[Vince_S]

I hope this is the correct forum to post this. My 2020 K1600 GTL has thrown this error a few times now. The engine light comes on at start-up, and I cannot rev the engine. It's in some kind of limp mode, and only idles no matter how much I twist the throttle.

I hooked up my GS911 and it reads Throttle Valve 1 (right), control error, lower limit. See attached photo.

My local BMW shop says that this is not enough information for them to tell what the problem is, and they needed to reproduce it in the shop. They had the bike for a week and a half and couldn't get it to reproduce, so I took the bike home.

Now I'm left wondering if this problem is going to leave me stranded when I'm out on the road. I'm planning a trip from Denver to North Carolina in a couple of months, and I'm a little worried.

Does anyone have any thoughts on this, or have you encountered the same problem and know the solution?

Thanks.

 

[Vince_S]

Yeah, still have a year worth of warranty left. And I thought it was a load of BS that they can't fix it unless they could reproduce it. I'm not sure if I should blame the shop or if that's something BMW tells them to do and ties their hand as far as a repair goes. Thanks for your answer.

 

[Vince_S]

Thank you for that reply. I really pushed and questioned them at the shop, but they mostly threw their hands up and said that unless I leave it with them until they could reproduce the problem then they couldn't do anything. That is impracticable since it could be a month or two or longer before it happens again. I'm going to contact BMW directly and raise a little stink and see where that gets me. Thanks again.

 

[Vince_S]

Thanks Scojoe. I looked at the other thread and although it isn't exactly what is happening to my bike, I can see that the problems could be related. I'll keep posting on this thread if/when there are any further developments. Cheers.

 

[Vince_S]

Thanks, Geoff. I took a look, and everything seems to be pretty snug there. Oddly, this problem is so intermittent. There's no pattern or commonalities to when it occurs. So I sent an email to Motorad's headquarters. Now waiting to see if they reply. I want to get this fixed before the warranty runs out.

 

[Vince_S]

Geoff, I do have the records of taking the bike in twice now. Hopefully, BMW won't screw me over. If they do this is the last BMW I will ever own. Since it is still under warranty I would think they, in good faith, would fix the thing for me. We'll see. I'm not a legal expert, but I believe a warranty is a legal contract.

The only question is; whether it is viable to go after them along that route. Hopefully, I won't have to find out. Cheers.

 

[Vince_S]

Update:

For anyone who might be interested, I emailed Motorrad's Headquarters about this issue. The following is the text of my email and their response:

I own a 2020 K1600 GTL with one year of warranty left on it. Several times now at start-up, the check engine light has come on, and the motorcycle is in some kind of limp mode and will not rev, no matter how much I twist the throttle. I must shut it down and restart it several times before it resets and I can ride.​

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My GS911 shows the following error (see attached photo); Throttle valve 1 (right), control error, lower limit. Frequency count 5.​

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I've taken this into my local BMW shop twice now to have this remedied, but have been told that there is not enough information to determine what the problem is and that they need to reproduce the problem in the shop. I left it with them for a week and a half, and they could not reproduce the issue.​

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I do not understand why this issue cannot be addressed and corrected. I am worried that I will be stranded on the road on any given ride, or worse, that it may happen while I'm in traffic at highway speeds. I don't know what would happen if I suddenly lost all power to the bike while in heavy traffic at speed.​

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Do I have any recourse in this matter, or do I wait for a catastrophe to happen on the road due to this malfunction? I appreciate and thank you in advance for any help or insights.​

Their response:

Thanks for contacting BMW Motorrad USA regarding your 2020 BMW Motorrad K 1600 GTL. I am sorry to read of the difficulties you are experiencing with the check engine light coming on your motorcycle.​

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While we do understand the importance of your concern, BMW Motorrad Customer Relations is unable to diagnose potential issues with your vehicle remotely or provide repair instructions. We rely on the mechanical knowledge and technical expertise of the service teams at our authorized BMW Motorrad dealers for maintaining, diagnosing, and repairing vehicles correctly. As a result, we recommend continuing to work with your local BMW Motorrad dealer service team for assistance. If you have not done so, we furthermore, recommend speaking to the Service Manager directly.​

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Should you need to contact BMW Motorrad Customer Relations and Services again, you can reach us at 1-800-831-1117 Monday through Thursday from 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. ET and Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. ET.​

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Thanks again for writing to us, Vince.​

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Kind regards,​

​

Kristina​

BMW Motorrad USA​

Representative​

 

[Vince_S]

Well, I've reached the end of the road on this one until something terrible happens. Motorrad turfs it to the shop, and the shop tells me they need to reproduce it. They specifically said that it could be one of many problems they cannot pinpoint without it occurring in their presence. So their solution is either I leave it with them until they can reproduce it or limp it in when it happens again, and then they'll know what it is.

Both solutions, for obvious reasons, are not reasonable in my opinion. This is about as maddening as it gets. C’est la vie.

 

[Vince_S]

I asked the dealer's GM and the service manager if they knew how I might get ahold of a regional BMW tech after they told me my only options were limping it in or leaving it there until they could reproduce the problem. They stared blankly at me as if I was speaking another language. It's a shame, too; I've always had a good experience at this dealership and have used their service department faithfully for all my maintenance.

I'm going to have to reassess my future options now. Even though they were adamant about their hands being tied, they took a defensive stance with me, leaving a bad taste in my mouth. There was no empathy shown for my issue.

I'll determine if a regional BMW tech is in my area and see if I can get any satisfaction through that route.

 

[Vince_S]

I see. Thanks for clearing that up, but I don't see my dealer doing any such thing. If they knew this route was available and didn't tell me about it or didn't actively pursue it, I'm certain that this is something they are not inclined to do, even at my request.

As I mentioned above, they seemed defensive at the mention of going above them. I hesitate to push them harder for fear of burning my bridges with them. I still rely on them for service (I purchased an extended service contract from them when I bought the bike), recall issues, and warranty items. I feel let down by them, but unfortunately, they are the closest shop to me, and the next one would be very inconvenient to visit for any work I might need to have done.

This whole situation has soured me on BMWs at this point. I would think that since I bought two expensive machines from them, they would at least put on a show of wanting to help me out the best they could. Instead, I'm left to feel like I'm the "difficult customer" that they'd rather just go away. All I'm asking is for them to honor the warranty that came with the bike so I can have a little peace of mind while I'm on the road.

 

[Vince_S]

Well, I'm not a hothead, nor was I demanding. I was just being matter-of-fact with them and asking what my options were since they didn't have a reasonable answer for me. I was polite and professional with them, but I could tell they were taking a stance of me against them. I was trying to avoid this type of dynamic. I left on good terms, but they knew I was not satisfied.

I'm sure that going back and trying to escalate this would be an exercise in futility. They took their stance, and they will want to save face. I'm at a loss as to why they wouldn't want to do everything they could do for me if more options were available. They made it clear I was at the end of the road as far as options were concerned. So again, leave it with them or limp it in when it happens again. I take them at their word.

 

[Vince_S]

I understand. I've learned throughout the years that you catch more flies with honey than vinegar. Sometimes that doesn't work though. Life's too short to get upset over the little things. Amor fati!

Thanks again for your input. Always appreciated.