R1250GS Exclusive - Engine Noise (Valve Tick) Cylinder Pod

AFSKI

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Hi, just joined the forum. My first BMW, a 1250GS Exclusive, 2019 - 4000 odd miles, i'm the second owner and it's straight into the dealership with a fault.
I'm surprised to see no mention of an up and coming issue with the new 1250 engine.
It's a noise coming from mostly the left hand cylinder head which sounds like a valve out of adjustment - a tick.
Only starts when the engine is up to temperature. No affect on performance or idling etc.
The bike is currently with the dealer awaiting a new cylinder head installation, however there are no parts in the UK or so I have been told.

Researching google, no mention that i can find of the fault, however Youtube has a few videos of the exact same fault, some worse than others.
Comments left on the videos range from dealers stating it's normal and nowt wrong, new cylinder heads and even a new engine.

My only concern is that even with new heads and engines, the tick seems to be present. I cannot find a post which states the fault has been cured.

Any further info from yourselves will be gratefully received.
 
Don't you worry, the motherships will deny knowledge of any problem and it won't be covered by warranty.

Seems to be what happens.

Sent from my SM-N950F using Tapatalk
 
My Oct 18 1200 GSA went into the dealers with exactly the same fault at 2000 miles. After much umming and arring it had a new engine fitted. There were unexplainable wear marks on the cam sprockets as well as scoring in the big end shells. Still makes the noise now some 4000 miles into the new lump - I am just waiting for it to go bang. Thats my excuse to by the new Africa Twin Adventure Sport!
 
Every boxer I’ve ridden is quite ticky especially when hot so I can understand a dealer saying it’s normal in casual conversation. Determining when it’s more than that might not be simple if it’s similar to their normal tick.

If a second engine makes the same noise that suggests it might be inherent to the motor once it has a few miles under its belt, but scored shells was a ticking time bomb.

I was watching teapotone touring in the picos on you tube and his go pro distinctly picks up his 1200 engine ticking away.
 
The 1250 has all sorts of little quirks ,you'll get use to it.You can always get a decent coffee while your at the stealers :D
 
Hi, just joined the forum. My first BMW, a 1250GS Exclusive, 2019 - 4000 odd miles, i'm the second owner and it's straight into the dealership with a fault.
I'm surprised to see no mention of an up and coming issue with the new 1250 engine.
It's a noise coming from mostly the left hand cylinder head which sounds like a valve out of adjustment - a tick.
Only starts when the engine is up to temperature. No affect on performance or idling etc.
The bike is currently with the dealer awaiting a new cylinder head installation, however there are no parts in the UK or so I have been told.

Researching google, no mention that i can find of the fault, however Youtube has a few videos of the exact same fault, some worse than others.
Comments left on the videos range from dealers stating it's normal and nowt wrong, new cylinder heads and even a new engine.

My only concern is that even with new heads and engines, the tick seems to be present. I cannot find a post which states the fault has been cured.

Any further info from yourselves will be gratefully received.

Sorry to hear about your problem, I’m sure that it will get fixed.

You say your bike is at the dealers, are they open?
 
I posted 2 clips of this on YouTube and theres several threads on Google. Mine is being rejected as I've now lost complete faith in the bike even though it may well be "ok". I've been visited by BMW themselves who told me ALL GS's old and new sound louder on the left.
 
I had exactly this on a r1250gsa and it was fixed ny replacement cam tensioner. They changed both sides but it seems the left one is the issue as it is in the top of the housing and the oil drains out of it...but the right one is in the bottom and it never loses it’s oil. All fixed under warranty. ��
 
H’mm mine have always been loudest on the right, but I just keep riding ‘em, however my 1250 does have an unusual sound, it’s not unpleasant, it’s a kind of a ringing sound, I just assume it’s a 1250 sound, it doesn’t bother me at all, in fact I find it quite characterful.

All engines have their own sounds, listen to an airhead when you are setting up the pilot jet, it has a happy sound when it’s right, yet less than half a turn ether way and the motor can sound quite unhappy. It doesn’t do to worry too much, particularly if it’s a new bike under warranty.
I bet the real Adventure riders like Helge Pederson and Ted Simon didn’t worry too much about the odd rattle from their old bikes?:augie
 
Welcome OP, there has been a few threads on here re valves on the left hand side making a strange noise. Hop into the search button on the top right, it might help with some reading.

Your dealer is still open ? I am sure they will get it sorted, keep us posted
 
Hi All,

Aplogies for the late reply. Been making sure we make enough cans for your tinned food - Im a planning engineer in Tata Steel and have been classed as an essential industry.

A mixed reaction to the post. The posts suggesting it's just a noise and to get used to it, I dont agree with as the dealer has agreed it needed further investigation also. After sending data to BMW they have decided to change the cylinder head. I have owned and worked on F650GS Rotax engines and at best they sound like a Singer sewing machine with loads of clunks and wrattles but ironically sound "right" and my 1250 didn't.

If I had paid full dealer price for the bike I would be seriously pissed-off as Peejay1977 was who rejected his bike obviously is. I have owned mostly Hondas previously, which for me have been bomb proof, however they defo started lagging behind the competition and I also did not like the new bikes in their range. Not 100% like the looks of te Africa Twin and too tall also.

Richard Stables, CAM chain tensioner is an interesting one as I have had the ticking intermitantly on the right but the tech at BMW told me it was the decompression system on the RHS and this was normal. I will suggest this to the dealer if the cylinder head replacement fails. Saying that, a slack chain would be more of a "wrattle" than a "tick" - this is getting silly now - :blast

I'm not worried about the fault, as I stated in my first post, it just seems BMW are shooting from the hip regarding actually fixing the fault and since owning the bike have only had about 3 ride outs.

Yes the service department at M&P Dealership Swansea is open "just", however bike sales and clothing etc are closed.

If anyone can direct me to more posts regarding the dreaded "tick" can you post links accordingly and also any further updated would be much appreciated. Will also pass onto the delaership for their thoughts and will feedback to the group aslo.

Cheers for now!!
 
I agree with the rattle with reference to the cam chain as my mates bike had a rattle , the cam chain broke due to the rivets worn thro , totally wrecked the engine . A tick is different , good luck and sorry I can’t help more .
 
If you search my profile on here you'll find my thread about rejecting my bike. For me it's been one calamity after another, so I've lost faith in the bike even though it's probably perfectly fine now. But I had an engine knock on the LHS at 700 miles from new, replaced the whole engine, still knocking. Replaced the shims as they were almost out of acceptable tolerances, still ticking but not quite as bad. Engine swap ended in a massive chunk of powder coat on the frame being chipped off which was touched up with paint, and looks awful. Then BMW themselves agreed to look at it, sent a guy all the way up from Oxford to Manchester, insisted I book a full days annual leave, he listened to the bike, said it's perfectly normal, due to the way the cam chains are difference lenghs or the routing is slightly different, something or other. And said ALL water cooled GS's sound louder on the left, always have done, and it's perfectly normal. I Was done in an hour. Now it needs a new battery due to starting problems and a slew of dash errors.

Theres a thread on ADV RIder I think called "shiftcam death rattle"
 
Hi Peejay, jeez you've had an outing mate. You say it's perfectly fine now - is that with or without a "tick". - I see captain BMW engineer man said it was fine.

Picking-up on one of your faults above, I was watching Teapotone on YT - dealer give him a 1250GSA to complete some road ride in a given time. He was having an absolute torrid time due to bad weather. Just as he caught-up the battery failed. He bumped started the bike, rode for a bit then was presented with a slew of dash errors like yourself, and whilst riding at night, all lights went out also which was pretty scary.
Obviously this was dressed-over on the video as he probably don't want to upset BMW too much. But so far - pretty poor reliability across the patch - warranty response has been reasonable though.

What was the final outcome, did they deal you a new bike or did you get your money back ?
 
Picking-up on one of your faults above, I was watching Teapotone on YT - dealer give him a 1250GSA to complete some road ride in a given time. He was having an absolute torrid time due to bad weather. Just as he caught-up the battery failed. He bumped started the bike, rode for a bit then was presented with a slew of dash errors like yourself, and whilst riding at night, all lights went out also which was pretty scary.
Obviously this was dressed-over on the video as he probably don't want to upset BMW too much. But so far - pretty poor reliability across the patch - warranty response has been reasonable though.

Teapotone bike issue was a simple batt failure. The dash errors were due to the voltage drop to the sensors.

Surprisingly common on new bikes. I had one leak batt acid all over my bike after 70 miles from new (not a bmw). That was a proper warranty horror story.
 
Hi Peejay, jeez you've had an outing mate. You say it's perfectly fine now - is that with or without a "tick". - I see captain BMW engineer man said it was fine.

Picking-up on one of your faults above, I was watching Teapotone on YT - dealer give him a 1250GSA to complete some road ride in a given time. He was having an absolute torrid time due to bad weather. Just as he caught-up the battery failed. He bumped started the bike, rode for a bit then was presented with a slew of dash errors like yourself, and whilst riding at night, all lights went out also which was pretty scary.
Obviously this was dressed-over on the video as he probably don't want to upset BMW too much. But so far - pretty poor reliability across the patch - warranty response has been reasonable though.

What was the final outcome, did they deal you a new bike or did you get your money back ?

They've offered me my money back, but in all honestly the tick is very minimal now and the 1250 the guy rode up on was louder than mine. I just now have the battery issue which may well be the same as the one Teapot One had, I know Bruce quite well so I might give him a ring and see if theres more to the issue he had.

I'm tempted to keep it, lean on the warranty if need be and just ride the tits off it in the mean time.
 
That's seems fair enough and to be offered your money back is a fair gesture from BMW. It's the effect it has on me taking the bike on longer ride outs. Just keep thinking what the heck is going to break next. Yes it seems BMW will respond, but it's all the hassle, taking days off, missed ride outs etc that drops my confidence in the brand. Tbh, if I get more issues it's going and I'm done with BMW. Will try a new Ducati Multistrada with a four year warranty also, they seem to be very reliable these days and still have a great road presence with all the bells and whistles of a BMW.
 
That's seems fair enough and to be offered your money back is a fair gesture from BMW. It's the effect it has on me taking the bike on longer ride outs. Just keep thinking what the heck is going to break next. Yes it seems BMW will respond, but it's all the hassle, taking days off, missed ride outs etc that drops my confidence in the brand. Tbh, if I get more issues it's going and I'm done with BMW. Will try a new Ducati Multistrada with a four year warranty also, they seem to be very reliable these days and still have a great road presence with all the bells and whistles of a BMW.

Just checking there is a Multistrada Grand Tour version, at 19.5k fully specced. Note to myself: I wonder if they are more insurable for London...
 


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