end of the road

blue leader · 14-10-12, 19:28

Well the time has come, after seven years and four GSs I have to give up on supporting the BMW brand.
The truth is that I can't justify spending anymore of my hard earned cash on machines that fail not through bad design but sadly the use of inferior quality components.
I feel that BMW are a victim of there own success in that they have developed great concepts and have taken the world by storm and seem to struggle to manage their quality control in an attempt to meet the demand for their products.
This last GS has proved to be a great bike as far as the ride goes but I really don't trust the bike anymore, last year at 10k I had to replace all the wheel bearings with better quality ones and at 11k my dealership replaced the headrace bearings with BMW items, all well and good I thought but sadly no, now at 15k the headraces are shagged again but the wheel bearings are all fine.
So what I take from this situation is that if BMW are willing to use crap bearings in critical areas such as wheels and steering where else have they put this crap? well I fear I already know as now the clutch is rattling and the camchain sounds like it's trying to saw it's way through the crankcase on start up!
Maybe some will laugh when I say the bike has been traded in for a KTM, but at the end of the day it can't be any worse than my last four steeds, and the sooner the japs come up with something to compete with the europeans then I will gladly be first in the queue to part with my cash.

Ride safe............Blue leader

Dean · 14-10-12, 20:01

Jeeze you have had some rotten luck four GS's with problems

Must leave you in a 2 and 8 and confidence zero, but surely you realise that there are loads of happy BMW Riders with litle or no problems

Your barely in the saddle of your KTM and you want to que for a Jap

what kTM delership did you part x (could be a heads up to avoid that F8

) Sir Tim had horror stories with his first F650 BMW helped I beleive.

good luck with yr KTM, what one did you go for? hope yr glass is half full

STUBBS · 14-10-12, 20:10

not many reports from other users what are the odds of you getting 4 bad ones

wilbjr21 · 14-10-12, 20:17

Very sorry to hear of your problems. I've had five 1200 GS/A's all have been trouble free.

Last year I bought a KTM 990 as well. This was to do a trip through South and North America. I bought this because it has big wheels and better suspension for the gravel roads etc. that I would encounter. On my travels I met quite a few 1200 GSs with happy owners.

I was very happy with the KTM, 53,000 trouble free miles two up. I've just traded it in for a new one (maybe the last of the 990s).

If I only had to have one bike it would be the KTM.

Mad_Accountant · 15-10-12, 10:39

I do know where you are coming from. After a friend went through three sets of steering head bearings and reading reports of early wheel bearing failures, I traded in my two month old (1400 mile) f650 SE and went back to a 1200 Adventure. I hope this will be robust but I shall, in any case, keep her on extended warranty.

It's a pity, there was a lot I liked about the 650 and the 700 is even better.

Best of luck with the KTM

(By the way I still travel most of my miles on my 1992 r100r

)

Phluppe · 15-10-12, 17:13

I completely understand your point of view, more even, I've done the same thing. Didn't trust the F800GS anymore, the list of broken or worn parts was getting logner by the month.

I'm glad I never sold my R1150GSA when enjoying the F800GS ('cause be honnest, i'ts an amazing bike who can do it all, when not broken down) and am now busy prepping the GSA as a more all-road or even off-road able bike.

I'm currious how the KTM will do, I had been thinking the same thing but strangely left the F800GS at the BMW dealer's and the dealership with an impecable R1200RT. Don't really need two GS's, specially not if allready owning the best ever made

Keep us posted on how the switch from the 800 to the KTM goes, still thjinking of getting one for fun.

Grtz, Philip!

Kaister · 15-10-12, 19:10

Quote:

Originally Posted by wilbjr21

........

Last year I bought a KTM 990 as well. This was to do a trip through South and North America. I bought this because it has big wheels and better suspension for the gravel roads etc. that I would encounter.

so you've got a GS - yet you bought a ktm to do the sort of journey that the bmw was supposedly designed for .....?

is it me ?

GSTourer · 15-10-12, 19:27

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kaister

so you've got a GS - yet you bought a ktm to do the sort of journey that the bmw was supposedly designed for .....?

is it me ?

Yes!!!!.......it is.

wilbjr21 · 15-10-12, 19:54

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kaister

so you've got a GS - yet you bought a ktm to do the sort of journey that the bmw was supposedly designed for .....?

is it me ?

Yes it's you.

I'm 65 and riding two up with camping gear so I need all the help I can get.

Just back from a two week spell in Morocco with some friends. All the riders of the 1200s dropped theirs at least once - I never dropped the KTM. The 1200 riders are all better than me in the dirt.

QED

david a hall · 16-10-12, 18:22

Quote:

Originally Posted by wilbjr21

Yes it's you.

I'm 65 and riding two up with camping gear so I need all the help I can get.

Just back from a two week spell in Morocco with some friends. All the riders of the 1200s dropped theirs at least once - I never dropped the KTM. The 1200 riders are all better than me in the dirt.

QED

I can confirm the above. Bobs KTM has stabilizers on it.

wilbjr21 · 16-10-12, 18:54

Quote:

Originally Posted by david a hall

I can confirm the above. Bobs KTM has stabilizers on it.

Twat !!!

Shadwell · 17-10-12, 11:18

everyone to their own i suppose, i fooking love my F800GS.

I have had it nearly 3 years from new, done 30 odd thousand miles, it takes me to work in the morning and recently did 6000miles in 16 days and never missed a beat.

This one is a keeper

Dave Ett · 20-10-12, 19:40

I'm with Shadwell.

Personally the failure of the bearings is such a minor thing compared to the brilliance of the rest of the bike I didn't bat an eyelid when they got grumbly. They hardly break the bank, and replacement is a simple job for anyone who's contemplating a long distance tour (if you can't change wheel bearings I worry for you on the road miles from anywhere).

Each to their own though, I hope the KTM proves more reliable and fun - everyone should have an awesome bike to enjoy!

mr badger · 01-11-12, 09:56

Gradually replacing bearings on Madame's 800 for non-BMW ones.

Really not expensive and should be good for the next 40k

Timpo · 01-11-12, 10:03

Quote:

Originally Posted by blue leader

Maybe some will laugh when I say the bike has been traded in for a KTM, but at the end of the day it can't be any worse than my last four steeds.....

Don't kid yourself......