Rusty petrol tank on a 2013 BMW!

[Rannsachair]

I had read that there was a common fault on R1200R's with the unpainted top of the petrol filler rusting......

A 2013 BMW, surely not, they should know how to make motorcycles after 90 years of production:

I think that is what the Germans call a "Schwimmbad" : no seal for water to come round the filler cap and a plated tank is not a great design!

I was lucky when dried off just surface rust:

Out with the dremmel:

Gave it a coat of POR15 metal ready then painted with Vactan:

will paint on top tomorrow.

Rust staining cleaned of parts:

New seal and discovered I can mod the fuel filler by adding a top seal of another BMW:

So much for BMW quality............ the bike does look good, but still poor.

 

[armalites]

I would cover that recess in waxoyl before you put anything back as an added precaution

 

[Rannsachair]

I would cover that recess in waxoyl before you put anything back as an added precaution

Will try some Noxudol cavity wax.

 

[armalites]

Will try some Noxudol cavity wax.

Anything has got to be better than what BMW did.

 

[Rannsachair]

Vactan dried:

First coat of white:

 

[stuvy]

So much for BMW quality............ the bike does look good, but still poor.

Ahh the age old thing of quality German engineering

The cars they built in the 70/80’s we’re better than the leyland counter parts but the cars from the 90’s onwards left that build quality behind

Same with bikes

 

[GRW]

Water-based paint v the oil-based of the old Beemers which was lovely.
My 2004 Rockster's finish is no better (maybe worse) than the Japanese bikes of same period, while the Beemer finish if the 70's & 80's was way ahead of the opposition (even if the engines weren't).

 

[Rannsachair]

Water-based paint v the oil-based of the old Beemers which was lovely.
My 2004 Rockster's finish is no better (maybe worse) than the Japanese bikes of same period, while the Beemer finish if the 70's & 80's was way ahead of the opposition (even if the engines weren't).

My 72 BMW R75 not only had a good finish, also a reliable powerplant that could sit at 90mph, an agricultural gearchange and pretty good Bosch/Hella electrics.

 

[GRW]

My 72 BMW R75 not only had a good finish, also a reliable powerplant that could sit at 90mph, an agricultural gearchange and pretty good Bosch/Hella electrics.View attachment 385981

I like them and the engines are under-stressed, long-lived and torquey - but way down on dobbins compared to the Japanese multis.
Even my 04 1150 is only a claimed 85bhp stock (maybe 90 if like mine it's had a Remus can & a Cat-ectomy). Great road motor though, and covers ground way quicker than the uninitiated expect.

 

[redlig]

Ahh the age old thing of quality German engineering

The cars they built in the 70/80’s we’re better than the leyland counter parts but the cars from the 90’s onwards left that build quality behind

Same with bikes

They didn't have to try very hard to be better than B.L. offerings. Just have to look at the JD Power listing.

 

[redlig]

Ahh the age old thing of quality German engineering

The cars they built in the 70/80’s we’re better than the leyland counter parts but the cars from the 90’s onwards left that build quality behind

Same with bikes

In the 80's testing /comparing most of the so called superbikes of all manufacturers I asked a German engineer who was in the 'team' why they all loved the BMW 's He replied the the riders didn't it was all magazine talk and the German hard riders referred to them as the 80's bikes. He explained that if you were over 80 years old and didn't want to do more than 80 kph then they were the bikes for you. I thought that was a bit unfair . Always lusted after an R69s as a nipper , and strangely still do.

 

[GRW]

In the 80's testing /comparing most of the so called superbikes of all manufacturers I asked a German engineer who was in the 'team' why they all loved the BMW 's He replied the the riders didn't it was all magazine talk and the German hard riders referred to them as the 80's bikes. He explained that if you were over 80 years old and didn't want to do more than 80 kph then they were the bikes for you. I thought that was a bit unfair . Always lusted after an R69s as a nipper , and strangely still do.

Guy I worked with as a Spotty at about 19-ish & 1983, owned the now uber-desirable R90S in gold - a 1976.

Even gave me a go on it! I had one of the very last air-cooled RD250's, and the R90S was a totally alien experience. Apart from being tall & bloody heavy, the way the shaft extended the shocks, and hoisted you up in the air as you gunned it away, and the way it seemed to accelerate faster than it revved, completely foxed a kid used to thrashing a stroker.
I certainly wish I had an R90S now! Cracking bike & I always liked its looks.

 

[Rannsachair]

Guy I worked with as a Spotty at about 19-ish & 1983, owned the now uber-desirable R90S in gold - a 1976.

Even gave me a go on it! I had one of the very last air-cooled RD250's, and the R90S was a totally alien experience. Apart from being tall & bloody heavy, the way the shaft extended the shocks, and hoisted you up in the air as you gunned it away, and the way it seemed to accelerate faster than it revved, completely foxed a kid used to thrashing a stroker.
I certainly wish I had an R90S now! Cracking bike & I always liked its looks.

I was an R90S fan too, I ran a R100RS for 6 years, great milemuncher.

 

[GRW]

I was an R90S fan too, I ran a R100RS for 6 years, great milemuncher.

I chased (ahem I mean followed) a mint R100RS for miles up a North Italian Mountain Pass (can't recall which one but began with a G I think) riding from the base of the Stelvio to the Grossglockner, Austria region on my Rockster in 2011.
It's German Pilot was really an expert 2-valve Beemer rider. Smooth and precise, he carved his way through much newer more powerful, better chassis and suspended kit like a hot knife through butter, looking utterly composed for mile after mile - lovely to watch.
This guy ably demonstrated what a supposedly "slow" 60hp ole boxer can do in the right hands.

 

[JohnH]

What an appalling design. If its rusting on the outside, what's happening on the inside?

Just had to treat my 1986 E28 tank with POR fuel tank sealer. Mine looked good on the outside. The inside was a different story.

Id get a mirror or endoscope in there to satisfy my curiosity.

 

[stuvy]

What an appalling design. If its rusting on the outside, what's happening on the inside?

Just had to treat my 1986 E28 tank with POR fuel tank sealer. Mine looked good on the outside. The inside was a different story.

Id get a mirror or endoscope in there to satisfy my curiosity.

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Got a cheapo one of these

Does the job I need for once in a very rare time Iv used it

 

[Keithmac]

Have you checked the drain is clear?.

Seen quite a few bikes where the drain has blocked and eventually the tank contents get contaminated with water.

Triumphs were terrible for it, I drained over a litre of water out of one tank!.

 

[qwakers]

i had a r1100s for a while, bmw's idea of a sports bike. it made a epic fast tourer. i bought it for a trip across europe to germany and back. one nutter made the trip on a R1..... one even nuttier nutter did the trip on a old honda 400! (think it was a vfr400r, was a long time ago)

 

[Rannsachair]

That's a coat of Noxudol cavity wax on the paint

Fitting for spout with new seal:

Added a top seal fitted to the RnineT

n

so hope with the extra seal and coatings will not recur. Will organise a look in the tank, though rust was from water sitting on top.

 

[Robotstar5]

I thought you might like this, posted on another bike forum.

A mate of mine bought a new BMW F 900 XR, which he collected just before Christmas. Immediately he had trouble with the front wheel not turning when left over night. It wouldn’t even allow pushing off the centre stand. His only way to free it is to grad the front wheel and heave it round by hand, using real hard force. He took it back to BMW 4 times but they couldn’t see a fault and assured him they’d sort it at his first 600 mile service. At the first service they told him there was corrosion on the brakes and they required stripping and cleaning, at……..£180 per wheel!!!! Apparently, they say, brakes aren’t covered by warranty!!! The following morning the front wheel still won’t turn. BMW said it was moisture in the air swelling the brake pads, which is normal!!! Nothing to be done! So £360 worse off after 600 miles, the bike is going up for sale and will never step foot back in a BMW garage again!!!