Bmw US spare parts policy

[lasantos]

I own a 2014 1200GS with 8500 miles and last Friday the started motor
went bad.The BMW service call me today and said that ALL BMW around
the US don't have that part in stock and have to order from Germany.
It is that possible? A simple started motor and thousands of 2014 sold
in US and nobody carries one? The US spare parts policy is that so
poor?

 

[BC1100S]

You might consider directing your question to BMW North America, you're almost certain to get a better answer than what you'll get here.

 

[deilenberger]

If the bike is still under warranty - the dealer can make a VOR (Vehicle Off Road) parts request to BMW-NA, who passes it along to BMW-AG, and the starter motor will be on the next plane headed to the US with BMW parts. I believe there are multiple planes every day. The US distribution center can then overnight it to the dealer.

That's BMW's response to making so many models that they can't carry every part for every model in stock in the US. The dealer may have to pay a shipping premium to get the VOR service (it used to be the same cost, but I think dealers were abusing it) so they may be hesitant to make the request.

Your alternative if the bike is out of warranty is an aftermarket starter. They are available on Ebay and from various BMW aftermarket electrical parts suppliers. You could check with Beemer Boneyard or Motorrad Electric. Note that the BMW part will have a 2 year warranty from BMW that includes labor if the dealer installs it. An aftermarket part warranty may be different and likely won't include labor as part of the warranty coverage.

I suspect the reason there are none kept in stock in the US is - the starter motors on these bikes have not been a high failure item.

BTW - one other thought occurred to me. A 2014 could be a "hexhead" (oil/air cooled engine) or a "waterhead" (water cooled engine.) If it's a watercooled engine bike, your post is in the wrong forum, and I suspect the bike is too new to have a large in-stock inventory of parts in the USA. In that case I also don't know the failure rate of starter motors on that engine either or the availability of aftermarket product for it.

 

[motodan]

Didn't R12GS go all LC in 2013? Certainly by '14 all LC - no?

 

[20774]

lasantos -

Welcome to the forum!

 

[AntonLargiader]

They seem to be a variation of the starter used on the K, F and G models. They're really reliable; the only thing that happens to them is that the brushes wear out over time.

Bummer that none are available for you. If you were local I would try to repair it for you, if waiting for replacement means that you miss some good riding days. If there's a creative mechanic near you, it may still be an option.

Let us know what the problem ends up being, if you get any specifics.

 

[pauls1150]

BMW subscribes to the "JIT" style of manufacturing and production: Just In Time. This means that they will have less idle inventory, less cash just sitting on the shelf not making a profit. Good for their bottom line, not so great for the consumer.

 

[AntonLargiader]

Not really; an unavailable part is pretty uncommon. Believe me, I buy a lot of parts and have a pretty good feel for it. BMW generally has good parts inventory available. In this case I suspect all, or nearly all, of the available starters are going to the production line. It is more common to have low parts availability for new models, probably for that reason and because you're less likely to need them for replacement, but still not common to have no US inventory at all.

 

[bdfbeemer]

I would think a started motor would be hard to find. Can you imagine trying to store that part. Now an unstarted motor not so much..

 

[ka5ysy]

Have you considered taking the dead starter motor to a rebuild shop ? I have done that over the years and it is not a big deal in most instances to have it rebuilt. I did run across a situation with an RT starter recently that we suspected a bad starter motor. The shop checked the part number and said they could not get rebuild parts for the particular motor, but a non-oem replacement was way cheaper. Turned out the starter was good anyway when the shop tested it on one of their devices, and the issue was a resolved to replacing a battery which was two months old.

 

[ducster]

Have you considered taking the dead starter motor to a rebuild shop ? I have done that over the years and it is not a big deal in most instances to have it rebuilt. I did run across a situation with an RT starter recently that we suspected a bad starter motor. The shop checked the part number and said they could not get rebuild parts for the particular motor, but a non-oem replacement was way cheaper. Turned out the starter was good anyway when the shop tested it on one of their devices, and the issue was a resolved to replacing a battery which was two months old.

The bike is a 2014 with 8500 miles, so it should be under warranty unless BMW excludes starters. If covered by warranty why would an owner take it to be rebuilt?

 

[Omega Man]

I own a 2014 1200GS with 8500 miles and last Friday the started motor
went bad.The BMW service call me today and said that ALL BMW around
the US don't have that part in stock and have to order from Germany.
It is that possible? A simple started motor and thousands of 2014 sold
in US and nobody carries one? The US spare parts policy is that so
poor?

Welcome to the forum!
To me, this seems a bit unusual so I would check the battery and associated connections- just to be sure. Let us know how you make out.

Please pardon the associated snark from the grammar and spelwring police.

Good luck.
Gary

 

[pglaves]

The bike is a 2014 with 8500 miles, so it should be under warranty unless BMW excludes starters. If covered by warranty why would an owner take it to be rebuilt?

So as to not have to wait a month or two in the best riding season because BMW doesn't have the part. It simply depends on what the priorities are.

 

[52184]

So as to not have to wait a month or two in the best riding season because BMW doesn't have the part. It simply depends on what the priorities are.

Add to that the fact that on a new model it is not uncommon to see dealers required to return warranty take-offs to the factory, presumably for failure analysis and/or compensation from the subcontractor that produced the part. Self-repair could result in a unit that cannot be returned/compensated and leave the OP footing not only the initial repair bill but also any subsequent ones on that particular component.

Best,
DG