Manufacturer: BMW of North America
Model Year: 2008
Models affected: F800 GS
NHTSA Campaign Number: 09V088000
Problem: BMW is recalling model year 2008 F800 GS motorcycles. The axle shaft wall thickness may not have been manufactured according to specifications. If the wall thickness was not sufficient, the axle shaft could deform and could break increasing the risk of a crash.
Corrective Action: Dealers will inspect the axle shaft assembly and replace or repair the necessary components free of charge. The manufacturer has not yet provided an owner notification schedule. Owners may contact BMW at 1-800-831-1117.

Ooops!!!

BMW quality control has been a little less perfect for some time. There building bikes in non Germany BMW plants. There engineering bikes to look grate in a show room not work in the real wold. There building to a set price point set by there sales department not building bikes then having there salesmen work at selling a grate bike.

Seen it happen before people call it a world market and outsourcing. The fix is easy, just hope the new axle shaft is of good quality.

I will never ever buy a bike within eighteen months of initial launch.

I will never ever buy a bike within eighteen months of initial launch.

I will never ever buy a bike within eighteen months of initial launch.

I will never ever buy a bike within eighteen months of initial launch.

I will never ever buy a bike within eighteen months of initial launch.

I will never ever buy a bike within eighteen months of initial launch.

I will never ever buy a bike within eighteen months of initial launch.

(should be 100 lines but you get the idea)
Tim

__________________
"For sheer delight there is nothing like altitude; it gives one the thrill of adventure
and enlarges the world in which you live," Irving Mather (1892-1966)

Why does this not surprise me with BMW??

Yes, new bikes occasionally have problems. Here we have a bit too many of them, but actually I'm more surprised that BMW has decided to bundle this bike with low quality chains and forks. They basically sell you budget bike that looks like premium bike, and they of course charge premium price for it. And salesmen are pitching something about "German quality".

I'm keeping one eye open as I want to buy another bike to complement my 400 but this kind of business practice is really something I can't stand.

...Japanese are quite good at making Japanese bikes -
Germans are really good at making German bikes -

Japanese are making Japanese bikes - and enhancing them all the time -
Germans have stopped making German bikes and are now trying to copy Japanese bikes... the result is like Japanese copies of european vehicles back in time (post WWII economical wonder of the east)... Did you ever expect anything else?...

/7 2-valve was a very well developed and tested conception. Then came the tipped-over car engine, K-models, which seemed to do all right (inspite of its quite weird construction).

Then came Fun-du-ro... ever tried to drive below 3000rpm with one?... Impossible to handle in traffic-jam. Nice when running over 50km/h and below 120.
But seriously - what crap! TOO many issues with it.

Remember when BMW launched the Cobra as we quickly nick-named the -shake-rattel-an'-roll machine in Sweden; the 4-valved freak in 1994:ish ?
GAS POWERED BREAKERS/DRILLS Cobra Combi, Cobra mk1, Cobra TT

Why do BMW jepordize its so well earned reputation by trying to copy the Japanese line of vehicles?
Vanity ?...

There must be some kind of melt-down in Münch...
Remember the cast wheels back in the 70:ties... the sprockets broke... especially on the 19" front-wheel... then BMW toppled this with the 3-spocket cast wheels to the K1100... that were so weak that they went skewed by minor pottholes...




I am sorry for you, that your bike is called back,
but hey:
- you bought a German "Japanese"... so what can you expect?...


Only my, , opinion of cause -

__________________
Drive Safely,
Albert

Too right. See:

R1100R/GS shock corrosion
F650 stalling and surging
R1150 brake servo's
Moto Guzzi FI
R1200 security key antenna...

And so on and so on.

I'll hold my hands up and admitt I'll let others do my research. I too used to have more money than sense, but after a while you trade one for the other.

The other rule IMHO is to look for the manufacturer who had a poor reputation for quality and made a huge effort to improve rather than the one trading in past glory. I find my Triumph and my dads Guzzi way better built than any BMW I ever owned (Carbed F650's and R1100's) and hear post 2006 Urals are close to BM airhead indestructability. Time for BMW to get off their pedastal and start working at it again IMHO.

Andy

Unfortunately I must agree with you all. BMW is trying to copy Japanese styled bikes. The new bikes dont look like it suits the BMW badge. I dont like them at all. They are slowly moving away from building traditional BMW bikes.
It is a move they might regret in the future.

I like my 1150GS, although not perfect, its a bit more 'traditional' and less plastic.

Johan

If thats what the majority of people like , thats what they will build. Im all for the looks. I guess its an age thing, cause I think the older style of bmw bike were ugly. I never took a second look at one. I guess its all about vanity

That is why I ride an airhead!

My K1200RS is a very well screwed together piece of kit. I think they have shifted their focus onto mainstream bikes, and are trying to have some of that market for themselves. And why not?

The new K1300 has rave reviews too...

ME TOO !

Reason is the same . . .

__________________
"where the traveller goes, nobody knows ! "

No surprises there then...

The whole GS series (bar the airheads) are sold on marketing !

Buy Jap....

__________________
Did some trips.
Rode some bikes.
Fix them for a living.
Can't say anymore.

Complexity is only one part of the issue. It you have that level of design you need top quality materials and a full development and test programme and support available. Use cheap materials and cut the test programme you get problems. If you have to use cheap materials you should use a design that'll stand it and give the support it needs (airhead).

Marketing is always about stressing the good bits (the design) and down playing the not so good stuff (consumer does the testing, gets told where to go when it fails due to cheap materials etc). IMHO the consumer needs to get used to modern marketing techniques and not still think at the "We make a good bike and put our badge on it" level.

Andy