t happy, there is an alternative.
 
To the ones that like to complain I will only say this: BMW have been making spoked wheels since 1923, with no issues. I understand that loose spokes from the factory is not acceptable, and so does BMW. I expect them to rectify the problem in an orderly manor, and in the meantime I don't feel silly just because I cut them some slack..

The problem is, that BMW, in a bid to make money, (which of course I understand .. its a business ..) are out sourcing to places like China and they're not in control of the quality thats being punted out.

Look at the recent thread on several rear wheels that have collapsed at speed and the question about the brake calliper being ripped off its mounting and into the wheel. I remember from my own GSA that the the clearance between spokes and calliper was only a few cm's - get a few loose spokes and a wheel running out of true and there potentially is the answer!

BMW rectify in an orderly manner? What ... like they did with the fuel strips, the EWS, the engine cases .. ?? Only when somebody dies probably ..... :mad:
 
Oh no it isn’t. :D

It’s an option for those that don’t want or need spoked wheels though. There’s no option for cast wheels on the Rallye, and not everyone wants spoked wheels. If people aren’t happy, there is an alternative.

I wanted a Rallye (Preferred the colour) but i didn't want spokes and so I bought a choccy brown one which (for me) was the next best colour.

I seem to remember we've had this conversation before, though. Spokes look great, they're essential if you're going to tour around the world in remote places with harsh terrain because (technically) they are easier to fix en-route, more flexible over lumps and bumps etc, etc. But for most (let's face it apart from the GS travellers at the top of this forum) it's a fashion accessory.
 
The problem is, that BMW, in a bid to make money, (which of course I understand .. its a business ..) are out sourcing to places like China and they're not in control of the quality thats being punted out.

Look at the recent thread on several rear wheels that have collapsed at speed and the question about the brake calliper being ripped off its mounting and into the wheel. I remember from my own GSA that the the clearance between spokes and calliper was only a few cm's - get a few loose spokes and a wheel running out of true and there potentially is the answer!

BMW rectify in an orderly manner? What ... like they did with the fuel strips, the EWS, the engine cases .. ?? Only when somebody dies probably ..... :mad:

I have no doubt that when BMW outsource to foreign suppliers they will be on their best behaviour with the initial production batches and when BMW reps visit their spotless state of the art factory to check up on them .

What happens a month or so later when there isn't a BMW inspector looking over their shoulder is a totally different matter
 
I wanted a Rallye (Preferred the colour) but i didn't want spokes and so I bought a choccy brown one which (for me) was the next best colour.

I seem to remember we've had this conversation before, though. Spokes look great, they're essential if you're going to tour around the world in remote places with harsh terrain because (technically) they are easier to fix en-route, more flexible over lumps and bumps etc, etc. But for most (let's face it apart from the GS travellers at the top of this forum) it's a fashion accessory.

Given the current issue, it would appear that spokes aren’t that easy to fix, so more reason to go for cast wheels.
 


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