Demon bike (F650GS) strikes again!

[Giaka]

The F650 has been teaching a couple of new riders at my house about friction zone and braking (learning to start and stop duh). Last week one of the young ladies returns the bike after a few minutes of practice and states that its hesitating really bad and it smells funny. Hum a quick sniff revealed a very strong battery acid smell and lots of black ooz running down from the top of the cylinder. WTF?

I quickly rinse off the engine and up under than battery area as best possible and park the beast. Fast forward a week or two, I start to tear into the bike. I find the batter seam had split and one cell had drained down on top of the motor. This melted a hole in the plastic valve cover and allowed some acid into the oil. Woo Hoo!!  

I pull the valve cover to see a ton of slack in the cam chains. In fact the intake cam has jumped a tooth. I remove the tensioner and fined its completely collapsed. Its this typical BMW bike BS or a fluke or is this bike really possessed

[Mrs. DantesDame]

Is this the one you bought from Blue?  

[Andrew]

I vote "possessed"

Sorry, that bike seems to just have bad JuJu

[bluepoof]

 

[atadaskew]

Is it too soon to say "I told you so"?

 

[JimWilliamson]

CRAZY

On the fence for bad juju vs. poor design choices.

A bummer either way.

[jstark47]

We took my wife's to the dealership today.  For recall #4.  Four recalls.  Since October 2009.  

[vguy]

One evil bike out of four ain't bad.
Is there a "lemon law" in Cal for motorcycles?

[Giaka]

Is it too soon to say "I told you so"?

 

I love a challenge.   Monetary damage is minimal, chain tensioner $65, valve cover $70.  Poof had already given me a spare battery and its still good. This thing will get sorted, one way or another.

[bluepoof]

So, for those playing along at home, the scorecard for this bike (at least since I bought it in November 2006) is:

* Ripped intake manifold



* Frayed throttle cable due to craptastic routing of said cable under the airbox

* Tumor in the brake line



* Thrown chain in the middle of ass-nowhere, Texas



* Layers of stalactites in the oil tank



* Blown head gasket




I believe this was the point at which I unloaded the evil thing onto Mike, so he'll have to continue the list now.

[Jmac_bandit]

might be time to go the way of the blast    

[maddjack]

 

Unreal,I am in the camp of Craptasic, build and design.

[GerryPetrecca]

I vote "possessed"

Sorry, that bike seems to just have bad JuJu

I have a 2000 Saab 9.5 just like that...lots of bad JuJu!!

I hope the bike problems are just a fluke...ya can't  fix JuJu

[chornbe]

Is it too soon to say "I told you so"?

 

Guzzies don't do that. Just saying!




Seriously, that sucks. Sorry

[Thundergod]

Trade it in for something Japanese.....you'll never regret it.

That new Yamaha Teneré is calling your name....

[Giaka]

Trade it in for something Japanese.....you'll never regret it.

That new Yamaha Teneré is calling your name....

Funny KBB still list the bike as having a value of almost $4000.  

[jstark47]

Poof- I'm confused, is this your (former) F650-that-really-is-a-650, or your F650-that-is-a-800-twin?

[bluepoof]

Poof- I'm confused, is this your (former) F650-that-really-is-a-650, or your F650-that-is-a-800-twin?

It's my (former) F650-that-really-is-a-650.  

To be fair, the thumper F650GS is an awesome bike. It's just this particular bike that's cursed. Even the Chain Gang guys couldn't believe this bike.

[Giaka]

To be fair, the thumper F650GS is an awesome bike. It's just this particular bike that's cursed.

When its running we both love riding the bike, both solo and two up. Its amazing how well it blast on down the freeway for a 650 single.  

There is no doubt repairing this tensioner, acid issue will resolve any "reliability" concerns I have had.    

One thing is for sure, this bike belongs to a mechanic. If one had to take it to the BMW dealership for all these issues they would surely go broke.

[photomd]

I don't know....Gar had one of those. It's my only other exposure to one other than Poof's stories here. Gar's seemed to have a string break downs: electrical melt downs, bad carburation, etc....just sayin.

[chornbe]

[BDiddle08]

I vote "possessed"

Sorry, that bike seems to just have bad JuJu

haha yup, definitely evil!

[atadaskew]

Trade it in for something Japanese.....you'll never regret it.

Like those folks who just bought a new  Kawi ZX10R

[sagerat]

Guzzies don't do that. Just saying!

My POS Breva 1100 would refute that point.    Some bikes are just cursed.  Leave that GS in a bad neighborhood after dark with key in ignition and hope for the best.

[atadaskew]

  Leave that GS in a bad neighborhood after dark with key in ignition and hope for the best.

The key would be gone.  The bike would still be there.

[chornbe]

My POS Breva 1100 would refute that point.    

Ok, let me slightly rephrase... or re-emphasize..

Guzzis don't do THAT.  

[Giaka]

The key would be gone.  The bike would still be there.

That's funny shit right there.    Once the bike is back up and running I think a exorcism is required. Doesn't this require neked woman dancing around a fire throwing their underwear at the possessed bike?

[stromgal]

 Doesn't this require neked woman dancing around a fire throwing their underwear at the possessed bike?

Yes, but for it to work, the bike needs to be on fire.

[Windblown]

This bike gives new meaning to the term "Dead Reliable".


Hey, has this bike ever been parked next to a VFR from VA?

[DogBoy]

Yes, but for it to work, the bike needs to be on fire.

Small price to pay.

[birdrunner]

Yes, but for it to work, the bike needs to be on fire.

The bike or a previous owner.

[bluepoof]

The bike or a previous owner.

Hey!

[Mrs. DantesDame]

The bike or a previous owner.

She and I will - together - kick your ass. You will NOT like it  

[bluepoof]

Though it's kind of cold in my cube today.  Being set on fire would at least solve that problem!

[KLRchickie]

She and I will - together - kick your ass. You will NOT like it  

You're talking to Birdbrainrunner, HE *might* like it!

[Mrs. DantesDame]

You're talking to Birdbrainrunner, HE *might* like it!

I know - that's why I specifically said that he WON'T like it....  

[Giaka]

There will be no burning in this thread unless its wood or weed.  

[bluepoof]

Mike never lets us have any fun.  

[birdrunner]

She and I will - together - kick your ass. You will NOT like it  

ya wanta bet?  





(About whether I'll like it that is,  please wear your hockey gear     Oh and  I've been a very bad boy this year,  just ask Mrs. Klaws.)

[Tar Snake]

My BMW did the same thing with the battery!

The battery itself was huge so the bottom of it was exposed to the sun as it was not covered by the side covers. plastic case crazed and leaked acid all over the transmission.

Of course it did this while I was on a business trip so I came home to "what's all that white stuff under the bike?" Nooooooooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Semi-gloss Krylon black is a good match.

[Giaka]

Bike has been repaired and is running better than it ever has.    New valve cover and gasket and updated cam chain tensioner installed yesterday morning. The cam timing had not skipped a tooth so the reassembly was pretty simple. So the clock has been reset and is ticking until the next paranormal activity occurs.  

[Cheddarhead]

Is it time to cue up the theme music from "Psycho" yet?

Or the deep subwoofer base track from Jaws?

[bluepoof]

Woohoo!!!  

[jsanford]

Huh.  My F50ST never pulled any of this stuff.  

[bluepoof]

Huh.  My F50ST never pulled any of this stuff.  

Neither has anyone else's F650GS. It's just this bike that's cursed!

[ConPilot1]

That was a good looking little bike too in the red..... Glad to hear it's fixed and running well.

[Giaka]

Rode it to work this morning. Bike was flawless. Hopefully it stays this way for a bit.

39f and fog not good, hand warmers and bark buster hand guards, VERY good!