Nightmare problem: R1200RT

[RodB]

Hello all,

Just found this website/forum and registered. I want to relate my experience with my new bike. Last week it was in the shop for its first service. (the dealer is 250km from home)Leaving the shop, it was raining for the first 50km and then sunny for the rest of the way. The bike was just humming along perfectly as it should. About 15km from home, the low fuel warning came on,(no problem there, plenty of reserve)but did not stop for gas as I was in a bit of a hurry to get home. I parked the bike in the front yard. A few hours later when I brought the bike inside the garage, I noticed that the idle speed was a bit above normal. Next morning when I started the bike it immediately stalled. Kept trying for a bit but could not get the engine to idle. The best way I can describe it is like a carburated engine running with full choke. The warning light was still on from low fuel so I added fuel to see if I had any other warning signals. (none) I promptly called the service dept. to suggest that I call roadside assistance and have the bike brought to the shop.They instructed me to check a few things (air intake, spark plugs, adding methyl hydrate in the fuel tank), everything seemed ok exept the bottom spark plugs were drenched with gas. Finally, at the end of the day they said to call roadside and have it brought over. Like I said before, that was 7 days ago. As of last night, they still did not have a clue as to what is wrong with the engine. Progress in diagnosing the problem has been slow because the dealer did not have spark plugs in stock (they did receive some yesterday)They tell me that their diagnostic computer tells them that all systems are ok. They are now in contact with BMW Canada. They also tell me that they are sending me a '02 RT as a loaner. (after a week and a talk with my salesman)I work in the Canadian far north on a 4 week on 2 week off schedule and have to leave for work in 3 days so will have to wait untill the last 2 weeks of August to maybe ride my RT again.(if they can figure out the problem by then) I've already lost out on the best riding weather I can hope for this year. Can't wait for this nightmare to end. Anyone there have any ideas/suggestions?

Rod

[johnv]

Welcome to the site. Sorry to hear your having problems. I don't have any suggestions/ideas except maybe it's an injector problem. I'm sure your dealer will get to the bottom of it. It's not the first time I've heard of dealers being stumped by problems with these new models. I guess everybody is on a learning curve at the moment. It was really nice of him to offer you a loaner. I know this is probably little consolation, but the 02 RT is a pretty good bike (I own one)so it should serve you well till your bike gets fixed. Hope your nightmare ends soon.

 

John Veilleux

St.Bruno, Quebec

[Geraldh]

Rod, first of all welcome aboard! Sorry I can't help with your problem but I'm 100% sure that someone here will have a suggestion for you that you might want to pass on to your dealer. The members on this site are very knowledgeable.

 

Hope you get your bike back soon.

[RodB]

Hello again,

Here's an update on my bike at the shop. Just spoke to the service dept. They say that they're expecting schematics for the bike from BMW Canada tomorrow; so that they can begin diagnosing the problem further. I suppose that's progress. (is it just me that thinks they should have schematics when they begin selling the bike?)

Rod

[RodB]

Day 13. Just spoke with the service dept. guy. No progress in diagnosing the problem yet. He says his main problem is in allocating a service technician to work on my bike because of the busy tourist season and having to accomodate bikers riding in with problems. (this establishment is a longtime Yamaha dealership which just began BMW dealing last year.) He also tells me that they are in communication with BMW Canada service and are receiving help from that side.???

Rod

[Satguy]

Just so I understand....You bought a new 1200RT from your "local" dealer and took it in for the 1000 KM service and it has been in the shop for 13 days now awaiting diagnosis???

 

It it was me, I would go postal on someone at the dealership and then BMW Canada. Seriously, I could see waiting for parts for 13 days, but they have not even worked on your bike by the sounds of things. that sucks!

 

If you like, send me a PM and I'll provide you with the name and number of the customer service guy at BMW Canada in Toronto.

 

Get the bike back from the dealer and take off the plastic and check the connections to the spark plug caps. The caps actually contain the coils and the two main caps have to be removed during the first service to get the valve adjustment done. Also, the lower spark plugs are supposed to be checked during the first service. I'd be checking all the connections for all 4 spark plug caps, and I bet your problem will be apparent.

 

This dealer sounds like they need a lesson in customer service.

[ScottT]

Rod you are holding together better than I would have. I would have had ten strokes by now. I'm either lucky or not unlucky but my RT (except the horn, fixed by me) has been fine. I just completed the 6k service on it and found nothing unusual. The R1200RT is the finest machine I have owned in 23 years of riding. Hopefully the dealer will get it's act together so you can enjoy your new ride. Best of luck.

[RodB]

Day 15. Just called the service dept. Conversation went like this:

-Service department.

-Yeah hello, this is Rod Blanchard, I`d like an update on my bike.

-Just a second..............Rod, the technician is gone for the day, there`s not much I can tell you other than the bike is not fixed.

-Oh, so there`s not much communication there.

-What do wanna know?

-Well, just an update.....what`s been done.....

-The bike was put up on the technician stand, it was on the side stand - not the center stand, I can`t say exactly where his fingers were, and the bike is not fixed. We will call you when it is.

-Oh, OK, I`ll call again tomorrow.

 

Rod

[SC_Jack]

I don't know the laws in Canada but in the USA:

1. Registered letters to BMW and the dealer with a deadline to either repair the bike or return your money. If the bike is financed with BMW, you probably have some leverage there.

2. If no results by the deadline, hire an attorney and demand your money back plus attorney costs.

3. If no results, sue them.

This is an absurd situation and you need to get firm (not fight) with them.

[Danny_Archibald]

Rod,

 

You really should send the certified letters to BMW Arbitration. I am not certain how your lemon laws work up there or even if they do but you bought a bike from BMW and they stand behind the bike. In the car market BMW has a program called trade assist where they get you a new bike in situations like this. Document every phone call and build a letter. You will get results, but the dealer is an idiot.

[Geraldh]

-The bike was put up on the technician stand, it was on the side stand - not the center stand, I can`t say exactly where his fingers were

 

Sounds like he's being a smart arse.......take it higher and start making demands. I must agree with others that you're holding up far better than I would be.

[Satguy]

Man, this really sucks! Maybe some kind soul here should send the dealer a link to this discussion??

 

Here is their email address from the BMW Canada site.

 

atlanticyamaha@nb.aibn.com

 

I hope you get your bike back soon, it really is a great motorcycle.

[Geraldh]

Man, this really sucks! Maybe some kind soul here should send the dealer a link to this discussion??

 

 

I feel like calling them and asking for the address of the nearest dealership other than theirs since I don't want to leave my bike with them for weeks on end.

[scatterbrain]

Rod, sorry to hear about your predicament. The dealership sounds like they have absolutely no business selling BMW motorcycles - and judging by the smartarsed response to your last phone inquiry, they have no business being in a service field either! I agree with the other gents who posted on this - I would definitely escalate this with BMW and give your stealership the ultimatum that Jack suggested. This is an incredibly unacceptable situation! Good luck.

[RodB]

Day 16. The service dept. now have a brand new out of the crate R12RT sitting next to mine so that they can do some comparison diagnostics. I asked him what color was the new one, he said he couldn`t tell because he had the panels off. (must have had the front fender off too) The salesman later told me it was red. (mine is graphite) While talking to my salesman, he said he was with another customer and asked if he could he call me back. Left me waiting for 2 hours until I had to leave for work. Maybe I`ll get to talk to him on Monday.

Bruce, thanks for the private message with the info/contact for the service guy at BMW Canada. This guy has been aware of this matter since day 1. I had a long discussion with him last week; he seems like a very nice guy and understands my situation completely. But I still don`t see my bike in my driveway. Your other suggestion of sending an email to the dealer and linking this thread to it is good. I had already tried that. The address is no good. (send failure) I contacted BMW Canada`s website making them aware of this - still no response from them either.

I`m now thinking maybe this really is a nightmare.

Rod

[Geraldh]

Rod, tell them to give you the red R12RT and keep your graphite one and then find another dealership for service.

[onedae]

why in the world are you letting this dealer hang you up like this?? you need to get in their face NOW -or - if you are uncomfortable doing that, get a lawyer. There is no justification for how you are being treated.

[RodB]

Day 18. There’s a small glimmer of hope today. I managed to speak to my salesman. He says the service guys ordered a TPS (throttle position sensor) as they believe that is the problem. The salesman says that BMW have a different name to describe this part. (?) I’m not sure yet when it’s going to arrive. I just wish the dealer would have acted on my suggestion, when I told them (forcibly), over a week and a half ago (July 13) to order all sensors and the BMW recommended spare parts list for this bike model. I will still try to find out why they didn’t consider this. I will also try to find out from BMW, what is the recommended spare parts list for this model bike. Although I’m not sure I’ll get anywhere with either of them. (I’ve been fed so much BS over the last 2 weeks, there’s no amount of Clorets gonna get the bad taste out of my mouth)

 

Gerald, that red bike was ordered for a customer (already sold).

Rod

[RodB]

Day 20. Engine problem repaired today. The culprit was the `throttle valve switch` part number: 13631726591.

It may be a good idea to keep spare one on the bike. Now, I`m waiting for repairs for the damage done when the bike was dropped when roadside assistance picked it up.

Rod

[Deadboy]

Glad you are repaired and almost back on the road....I am sure it is very frustrating but most folks just don't realize you don't have another dealership period....I just spent 2 weeks in your part of the world and if it wasn't for this board I would still be waiting for an alternator belt, the Yami/BMW dealer didn't even have one of those in stock, and they were not exactly next door (as you know)....and the Halifax dealership is a car only operation now....kind of scary if you need repairs, but all in all an incredible place to visit. I totally understand you not wanting to burn that bridge, they kind of have you at their mercy until another shop opens (if ever). I will admit a bit of jealousy with regards to the folks in our group on Harley’s, no shortage of dealer support in NS or NF….enjoy your last few weeks of summer.

[RodB]

Day 34. My bike is ready since last Thursday. After 2 broken promises of them telling me that they would deliver my bike home, I had a long talk with my dealership's owner. (for the first time) He basically agrees with every single thing I said; such as: 'it took way longer (20 days) than it should have to diagnose & repair a simple problem (throttle position sensor)'.... 'the repairs on the damage done when it dropped could have begun earlier (why wait until after the initial problem was repaired)'.... 'the initial towing of the vehicle could have been done by the dealer's own towing vehicle (which is properly equipped to do it) thereby decreasing the chance of the bike getting damaged in the first place' (he even addmitted to providing this service to other customers)....'poor overall customer service; no communication from them updating the situation as this ordeal is going on (always me having to call them)

I asked him who took care of assuring customer service at his establishment; he aswered nobody as they are too small of a business to dedicate somebody in this role. I then gave him a suggestion that they should then all take turns at doing the job. (nobody there that I dealt with seemed to be taking their turns)

While fully agreeing with all of these comments and more, he says that they are working to improve their overall service - bigger premises, more employees, etc. I asked him why did he not just pick up the phone and call me to inform me of these things-he said 'yeah, I should have'.

I mentioned that I may have to hire a layer to achieve some kind of settlment for days lost.

What's the (going rate for renting a R1200RT per day? ($200-$250 per day?)

He then mentioned that he would not like for it to escalate so far, and then offered me the next bike service. I still don't know if this was a joke or a feeble attempt to buy me cheap. (I know I won't be doing cartwheels for getting a brand new motocycle and having it taken away from me (34 days) and then getting a lousy free service as a peace jesture) When I hung up the phone, I was left with the feeling that they really don't care what happens and that losing a brand new $$$bike for 34 days in the heart of summer is just 'too bad, too sad'.

He says that he's going to make sure that I get my bike today. So maybe today is the day I get my bake back.

Rod

[SC_Jack]

This is really sad story. This man should not be in business and obviously has had NO training on how to run a business. He also lacks common sense on how to deal with customers. To make it worse, if you write BMW and detail all of this, you may wind up without a dealer in your area since it seems like people are not lining up to become BMW dealers.

[Geraldh]

Rod, hope you get your bike back today and are able to enjoy it for the rest of the riding season without anything else happening to it.

 

I think he can do better than just a free service. My initial 1000KM service cost me $277CDN.

 

Good luck and keep in touch.

[Murf]

It is still amazing that after all the hoops a person has to jump through to become a BMW dealership that -that kind of service/interaction is what you ended up with. About the worst thing that has happened is now the new, high dollar bike is not fully a source of enjoyment but a reminder of the crap you had to put up with to keep it running. ...........How far away is the NEXT closest dealership?

[RodB]

I got my bike back 2 days ago, minus the bike cover that was on it when it went to the dealer. I called them - they said they forgot and they would courrier it right away. The cover arrived real quick (1 day later) except it wasn`t mine. They must`ve picked an old one sitting in the shop and sent it to me. I`ll have to call them today.

I know that some of you must be thinking that I`m probably making all of this up, trying to make this dealership sound like a modern version of the Keystone Cops (all running around and bumping in to each other) but everything I`ve said in this thread is true.

Rod

[Geraldh]

Unbelievable

 

You have held up better than I ever would have if it'd been my bike.

 

Hopefully this will be the end of your nightmare and you'll be able to salvage something out of this riding season before the snow arrives.

[Cheechoo]

As much as I like my RT, if I lived in your neck of the woods I would be riding a Honda. BMW doesn't deserve the business.

[jakfrost]

Rod, Is 'Toys for Big Boys' the dealer? I used to buy my bikes from Adrian VanEgmond in Moncton for years before I moved away, (Moncton is family home...) but I heard he couldn't keep the BMW marque since he is too small. Is there another dealer in N.B.??

Jim Winchester

[RodB]

Jim, I would suggest that maybe you shouldn`t go back to your hometown to purchase a BMW bike.

No, the dealer isn`t `Toys for big boys` - it`s the Yamaha dealer in Dieppe. (supposed to be called `Atlantic Motoplex`)

They`ve been dealing BMW for well over a year now but if you call them they`ll answer the phone with `Atlantic Yamaha`. Even when your put on hold (which is very likely), you will hear prerecorded messages of the whole Yamaha line - not a word of BMW. In the store they have a TV screen showing everything Yamaha.

It seems almost like they don`t want to be dealing BMW?????

Rod

[jakfrost]

Yes I knew them when they were called Atlantic Motoplex or whatever. I am supprised they are still in business, perhaps the name change explains it...they were bad then, sounds like they are worse now. Such a great bike, sucks to not have a dealer you can work with.

I rode a R12RT today for the first time, swapped with a friend. He took my '04 Concours. After 150kms we stopped for fuel, he said he was 'shattered' after the experience. I was 'estatic'. If only I could sell the Connie...should have kept the R1100RT another year. The Connie was a cheap attack.

[alexp]

Rod

Let me tell you what I went through in 2004 when I got my bike.

 

I waited 5 months for the bike to arrive in Hawaii. I finally got it and took it home. The next morning I went to ck on the bike and found oil on the floor by the center stand. I took it back on the next day and they took my trans out and said the front seal was leaking. Two weeks later, I took the bike home with only 25 miles on the odometer and the same thing happened on the next morning. I had to wait two weeks before I could bring the bike back. They took the trans out again and did all kinds of tests and after being with out a bike for another 4 weeks, the finally replaced the trans w/ a new one. I took the bike home and the same thing happened on the next morning. I took it back and now with the trans out the third time, they found a freeze out plug loose behind the clutch assembly. The bike has being fine ever since. I was with out a bike for almost tree months. BMWNA end up compensating me in paying for my first service. Sh@# happens!

[RodB]

Alex,

I just love the island mentality. Just wish everybody had it (myself included). To just be able to lay back, take another (sip) of the good stuff, and say "Hey man, sh%t happens".

Rod