Paul Mac
Guest
1200GS - Biggest worst designed heap of crap I ever owned. Never touch another new BMW.
Pray tell, what's wrong with the design
maybe not quite tough enough & the canbus is pointless, though surprisingly reliable.
mmmm exceptwhen it operates the throttle without any rider input (sic)
..im a lucky boy
ithink some of the design concepts on the beemer are very good indeed i like the way they go in a different direction
i think the main problem is that they didnt test the new designs enough to eliminate the faults before production shaving weight increasing power
fancy electronics ect
even simple things ..battery discharge fail to starts .. you could book a small holiday if you had a quid for every battery issue posted its niggiling and spoils the experiance i would expect 5 or 6 years with no battery issues for example not 5 or 6 months
its a shame but i genuinly think they rushed it out and left those of us with problems with a very big confidence problem indeed
after all you expect premium performance and above all reliability ..after in hindsight paying a huge amount of cash
it is the reliability issues that are the problem as ive always said the bike itself is smashing to ride ...when its running (sic)
it will take a big effort from bmw to tempt me near to them again
Shep
Shep of the Dessert
Pray tell, what's wrong with the design
JMHO
The air intake is too easily flooded and the engine breather should be routed to the top of the airbox.
Redesign the stupid fuel pump so water stops collecting there
Rear brake pads too soft
Lights should be better
Perhaps they should give up the singlesided swingarm to improve the reliability of the final drive, but I do like the look of them as they are
Shep
JMHO
The air intake is too easily flooded and the engine breather should be routed to the top of the airbox.
Redesign the stupid fuel pump so water stops collecting there
Rear brake pads too soft
Lights should be better
Perhaps they should give up the singlesided swingarm to improve the reliability of the final drive, but I do like the look of them as they are
Shep
oh yes,
all that too
oh yes,
all that too
Next...
..but many of the points Shep mentions can be overcome by the owner
I'm sure the problem lies within a generation of designers, not just in motorcycle manufacture, who believe technology is the answear to everything
BBB61
Registered user
So you had to buy 2 Japanese adventure type bikes to replace one 1200GS? So you haven't really saved any money by doing that, have you
pogo
Registered user
I know there is this and that about reliability of the bike,but how can you explain I have that smile on my face each time I run it?
A+ Pogo
A+ Pogo
streaky
Registered user
So you had to buy 2 Japanese adventure type bikes to replace one 1200GS? So you haven't really saved any money by doing that, have you
Buy one !get one free
So you had to buy 2 Japanese adventure type bikes to replace one 1200GS? So you haven't really saved any money by doing that, have you
well i think its a good swap ..
the dero is my work bike
the strom is for me hols im getting into it after six months and prefer it to the dero ..its a bit more involving ligrter and faster belive me with a few suspension mods its a cracking bike the engine is a real pleasure ... i dont know how they pass the emmisions but the exaust note is sweet
im very happy with it.. it ticks all the right boxes and is outstanding value for money ..
the dero is capable but weighty
.. for touring it is as good as anything it has charicter and i like it in the way you would a big slobbery dog its not slow but can tie itself up if you push itin the tighter turns other than that it tracks very well
its my working bike and i enjoy riding it
i bought the dero 02 with 1400 miles only for 2800 quid
now 8000 miles resale value 3400 quid [realistic ]
i bought the strom fully loaded six months old 900miles for 4900 quid now 6500 mile up resale value about 4900 quid
servicing ..such as it is oil pads filters labour nil
th only thing you /i cant do is the valves but both only due at 16000miles so ill just pay to have that done when the time comes
i sold the gs for 8900 quid
so thats 1200 quid in me back pocket and saving about 600 on servicing costs cos you have to take it in[ for the ferkin computer ] plus about another £1000 approx for further depreciation[ the extra miles and another year ??]
now can you see what i mean i wouldnt have been too bothered about the above but the stupid thing kept going wrong
so rough reconing it would have cost me 1600 quid to ride the gs for the last ten months
the vara and the strom have 0 servicing costs and between the two are worth about 400 quid more than i paid for them
if i bolted on the 1200 quid change you could argue that im 1600 quid up
for running two bike s for ten months
as apposed to 1600 quid down [ i know the 1200 quid i s cheating but its real }was real]
its far cheaper to run the japs thats for sure
you could nearly say buy one get two free
life goes on still having fun thats the main thing different folks different strokes ect
http://media.putfile.com/off-road-wales
Attachments
Davy F
Registered user
I have read this thread with interest. But the thing that amazes me is how similar it is to some of the threads on the VFR owners site in regard to the VFR800 Vtec. Now there is a bike that devides owners just like the 1150/1200 folk here. 
NLS
Guest
Well you had SOME dirt ability with the 12GS (nowhere the yellow suzu you have in the pic) and you sacrificed it to get two similar bikes (with GS and with each other). I still don't get it after your explanation. The dero is a monster. Some use it for daily commuting (many in my country) but (again in my country) only because they want to show they can afford something bigger than a large scooter (the same people that buy an X5 for the city). If there is any use for it, is for street based touring and then why not get a real "street only" tourer. The strom is definitely more capable in every single field from varadero and I (really really really) don't see why someone should have both.
To be honest in my mind I easily see the three bikes replaced by 12GS (the dirt bike to just some extend of course - just when someone wants ONE bike to do a bit of all), not the other way around.
But my strongest confusion remains why someone would have two of a single type of bikes where one is better than the other in all fields (dero vs strom). Maybe not for this topic to explain it (we are moving off topic).
To be honest in my mind I easily see the three bikes replaced by 12GS (the dirt bike to just some extend of course - just when someone wants ONE bike to do a bit of all), not the other way around.
But my strongest confusion remains why someone would have two of a single type of bikes where one is better than the other in all fields (dero vs strom). Maybe not for this topic to explain it (we are moving off topic).
1200gsadukem1000fe
Guest
Nowt wrong with dukes!
Have you ever owned a ducati gs monkey?
is the reliability quote ( which is VERY fashionable amongst those who have no direct experience) from experience?
i have owned a number of dukes ( and yes 32 jap bikes) in the last 24 years and have nothing but praise for them ( still own 2 currently)
All i can say is that i hope my new 1200 gsa gives me the smiles , performance , reliability and pride of ownership that a ducati does.
if your quote is based on experience , then i feel sad for you but if it is based on misinformed magazine and pub talk B!"£$hit then please do more in depth research amongst people who know how to follow a maintenance schedule as laid out by the engineers at bologna
Have you ever owned a ducati gs monkey?
is the reliability quote ( which is VERY fashionable amongst those who have no direct experience) from experience?
i have owned a number of dukes ( and yes 32 jap bikes) in the last 24 years and have nothing but praise for them ( still own 2 currently)
All i can say is that i hope my new 1200 gsa gives me the smiles , performance , reliability and pride of ownership that a ducati does.
if your quote is based on experience , then i feel sad for you but if it is based on misinformed magazine and pub talk B!"£$hit then please do more in depth research amongst people who know how to follow a maintenance schedule as laid out by the engineers at bologna
fishmonger
Guest
1200 gs's are designed to make money for BMW. No other reason at all. Wake up you tossers
NLS
Guest
how about you?
....Interesting thread........
....Setting off Wednesday, for the Sachsenring GP, then on for a couple of days in Prague...........
....2006 1200 (6,000 miles) .....
...Will it make it ?????
....Gut feeling?.................NO SWEAT !!
How does it go?....................Pride before a fall.......
....Setting off Wednesday, for the Sachsenring GP, then on for a couple of days in Prague...........
....2006 1200 (6,000 miles) .....
...Will it make it ?????
....Gut feeling?.................NO SWEAT !!
How does it go?....................Pride before a fall.......
I think you miss my point. "Ducati Reliability" and "BMW Reliability" use quotation marks for a reason. I was talking about the perception of both brands. If you asked the average biker to rank reliabilty of brands, Duke would be near the bottom and BMW at the top.
I only have personal experience of BMW and have never owned a Ducati. I wouldn't make any statements about actual Ducati reliability without owning one. I'm sure Ducati's are not as bad as the press make out (as BMW aren't as good) if you follow the service regime.
I've got no axe to grind on any brand particularly. I have Dukes (Hypermotard) and BMW's (GS & RT) on my shortlist for my next bike.
NLS
Guest
ha different planet...
In my planet (ok, country) BMW is not at the top - Honda maybe.
Ducati is near the bottom BUT the press doesn't make this our and instead is there to post anything weird about BMW.
Trade?
In my planet (ok, country) BMW is not at the top - Honda maybe.
Ducati is near the bottom BUT the press doesn't make this our and instead is there to post anything weird about BMW.
Trade?
i have, they're rubbish*.
in fairness, this was before the much talked of "quality improvement" brought about after the yanks bought them, but then how many times have i read that alfa romeos are now built to bmw (car) standards?
yeah, right
*
new carbs
3 clutches
i had to rebuild the gearbox, as it was not done properly at the factory
paint fell off
swing arm pivot (and all available spares) machined wrongly
the worrying thing is, i'd buy another
