K1200GT update

Recently my K1200GT had its 40000km service, and at the same time I asked the dealer to investigate the gearbox and suspension.

The gearbox had been exhibiting three nasty behaviours.

First, it was extremely clunky. BMW bike gearboxes are infamous in this regard, but my bike was notably worse than usual.

Second, it would occasionally pop out of gear while decelerating with the throttle closed, ie. engine braking.

Third, it would sometimes appear to get wedged such that the gear lever had no impact on gear selection. When this happened, the gear display on the dash would go completely dark. Blipping the throttle sometimes freed up the gear selection. This was particularly annoying when pulling up at traffic lights, as I would typically be stuck in 3rd or 4th gear.

The suspension, meanwhile, had become extremely hard and uncomfortable. Unacceptable on the Princes Hwy in Sydney.

The dealer was happy to address these problems. The gearbox was replaced, and while they were in there they replaced the clutch as well. The entire rear suspension damper was replaced, and the ESA wiring for the front damper was also replaced. They also replaced the front brake pads and, somewhat worryingly, rebuilt the final drive unit. All of this work was warranty work and not charged for.

I am somewhat unhappy about the whole situation. The bike, a late 2008 model, only has 45000km on it as of today. I don't expect that it has much resale value left. Will reassess the situation when the 50k service rolls around.