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Old 8th October 2019, 18:56   #46
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Re: Major battery issue with the BMW G 310 R and GS! BMW Motorrad India is unresponsive

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Originally Posted by shajufx View Post
This thread is all about the common man and how he is taken for a ride by the so-called premium brand.
I'll admit, the irony was lost on me. I stand corrected. Cheers.
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Old 8th October 2019, 18:59   #47
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Re: Major battery issue with the BMW G 310 R and GS! BMW Motorrad India is unresp...

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Originally Posted by Waspune View Post
If you want a more powerful naked get the CB300R. Again a great city tool. It weighs 10 kgs more than the MT-15 but is much more powerful as well.
5 kg. HMSI lists all bikes with saree guard weight which weighs 4kg by itself.

Last edited by Nithesh_M : 8th October 2019 at 19:02.
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Old 8th October 2019, 21:58   #48
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Nithesh_M View Post
5 kg. HMSI lists all bikes with saree guard weight which weighs 4kg by itself.

Both come with saree guard.
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Old 8th October 2019, 22:10   #49
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Re: Major battery issue with the BMW G 310 R and GS! BMW Motorrad India is unresponsive

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Originally Posted by Waspune View Post
Both come with saree guard.
yes but Honda is the only manufacturer that prefers to list saree guard weight in Indian spec sheet/brochures.

CBR650F
International spec: 211kg
Indian spec: 215kg

CB300R
International spec: 143kg
Indian spec: 147kg

CBR650R
International spec: 203kg
Indian spec: 207kg.
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Old 8th October 2019, 23:26   #50
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Nithesh_M View Post
yes but Honda is the only manufacturer that prefers to list saree guard weight in Indian spec sheet/brochures.



CBR650F

International spec: 211kg

Indian spec: 215kg



CB300R

International spec: 143kg

Indian spec: 147kg



CBR650R

International spec: 203kg

Indian spec: 207kg.

Even the 138 kgs weight of MT-15 includes the saree guard's weight. The international spec MT-15 is lighter by 5 kgs.
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Old 9th October 2019, 22:21   #51
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Re: Major battery issue with the BMW G 310 R and GS! BMW Motorrad India is unresponsive

Quote:
Originally Posted by Waspune View Post
Even the 138 kgs weight of MT-15 includes the saree guard's weight. The international spec MT-15 is lighter by 5 kgs.
The Indian MT-15 also has a heavier box type swingarm, bulkier conventional forks and a grab rail for the pillion.

A 5 Kilo integrated Saree guards seems quite overbuilt.

Honestly though i'd be hard-pressed to tell the difference between 5 and 10 kgs of extra weight on a bike.

Twice the torque is an entirely different story.
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Old 10th October 2019, 00:10   #52
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Major battery issue with the BMW G 310 R and GS! BMW Motorrad India is unresp...

Quote:
Originally Posted by NoSugarNoSpice View Post
The Indian MT-15 also has a heavier box type swingarm, bulkier conventional forks and a grab rail for the pillion.



A 5 Kilo integrated Saree guards seems quite overbuilt.



Honestly though i'd be hard-pressed to tell the difference between 5 and 10 kgs of extra weight on a bike.



Twice the torque is an entirely different story.

Totally agreed! I just meant that there is 9-10 kg difference between the Indian spec MT-15 and Indian spec CB300R. If you would remove the saree guard from both the bikes the weight difference would remain similar.
As for the saree guard, it does weigh 3-4 kgs which is why Indian spec CB300R is 4 kg heavier than the international spec and being a CKD we are getting the same bike.
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Old 10th October 2019, 17:27   #53
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Re: Major battery issue with the BMW G 310 R and GS! BMW Motorrad India is unresponsive

I have always maintained that 310GS is a good "jack of all" bike. They were overpriced and the present discounted price should have been the actual and apt price. We, the initial lot buyers feel like being cheated for our hard earned money looking at the current prices. :( Greedy BMW and their sad strategy.

Issues are not with the bikes but with the eco-system around it, be it pricing, BMW spares and service apathy or acknowledging issues, giving importance to user feedback and lack of sense of assurance. As a customer, we feel like being taken for an expensive ride. BMW should have atleast allowed TVS which service RR310s, to service the 310gs & r as well. That would have made a lot of sense from spares availability and cost, overall service cost, ease of access to multiple service points, etc. All bikes have some issues, and 310s are no different with issues around battery and alternator. The issues are not a worry but how they are dealt with is.

Coming back to bike, this weekend, 3 of us on 310gs went riding towards anshi national park and coastal side, looking for trails and waterfalls. It was close to an adventure ride with plenty of no roads and off roads. We slipped and fell multiple times and got up and rode and all the three bikes performed very well without any issues at all. Riding on national highways, state highway, broken roads, no roads, gravel, mud, sand, etc and the bike can be enjoyed everywhere. some pics from the ride, the dont atall do justice to the actual experience which was very nice.
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Major battery issue with the BMW G 310 R and GS! BMW Motorrad India is unresponsive-dsc_0061.jpg  

Major battery issue with the BMW G 310 R and GS! BMW Motorrad India is unresponsive-img_20191005_135944.jpg  

Major battery issue with the BMW G 310 R and GS! BMW Motorrad India is unresponsive-img_20191005_182245.jpg  

Major battery issue with the BMW G 310 R and GS! BMW Motorrad India is unresponsive-img_20191007_131124.jpg  

Major battery issue with the BMW G 310 R and GS! BMW Motorrad India is unresponsive-img_20191007_141233.jpg  

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Old 25th October 2019, 09:16   #54
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Re: Major battery issue with the BMW G 310 R and GS! BMW Motorrad India is unresponsive

Nasir's bike's battery died when he was en-route to Goa, BMW Motorrad denies warranty citing use of Aux lights.

Below email was shared by Nasir with BMW Motorrad

Quote:
Originally Posted by nasirkaka;
Hey guys,
My battery dies and this morning BMW denied warranty citing use of aux lights. I have written back to them sharing my feelings. thought to share it here as well:


Dear BMW Motorrad,

I purchased a BMW G310 GS on the 18th of August 2018, bearing registration number KA 03 JT 8427, from TUSKER BMW MOTORRAD, Bangalore, India. This morning, i was denied warranty for the stock battery, which failed and left me stranded on a tour. Following is how the story unfolds.

Couple of weeks back, i was on a ride on my 310GS towards North Karnataka & Goa. For a few days, I could sense a bit hesitation during starting of the bike, and on 6.10.2019 morning, the bike just refused to start. I was at Palolem, Goa and very very worried as we have been hearing so many cases of faulty battery, alternator, etc all these months. I was 600kms away from home with a dead battery and a lot of frustration. First thing was to try and find out if it was battery or if charging system was at fault. With the help of a friend, I pushed the bike to a garage where on voltmeter the battery showed 11.6 Volts. We jump-started the bike and checked the battery, at idle run, it showed 14.4V. This gave a bit of assurance that the alternator was charging the battery, so it looked like mostly a case of dead battery. We tried looking for a similar battery and found an exact match in Excide - XLTZ9. This is also a 12V 8Amp maintenance-free sealed battery having exact same shape and dimensions compared the stock battery. We replaced the battery, and bike started without any issue. I finished my trip and returned back to Bangalore last week without any further battery related issue. My bike was due for its 20k service, so i took a service appointment, carried the old battery to service center, narrated the experience and requested for a battery replacement under warranty as the battery is just over a year old. This morning, i was denied warranty on the basis that i have a pair of aux lights on the bike. I am extremely dissapointed with this response from BMW motorrad, not so much for the warranty denial but more for the reason behind it.

* BMW 310 GS & R are known to have battery and charging system issues, especially in India. This is well documented on many Indian and global forums across the world. New battery on stock bikes without any accessories have failed, so there is definitely an issue with the quality of the battery, why hide behind an innocent pair of aux lamp as an excuse to deny warranty. Some reference links for the battery issues are as follows:

https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/motor...ml#post4646807 (Major battery issue with the BMW G 310 R and GS! BMW Motorrad India is unresponsive)

https://www.g310rforum.com/forum/337...d-battery.html

https://www.g310rforum.com/forum/337...ats-wrong.html

https://www.g310rforum.com/forum/337...rge-issue.html

Coming back to Aux lamps, If BMW had given bright reflector and sturdy design for sufficient illumination, there would be no need to spend on additional lights to begin with. Such is not the case, so for our safely and visibility, we are not left with many options.

I am using a pair of aux lamps from reputed RIGID INDUSTRIES, which when switched on, draws a max of 36 volts together. These lights are connected using reputed and good quality AKRO wiring harness, where power is drawn directly from the battery along with a safety fuse and relay. No OEM wire have been cut, spliced, or positapped anywhere. trigger is been obtained from the Aux connector port provided on the bike under the headlamp assembly cowl. So there is no question of tampering with wiring harness, or using substandard parts.

The bike has a 308 Watts generator adding a 36W LED aux (which is very sparingly used) is well within the overall load limit. So technically there is not additional load on the charging system to affect the battery drain.

Why did BMW provide couple of aux connector on the bike to begin with if it did not want it to be used? Majority of adventure genre bikes from all brands all over the world have accessories be it electrical, mechanical, ergonomical, etc. I have used bikes from many other brands, and none of them are so rigid with their warranty policy.

I would have gladly accepted the warranty denial, but given the number of battery failures in a small geographical area like Bangalore in last one year, we all know that there are quality issues with the battery. I had similar aux setup on my KTM duke 390 and the battery lasted for good 3.5 years. My kawasaki versys had many electrical accessories without any battery issues. Nor do those dealers make a big fuss about adding accessories.

Its really sad and disheartening to go through painful ownership experience of a premium brand. As it is, the BMW brand is slowly but steadily gaining negative image in the market and incidents like denying warranty for a known faulty product is only going to add to the spreading negative image of the brand. Unless there is a major change in mindset where customers are given some importance, the brand is definitely going down in the long run.

I am not writing this mail just to get a battery replacement, but as a BMW customer who has to time and again go through painful ownership experience, be it service time, booking time, spares availability, etc. How do you expect the bikes to sell if there is a fear created that for any small change/customization, the warranty will be void. I personally know a few who did not buy into your brand because of the dictatorship kind of role the brand is adopted. On the Bangalore 310 whatsapp group, people are scared to even add a USB port as they are afraid it would void warranty. On one hand, you create a bike and market it for adventure, and on the other hand, you dont provide any USB port on the bike, where even the smallest of scooties these days have one. How do you expect someone to travel and explore and adventure around, if he cannot charge his mobile for navigation? Is that your real idea of adventure? I guess so.

i am copying this mail to many to share this story and bitter experience, hope there is someone up there who understands the plight and does something to save the brand. Without a warranty, my future bike services could be self attempted, and i am sure a lot of other will follow and we all know whose loss it eventually is.

So good luck to you BMW motorrad, you have definitely saved a battery today but lost many hearts.

Regards
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Old 25th October 2019, 11:55   #55
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Re: Major battery issue with the BMW G 310 R and GS! BMW Motorrad India is unresponsive

Quote:
Nasir's bike's battery died when he was en-route to Goa, BMW Motorrad denies warranty citing use of Aux lights.
I logged into teambhp now to share the same mail, but its already here. Did not mention this issue here earlier as i was waiting for BMWs response.

When i had installed the Aux lights on the bike, many from our group suggested to remove the lights when i give the bike for service. First, it is not as easy to remove the aux along with complete wiring harness, secondly i did believe that if an accessory is fitted the right way, with quality parts and supporting hardware, without tampering with OEM harness, the brand should be a bit more considerate. I mean there is a difference between a brutal murder and a murder in self defense and the law takes the bakgaround in to account before pronouncing a judgement. Somewhere i also had a feeling that BMW will act the way they have, i did not really care. I would customize my bike to my requirements, as i have to ride it at the end of the day.

The question here is not at all about lights, or battery or warranty, but of mindset. BMW Motorrad India is completely failed to understand what a rider wants. Have a look at all the GS1200 sold in India and almost each one of them will have minimum a pair of aux lights to begin with.

I will continue riding the 310 GS, will mostly attempt to service it outside BMW with help of spares from TVS RR310, and will be open to trading the bike with something suitable. A the end of the day, its BMW who looses.

Sharing a whatsapp message i received today.
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Old 25th October 2019, 15:10   #56
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Re: Major battery issue with the BMW G 310 R and GS! BMW Motorrad India is unresponsive

Quote:
Originally Posted by nasirkaka View Post

The question here is not at all about lights, or battery or warranty, but of mindset. BMW Motorrad India is completely failed to understand what a rider wants. Have a look at all the GS1200 sold in India and almost each one of them will have minimum a pair of aux lights to begin with.
I am not sure if this is entirely specific to BMW Motorrad. A rider from Hyderabad mentioned that the dealership in Hyderabad infact helps with fixing Aux lights and the likes.

The problems faced by riders, especially those based out of Bangalore, seems to be specific to the general attitude of the Bangalore dealership. IT is a different story if BMW Motorrad do not have control over the dealership.
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Old 25th October 2019, 15:46   #57
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Re: Major battery issue with the BMW G 310 R and GS! BMW Motorrad India is unresponsive

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Originally Posted by nasirkaka View Post
I would customize my bike to my requirements
I did go through the terms and conditions of the battery manufacturer just to gain clarity.

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The 3rd point really does leave in a lot of ambiguity, how do they determine that the accessory is really at fault for causing the battery to fail? Or did they simply mention it to do away with litigation for dismissing warranty claims?
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Old 25th October 2019, 17:10   #58
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Re: Major battery issue with the BMW G 310 R and GS! BMW Motorrad India is unresponsive

Some advice from an avid bike lover and a former biker. I am sorry to disappoint ya chaps, but a void warranty is par for the course.

If you modify ANY part of the vehicle's system, electrical or mechanical, when it is in warranty without the manufacturer's explicit approval all bets are off on the affected systems. Modifying/cutting/splicing the wiring loom is a big no-no, no matter the justification This goes for cars or bikes.

If the vehicle has poor illumination try and use higher quality bulbs whether halogen/LED/HID. Or wait for the warranty to expire before modding.
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Old 25th October 2019, 19:29   #59
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Re: Major battery issue with the BMW G 310 R and GS! BMW Motorrad India is unresponsive

Quote:
Originally Posted by ashwinprakas View Post
Or did they simply mention it to do away with litigation for dismissing warranty claims?
Yeah - this is just to cover their backside from litigation

Quote:
Originally Posted by R2D2 View Post
Some advice from an avid bike lover and a former biker. I am sorry to disappoint ya chaps, but a void warranty is par for the course.

If you modify ANY part of the vehicle's system, electrical or mechanical, when it is in warranty without the manufacturer's explicit approval all bets are off on the affected systems. Modifying/cutting/splicing the wiring loom is a big no-no, no matter the justification This goes for cars or bikes.

If the vehicle has poor illumination try and use higher quality bulbs whether halogen/LED/HID. Or wait for the warranty to expire before modding.
Sorry to disagree. First nasirkaka didnt cut or splice any wires - he used a proper wiring kit from Akro to connect the aux lights directly to battery as per his email. Secondly - all these ADV type bikes have accessory connections and stronger battery/alternators - they are designed to connect all sorts of touring stuff like Aux Lights etc.

This case is nothing but Tusker BMW showing their arrogance and attitude yet again. Most dealers wouldnt bat an eyelid at aux lights and get warranty approved. Infact i have personally gotten a replacement battery from Kawasaki for my Z900 - and i had a few accessories wired up.
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Old 25th October 2019, 19:49   #60
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Re: Major battery issue with the BMW G 310 R and GS! BMW Motorrad India is unresponsive

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Originally Posted by ethanhunt123 View Post
Sorry to disagree. First nasirkaka didnt cut or splice any wires - he used a proper wiring kit from Akro to connect the aux lights directly to battery as per his email. Secondly - all these ADV type bikes have accessory connections and stronger battery/alternators - they are designed to connect all sorts of touring stuff like Aux Lights etc
Oh well, let's agree to disagree. Check the fine print in the warranty to see if adding aux lights or harnesses is permitted. If it is then all is well, but if it clearly mentions no mods are allowed then they will deny the warranty on that affected part. I have seen that happening with my cars and bikes, when I in my enthusiasm added accessories including electrical, tyres and alloy wheels. It is personal experiences after which there have never been mods to any of my vehicles till the warranty expires.

One can ensure any mods are completely reversible before handing over to the dealer for service or warranty claim. Otherwise you are just giving these already slippery organisations a reason to duck the warranty.

Last edited by R2D2 : 25th October 2019 at 19:50.
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