Ews
 

This subject has been beaten to death on some other forums, but I have little to no discussion here. I don't want to get a "war" going, but how many GS 1200 riders have actually had a problem with the antenna ring, ie. EWS failure? Do any of you carry a spare antenna? If so how do you connect if you ever need to?
Helge Pedersen carries a spare and an extension cable to connect it. I cannot find a part number or any other information on the extension cable.
I know ther are some people on this forum that rides their GS miles from a local BMW dealer. Just want to know your thoughts and if this is something I should be concerned with. I am riding to Alaska this summer and would like to return without major drama. Any input would be welcome!!

Numbers are very hard to get on this topic, and the internet has a way of blowing things out of proportion, but considering that over 100,00 of these bikes have been sold and the number of people who have had the problem, some think it may be about 5% of the bikes have this problem. That being said, at about $120, it's cheap insurance if it does happen to you! Be prepared! Remove the upper triple clamp and replace the security bolts with allen head bolts. Also, some people remove the cover so they can access the wiring harness without removing the upper clamp. Unplug the old one and plug in the new one, then tape it on top of the old one. The new one reads the chip in your key and will allow you to start the bike. you can find EVERYTHING you will ever need to know here:
EWS Immobilizer antenna threadfest - Page 60 - ADVrider

EWS
A must for riders seeking real adventure.
Another BMW success.

The ADVRider threadfest should have been called a "Threadfrenzy"! Certainly a lot of panic for something that doesn't happen very often. Hasn't anybody heard of DHL?

Oh to live in a perfect world........

Mr. Ron and KennyE,
Thanks for your constructive comments. I know this is mostly an internet epidemic. To be honest, I am not really worried about this. I have been riding BMWs since 1981 and I have NEVER been stranded. That is not a bad record.