Corrosion

[guest2368]

Hi folks,

Is anyone else having corrosion issues on their RT LC.
Mine was back to the dealer for a new swing arm and bevel box after 2000 miles, both were replaced under warranty.  The bike is now 16 months old and has covered 6400 miles. And yes it does get used all year round, but it is hosed down after almost every winter ride and gets a good deep clean every 2 or 3 weeks.  I was cleaning the bike last week when I noticed a couple of disturbing points.
The swing arm and bevel box paint system is breaking down again with the under coating corrosion causing bubbling of the paint system.

The lower exhaust heat shield bolt head is almost completely gone, with corrosion products all over the heat shield.
The off-side riders foot peg & mount is covered in fluffy aluminium corrosion products and the peg will not return to the flat position as the spring is not strong enough to overcome the corrosion.
The off-side pillion foot peg & mount is covered in fluffy aluminium corrosion products and the peg is seized in the up position.  The near-side pillion foot peg & mount is covered in fluffy aluminium corrosion products and the peg is stiff to move.
Anything ferrous under the bike is covered in corrosion.
I’m going back to the dealer with it to get his take, but I would be interested if anyone else is noting similar corrosion issues…

John

[guest2360]

When you give it clean what do you use as well as water.  Where is the bike stored? What you have described sounds far from normal.

[guest2368]

Just water for after ride hose downs and SDoc100, sparingly, for its big washes.  It gets towel dried after washing and lives in an unheated garage.
I appreciate that maintenance is required and it gets well looked after.  I'm a mechanical engineer to trade, I know how to look after lumps of metal.  I am just seriously p*&$%d off that my £13000 motorcycle appears to be dissolving before my eyes  >:(

[guest2360]

As your bike is obviously still under warranty the dealer is the place to go.  I have no knowledge of Sdoc100 but the blurb on it suggests it's got some pretty strong active ingredients in it with not a very good corrosion inhibitor in your case.  MuckOff can react badly to BMW alloy and in the past has resulted in some warrant refusal. Wouldn't mention your stuff when you go in. It will be interesting to see if anybody else is having the same problems.

[Our Gee]

This is indeed a bummer John, especially when you consider that this winter there has been very little road salt used in the UK. I myself have had both the Final Drive and Footest Hangers replaced on our Twincam due to the same paint problems you describe. Personnaly, I am of the opinion that the only way to avoid this problem is for a completely different coating system to be adopted. If paint/coating enginers can produce a system that can protect offshore well jackets then it shouldn't be asking too much for one to be developed for a UK winter. Cost and appearance will no doubt be a factor but it could be done. The paint system used by BMW is probably the same on every bike wether it's  destined for the UK or California. In this sceanario, "one system dosen't suit all".

[smileymiley]

Hi John,
My swingarm was replaced under warranty after 10500 miles due to bubbling of the paintwork. There's a picture on here somewhere?! This is one among a lot of problems I've had with my bike. Like you, it grates me that for the money they ask for their bikes the build quality is to put it mildly shite!
This is my first BMW & the last. I've had many bikes over the years both new & secondhand and never had problems as bad.
BMW put out that you are buying a premium quality product. Utter tosh!
Come 2 years of ownership, when the warranty runs out, I'll be having serious thoughts of changing bikes, as I won't be willing to pay the exhorbitant price for fixing any problems.

[guest2368]

Hi John,
My swingarm was replaced under warranty after 10500 miles due to bubbling of the paintwork. There's a picture on here somewhere?! This is one among a lot of problems I've had with my bike. Like you, it grates me that for the money they ask for their bikes the build quality is to put it mildly shite!
This is my first BMW & the last. I've had many bikes over the years both new & secondhand and never had problems as bad.
BMW put out that you are buying a premium quality product. Utter tosh!
Come 2 years of ownership, when the warranty runs out, I'll be having serious thoughts of changing bikes, as I won't be willing to pay the exhorbitant price for fixing any problems.

It's going to be interesting if they suggest changing the swing arm again!  Like you I have owned several bikes over the years and this is the biggest rust bucket I have ever owned.  Seriously disappointed with, what I thought, was a premium product.  It is also likely to be my last BMW as well.
I'll try and get through to the dealers with it this weekend and see what they say.  I am also going to contact BMW customer service to voice my concerns, for all that will do...

[Steve F]

Such corrosion issues are well documented on the EuroKclub forum, and  I can relate to final drive hub corrosion when I owned a K13GT. Not at all uncommon on the K bikes!! As far as my 65 plate RTLC goes, I haven't yet noticed  any bubbling corrosion, but it will be back to the dealer at the first sign of it! I agree, it is crap that a premium brand machine has such fundamental weaknesses. I too am a mechanical engineer and some practices BMW adopt on their bike design surprise me. But, the bike, warts and all, is an absolute delight to ride, and I couldn't find another manufacturer to come close to such a high performance touring bike! Yes, b.frustrating, but as long as BMW keep trying to cut costs, we the punters will continue to keep getting these quality issues!!

[guest2360]

150 reads so far but only 2 bikes with obvious problems.  For sure its not good but on the LCs doesn't seem to be a widespread issue.

[step2534]

Its absolutely disgusting that this happens but do you think its a like "luck of the draw"?? Like a lot of things in life

[guest2360]

I think it will be difficult to give an opinion on why some suffer this and others don't. In 20 years of RT ownership I have had one bit of corrosion on a fork header on an 1100.  Except for applying clear wax to obvious sensitive areas, washing with a car shampoo and an occasional polish I do nothing else. When it's washed it's never put back in the shed until it's totally dry . I have never used any type of chemical cleaner that contains a degreaser since I gave up using chain lube.


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[Our Gee]

150 reads so far but only 2 bikes with obvious problems.  For sure its not good but on the LCs doesn't seem to be a widespread issue.

I see your point but surely that dosen't mean that the other 148 bikes don't have a problem. We all have different levels of expectation and quality levels. I'm sure that amongst some of the other 148 bikes there will be similar paint problems which are unnoticed by their respective owners. For example prior to inspecting and buying my own Twincam RT at a BMW Dealer, the dealer called to tell me of it's availability. He described the condition as a 3000 mile minter. When I got there I noted the bad corrosion on the Exhaust and Rusty Caliper Screws. Other than that the bike looked and rode very well.  I did go ahead and buy the bike as I negotiated a very good deal, but it took me about a week to bring it up to my own "Mint" standard.

[guest2360]

Yep I agree but as I'm sure you will agree on forums if you have a problem or a gripe you will let it be known. Yes someone's corrosion might just be another's bit of discolouration and be ignored. I often see DSA bikes at my dealers as they run twin cams round here. most have no finish left at all on the footrest hangers and totally black exhaust.  But they just ride them.


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[chappers2a]

I too have suffered the paint bubbling/corrosion issue on my 2014 RTLC. I spotted it while I had some panels off to fit a Starcom and associated wiring. After a visit to my local dealer (Williams in Manchester. UK) it was booked in for further inspection. The upshot is they replaced the engine/gearbox and swingarm/final drive and arranged for the front wheel to be repainted as a token of goodwill. I consider this to be good service but how long the new engine remains corrosion free remains to be seen. It does get a minimum of a cold water hose down after every outing and a good wash with branded car shampoo when more time permits. I think the problem is more to do with the suitability of the paint or powder coating that BMW use but I am sure if this happened to the car division there would be uproar from the car owners. Having said that I don't recall any BMW car drivers complaining about BMW removing the indicators on their top model saloons!

[guest2360]

That sounds like a whole lot of corrosion on an LC and not what most of us have experienced.  At least your dealer sorted it although I don't understand why they just did a goodwill resprey  on the wheel rim. Was that corroding as well.