FIRST RIDE ON THE REBUILT BMW 1200 GS, IT DIDN'T LAST LONG!

Chris attempts a first ride on the rebuilt BMW 1200 GS, it doesn't go to plan.
Want to try rebuilding a bike for yourself, check out Moto Mine: motomine.co.uk/
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#bmw #rebuild #wrecked

[@reverendhoover]

Even though Chris breaks down, it's not enough to stop him smiling. Happiest bloke on the internet. 🙂

[@BearsTrains]

Running out of petrol is not breaking down. Don't blame the bike for human stupidity

[@Oscar240z]

Bad luck to you but so nice to see the real world on a YT video full of new bikes and sunny locations. Love this series and enjoyed this video hugely! Keep it up

[@rockyk3973]

Haha. Great fun relating to this for all of us who have fixed (or tried to fix) our old junk by the side of the road on a miserable rainy day. Thank you for sharing a little (mis)adventure for the rest of us to enjoy from the comfort of our couches. Like you said, there is nothing like that feeling of starting out on a bike that one has resurrected from the dead with our own two hands. That is, even if things do go a bit sideways before getting it right. 😅

[@stevebayross7248]

Absolutely fecking brilliant!!! A proper video with a proper halfwitt/lunatic stuck at the side of a piss wet motorway playing with electricity and petrol, If your a proper Biker you've been there many many times... Chris Northover OBE... Ive forgotten the amount of times ive done that, especially when i was dispatch riding😅😅😅😅

[@paul.vanhout57]

Dads come in handy every now and then 👏

[@WoodNotts]

Great to see you getting in there and fault finding using good old logical thinking and sorting it out on the side of the road. An inspiration to many I’m sure👍👍

[@BikeWorldTVshow]

All part of the fun.

[@sgtunix]

@@BikeWorldTVshow Yeah although you couldn't fix it, it was definitely a great example of a can-do attitude and great roadside repair attempt. Well done!! In South Africa we call this: 'n boer maak 'n plan!

[@DeanElcome]

I’ve had so many problems with TE relays in the past, both motorcycle and car types. I believe they were also the cause of the smoking starter relay recalls on the first 1300GS’s.. But well done Chris on managing to deduce the issue. Shame it couldn’t be sorted roadside. Looking forward to a part 2!

[@gregraybeck5727]

My 2008's fuel pump controller crapped out in my driveway, Used the failed unit to make a bypass harness with a fuse, to ride until the dealer was able to supply a new part. Kept that bypass bodge in my pannier all the time. Never owned any motor vehicle since getting a drivers license in 1971, that had as many recalls as my GS1200. One recall was the fuel pump seal replacement, still smelled of fuel afterwards. Five years after trading it in I saw it in the service yard at a Honda shop- in for leaking fuel from the pump. Traded it in at 90,000 km half expecting the rear drive to fail soon, as two of my friends had their drives go out at around 30,000 km.

[@johnsteel4719]

Very uplifting video. Love the “feel the fear and do it anyway” approach..

[@JamesGodboldProfile]

Chris is a legend, who else can ride a GS in the wet and keep the revs in the redline the whole time. /s

[@magaudion]

Think the rev counter was broke and stuck in the red .😂

[@fadezfordayz]

@@magaudion no shit sherlock :D

[@ogofog9120]

Well done Dad & well done to the fella that offered you a lift in his van. My mate, who is an 18 stone man mountain, has this model of GS, the speed he hustles it along without apparently ever having to change gear is baffling following him on a 765 Street Triple

[@Zippytie]

Ive had a few damaged repairables , and project non runners , great feeling when they fire up , but always challenging on there maiden voyage , you where brave to try a repair on the M4 , and you certainly got stuck in , a little bit easier if your familiarwith the bike , which is the benefit of doing the work your self , well done

[@TheRealChetManley]

Loving this series, please fix the bike and complete the ride. I'm in the states but you're my favorite MC youtuber. I love this idea of rebuilding a GS and doing some trips on it. You're an awesome rider. I'm sure you'll get it fixed in no time.

[@BikeWorldTVshow]

Thanks for the support, it's all fixed and he's heading back out later this week.

[@exothermal.sprocket]

Probably a good idea if you're not riding a Japanese motorcycle, to carry a fully charged lithium jumper pack with you as a backup, especially if there are any known weaknesses of electrical nature on a given motorcycle model. Also verify fuel levels on a bike with unknown fuel gauge reputation. THANKS for showing struggle, and not just producing a polished production disconnected from real life. 😊

[@allanhughes7859]

JUST BE HONEST THESE BIKES ARE A PILE OF SHIT !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@TheDervMan]

Now that's a motorcycle adventure 😎 Glad you got it sorted.

[@vincentisaac9066]

Brings back memories of sitting on hard shoulder of motorway as a dispatch rider on a cx away got home somehow even on one cylinder once.we suffer for our art!!!!!

[@paulcooper5610]

Yes the mighty cx500's not going to die and let you down, running on one cylinder is no problem for this fantastic motorcycle, so long as there aren't too many hills that is.

[@MT_T991]

I love my 2005 r1200gs rode to poland for a rock festival in August didn't miss a beat

[@brianh8801]

Getting back into motorcycles at 61. Road 99% of my time in the dirt way back when. The one thing that’s really concerned me when considering what bike to get is all the electronics on modern bikes and what happens when an electrical concern pops up. This video pretty much cements my plan to purchase a DR650 or DZ400 for reliability “I” can work on without having to take it to a shop or dealer. I know they’re not as efficient as modern bikes, but my goal is to get to a destination and back with as little concern as possible.

[@fullthrottle2008]

Great video 👍 Ah I felt the wonderful ambivalence of it being both something simple and not being able to fix it at the roadside… I was recovered all the way home once on a low loader after breaking down in Scotland after filling up with crap fuel/carb floats sticking. The bumpy ride on the truck must’ve fixed the problem and the bike fired up on the driveway 😂

[@clayfarnet970]

I hate when that happens. 🤣👍

[@gressshap8200]

I have a 2005 version and always carried a new fuel regulator and an ignition ring as both identified as potential issues 😊

[@latinodeathjazz]

One of life’s little character building experiences 😉 I have the last year of the air and oil cooled GSA’s (2014) and one of only the two things that have ever gone wrong on it was …wait for it… the right hand side fuel pump. Pissed fuel everywhere (but kept running until I replaced it). The other thing was the ABS unit shat itself and the rear brake stopped working mid-ride. Out of the two I enjoyed the fuel pump failure more 🫠 Still, not bad for going on 80,000kms in tropical weather. I had a KTM Duke 690 previously that threw a mechanical tantrum once a fortnight thanks to the humidity and alternating monsoon rain/blazing heat. The BMW is by far the best bike I’ve ever owned for all day, every day rain or shine riding (I don’t own a car so this does everything).

[@love2wheels748]

Fantastic adventure chap, yeah you broke down but at least you gave it go with some wires etc. Dad to the rescue 🤘

[@brucewhetton5039]

I thought it was going to be Red to Yellow and Blue to bits 😁

[@robert-wr6md]

Never heard that before, nice.

[@RobAKemp]

My 08 GSA used to burn through fuel level senders. Well done in finding the fault. Can’t wait till the ride to Surrey.

[@cecilwilson5442]

It's a life lesson learnt,,by us all ,, at least you got off the motorway and safety home to ride another Day,, from northern Ireland ☘️☘️☘️☘️

[@allanhughes7859]

Sadly on any other bike there would not have been a story so well done B.M.W. for giving us another great up Load of how we manage to get home on one of your so called great bikes !

[@luminiferousaether6151]

Cause of a breakdown for me with this engine but in RT guise, was fuel level sensor giving me false readings, causing me to run out of fuel while showing half full. They just corrode, maybe it’s another ethanol related issue. Sub 30k miles on that bike. Note that your tach failed long before the bike broke down so that also may be diagnostic of something.

[@TeznaGFX]

you never forget them days when you're at the side of the road with a broken bike xD

[@BikeWorldTVshow]

Part of the adventure!

[@luddite6239]

Fantastic video! Who needs roadside recovery when you've got a dad with a van?! Those little lanes round your area must be really treacherous with all the wet leaves 😬

[@kaiivalo169]

Same thing happened to me on an 05 GS while i was filtering on the Edinburgh bypass. It was squeaky bum time coasting the bike back through the traffic and onto the hard shoulder.

[@ianhoskins7838]

Agree, the 1300 is a pain to strap bags to. At least mine is. SW Motech provides a fairly flexible set of soft luggage, at affordable prices so giving this a go when the weather allows. And the mountain roads reopen.

[@neilmackinnon3371]

I have an 05 GS that I bought from a mate who needed the money. It has 26K on the clock and had sat pretty much unused for four years. The battery was dead so I brought it home in my horse trailer. With a few service consumables and a brand new battery fitted, time came to start it. All I got were clicks. New starter motor. Same thing. During all this time I was trawling the internet and had started a thread on a certain forum. In the end, having ruled out the wiring loom, lots of disconnecting and cleaning on both +ve and -ve circuits, I came to the only conclusion I could.... the brand new battery was faulty. Motorworks agreed and sent me another battery and the bike started second press of the button. Only one person on the certain forum, out of over a dozen that replied, spoke any sense and I actually got more help from the Suzuki VStrom owners group (I have a 650). So, as you say NEVER trust everything you read on the internet. Loving the GS and am starting to rack up the miles.

[@stevemorris289]

Nice to see you fixing it at the side of the road, rather than just calling assistance. It's amazing what you can do with some spare wire!

[@ronanrogers4127]

Fixing breakdowns requires systematic analysis and going through a process of elimination. The chances of success significantly increase as one’s knowledge base increases…easier said than done, so good on you!!

[@maadutraxd]

Mine is not rebuild, but I've been traveling and daily riding it for a few years now, it's about to get 150K km on the dash, not soft driving it, gotta love this bike so much!

[@specialized500]

Riding a bike driving a car

[@HalfdeadRider]

@@specialized500 Driving noun, the control and operation of a motor vehicle.

[@specialized500]

@HalfdeadRider don't you think riding sounds so much better ?

[@HalfdeadRider]

@@specialized500 It does but just pointing out that driving is not incorrect.

[@martinslocombe2288]

I had the ignition switch on my 2012 TU 1200 gs throw in the towel in the middle of nowhere with no phone luckily i was at a car park to a dog walk and borrowed someones phone to get rescued . Apparently They are prone to failure , always have a spare if your out on a run its easily replaced .pre 2009 fuel gauge strip is another weak part otherwise pretty bulletproof torquey motor great touring bike .I admire your temperament i would shouted a few expletives .

[@apwtdm]

Good honest real life stuff, good on ye!

[@BikeWorldTVshow]

Thanks, lots more of that to come this year.

[@Mike-jm5wt]

10 minutes in and I'm reminded why I don't buy euro bikes. Was brilliant when you first set off though, I've ridden that era GS and they are very nice.

[@benkelly2190]

That’s a great watch Chris. As always and I like the bike..nice

[@pauljoyquilter359]

My wife had the same issue with her R9T and it turned out to be the fuel pump as well as its controller, the latter turns out to be a reasonably common issue. Since replacing the controller the bike runs better than it ever has since new and is also more fuel efficient now.

[@martinhughes9769]

Knowledge is a wonderful thing 😊,

[@PaulJackson-w6m]

Blimey Chris,your a brave man.Who needs it.where,s them van keys?

[@glinleyt]

To be fair, a 150 mile ride was probably not the best idea for a test run on the rebuild! Good video mate. Love the attitude!

[@listairgin]

Great video and information, thanks for sharing this with us all. 🌌🌅🌠👍🏻

[@jvanschie942]

I have had that as well turned out the throttle position sensor .I was in the yukon at the time .And yes keep the jumper it will get you home .also carry a spare throttle sensor .ps same as a bmw 325 car .

[@urbanstrencan]

BMW R1200 GS HP2 in the making 😂😂😂❤❤ Chris great video

[@yousausage]

Brilliant video!

[@MLoms]

Good video. Thank you

[@BlackdogADV]

I just went over 100,000 miles on my 2010 1200GS. Problem free all these miles.

[@allanhughes7859]

BUT WHAT WAS THE RUNNING COST YOU BEMA LOVERS MAKE ME LAUGH ANSWER A FEW QUESTIONS ? DID YOU DO THE REPAIR WORK YOURSELF IF THERE WERE ANY AND I BET THERE WERE OR WAS IT A DEALER DEAL AND IF SO HOW MUCH DID THAT COST JUST BE HONEST TO SAVE ALL THE OTHER FOOLS FROM GOING THIS ROUTE PLEASE !

[@BlackdogADV]

@ I do my own maintenance, only time my bike has been to the shop was for 3 recalls that cost nothing. My dealer is 80 miles away. I’ll try to link a video of my 100,000 mile review.

[@BlackdogADV]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/fmKrknlrh55naqcsi=a9Wvjh3uM6DrpQjY

[@allanhughes7859]

how much did it cost you in servicing ????????

[@BlackdogADV]

@ I do my own maintenance so cost is just for oil,etc.

[@nunyabizness9885]

Why I would never touch a BMW of that era. The electrical systems were awful. See my previous comment on the first video. Mates new GS died mid ride twice in outback Australia. Both times due to issues with the Immobiliser. Had to be trailered to a BMW dealer both times. Meanwhile my Suzuki Vstrom just kept on trucking. Thing had 60,000 issue free kilometres on it when I sold it.

[@allanhughes7859]

I WOULD NOT TOUCH A B.M.W. FULL STOP OVER RATED PILES OF CRAP !! BOTH ON 2 AND 4 WHEELS BEEN THERE AND BY GOD HAVE I WORN THE T SHIRT OK IF YOU EARN OVER 100K AND ARE V STUPID !

[@Animo92]

Clueless but ok

[@allanhughes7859]

@@Animo92 EGG SPLAIN ??

[@ralphwarom2514]

Why the fck is blue the positive. That is nasty and dumb. I rebuilt an entire wiring harness on my old gpz400 and everything made logical sense.

[@wojtekb62]

Awesome video, it's great to see real world biking on older bike, keep it coming. Could you share location where you've done those jumps on the road please.

[@leahheffernan4644]

i've had fuel pump issues on the motorway, too! 'cept mine poured petrol over my rear tyre, fun

[@oliverleifadams2003]

Great vid as usual cheers Chris & the team. Now looking at similar bikes…😂

[@blueheelerfriend8450]

I love these BMW Flat twins!! Such a great engine when sorted!! All things break down over time. I'm glad you are in it for keeps! Good luck and happy rides to you! P.S. I have a 2013 BMW R1200R with hard side bags and it's been a great bike. It has 90,000 miles on it now and runs great. I went with a lipo battery a while back. These engines have a long stroke and high compression so they need a real good battery. Bump starting these bikes by yourself is so hard. The back tire just skids do to the high compression. If your battery is low it's not going to happen I know from trying LOL!!

[@HalfdeadRider]

How high is the compression on those, just wondering as my bike has 200psi still was easy to bump start when my battery was low, very different bike though.

[@blueheelerfriend8450]

@@HalfdeadRider Right at 12 to 1. with me pushing a 500+lb bike tryin to start in 2nd gear. The wheel would just skid even when I jumped on lol. (200+ pound man)

[@HalfdeadRider]

@@blueheelerfriend8450 12 to 1 is kind of standard for N/A combustion engines I believe (some can be lower), so could be a bit less, the same as or more than mine when measured with a compression tester (anywhere between 180-240psi). Your weigh vs the bikes weight should give more traction but they probably have a bag of torque due to the engine design, best pull that clutch in as soon as it fires up if you find the need to do it again 😎

[@blueheelerfriend8450]

@@HalfdeadRider This is an air and oil cooled engine so that is high comp for it. Foot pounds right at 100fp It will not bump start with one person pushing it and trying to jump on and clutch it. Four bangers are easy af to bump start. At least all the ones I've had were.🙂

[@joeblow5037]

I can never get over how narrow your rural roads are. Even our side streets here in America are twice as wide.

[@dreamcrusher112]

these lanes are thousands of years old, they just have tarmac on now!

[@ronanrogers4127]

Siverados wouldn’t fit down those lanes 😊

[@joeblow5037]

@@ronanrogers4127 not 2 of them at least 🙂

[@SaimonZ69]

Hey Chris, how can you NOT curse everyone you know, or at least the Bavarian engineers or the gods of the fuel pump when this s**t happens? I admire you for that and ty for sharing!

[@mattyb7736]

Nice to see a Break My Wallet living up to its name 😂

[@roninfr4666]

I did that went to morcambe it was -20 plus on m6 on way back teeth chatered for days it was sunny on way up 😂

[@andik.4235]

This was a fun one, and cudos to be so calm after stranding. To avoid problems with such an old lady, I would suggest to spend a bit more money and get a newer japanese motorcycle. Better reliability and more comfort, more power and more suspension. Had a lot of possibilities to compare my 2020 V-Strom 1050 against the 1200 GS (98 HP) of my brother, and we both agreed that time doesn`t stop even for an icon like the 1200 GS. It was the inferior motorcycle regarding power, acceleration, vibration, fuel consumption, gear shift and suspension. Suspension was honestly a draw after my brother installed back and front Wunderlich shocks. But if you can afford 2.500 to 3.500 EUR over what you would have to spend for the GS, the V-Strom is the Bike to go. Only exception would be, if you really plan to go with a 250 kg bike off road.

[@MC-Racing]

issue with the tach?? :-D

[@CRFLAus]

When people ask Chris if he rides he replies "yeah always at the redline I am"

[@exothermal.sprocket]

I don't always idle the engine, but when I do, it's because the motorcycle is airborne.

[@kuba181181]

I am having fuel pump issue with my ktm 1190 adventure. Got stranded on the side of the road amd had to call the AA. Charm of old bikes. But watching this reminded my of that situation from a few months back

[@andycraighead2417]

That’s why you swap them out as a precautionary measure,very easily done and numerous videos covering it, still loving my 1190r😊

[@kuba181181]

@ i did swap it for a Quantum one. Still issue is there. Must be electric gobblin. Bike’s going to a proper garage next week

[@Farlig69]

Always always always never ever rely on a fuel gauge anyway, use the old timer method of the trip-meter every time. (And then you realise you forgot to switch the petcock back to ON from RES when you last filled up 🤣🤣🤣🤣)...

[@ownyourworld]

First because I’m sad and a Chris fan boy lol

[@dvdh4937]

Iff you buy a 05/07 1200 you have to check iff the pumpcontroler is replaced by a painted version, new gasket with silicone grease and your fine. The first suffered a lot with these useless pumpcontrollers. Not necesary at all. Also the ring antenna can be a pain... always took a spare and my spare key. This way it's a 5 minute fix.

[@jimspeed1388]

I have spent many hours working under a MK2 Escort, but never on another vehicle parked beneath it.

[@motophilter919]

When relays fail they can show symptoms or they can just fail without warning- this could happen on any bike regardless of miles and usage. If you’re worried about this on your own bike you’d never ride it for any distance.

[@paul-thomasjewell2163]

I had a gs1200Adv which had the same issue! Personally, I don't think the 1200 engines were as good as the 1150. Anyway, I got rid of my GS and went back to Japanese bikes - far more reliable!

Met a couple who were touring on BMWs a few years ago. They insisted BMW stood for "Bike Might Work"

[@Project_789T]

You jinxed that!

[@mrmcgoo4244]

Red to red, black to black and blue to bits 😂😂😂

[@c-31100]

There are a factory in Japan they makes Honda maybe you should try one 😊 bmw is a shame 🇸🇪

[@Legotruck82]

The tach started playing up fairly early (around 3:45ish) Wiring issues?

[@mac22011964]

Next thing will be the side stand switch😊

[@johncummins3860]

Gravity is a very reliable fuel pump on my Bandit 1200 !

[@jimenezore1]

It's a normal issue for the first generation of the r 1200. Fuel pump controller, you can do this by passing using the body of the controller.

[@Miketoveyorginal]

KTM tool kit, the best bit of a KTM

[@jeffbruce9589]

whats up with the tacho needle ????

[@bradleyalexander5821]

For whatever reason, this video is proof that Adventure Bikes are cool. Ya had an adventure and an embarrassing story. Winner, winner chicken diner.

[@pepelimantour3757]

The bike has two fuel pumps one on the right that pumps fuel to the left side. Have two gs 1200 one a an 06 the other an 07. Each has had two fuel pump controller failures. I always carry a spare or a jumper. BMW over complication.

[@listairgin]

Hi there, I’ve just bought an 06 with 29,000 miles from a friend. Could you please explain what the controller does as I’m wanting to tour with it in the Spring. Any help would be appreciated. My friend had to replace the ignition ring that failed about a year ago. Thanks for any information regarding carrying spares or precautionary measures.?👍🏻

[@mikefry6765]

Great video Chris Are you a member on UKGSer

[@a9entjones]

What happens if you're driving on those roads and a car comes from the other direction? Aussie here, and our footpaths are wider than that, so I'm very confused 😂

[@jamesonpace726]

Good bit of sleuthing there, Mr Mechanic Man....

[@youtubeaccount9058]

Specifically what symptoms lead to such a quick diagnosis of the problem?

[@ΝίκοςΓαβρίλης-λ1μ]

Hope this is the last trouble you get from the bike. Better luck next time and congrats for the series.

[@owengriffiths6383]

Never rely on the fuel gauge, always reset the trip meter when you fill up and know the range of the bike.

[@ronanrogers4127]

True, but it was the relay that was the problem and not the fuel or fuel range.

[@Michael-qv6ie]

where in wales do you live

[@cpuuk]

Why was the tac stuck at 9k red zone all that time (even when you were belting down the road)?

[@BikeWorldTVshow]

It’s stuck, another thing needs looking at.

[@andrewhamilton3486]

I missed the year model??

[@tHaH4x0r]

Sucks, but I suppose thats part of renovating an old bike. Could crap on bmw for its shitty electrical at that time (which to be fair, it is), but it could happen with any older bike. Good effort on attempting the roadside repair, you went much further than I would have gone. Still found the fault pretty quickly!

[@FritzevonKM24]

what happened to you tachometer at 3:32 8900 rpm doesn't seem to be quite right

[@rustytanks]

Basically the reason I sold my 07' r1200gs and kept my 09' Klr650 😂

[@Stephen-oy7fl]

Shoulda boughta nice airhead. Car grade electronics.

[@michaelperkins5746]

whys the rev counter in the red

[@BikeWorldTVshow]

It’s stuck!

[@mrcintheuk4641]

So true that a known problem is only known if you know it!

[@ru54623]

this was the most common problem, always carry a spare under the seat

[@dkjens0705]

After 3:30 your tach was pegged all the time indicating an electronic problem already.

[@makini1126]

Rev counter’s wonky?

[@RanDomRikM]

What's your UKGSer name? 😊

[@androidemulator6952]

@4:00 suddenly noticed the tacho gone to 9000 rpm .. uh-oh ! :)

[@Sweetasanut]

😊😊😊

[@DrBirnie]

4) Don't trust the rev gauge!