BMW R1300GS Breakdown - Part 1

Comments · 283

• NE

  @neilcarrington5137 · 1 year ago

  All my motorcycle use is European touring, I’ve been passionate about BMW Motorcycles since the 70’s and have supported them throughout .<br>However after a decade of problems, breakdowns, continuous issues.<br>I sold all my BMW Motorcycles 3 years ago and bought a new Honda Goldwing.<br>Best move I’ve ever made.<br>I won’t ever go back to BMW, life is too short.

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• WA

  @warrenr4 · 1 year ago

  This summer I did a 3 month 12,000 mile tour of Europe and Scandinavia on a 4 year old Honda CB500x. Zero problems. <br>In 30 plus years of touring Europe I’ve only broken down once. In 2015, broken gearbox, yup, a BMW.

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• DC

  @dcasteaux9181 · 1 year ago

  Was thinking of a 1300GS… watched several videos that suggest poor quality issues.. then this video appeared in my feed. I think I’ll pass: I tour extensively and demand 100% confidence in a bike.

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• BR

  @brynthomas2047 · 1 year ago

  Same thing happened to me in France a month ago with my brand new KTM. They tried to fix it but could not so KTM recovery shipped it home the next day. I got a taxi to Brussels Airport and flew back, picked up my other bike and went down to rejoin the tour. Created a list of golden rules for European touring :<br>1. before you go really go through the recovery protocols that you have for your bike and keep all numbers handy and learn how to give the co-ordinates of the location of your breakdown.<br>2. try to keep Saturday and Sunday for local tours around your weekend base. Do not plan on big progressive miles on these days and increasingly on Mondays as well. &nbsp;There is little support mechanism on weekends for recovery , mechanical assistance and car hire. <br>3. if you have a new bike with loads of electronic aids do not expect a provincial garage to be able to help you. <br>4. tour on your own and turn it into an adventure or pay the extra and tour with a professional outfit who have a following van or trailer to get you out of trouble.

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• MA

  @martinharnett6922 · 1 year ago

  You have to have the patience of a saint😮😮😮😮😮😮😮

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• VI

  @vicomtedelomagne · 1 year ago

  Similar problem last year in Los Picos, Spain, with a Triumph 1200 GT Explorer. Repeated dash warning &apos;do not ride, take to main dealer immediately&apos;. The bike would not start. Then it would be OK, but then same issue. Eventually stopped completely, and I walked it 3km to a bar/restaurant - no phone signal. Excellent recovery service took me and bike to local town, then taxi took me to Santander where I had a hotel room and a ferry booked the following day. I returned to England, and a Taxi was awaiting me at Portsmouth which took me to Canterbury [home]. The bike was repatriated in 5 days to Ashford Triumph, and a minor electrical issue was dealt with and I collected it &nbsp;8 days after the breakdown. Very impressed.

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• PE

  @PETERYTV · 1 year ago

  My 22 Tiger broke down in Venice in August, 4 days after a 20,000 mile service. I had International Breakdown, Recovery, and Repatriation.<br><br>First and last thing to accept is the holiday is over. Once physical possession of the bike has been passed to the Insurers Representatives head to the airport and fly home.<br><br>Track the recovery from home. It took about two weeks.<br><br>All receipted expenses have been repaid to me. QED.

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• AV

  @avomanavoman · 1 year ago

  When you go abroad, things are different. That&apos;s why we do it! In a &nbsp;poorer and more rural country like Portugal it is unreasonable to expect UK standards of service. Deadly taxis are all part of the game!<br>On my bike I have been forty times in fifty years to mainland Europe and I have had a few breakdowns. BMW Assist were very good to me thirty years ago when my bike was uplifted to a dealer in SW France and repaired in two days. Another time I had a bike repatriated to Edinburgh I used a different breakdown service, Green Flag? They organised that, flights home for me etc so also very good.

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• ST

  @StubYourToeM8 · 1 year ago

  I&apos;m Portuguese, and listening to all this, I have to say the bike chose the worst part of Portugal and one of the worst two days to break down.<br>WE ARE NOT all like this, I promise.

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• BM

  @bmw1300gs_rider · 1 year ago (edited)

  Amazing your video came up as a suggestion today. I had exactly the same issue first week of September on my Euro Tour at a hotel in Luxembourg. Day before had travelled over from Calais in absolutely biblical rain on cross country roads. This was an early Saturday morning. Flatbed came out. Couldn’t do a thing. Came back 2 hours later and got recovered to a Motorrad dealer 70k away. Half a day gone and as they took the bike off the flatbed and tried to start it, it fired up. No explanation other than the bikes ECU can completely shut down and auto reboots after a period and had obviously reset itself. I carried on my trip losing that day but touring for another 7 days through Germany, Austria, Dolomites, Switzerland and France and home. No issues again at all. Dealer had advised my that you can reset the ECU by disconnecting the battery terminals and touching them together. Didn’t need to though. Thank god I didn’t need to stay or get recovered home. Since the trip it’s been serviced and had the latest software update which I believe has this as one of the fixes. But so far not a squeak wrong….feel for you 🙁<br><br>I would say that BMW UK who I actually dealt with directly when I called. And I made sure in my initial call to check that absolutely no cost would be down to me. Now I never had to put it into action but I was assured and accommodation or travel, regardless of how, fly, car or train etc…would be covered

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• KK

  @kkiwi54 · 1 year ago

  I&apos;ve had Suzuki&apos;s since 1994 - never had a breakdown.

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• SL

  @Slipperynews · 1 year ago

  Does not surprise me at all, in fact I’m surprised that things were not to bad in Spain. <br>I would say this , no matter where you break down in n Europe you will pull your hair out with the service you get. <br>Best thing is have a mate with a van on standby in the uk to come and get you, these so called recovery services are pathetic they take your money and forget about you 😢

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