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Anyone had an EWS error code? My understanding is that it's the ring antenna failing.

You understand correctly.

It's my understanding that there is a time out in the system, so you may get it restarted after a 20 min or so wait if you tried a few time with the ign key with out succsess.

Yes, well, thanks for that. I was able to get my bike home after waiting for about five mins but I was 100miles away and out in the middle of nowhere.

My dealer can’t get to it for two weeks and I’m a bit pissed off.

I love my bike but this is a stupid design that might work well for cars but completely out of line for a bike. As far as I can ascertain, there is no work around, no way to disable it and absolutely no way to get the bike running without a new antenna should it fail completely.

Now I don’t trust it not to happen again. That’s the first time I’ve said that about a BMW.

Two weeks!, well I'd expect a loaner from them if they can't pull their finger out and get one. If it's workload that's the reason for not being able to fit one for you then they should contact another branch who can do this sooner for you.

I had this problem on a R1200R and ended up being trailered home by BMW Rescue, it was 5.30pm Sunday evening so the service was quite good.
It was the ring antenna, the dealer said to keep the plastic masterkey with me just in case of the problem reoccurring. I didn't ask for an explanation but just assumed that the ring antenna immobiliser thingy doesn't work with the plastic key.
The problem did seem to be intermittent, sometimes starting, sometimes not.

Phil Bell

I can't see the plastic master key being able to bypass the EWS antenna. Otherwise this would be an easy fix that many other ppl have missed!
I would get conformation of this before you rely on the plastic key for a long trip. (however i do carry mine with me on my spare alarm fob in my inside pocket )

FalcoDog wrote:Anyone had an EWS error code? My understanding is that it's the ring antenna failing.

Yep, I f...... know all about the EWS code as most on this forum will know, but I wasnt so lucky, bike recovered back to BMW(Their demo Bike), could have been stranded in North Wales if I hadnt had the luck to be with about another 50 odd BM riders, and a lovely lady with Toyota Celica, cheers Tracy

Strong letter being drafted for BMW customer relations.

Cracking bike though ( 2008 12 GS)

So a 2008 bike with the EWS failure eh? They not sorted the issue out 100% then by the sounds of it.