Bmw breakdown assistance UK…NOT

[Alf]

Picked up a puncture around 15:00 today, called BMW assistance to be recovered to my local Bmw dealer. Some 7 hrs later I had still not been recovered! Called the AA and was recovered in less than an hour…..VERY disappointed with BMW assistance/recovery. They promised to keep in the loop re the “recovery”, they didn’t..I had to continually call them to find out what was happening, on the hour every hour. Although a puncture can happen at any time, I have had more than my fair share of bad luck with this bike in the few short weeks I have owned it, than all my other bikes put together.

 

[TodkaVonic]

Sounds like a bad day. Glad you're ok.

 

[Alf]

Thanks TodkaVonic, yes it was a bad day for sure. Still waiting for Bmw customer services to get back to me with a response….not holding my breath!
Clowns

 

[B4rn3y]

Picked up a puncture around 15:00 today, called BMW assistance to be recovered to my local Bmw dealer. Some 7 hrs later I had still not been recovered! Called the AA and was recovered in less than an hour…..VERY disappointed with BMW assistance/recovery. They promised to keep in the loop re the “recovery”, they didn’t..I had to continually call them to find out what was happening, on the hour every hour. Although a puncture can happen at any time, I have had more than my fair share of bad luck with this bike in the few short weeks I have owned it, than all my other bikes put together.

Sorry to hear you had such a poor experience with BMW Emergency Assistance. My own experience has been far more positive. I called them as I had a complete loss of electrical power while out on a weekend ride (I has stopped for a cuppa and returned to a dead bike). They turned up within an hour, diagnosed a faulty battery and managed to jump start it. I rode home, but sure enough on the Monday it was dead again. I called them a second time and they came out to my home that morning and recovered the bike back to the Dealership and also returned the bike to me once the faulty battery had been replaced. Have to say, I was impressed! My next experience wasn’t quite so good however, but I think excusable from their perspective. I had a flat rear and called them out. I was at home, so there was no rush, but they arrived within a couple of hours. They plugged the tyre (believing it to be tubeless, as did I) and recommended I go straight to a tyre shop (they won’t recover bikes for flat tyres, unless they can’t do a roadside repair). Of course the plugged tyre very quickly went flat again as they unwittingly pierced the tube! I was able to pump it up and ride to the nearest bike shop where I learnt the tyre had a tube (apparently the valve gives the game away) and the guy in the bike shop said that the tyre would almost certainly have been repairable, had it not been plugged. New tyre and fitting cost me £300 from memory!

 

[Alf]

Thanks for your reply B4rn3y,
Good to hear you have at least a 50% positive response from Bmw assist. Thinking about my “saga” with the puncture, it was all going well when I first put the call in to Bmw assist. It was only when they said the recovery person would soon plug my tyre and I would be on my way that I told them it was a tubed tyre and the bike would need recovering to the main dealer……then everything went down hill and they failed to really respond back any further, it all now makes sense! I will put this info to Bmw if they have the courtesy to reply to my complaint.
Regarding doing a plug repair on your tubed tyre and then it needing a new tyre, I would be demanding Bmw covered the cost at least. How incompetent not to see it was a tubed tyre, its not hard to check.
It does confirm my thoughts that we are surrounded by a bunch of clowns who really should know better when it comes to Bmw!!

 

[Calboy]

Good to hear you have at least a 50% positive response from Bmw assist. Thinking about my “saga” with the puncture, it was all going well when I first put the call in to Bmw assist. It was only when they said the recovery person would soon plug my tyre and I would be on my way that I told them it was a tubed tyre and the bike would need recovering to the main dealer……then everything went down hill and they failed to really respond back any further, it all now makes sense! I will put this info to Bmw if they have the courtesy to reply to my complaint.
Regarding doing a plug repair on your tubed tyre and then it needing a new tyre, I would be demanding Bmw covered the cost at least. How incompetent not to see it was a tubed tyre, its not hard to check.
It does confirm my thoughts that we are surrounded by a bunch of clowns who really should know better when it comes to Bmw!!

Big and sad clowns indeed!
I was going to return the bike to the dealership about a week after I bought it, when I realised that the spoked rims were not tubeless. I might have overlooked that aspect but as a customer I can't really think of everything all the time, and I'm not really supposed to. That's why they have salespersons at the dealership. To tell you everything that there is to know about the product you're interested in. To give you a full description of the features of the bike, to help you understand what you're buying and what you're not.
Long story short, they sold me a pair of cast wheels at their cost. Still very expensive, but it was the only way they kept me as a customer riding a 2021 R18FE I bought from them.
Get yourself the cast rims and you'll be a happy man!

 

[Alf]

To be perfectly honest, I am disappointed with the dealer and Bmw, I fully agree with your comments Calboy. I was never told to expect only a week of main battery life because of the tracker that was fitted unless I plugged the bike into a smart charger after every ride….Never ever had a new bike with a battery that only lasted for such a short period. In my opinion and considering the price of the bike in the first place, it should come complete with a smart charger….I had to fight tooth and nail to have the S5 stealth tracker removed. Then I was told I would have to pay to have it refitted when I came to selling the bike back to the dealer….oh how I laughed!
My R18FE is still with the dealer after a week waiting for a new inner tube for the puncture…..and the L/H cylinder ”smoking” to be investigated….Not feeling the love from Bmw.

 

[Calboy]

My R18FE is still with the dealer after a week waiting for a new inner tube for the puncture…..and the L/H cylinder ”smoking” to be investigated….Not feeling the love from Bmw.

Mine started smoking out of the left cylinder as well. Not every time, but now I'm obsessed by it and I look behind me every time I start her up. It still does it, but there's no definite pattern on when. I let the service department know about my problem so they are aware. I am dropping off by bike for the 6k service next week. PM me when your dealership tells you what's going on with yours.

 

[Alf]

Mines smoked badly a few times, no rhythm or reason to when it does it. I have started to keep the bike upright for a few minutes to allow the engine oil not to pool in the LH cylinder before I shut it down and place on the side stand. I have a video of the last time it happened and have passed to the dealer. They wont send it direct to Bmw until they have had completed their investigation/diagnosis. It does appear to be a common issue with the R18 boxer and some have stated on this forum about an improved piston/rings???
Will keep you in the loop if anything comes of it, not holding my breath…..

 

[Alf]

Update for all re smoking L/H cylinder……Bmw Germany have told the dealer to replace the L/H piston complete with rings…
Still waiting for the inner tube for the rear wheel puncture ( only been 10 days so far!)

 

[10 points]

What an absolute nightmare, I am waiting delivery of my R18 "first edition"model used 2021 demonstrator , forgot to check whether it has tubeless tyres, I will not will not be happy if it has tubes, I may consider filling the tyres with gloop of slime to help prevent punctures , problem made worse as i live 30 miles away from BMW store lets hope I don't have a puncture, It also comes with a Stealth Tracker which is another worry, and lets hope it doesn't smoke.

Hope every one resolves their complaints with BMW, ....Eddie

 

[Frenchie]

Having the same issue re inner tubes in Mexico FFS for a MX$600 (US$30) item why can't they have a few in stock?

I've ordered a spare front and back for next time..

What if any are the negatives for using https://www.ride-on.com it has been highly recommended by knowledgeable folk on here...?

 

[Calboy]

Picked up a puncture around 15:00 today, called BMW assistance to be recovered to my local Bmw dealer. Some 7 hrs later I had still not been recovered! Called the AA and was recovered in less than an hour…..VERY disappointed with BMW assistance/recovery. They promised to keep in the loop re the “recovery”, they didn’t..I had to continually call them to find out what was happening, on the hour every hour. Although a puncture can happen at any time, I have had more than my fair share of bad luck with this bike in the few short weeks I have owned it, than all my other bikes put together.

What you need to do as soon as possible is to replace the spoked rims with cast rims. You'd be using tubeless tires. That way you can fix a flat and not be at the mercy of I don't know what towing service taking you and the bike I don't know where.
Get the Nealey Tire Repair Kit. It's the best.
Get a portable air compressor too. Below you'll find the link. It's the one I have.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B017GQHPIK/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

[10 points]

Having the same issue re inner tubes in Mexico FFS for a MX$600 (US$30) item why can't they have a few in stock?

I've ordered a spare front and back for next time..

What if any are the negatives for using https://www.ride-on.com it has been highly recommended by knowledgeable folk on here...?

Frenchie, I haven't even had my new bike delivered yet! and beginning to panic , I will be calling the dealership today to address my concerns on tyres , blue smoke from left hand cylinder ,stealth alarm owner Issues.
My nearest dealer is 35 miles away, and as live in a rural location where cellphone signal is unpredictable. Tyre dealers will not remove the wheels from bikes due to possible health and safety issues , so the wheel has to be removed from the bike (by me),or local workshop before they repair /replace,
I am in he UK and looking at this, sealant

I will also seek advise from tyre suppliers/fitters before buying sealant
Eddie

 

[Rufus]

10 points. I’m not wanting to minimize any of your concerns here but probably millions of motorcycles are running around the world at any one time with tubed tyres. I’ve been riding for about 32 years myself and only once had a bike puncture out on the road, but I do fully accept the day I get another could be a truly miserable day. I’ve had two or three in the car and changed the wheel at the side of the road in i don’t know…1 million, 2 million miles?

You could consider the cast wheels but that will be a lot of money (in the UK) plus there’s no guarantee any puncture could actually be plugged, what about if you run over glass and slice it? Another option could be to invest in a quality 24/7 specialist motorbike recovery plan (not just the BMW one if you really don’t trust it) and mitigate the risk that way? England would fit many times over in just one US state (like Texas or California) so unless you plan to ride into the highlands in Scotland or go abroad we are never really that far from civilization.

I can’t speak about smoke in the LHS because mine doesn’t do it but I have read since getting it in the summer (from old BMW sweats) that all Boxers can do this, the engine cools off, tolerances expand and a little oil weeps into the LHS cylinder because it leans over so far. That’s all it is. Sage advice was to hold the bike upright for a minute or so after turning off to let the hot oil drain into the sump. It’s what I do now. A few thousand R18 variants are out there roaming about and I may be wrong but it doesn’t appear to be a common issue.

Finally, to the tracker alarm. My BMW dealer asked me if I wanted it fitting, I said no. They said fine (don’t blame you) so mine hasn’t got it. Insurance company was no problem either, in fact it was quite cheap which was a pleasant surprise (for once).

Only you can decide what to do. I accept the compromises because I think she’s worth it. I’ve had a lot of bikes over the years ( and some nice stuff too) but this one really is is a work of art, IMHO. Roll on Spring…..

 

[Alf]

Hi Rufus,

just a quick recap….
I dont mind getting a puncture…it happens. My gripe was the amount of time the Bmw recovery team took to respond and in the end they didn’t! I had to call out my own emergency recovery agency to get me home. It took them 40mins to respond..
Also Bmw accept that there is an issue with the LH pot belching out excessive blue smoke…hence that is why Bmw changed out the piston and rings with “improved items”. I have owned boxer’s since 1983 (R65LS, R1100, Boxer cup, Rt1150, and x5 Gs1200’s) not one of them ever had an issue with smoke from the exhaust.
My R18 came with the tracker already fitted, it was proven that the main battery life is days with the tracker fitted if not connected up to a battery conditioner Or used. Since its been removed I have no more flat battery issues.
The R18 is most certainly a work of art, but I’m afraid the quality is certainly lacking from previous BMW’s I have owned.
Once we get some dry weather I will be out on the R18 and my R27 once more.

 

[beemerboy9]

Frenchie, I haven't even had my new bike delivered yet! and beginning to panic , I will be calling the dealership today to address my concerns on tyres , blue smoke from left hand cylinder ,stealth alarm owner Issues.
My nearest dealer is 35 miles away, and as live in a rural location where cellphone signal is unpredictable. Tyre dealers will not remove the wheels from bikes due to possible health and safety issues , so the wheel has to be removed from the bike (by me),or local workshop before they repair /replace,
I am in he UK and looking at this, sealant

I will also seek advise from tyre suppliers/fitters before buying sealant
Eddie

Hi, as you're in the UK, I can heartily recommend Cental Wheel Components in Coleshill for doing a tubeless conversion on spoked wheels (on my Triumph). Rather than send my wheels, I left the bike there for a week while the work was done (curing time is required for their process).
There is also 3M and Outex tape for DIY'ers.

 

[10 points]

Thank you Rufus,
Did not want to go into full explanations, I too have 30 years of BMW all with tubeless tyres, the only bikes
I have seen using tubed tyres are enduro , trial, and push bikes and some triumph Tigers.

Had a R1200GS With full break down cover and rescue. The bike had a puncture about 8 miles from home,in a very rural location no cell phone signal, I was unable park so pushed the bike to a local farm, where I managed to plug and fix and off I went, had this occurred on the R18,the bike would have had to abandoned whilst I found somewhere to call the breakdown service,they would take it to the nearest dealership some 35 mils away, assume it would be repaired , don't know how long this would take? and the final BMW costs £££.
Arrange to collect from the dealership, not knowing any one to transport me to the dealership, we live some distance away in the countryside so public transport is difficult, expect train then taxi , would not be a problem with tubeless.

I am aware BMW, smoke on --start up-- if left on side stand, is this why the older models have centre stands,why didn't BMW fit to the R18 , knowing they can smoke, or pre- warn new owners of this issue ? however there are some bikes that are having new rings fitted etc , unknown on the older models

Did not have a choice of tracker it was already fitted,

I had 2 BMW's both had the ABS Servo systems removed, which cost several hundred pounds each
to have removed ,as BMW warranty had lapsed. I hope BMW do the right thing should issues occur on theR18 ,

See Alf 's earlier post which correctly mirrors my concerns.

Eddie

 

[10 points]

Hi, as you're in the UK, I can heartily recommend Cental Wheel Components in Coleshill for doing a tubeless conversion on spoked wheels (on my Triumph). Rather than send my wheels, I left the bike there for a week while the work was done (curing time is required for their process).
There is also 3M and Outex tape for DIY'ers.

Thats a realistic way of solving the problem
Thank you for posting
Eddie

 

[Rufus]

Thank you Rufus,
Did not want to go into full explanations, I too have 30 years of BMW all with tubeless tyres, the only bikes
I have seen using tubed tyres are enduro , trial, and push bikes and some triumph Tigers.

Had a R1200GS With full break down cover and rescue. The bike had a puncture about 8 miles from home,in a very rural location no cell phone signal, I was unable park so pushed the bike to a local farm, where I managed to plug and fix and off I went, had this occurred on the R18,the bike would have had to abandoned whilst I found somewhere to call the breakdown service,they would take it to the nearest dealership some 35 mils away, assume it would be repaired , don't know how long this would take? and the final BMW costs £££.
Arrange to collect from the dealership, not knowing any one to transport me to the dealership, we live some distance away in the countryside so public transport is difficult, expect train then taxi , would not be a problem with tubeless.

I am aware BMW, smoke on --start up-- if left on side stand, is this why the older models have centre stands,why didn't BMW fit to the R18 , knowing they can smoke, or pre- warn new owners of this issue ? however there are some bikes that are having new rings fitted etc , unknown on the older models

Did not have a choice of tracker it was already fitted,

I had 2 BMW's both had the ABS Servo systems removed, which cost several hundred pounds each
to have removed ,as BMW warranty had lapsed. I hope BMW do the right thing should issues occur on theR18 ,

See Alf 's earlier post which correctly mirrors my concerns.

Eddie

Hi Eddie,
No problem. I was just trying to add a different (more positive) perspective because you seem quite down about your purchase. I fully appreciate how stressful it can be getting stranded and yes it does go through my mind too. I have had BMW’s in the past myself (4 not including my R18) and owning them was positive. Alf’s had a bit of a mare with his but many don’t, that’s all I was saying, it’s upto you what you want to do.