2013 F800GS Traction Control Issue

[Kaw4Life]

Call me old school, call me an asshole but I do not know why anyone would go with this option.

[cchoc]

Originally Posted by Kaw4Life

Call me old school, call me an asshole but I do not know why anyone would go with this option.

I bought my 2013 off the showroom floor and it came with the safety package which consists of ESA and ASC, so that's why I have it. I like the ESA but haven't tested the ASC so far.

[biodieselandon]

Originally Posted by cchoc

I bought my 2013 off the showroom floor and it came with the safety package which consists of ESA and ASC, so that's why I have it. I like the ESA but haven't tested the ASC so far.

Same here. Good luck finding a bike that doesn't have both. The safety package only adds ~$600 so it is well worth it to have the ESA. I don't mind the ASC, It's nice to have for street riding especially in the rain, but it is just as easy to switch off (If they fix the issue).

[Kaw4Life]

Here is what I am leery of ...

XR600R Clutch Replacement Kit $106

F800GS Clutch Replacement Kit $450

What happens when these systems (ABS, Etc) start to fail?

Dont get me wrong, 800 = GREAT BIKE.

Stuff that I dont need that raises the TCO is just marketing and Insurance company BS.

All that said I am going to do some research on ABS. All I know is that on my 1200 it makes the rear wheel go nuts when I am too hard on the rear brake scaring the shit out of me increasing my stop time as a result.

[BamaTexRider]

I am old school i guess i just bought what i needed, ABS is all i got, and it turns off well. Works for me, Great Bike

[RandoCommando]

Originally Posted by coloktmGS

My new 2013 has this issue as well. Anyone know specifically what to tell the dealer to get it corrected?

Tell them the traction control stays on despite turning it off.
There is a recall that corrected mine.
Should be the same for yours.

[coloktmGS]

Dealer fixed asc today, MUCH BETTER, With that on in the dirt, the bike was a lot less fun.

[Ceri JC]

Originally Posted by Kaw4Life

Call me old school, call me an asshole but I do not know why anyone would go with this option.

I'm inclined to agree. On a litre sportsbike? ABS, TCS and whatever electrickery you can stick on there to help me go faster, I'll buy. Sidestand sensor to stop me riding away with it down? Great!

On something that gets smashed into rocks and dropped in rivers? The less electronics the better, please. I have ridden F800GSes with ABS, with the ABS disabled and without ABS. I would choose the latter every time unless it was going to be used as a road bike. The fact that BMW's own Offroad school hobbles the ABS as part of "setting the bikes up" for the season is pretty telling. Yes, there might be a button/process to turn it off temporarily, but when it "fails safe*" and turns itself back on after you stop for lunch, sooner or later, you will forget to disable it. Just hope that it only manifests itself as 'weird braking' on the flat as opposed to you crashing down a steep descent.


*safe meaning "what a road rider would want, because that's how most of these bikes get used".

RE: ESA; I was looking at a GSA 2012 as a new bike a while back. I liked ESA, but was put off by the cost it'd pose to replace when the suspension is worn out after 40K miles.

[LukasM]

Originally Posted by Ceri JC

I'm inclined to agree. On a litre sportsbike? ABS, TCS and whatever electrickery you can stick on there to help me go faster, I'll buy. Sidestand sensor to stop me riding away with it down? Great!

On something that gets smashed into rocks and dropped in rivers? The less electronics the better, please. I have ridden F800GSes with ABS, with the ABS disabled and without ABS. I would choose the latter every time unless it was going to be used as a road bike. The fact that BMW's own Offroad school hobbles the ABS as part of "setting the bikes up" for the season is pretty telling. Yes, there might be a button/process to turn it off temporarily, but when it "fails safe*" and turns itself back on after you stop for lunch, sooner or later, you will forget to disable it. Just hope that it only manifests itself as 'weird braking' on the flat as opposed to you crashing down a steep descent.


*safe meaning "what a road rider would want, because that's how most of these bikes get used".

RE: ESA; I was looking at a GSA 2012 as a new bike a while back. I liked ESA, but was put off by the cost it'd pose to replace when the suspension is worn out after 40K miles.

Hard to find a BMW without ABS and probably even harder to sell it if you ever want to. Simple solution is the switch from Burnsmoto, which lets you easily select permanently on/off settings for the ABS with the flick of a switch.

Nice to have it for riding on wet asphalt, only trade-off is about 1.5 kgs of extra weight.

[RandoCommando]

Ok.
I just wanted to post this update that it was NOT a recall, but simply a software update to get the traction control issue working properly.
That is all.

[soph9]

yep we got the update on Cheryl's VIN...my F800 was fine...all is good in the traction off world now...

[litfuse1200]

I took my new GS out for its first ride in the gravel yesterday and had the exact same issue, no matter what i did it just kept stuttering and missing, it's great on the road, but not when it gets loose. Spoke with my dealer today and they didnt know there was an issue. It's booked in tomorrow. the only other issue, when the lights on the dash are on, is the system activated of not. Bloody confusing. I had the bike stuttering up a hill with the lights flashing and the moment I hit the button it seemed to stop, but around the next bend on the next loose bit away it went with the lights flashing. I stopped the bike and held the button down for a good ten seconds and both traction control and abs lights stayed on, but the moment that I moved off they started flashing and it started stuttering again. Bloody frustrating, i'm all for technology but when its crap its crap.

[Loutre]

Originally Posted by litfuse1200

I took my new GS out for its first ride in the gravel yesterday and had the exact same issue, no matter what i did it just kept stuttering and missing, it's great on the road, but not when it gets loose. Spoke with my dealer today and they didnt know there was an issue. It's booked in tomorrow. the only other issue, when the lights on the dash are on, is the system activated of not. Bloody confusing. I had the bike stuttering up a hill with the lights flashing and the moment I hit the button it seemed to stop, but around the next bend on the next loose bit away it went with the lights flashing. I stopped the bike and held the button down for a good ten seconds and both traction control and abs lights stayed on, but the moment that I moved off they started flashing and it started stuttering again. Bloody frustrating, i'm all for technology but when its crap its crap.

Read the threads and tell your dealer that it only needs a remapping.

[speed_racer]

I have a F650gs twin with ABS, and I usually turn it off whenever offroad.. However I noticed last time I was out, i kept stopping and starting and left it on at one stage, down rocky and muddy terrain it really comes into play with the standard gearing, you see std gears arent low enough to provide enough engine braking going down hills but keep ur foot on the rear brake and it works awesome! keeps the bike at total idle!

But id still recommend it to be off on gravel roads as it just doesn't pull up on them.. a simple stop n hold ABS button turns it off so not a big issue, i wish you could do it while riding though,

So ABS for mud/hard rock = great!
gravel = not so great!

my 2 cents..

[rmhrc628]

So why would you buy a bike with the traction package ? Any Offroad 800 would quickly find the limits of the ESA and tc wouldn't they?