problems, problems, problems…

Ok, so I think I need to give you first some info before telling you what happend today:

When I bought last week the GSA from BMW it was a 2nd hand one, as a new one like this is above my paygrade. So after all the paperwork was done and so one, I finally left the dealership on wednesday with my “new” bike, happy as a little kid… untill I noticed there was something wrong with the bike. When I was braking it felt like the brakes where going on and off, instead of a linear braking. This could mean only one thing, that the brake disks are bend… So, I returned thursday to BMW to tell them about this. They checked it and yes, I was right, there was a problem that apparently nobody noticed before. They tell me that 99% of people wouldn’t even notice this. This is af course good for my ego, but that doesn’t resolve the situation. They needed to order new pieces for this so the bike stayed overnight and I got a replacement one. Next day they call that everything is fine and I can pick my bike up. They changed the two front brake disks, the rear one and the bearings in the rear wheel. Don’t ask.

So today I left Kranj in direction of Ljubljana going straight for the BMW dealership to check out the noise that I’ve been hearing and the fact that yesterday my bike just stalled twice for no reason when I was riding… a very interesting moment as you can imagine as I was in the mountains just in a hairpin and your bike just drops dead under you! Anyways, today, again the same thing! We arrive at BMW, where they tell us that we either wait for 2 hours or come back later, as they are fixing a bike from a Spanish guy first. Ok, so Vic and I go into town to do some tourist stuff.

When it’s 1300 we want to go back to BMW. We want to. My bike decides I won’t go. It’s just flat dead. Doesn’t do a sh#t! Ok my logical thinking wins it from my anger that my bike is parked right in the middle (!) of the main town square (the market) and that I need to work on it while everybody sees me… Since it sounds logical to me to be a electronical problem, I think that maybe the battery is no good anymore. Would be strange, since I just got it 7 days ago from BMW. I take mine out and replace it with Vic’s (that’s the cool thing of having the same bike while traveling!) and it start from the first go. Ok, so my “new” (?!) battery is already broken.

At that moment a guy stops and start talking to me if I have a problem. Well, yes, of course. I need a new battery. What follows is what I like about people when it matters most: he tells me to come with him and he’ll take me to a shop 6km further for a new one. I just leave everything there with Vic and follows this strange man in his car to destination unknown… Well, Slavko Horvat, you are my hero of the day as i know you’ll be reading this! He took me to a spare parts shop where he has an account from his company, got a new battery with a  BIG discount for me and drove all the way back to town. I forced him to come and drink one after he looked for a parking spot for 10 minutes or so. ANd you know what? Actually his wife was working at the café where we parked our bikes and she saw that we were in trouble. She phoned him to say “honey, get here as there are two foreign bikers with problems” and he just came to rescue us. How unbelievably cool is that! Slavko, thank you again for having the heart in the right place!

So, electronical problem fixed, now that sound… we arrive at BMW, I explain him why we are way to late and he laughs at my misery… Well, he does a test drive with my bike and when he comes back, I just know it’s not ok from the look on his face. The problem seems to be in the driveshaft. What I thought but didn’t want to know. Anyways, he takes the oil out, or whatever that black smelly thing has become. Not good. Replaces it, checks some other stuff, all with the same result that it’s the driveshaft. Ok, so a new test drive after replacing the oil etc. Still not good but better. They can’t assure me that I will make it home like this. No way I drive my bike that is not 100%!!! So they need to order new parts as the bearings in the driveshaft are f#cked-up after only 22.000 km. Go figure… So first I phone to my BMW dealer in Antwerp to tell them that I am absolutely not pleased with what’s happening and that I will come to them with the bill from Ljubljana and that I expect to have a good chat about the history of the bike, as this is just too much! In 7 days time new brake disks, new wheel bearings, new battery, new driveshaft oil and new driveshaft bearings. I am forgive-full (or not?) but this is a bit to much for me under the circumstances. The bright thing is that the guys and girls here at BMW Ljubljana are great! I could leave all my stuff with them in the garage and they even gave me the directions for a hostel only a km or so away.

Anyway, so I am stuck here in Ljubljana at least for another day till the bike’s fixed. Of course Vic continued without me, as it is stupid that he’s doing also nothing here. We’ll (hopefully) meet again in Bosnia or Croatia, if my bike is willing of course…!!!

On a personal note, no I am not angry or whatever, I’m just a bit disappointed in my new bike, as it’s the “mondaybike” with a lot of issues apparently. With the other one I NEVER had ANY problem and with this it’s almost everything already. But the good thing is that I listen to my feelings and stopped on time… would have been an even more interesting story if that happened in Kosovo or Albania, no?

😉