Do you want the new R1300 water cooled engine boxer?

[lee]

The service advisor had been on vacation and yesterday was his first day back but we went through the service bulletin and I now have an appointment for a drive shaft replacement on my 2016 RT with 52k. What was not clear was if BMW would continue to replace the drive shaft every 36K. My dealer had 2 or 3 drive shafts in stock and put my name on one. He printed me a copy of the bulletin (same one that has been passed around) so that I have it for my file. He also confirmed, what has already been posted, that IF your GS had a drive shaft replacement under the previous recall the date of that replacement would be the mileage start date for the 36K.

Thanks for the information.

 

[Omega Man]

I wonder if grease fittings and the ability to grease the U-Joints would have solved all this?
OM

 

[brownie0486]

I wonder if grease fittings and the ability to grease the U-Joints would have solved all this?
OM

It was worth the money to order a Ted Porter for that express purpose one day [ perhaps ]. Don't quote me but I think their schedule calls for every 30K to be regreasing the fittings.

 

[52184]

The price BMW is charging for the 1300GS shaft would be reasonable for a rebuildable shaft that had a $100-$200 rebuild kit available, but it’s exorbitant for a part whose complete replacement is scheduled at 80,000km intervals. The good part about the overly high price is that it sets a ceiling high enough to allow vendors like Emerald Isle to undercut BMW in the marketplace by providing a lower-cost and/or rebuildable shaft. The bad part is that if that happens, BMW may just drop the shaft pricing as they’ve done for the 1200 bikes—that drop has to have had a chilling effect on development with aftermarket vendors like EI, despite being an overdue and welcome change for owners and riders.

The question I keep coming back to is this: other manufacturers have been doing shaft drive for decades (Moto Guzzi, Yamaha, Suzuki, Honda, etc) and haven’t had the shaft issues we’ve seen with our BMWs. I get that the GS has more suspension travel than the offerings from other marques, but that doesn’t explain the shaft issues on RTs. With over two decades of shaft issues piling up data, isn’t it time that a solution is engineered into the product? Perhaps a OEM rebuildable shaft, or grease zerks, or better/larger/ u-joints, or something?

Or do we just decide that those who want to ride their GS bikes in a more gelande-oriented fashion just bypass the 1300GS and stick to the F850/900GS bikes with chain drive?

Best,
DeVern

 

[marcopolo]

...What was not clear was if BMW would continue to replace the drive shaft every 36K. ..

Ed, I believe that issue was covered in an earlier BMW press release about this issue. My recollection is that they made it very clear tha there was no limit on how many times a driveshaft, an a given bike, could be replaced.

EDIT: here is an extract from a set of BMW Qs & As on the driveshaft issue that I found:

"What costs will affected customers incur?

The mileage-related replacement of the cardan shaft is free of charge for customers over the entire life of the vehicle, even if the replacement limit has been reached several times and regardless of the vehicle's age."

 

[brownie0486]

Someone just posted a 2 hour test ride on the 1300GS. He didn't like the ergos. Mentioned specifically, it's more of a lean forward than prior GS which sat the rider upright. Of course risers may help/fix the issue he saw and didn't like over his 1250.

 

[collingsbob]

Ok…not all humans are the same size and shape. That’s why there are handlebar risers, footpeg lowering kits, seats of varying thicknesses and windshields of differing heights.

 

[jimbem]

I got to ride 2 of the new R1300GS's last week in Daytona during bike week. A white one and black one. Both bikes are the basic models and neither had the lowering suspension.
I waited at the demo truck for others riders to come back on the GS and would first ask what their personal bike was. Then I would ask what they thought of this new R13gs. One guy said he has a 1250 GS and a Ducati MultiStrada. Then he said if you take the good points of each of those bikes and made one bike it still wouldn't be as good as this new GS.
But the next guy wasn't as impressed saying it was better than his current 1250 GS but not worth the money to upgrade.
My impression can best be described by one word. Refined. Shifts better. Shift assist works much better but still not quite perfect. Noticeably smoother and very responsive in the lower RPM range.Handled great and quick but I ride a 2022 RT and 2018 Gt so my option there doesn't mean much. Refined , yes that describes it best

 

[gsinnc]

Someone just posted a 2 hour test ride on the 1300GS. He didn't like the ergos. Mentioned specifically, it's more of a lean forward than prior GS which sat the rider upright. Of course risers may help/fix the issue he saw and didn't like over his 1250.

That’s pretty much how BMW has explained it. A bit more leaned forward and a bit less leg room.

 

[gsinnc]

I got to ride 2 of the new R1300GS's last week in Daytona during bike week. A white one and black one. Both bikes are the basic models and neither had the lowering suspension.
I waited at the demo truck for others riders to come back on the GS and would first ask what their personal bike was. Then I would ask what they thought of this new R13gs. One guy said he has a 1250 GS and a Ducati MultiStrada. Then he said if you take the good points of each of those bikes and made one bike it still wouldn't be as good as this new GS.
But the next guy wasn't as impressed saying it was better than his current 1250 GS but not worth the money to upgrade.
My impression can best be described by one word. Refined. Shifts better. Shift assist works much better but still not quite perfect. Noticeably smoother and very responsive in the lower RPM range.Handled great and quick but I ride a 2022 RT and 2018 Gt so my option there doesn't mean much. Refined , yes that describes it best

Yup it’s all your personal taste and preference

 

[collingsbob]

The dealership texted me yesterday to tell me that my bike is ready for delivery..if only there wasn’t 2” of rutted ice in the alley to my garage. I’m not going to try and move my FJR1300 into his trailer, or the new 1300 from his trailer into the garage. A couple of weeks should melt the ice enough to risk it.

 

[oldcamper]

I was at a dealer last week and did not even notice a new 1300 on the show floor until it was pointed out. It looks that similar to previous models, which is a good thing I suppose. Both clutch and brake levers felt uncomfortably short, but otherwise the bike appeared to be pretty much the same BMW GS formula of previous years. The new bike is fitted with a lithium battery, which along with the center stand probably accounts for much of the claimed weight reduction.

 

[CaptCF]

The dealership texted me yesterday to tell me that my bike is ready for delivery..if only there wasn’t 2” of rutted ice in the alley to my garage. I’m not going to try and move my FJR1300 into his trailer, or the new 1300 from his trailer into the garage. A couple of weeks should melt the ice enough to risk it.

Very cool.. I got the call today that mine should be ready for pickup next week.

 

[oldcamper]

The new 1300 has a sturdy cast upper fork stanchion mount, which appears to be somewhat similar to a conventional fork upper triple clamp. The new arrangement should help keep the stanchion tubes parallel and minimize the torsional deflection that caused earlier telelever designs to feel vague in road feel feedback to some riders.

I hope the aftermarket takes notice. Perhaps there will eventually be a retrofit kit available for existing telelever bikes to replace their more flexible top mount system. I think it will make a real difference in road feedback and tighten up handling considerably.

 

[flyhi2cfar]

The new 13GS's are now arriving like hot cakes at a club rally breakfast (fast & hot!) as April approaches.
Stopped into Cincinnati metro's shop yesterday; two on the floor and a demo in the lot. Riders waiting in the demo line (nice weather).
Most importantly for me... two beautiful used 23' 1250's in the showroom that were traded in on 1300 delivery's already handled.
Less than 1K on one of them, loaded with tasteful goodies, and priced right. Glad it wasn't a low suspension! That would have been tempting.