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BMW F650GS Slapping chain noise

Posted: Wed Feb 08, 2012 11:44 pm
by vagne
The saga of the so called characteristic of my model F650GS with lowererd suspension goes on, dealing with BMW has become a tedious pain, when does a design fault become a characteristic, should the chain slap and rattle like dragging a tin can behind you, i dont think so ! your comments please.

Re: BMW F650GS Slapping chain noise

Posted: Thu Feb 09, 2012 3:06 am
by Johnj
Vaughan, you should have made the dealer put your bike back to stock height, if you didn't like it lowered.

Re: BMW F650GS Slapping chain noise

Posted: Thu Feb 09, 2012 5:41 am
by vagne
trouble is that i bought the bike with the factory fitted lowered suspension and low seat height , was told at the time that it was probabley due to chain being slack ie needed adjustment to tighten it. like a mug i believed the BMW bloke who sold me the bike.

Re: BMW F650GS Slapping chain noise

Posted: Thu Feb 09, 2012 5:51 am
by Wrider
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Re: BMW F650GS Slapping chain noise

Posted: Fri Feb 10, 2012 5:01 am
by Johnj
I've looked around for reviews on the F650GS and don't find your problem in any of the reviews. I suggest you take the bike to a dealer and buy the parts to return the bike to stock height. Use a different dealer, where your not known.

Re: BMW F650GS Slapping chain noise

Posted: Fri Feb 10, 2012 5:41 am
by vagne
Thanks for the suggestion,but you wont find any information about this problem because BMW would have to admit that it is a latent defect in the design of the swinging arm arrangement , on the lowerd version that does not happen on the standard height bike, unfortunately i was told a story when i bought it from a main BMW dealership and it would appear that the only way forward will be for me to take the case before a small claims court in the UK .

Re: BMW F650GS Slapping chain noise

Posted: Fri Feb 10, 2012 5:47 am
by Wrider
No the point he's making is that nobody else has posted anything about it on the web. Which means it's either...
1. a 1 off problem.
2. you hearing a normal noise and overreacting.
3. a completely screwed up part that isn't the chain itself.

If it was a common thing you'd find several mentions of it in reviews, probably a couple of threads about it on BMW forums, etc.

Re: BMW F650GS Slapping chain noise

Posted: Fri Feb 10, 2012 12:56 pm
by jstark47
Wrider wrote:No the point he's making is that nobody else has posted anything about it on the web.......... If it was a common thing you'd find several mentions of it in reviews, probably a couple of threads about it on BMW forums, etc.
As I've posted before, there's a factory-lowered 2009 F650GS at my house (my wife's bike), probably about 6K miles on it, and nobody's ever heard this noise from her bike. I'm sorry the OP's having his problem, he has my sympathies. But I suspect his is more a one-off manufacturing defect than a design error.

Re: BMW F650GS Slapping chain noise

Posted: Fri Feb 10, 2012 3:39 pm
by Wrider
jstark47 wrote:
Wrider wrote:No the point he's making is that nobody else has posted anything about it on the web.......... If it was a common thing you'd find several mentions of it in reviews, probably a couple of threads about it on BMW forums, etc.
As I've posted before, there's a factory-lowered 2009 F650GS at my house (my wife's bike), probably about 6K miles on it, and nobody's ever heard this noise from her bike. I'm sorry the OP's having his problem, he has my sympathies. But I suspect his is more a one-off manufacturing defect than a design error.
Exactly my point. There's no mention of this particular problem anywhere that I've been able to find, that you have heard of (with the same bike), or that he's been able to find. I'm guessing he's either hearing things and thinking they're abnormally loud, or there's something up with his particular bike.

Re: BMW F650GS Slapping chain noise

Posted: Fri Feb 10, 2012 11:43 pm
by vagne
no BMW have test ridden this bike and say that their is nothing wrong with it and the noise is a characteristic of the lowered suspension, the chain slaps against the plastic chain guide, they say that no additional chain wear will happen ,however when you ride it and have to maintain about 3000 rpm at all speeds to limit the noise you can imagine what a pain it is to ride.It has done 3000miles and has had a new chain and sprocket fitted on a recall, the chain tension is so tight, set by BMW that there is no movement otherwise the slapping would be unbelievable. any comments please.