BMW C600 reliability problems

[Taipan]

I have a love hate relationship with BMWs but I recently sold my last one. Earlier BMWs were worthy of the good name they had in my opinion but the later ones are bad. My old R1100GS had a much higher standard of finish but still blew a bevel box seal. My Rockster was a 05 I think and was only a couple of years old when i got it. The quality of the finish was appalling. The water based paints flaked off and corrosion was setting in everywhere. Plus bevel box seal went, crank seal went and killed the clutch. F800S on paper was a great bike. Lovely torquey parallel twin engine but it sounded like a tool box falling down the stairs. Kept cutting out etc. Reading the forums these problems are widely recognise by everyone except BMW who of course deny them. With 2 wheelers, BMW seem to churn out anything and just not worry about any faults or indeed rectifying them. I'm amazed they still have the customer base they do to be honest.

[Ferret]

I am really glad I did not get the c600 instead of the srv I now have even though on paper the BMW,s are supposed to be so much better than all before them . I do hope they rectify all there issues before it's too late . My m8 got the gt and loves it but it has also suffered oil leaks and other fluid issues .

[gn2]

I seem to remember reading somewhere that Kymco warned BMW at the design stage that the transmission design was not what they would advise to be used on a bike of this kind. But BMW wanted to stick with it much to Kymco's regret. Don't know how true that is, but makes you think. Kymco usually know what they are talking about and makes some quality kit. Certainly from the design point of view, and having had a cursory look at the design, I would never specify the use a final drive chain tensioned in that way and with dry bearings of that type in such a powerful engine. I wonder how many are failing.

Kymco must be wishing they had never embarked on this particular venture.
Wonder whether BMW or Kymco's reputation will be damaged the most?

[smeghead]

It's all BMW's fault, I would imagine they sign off the design and specifications. If Kymco manufactured to spec then it's hard lines BMW. If it's true that BMW were warned by Kymco that the deign was weak then that really is a poor show by the Germans, after all Kymco are the experts here.

[MrGrumpy]

I have a love hate relationship with BMWs but I recently sold my last one. Earlier BMWs were worthy of the good name they had in my opinion but the later ones are bad. My old R1100GS had a much higher standard of finish but still blew a bevel box seal. My Rockster was a 05 I think and was only a couple of years old when i got it. The quality of the finish was appalling.

I was talking to a BMW owner / enthusiast the other day, and even he described the finish (on his R-RT) as 'shit'.

It really shouldn't be that difficult to design a drive system that works - all they had to do was copy Yamaha!

[Tmaximus]

Thanks Data, I could not agree more. Its wrong of BMW to launch this poorly thought out machine, many people will have this as their only form of transport and many will have some sort of debt to pay for it, so its wrong putting them in this position ! For the time being I am commuting on my 15 year old Gilera 180 Runner, owned since new and trouble free since new - BMW could learn from the Italians as well as the Japanese !!!

[DougL]

I've got nearly 4000 miles on mine with no problem. Nothing to report.

Edited to 4000 miles!

[gn2]

Think you might mean 4000 miles?

[horobags]

It maybe the old story of you only hear about the faulty ones, and many run fine without problems. Even so the few faulty ones is a few too many in 2013, especially from BMW, I cant help but wonder if the release date which was put back several times had anything to do with technical difficulties.

[Ferret]

Work in progress thats what they will be doing at owners expense . Ask any early owner of a f800s jmho