BMW vs Jap bikes

[BTBR]

I was thinking last night, on the eve before the GS has a new rear wheel bearing fitted, how many bikes I have owned and what warranty claims I had made?

Amongst the many bike include around 12 new ones of varous types, Fireblades to DRZ's, Bandits to KTM640 Supermoto.

In that time I have never had any reason to make any warranty claims what so ever, so maybe I have been lucky?

Then I bought the BMW, the ultimate driving machine, or so I thought?

To date, and remember that its only six months old and done 4500 miles:-

1) Oil leak from sump
2) Engine cutting out when slowing done
3) New wheel bearing required
4) Fork brace needs replacing
5) Screws fell out that hold front beak up
6) Throttle sticking open due to heated grips

Then of course I go and throw it down the road and then discover that the BMW recovery service is not as good as they say it is!
Then I have problems (numerous problems!) with the repair of the bike, not repaired to my satisfaction. Dealer issue I know but it still comes under the BMW umbrella.

Not bad ah................for the ultimate driving machine?

BTBR

 

[BTBR]

oh.....forgot to add this before anyone else does..........."They all do that sir!

 

[(RIP) Kaister]

1) Oil leak from sump
2) Engine cutting out when slowing done
3) New wheel bearing required
4) Fork brace needs replacing
5) Screws fell out that hold front beak up
6) Throttle sticking open due to heated grips

Then I have problems (numerous problems!) with the repair of the bike, not repaired to my satisfaction.

************

Sounds like poor dealer PDI and insurance work to me

apart from 1 and 3 ( ok, 4 is finish quality )

Everything else is PDI, service and repair problems.

Go on - name the dealer .......

 

[richie]

I've only ever had secondhand bikes and the worst for me was Kawasaki.

The best was Honda 100,000 miles no problems what so ever.

BMW has for me so far (touch wood) been very good too. But some minor problems have happened. Fuel filter, brake master cylinder.

Nothing over the top and when I bought my bike it had spent six years in a garage without having been ridden so fairly normal that the brake cylinder blew.

 

[nleader]

Then I bought the BMW, the ultimate driving machine, or so I thought?

Ah-ha! Happiness is when actual performance exceeds expectation.

I love my 1150 GS more and more the older it gets (almost 5 years now) and the more I use it. Yes, I've got flaky paint on the silver bits, but it runs sweet as a nut and has never let me down. Every journey is a pleasure (except for high speed motorway blasts, a rare requirement, thankfully).

I'm sorry your experience is clearly not as happy as mine.

Go on, name the dealership!

 

[Mick Fagan]

When you have the rear wheel bearing fitted, I'd be very interested in how it performs. I have yet to see a BMW G/S, GS with a rear wheel bearing.

Perhaps that's the problem?

Mick.

 

[(RIP) maverick]

GS vs JAP

I am sure when it comes to BMW reliability and breakdowns I have endured them all with my GS. However in the 5 weeks it was stolen I had the pleasure riding a Honda Africa Twin. Now at first you would suspect it to be a fine machine, light and actually have good lights with a very smooth quiet motor.

However there has been more rust on this bike I have ever seen on all my BWM bikes combined. Thought ok maybe with my luck it is a once off. Got on the XRV website and asked around and hey presto what answer do I get - They all do that sir.

Now mechanically the bike is sound and to a point right out boring as nothing breaks so I can't fiddle around with it.
Power - arhhhhh where is the torque!!!
Looks - not bad and get used to it.

Got home from work on the AT last night thinking well it sure is growing on me on my jaunts to work and back. Got on the GS and 400 yards down the road thought - Honda what a piece of shite!!

I will keep on riding the GS as long as it will go and hopefully get a newer one as time goes on. I don't think I will trade it for a jap bike ever. Not intending to slag any other bikes off just my general feeling of the BMW vs Jap bike. Some people love them others hate them - Just like marmite

 

[Spout]

When you have the rear wheel bearing fitted, I'd be very interested in how it performs. I have yet to see a BMW G/S, GS with a rear wheel bearing.

Perhaps that's the problem?

Mick.

My '81 G/S failed its first MOT due to "loose rear wheel bearing".
Had to go home and fetch the owners handbook to prove that there should be some free play there.

 

[Steve Chip]

Yup, I agree with all of you.

My GS is just 12 months old and goes in for it's 12,000 next week.
I've sent a list to the dealer in the hope that they are interested, although I've a feeling that they will do the usual - you know, prices quoted on service will turn out to be ex VAT even though nothing else in the show room is...

BUT!!!

What an absolutely bloody fabulous thing my GS is!!
Last week-end we were in Alnwick, it pissed down (technical term) all the way home. We've never been out two-up in weather like it, but we still travelled "up & over", on roads I've never seen before (including an absolute cracker from Middleham Nr Leyburn, to Kettlewell, it was raining sideways), nothing could have been finer, on anything else I'd have pulled over and got a B&B.

I hope to keep it for years - I'll have to to pay for it, but I'm going to be very "pragmatic" and moan like a bastard whilst it's in warranty.

Oh the joy, the joy...
"Nurse bring my medication, I've done it again."

Steve

 

[Jimb]

Mick

He said wheel bearing not rear wheel bearing. That'll be the front then !!!

 

[BTBR]

When you have the rear wheel bearing fitted, I'd be very interested in how it performs. I have yet to see a BMW G/S, GS with a rear wheel bearing.

Perhaps that's the problem?

Mick.

 

[BTBR]

Yup, I agree with all of you.

My GS is just 12 months old and goes in for it's 12,000 next week.
I've sent a list to the dealer in the hope that they are interested, although I've a feeling that they will do the usual - you know, prices quoted on service will turn out to be ex VAT even though nothing else in the show room is...

BUT!!!

What an absolutely bloody fabulous thing my GS is!!
Last week-end we were in Alnwick, it pissed down (technical term) all the way home. We've never been out two-up in weather like it, but we still travelled "up & over", on roads I've never seen before (including an absolute cracker from Middleham Nr Leyburn, to Kettlewell, it was raining sideways), nothing could have been finer, on anything else I'd have pulled over and got a B&B.

I hope to keep it for years - I'll have to to pay for it, but I'm going to be very "pragmatic" and moan like a bastard whilst it's in warranty.

Oh the joy, the joy...
"Nurse bring my medication, I've done it again."

Steve

Yep I agree with all the above, despite its minor faults and I love mine to bits.

Just picked the bike up from the dealer and the rear wheel bearing was ok, it just needed adjusting up to remove the slack.
Much better riding it home, no more rear wheel steering!

BTBR

 

[skybluebird]

Of the dozen or so bikes I've owned over the last 25 years, the only ones which have had no faults whatsoever were a KTM 640 Adventure and (touch wood) the GS (both owned 1 year / 7,000 miles). The worst were a CB900F (camchain snapped, then 3rd gear went AWOL) and a Blackbird (reg/rectifier, then later the generator burnt out). I once had a Honda Dominator which was off the road for 3 months waiting for a wheel to be rebuilt, though the dealer (M&S) lent me a Firestorm for the duration, so I didn't mind too much..

 

[Ned Flanders]

...........

Not bad ah................for the ultimate driving machine?

BTBR

Hi Alan

Thats about what I thought too. But now sorely disappointed

Last week I was overtaken (me in the car BTW) by one of my old bikes, a 1998 Fazer 600, 25k+ miles when I sold it. That bike was used daily for 3 years, it never missed a beat, and there was none of the old 'they all do that mate'.

Mind you I still love the beast, though I'm on the edge now (see posting in Technical section - Getting into gear.

Regards

Tim

 

[Lloyd]

Ive had my 1200 for 3 months now and its been fantastic, you ought to try a Ducati if you think BMW's are bad. My Multistrada was a pain for small things constantly going wrong. Console light bulb blown......new clock set ( £380 if out of warranty), fuel guage problems, bits falling off.
Honda has come a close second for me, a VFR vtec and Cbr600rr with appalling gearboxs, overheating on the VFR , snatchy throttle response , but of course when Honda say they are all like that , they really are.
Now 3 months is not long, but so far the 1200 gives me the confidence to do long trips and start having to think about a second bike for messing around ( CRM250R supermoto) as the BMW's a long term stayer.

 

[skywalker]

Where's robeekay or madmacs? thought they'd jump on the case with this one!!! Or are they one & the same???