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Check Your Spokes !!

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John D

Joined
Jan 22, 2019
Messages
118
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Location
Montgomery
First Name
John
I checked the spokes on my 18 GSA. . . No off road use, just back road riding. One spoke broken, 5-6 loose. :shock::shock: I called Woodlands BMW shop. Its covered under warranty, and they're sending a truck to pick up the bike.
Not thrilled about the wheel, but it happens. I am pleased that they're sending a truck to pick up the bike. It seems like they're trying to get their service department's act together. I hope so. If we always complain loudly when things go bad, then we should also give praise when things go well.
 
Three cheers for great service!

I have a slightly older bike, Yamaha, that needs a spoke expert. Does anyone have a suggestion for such a person or shop near San Antonio?
 
Yikes, that just from riding road? That is pretty cool of them to pick up. Did you ask for a rental scooter?

That's one of the many things I don't like about wire spoke wheels. With dirt-oriented bikes, obviously the pros outweigh the cons. For road bikes, alloy wheels are far easier to live with.
 
John D said:
I checked the spokes on my 18 GSA. . . No off road use, just back road riding. One spoke broken, 5-6 loose. :shock::shock: I called Woodlands BMW shop. Its covered under warranty, and they're sending a truck to pick up the bike.
Not thrilled about the wheel, but it happens. I am pleased that they're sending a truck to pick up the bike. It seems like they're trying to get their service department's act together. I hope so. If we always complain loudly when things go bad, then we should also give praise when things go well.
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This is a known issue with the 2018s. There's extensive info over on advrider.
 
There was a recall last year regarding the spokes. I brought it in, they checked them and at that time they said they said the spokes were ok.
They did tell me today that after the tech inspects the wheel, if he finds more than a few loose spokes BMW will just replace the wheel. No, I didn't ask for a replacement scoot. I'm so busy with life right now, that I have to schedule time for rides. . .
 
Quick update:

Received a call from the Woodlands BMW shop this morning. Rear wheel had 1 broke spoke and 10 loose spokes. BMW authorized replacing the wheel. Should be ready early next week.
Front wheel had 3 loose spokes. Spokes will be re torqued, and monitored. If front wheel spokes continue to loosen, BMW will be contacted regarding wheel replacement.

I'm satisfied.
 
At the factory, the wheels are tensioned and trued in a specialized machine. A human only laces them loosely. For well over a decade, BMW has always recommended replacing the whole wheel for that reason. Good thing you didn't have to pay for a replacement yourself, they're about $1500 for a rear IIRC.

While a Kineo is less expensive and more stylish, the price can add up if you ask for fancy colors and I don't know if it's any better or worse than the BMW. The lacing is completely different and it makes me think the BMW may be more durable in the long run.
 
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$1500.00😲😲 I have an extended warranty on my bike, But when the warranty gets close to expiring, I'm trading it in. I love the GSA, but the out of warranty repair cost is too much for my shallow pockets.
Probably go to a Yamaha Super Tenere.
 
Never had a problem with a Moto Guzzi or MV Agusta spoked wheel.
 
Part of bike maintaince , I check and adjust spokes every time I mount a tire , been riding close to 50 years and never broke a spoke . This year I’ve been on some of the rockiest trails I’ve ever ridden so I do check spokes once a week or so . Last week I hit a trail up the side of the BigHorns that was rock gardens for well over a mile at a time , just stay on the pegs and stay on the gas with no rest untill your out of it . Probly some of the toughest riding Ive ever done and loving every minute of it .
 
John D said:
$1500.00😲😲 I have an extended warranty on my bike, But when the warranty gets close to expiring, I'm trading it in. I love the GSA, but the out of warranty repair cost is too much for my shallow pockets.
Probably go to a Yamaha Super Tenere.
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Yeah, I severely dented a cast front wheel in an East St. Louis pothole back in 2008 or 9 and a replacement was $925 not including bearings or rotors.
 
@Jeff S I was in Bill Dragoo’s Level III class. Rocks and sand. We were as they said Haulin the Mail at the end of the day and had done hard hits about 35mph. Would be hacked to see in a photo, but you can feel it. 21” cross spoke wheel.
 
I bought a '75 Triumph Trident 750 triple once, and after I "woke it up" (carb cleaning, new battery, plugs, oil change, etc), I took it out Hwy 59 leaving Laredo, to a couple of nice long stretches to open it up and see how it felt.

274478




Everything was going great 'till about 70 when it started to weave; it's straight 2-line with wide shoulders, so I wasn't really too concerned. I figured I'd wick it up and see if it got better - it didn't.

At about 80, the weave became a high-speed wobble, and the rear tire was leaving long black opposing scallops on the roadway! I still had my wits about me, so I un-clenched my hands to "give it it's head" - that didn't work either. I JUST started to apply a bit of rear brake and immediately realized that was NOT a good solution, as the weaving became more furious.

Next I started easing off the throttle, at which point I got into a WILD tank-slapper! I was already down though the low 70s as I started easing over toward the shoulder in case I had to bail, I figured it would be a softer landing in the tall buffel grass. The road started up a fair incline around this time, so without ever touching the brakes, I was able to scrub off a good amount of speed.

I was still almost knocking dents in the tank with my knees, but miraculously nothing bad happened as the bike seemed to settle down about 65, then smoothed out again at 60. Thankfully, no traffic in either direction the entire time, and the big curve in the road was just ahead. I pulled over, took a couple of deep breaths, thanked God I was OK, then flipped it around and rode home.

As soon as I got home, I jacked the bike up and started looking at the wheels - nothing obvious. Then I reached for a screwdriver and started tapping spokes - ALL THE REAR SPOKES WERE LOOSE! It turned out the previous owner had the wheels re-laced with stainless spokes by a local guy who neglected to tighten them up properly!

Yeef.
 
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