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Leaking Fork

11K views 31 replies 12 participants last post by  Stricko 
#1 ·
Good Morning Ladies and Gents,

I'm sure I have heard or read about an issue with the R1200R LC front forks somewhere.

After riding around Tassie I didn't ride much and only got my tyres replaced.
after I picked up my bike from the tyre place, I discovered some oily residue on the front wheel, but thought I might be the soap stuff they used to put the tyre on.
So, I washed the bike and parked her in the garage.
This morning I was thinking of taking the bike to work and I discovered a puddle of oil on the front wheel.

The bike is now booked in for a repair, as it is still under warranty.
Unfortunately this will be only on 18/04 and therefore I can't ride the bike for a few days :frown2:
 
#2 ·
[QOUTE]... and I discovered a puddle of oil on the front wheel. :frown2:[/QUOTE]


I can't quite envisage a puddle of oil on the front wheel. Any pix? I had a seal leak on the rhs fork, but that gave rise only to a visible 'ring' of excess oil around the seal. Quick warranty fix.
 
#3 ·
Probably just a bit of crud under the seal. I've had success before on other bikes by pulling back the dust seal, wiping the environs clean, then running a Motion Pro Seal Mate (or home made equivalent - it's just a shaped piece of thin plastic) around the seal.

The problem in your case is it would be difficult to assess how much oil has been lost, so the best solution is to remove the fork leg to replace the oil and, having done so, replace the seal at the same time rather than simply clean it and risk that it has in some way been damaged.

If you wish to ride your bike in the meantime (provided substantial amounts of oil haven't been lost), you could simply try cleaning it as an interim measure. I assume it is only one fork leg - you'd be very unlucky to have both leaking at once, unless you're a motocross rider in winter (and it's only autumn here at the mo').
 
#4 ·
Just some images for LoS, so he can invisage a puddle of oil on a wheel ;)

I won't try and fix myself at this stage (will clean it though), just in case it is a warranty issue.
But I'll check over the weekend, as I had no time this morning.

I won't be riding until I'm confident it is fixed, as oil on any wheel is not really that great.
 

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#6 ·
Thanks for the pix, marcimark - but closely examining my LC forks I'm still baffled as to how it could have got there by what seems to be a circuitous route. Are you sure you haven't got a leg-lifting doggie about the place?
 
#9 ·
It's fork oil, as the consistency of brake fluid is much different and brake fluid also has a very distinctive smell.
But I know for sure for one specific reason:
I'm still alive :) With a leaking bleed screw I probably wouldn't be ;)
 
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#10 ·
Update
The bikes was dropped off at a BMW Motorrad dealer in the Eastern suburbs of Melbourne on Tuesday after Easter on a trailer, as it leaked too much oil to be safely ridden.
They offered me a loan bike at booking, which I declined because of the oil leak.
At drop off I was told that they are very busy, so I told the supervisor not to rush it and do it properly.

I heard nothing until Thursday morning, when I actually called and asked what was going on!
I was told that they hadn't even started and that I said they had time (loan bike normally needs to be back same day, don't rush and do properly gives you a day more and I expected a call for anything longer. My problem though, as I had expectations).
I didn't find this funny and pushed to get the bike back, as the weekend looked promising weather wise.
The service manager actually called me back to clarify and stated: The seal might not be replaced under warranty, as you had the bike tied down on a ferry (Spirit of Tasmania and that they might have damaged the for seal". I asked if he was serious, as the bike was delivered to them tied down on a trailer and nobody mentioned anything then. Also, thousands of bikes go across the Tasman every year and I have never heard of this before. So I asked to get this in writing in case the warranty is declined, as BMW would then make motorcycles unfit for any form of transport that requires a tie down!

I received a call on Friday morning that the bike would be ready for pick up. Unfortunately the call came to late and I couldn't organise a lift and agreed to pick up Saturday morning.
Upon arrival I was greeted by the service receptionist who handed me a piece of paper that stated:
Removing/Installing right fork leg
Replacing seal for right fork leg
Replacing front brake pads

Unfoirtuantely nobody was availble to discuss, so I sent an email and received an answer today:
"Parts are not listed on warranty work and we have only replaced the right side of the brake pads, as they were soaked in oil".
I'm not sure if BMW is really that cheap and can't replace both fork seals and both sides of the brakes, but this is what was done!

I am very disappointed with the dealer and the workshop and won't be back.

I rode on Saturday morning to the "other" BMW Motorrad dealer in Melbourne, where they serve free breakfast every Saturday morning. I looked at the new R1200GS Rallye (not X) and I am considering to purchase a GS (thinking about it for some time now). I also met two Germans who were riding with their German registered bikes through Australia (Tiger 800 and GS 650).

Sorry for the lengthy explanation, but I just can't stand bullying and threats and find the behavior of this dealer unacceptable and the poor warranty execution very poor on behalf of BMW.
 

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#15 ·
The "normal" GS with a low seat would just work, but I wouldn't feel confident on it.
The low suspension GS works fine. Hence it has to be ordered from Germany, which cost an extra $250 instead of $3,000 for professionally lowering a standard bike.

Yes, they replaced it under warranty, but only really what they had to
 
#12 ·
No doubt, MM, you are actively considering writing a stiff letter on cardboard to BMW HQ, near you, and also addressing a similar one to the MD/ CEO/ General Manager of that woeful dealership. I certainly would! Good luck...
 
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#16 ·
The dealership was recently sold (1 April 17) to a larger company from Sydney. Otherwise I would have walked into the owners office, but he is no longer working there.
They lost a customer, as their sales department also lacked some finesse for some time!

And yes, I am thinking about that letter...
 
#13 ·
Sorry to hear of your experience at the first BMW dealership.

We must have crossed paths Saturday. I was at the Southbank dealership enjoying test rides and a free breaky whilst getting new tyres fitted. Agreed, that blue GS is lovely. I commented to one gent admiring it, that it was too pretty to take off road..
 
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#14 ·
Do you have a blue helmet and two sets of LED lights mounted?
Because I looked at this fellow when riding off, while I was speaking with two riders from Germany.
 
#17 ·
I spent a lifetime in the retail industry, both here in Oz and in the UK. I started off as shop-lifter and ended up as a pretty high-level General Manager of a massive organisation, so I reckon I know something of customer service.

I have said this before: in all my dealings with retailers in the motorcycle industry – whether shopping for a new bike, or for clothing gear, accessories, whatever – the general rule has been that this sector is the most woeful and inadequate of all retail types, especially when it comes to customer interaction.

There have been, of course, one or two exceptions, but generally they are the diamonds in the rough - and what a lot of rough there is!
 
#20 ·
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++


I agree--in general. Here in Charlotte we have a dealer carrying BMW, Duc, Triumph. I have sold a Triumph to them, bought a Triumph from them, and dickered on several other bikes that did not happen. They did not do much to form a connection between me the dealer group. I have heard this several other times from
riders of all 3 marques. I know 4 riders who went out of state to either Virginia or So Carolina to purchase new bikes.

I bought my R Classic this past December from Garcia Moto in Raleigh NC. I went there because they had a good selection of used camhead R1200's to choose from. They made my experience a very pleasant one. They knew I was from out of town, but my salesman took me around the dealership, introduced me to the service manager and other support people. The service manager took a good bit of time with me to go over the bike history. He gave me his card and said to call him any time with questions......and he actually meant it. I felt more connection in that one day than I ever have at the local dealer.

A good dealer will have a place that you want to go to occasionally to hang out and talk bikes.........as opposed to a place that you have to go to in order to get your bike's annual inspection.

So there are some dealers who can do it right, but prolly more in the #wearetheonlygameintown category......

Maybe some will get the message eventually......:mob:
 
#19 ·
I'm not surprised they replaced only one seal. There's a fair bit of time to disassemble the fork, replace the seal and set the oil level, so if nothing was wrong, there would seem no need to do the other seal.

Similarly with the pads - no damage to the other side, and pads are 'consumables' sold per caliper set, so I don't see any obligation to replace them on the second side.

They could have handled it better though ...
 
#25 ·
BMW dealers in Australia are usually car dealers and the guys run around in suit and tie.
That rarely mixes with the bike culture. Therefore I am happy to see BMW Southbank putting on the Saturday breakfast.
Something to break the ice.
Doncaster BMW tries hard to be cool and different, but suits are running around everywhere and even the service receptionists act like they are the personal assistant of the most important person in the world.
I don't feel comfortable there, but that might be just my own personal little issue.
 
#29 ·
Doncaster BMW tries hard to be cool and different, but suits are running around everywhere and even the service receptionists act like they are the personal assistant of the most important person in the world. I don't feel comfortable there, but that might be just my own personal little issue.
That's amusing, MM, but so true of my local dealership too - the Motorrad section is at one end of the h-u-g-e BMW car showrooms. Until recently everything to do with bikes - sales enquiries, service bookings, spare parts - was handled through the bike area, but they recently had the service person in the car area take over that function for motorcycles too. Walking in there, the place seems infested with (it has to be said) attractive and very smartly-dressed young chicks tottering around in high-heels looking awfully self-important and busy, but they look at you as if you've got your fly gaping - or worse. Yes - they all seem pretty snooty and seem to believe they are in show-business or some such job.

Fortunately the General Manager of the Motorrad part is a very approachable and down to earth Bloke, and I guess he might also feel a bit out of place in the harem to the right!:001_unsure:
 
#26 ·
Rolfe in Canberra seem to be pretty down to earth blokes - the bike franchise is separated from the suits in the car dealership, except for the parts section, which is common. I have had good service from the latter though - if they don't have something in stock, they'll even offer to deliver it if it's urgent, notwithstanding that it's only a low value item. When I ask about something, they'll often offer a lower price than list "I can do that for ..." (not much, but appreciated).

Kicked tyres at Procycles St Peters (Sydney) on Monday. Seemed friendly and attentive, with a heritage of bike racing, and multiple brands (KTM and Triumph). A big array of bikes but too crowded on the showroom floor for my comfort.
 
#28 ·
Kicked tyres at Procycles St Peters (Sydney) on Monday. Seemed friendly and attentive, with a heritage of bike racing, and multiple brands (KTM and Triumph). A big array of bikes but too crowded on the showroom floor for my comfort.
I bought my last used cam-head from Procycles at Gosford. Doc dogg put me on to it, so after some enquiries I flew down with my gear, a bucket load of cash, inspected it, and rode away. It was advertised with (let's say) 800km on it, but actually had even less! And when I rather cheekily asked (by e-mail) if they could shave something off the asking price they did just that - about $900 or so IIRC. That was a very positive experience I have to say.
 
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#27 ·
I had Procycles at St Peters fit my bar risers one weekend, the place gets packed. I took to chatting with a chap taking delivery of his nice new Triumph bobber, lovely looking bike and sounds great stock.

The thing with Procycles though is that they are owned by the same dude who runs the Hornsby store and manages the service dept there, he is, for want of a better word an arrogant dick and apparently this is well know amongst fellow riders (google Hornsby Procycles service).He's not the type of person that should have any front of shop/customer interactions at all, he even questioned why i never bought the bike through them given they are my local dealer. I told him I sent an email to sales asking about demos and test rides and never heard back until weeks after I purchased from BikeBiz.

Just don't get a good level of comfort re Procycles Hornsby, but bike is new and it'll be dealer servicing somewhere until I find a place I'm happy with, Worthingtons at Kariong will be tried at some point.
 
#31 · (Edited)
I have found for a long, long time that when I walk into a motorcycle and even car dealerships, at least 9/10 times I feel I must be wearing a sign on my forehead that says 'The Invisible Man - do not approach!'.

Many's the time I walk into a showroom or parts store only to be completely ignored, even after some considerable time looking very interested in what they have, and often in full view of sales 'dudes'. And so, after a reasonable length of time, I simply turn around and walk out without being approached by a soul. Meanwhile, staff are standing around, idly chatting about clearly far more important stuff.

Now I know there's a helluva lot of tyre kickers out there who only want to have a yakkety-yak, but surely the challenge of dealer staff is to hopefully turn a tyre kicker into a buyer of something. Us tyre kickers are going to have to buy someday, no? I mean even a stopped clock is right twice a day!

And what quickly grated on me during a purchase of a new MY17 Tiger 800 XRT in Mar 18 - now replaced with my R - is the young sales fellow, while on the surface was pleasant enough, simply side-stepped the concept of trying to remember anyone's name by just referring to any and all prospective and actual customers as 'buddy'. Seemed mentally just plain laziness to me and did nothing to make me feel there was even a sniff of the "valued customer / trusted seller" relationship thing going on. It actually felt like I was being deliberately kept at arms-length, despite putting serious coin on the table.

I also now find it quite amusing when looking for parts for a classic bike but I'm trying to find and use something from another brand, model or year that 'might just do the job', the often bearded, be-ringed, inked and man-bunned self-entitled hipster types behind the parts counters simply respond with either a vacuous, glassy stare or even some considerable and unconcealed annoyance because I didn't have the VIN, model and year of the part so they could just 'look it up'. And so they don't ' won't help at all. Even a polite request I made for the part no. of a workshop manual for the Tiger 800 (to check it was going to be the correct one for my model) was met with considerable annoyance.

I fully agree there is much room for improvement in customer service in this industry for sure.
 
#32 ·
My experiences with all of the Sydney BMW dealers has been extremely disappointing apart from the sales guy I dealt with at the now defunct Frasers dealership. Their service along with the sales & service at Procycles & Bikebiz has been abysmal to the point of walking away from them all. My last service (40,000km) was carried out at Macarthur BMW & the experience was something new. They were really good to deal with, providing a new F750GS as a loaner. The service manager knew his stuff, was experienced, honest & friendly & I will be returning for my next service.
 
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