buying an ex-offroad bike ??

[marky-mark]

Hi,
be gentle, this is only my 2nd post on here!

But, i'm currently learning to ride... & i'm in no particular rush & the budget is tight, so i've been poottling around on a Suzuki DR125S.
After having a few running issues with the CDI unit i might need a new bike quicker than i planned! as its not worth spending too much on the DR..

I like the all-round features the F650GS offers & there doesn't seem to bee a great deal of competition!

My question is; i've spotted some of the bikes being sold on by the BMW off road centre & they seem a bit too good to be true...March 06 registered, apprx 3000 miles, cosmetically not good, but all running & with warranty.
and the price is about half what it should be!
Has anyone bought one of these in the past & does anyone know how often this offer comes around?
(i'm guessing every six months if the current March 06 batch has just been replaced....but changing the fleet every 6 months seems a little excessive)

Anyone shed any light
Thanks in advance

 

[DavidHale]

These are bikes that have been used by the centre, and have been dropped a lot of times, thrashed, abused, run hard, but serviced regularly and apparently come with a fresh service and cosmetics sorted. I haven't bought one, but I think I might if I was in the market for that type of bike.

BTW, hello and welcome to the site!

 

[sparkplug]

The bikes are replaced very regularly and as David pointed out they do have a hard life in their early days. They are all put back in working order and the important part is that they still have the warranty so if anything has been missed it gets put right FOC.

I'd have no problems buying one but I've got too many as it is...

oh and, as David said - hello and welcome

 

[Taff]

I was talking to Simon Pavey during one of the breaks when I did the off road course 2 years ago, and mentioned that the bikes must take an absolute hammering - eg I dropped mine far more times than I care to remember.

His reply was that it was nearly "all cosmetic". In fact he said they had stripped one of their 650 Dakars to take on one of the Dakar races and the engine, clutch etc was fine - IIRC they didn't have to do anything to it. If I was looking for a spare bike, I would certainly consider buying one.

 

[Cole]

i've spotted some of the bikes being sold on by the BMW off road centre & they seem a bit too good to be true

Out of interest, where are they selling these?

 

[JohnnyBoxer]

Out of interest, where are they selling these?

Bath Road BMW in Bristol IIRC

 

[The Other PaulG]

Sorry this is a bit of a sidetrack, but Mark can't receive PMs...

Hi Mark -

Firstly, good luck sourceing a 650, the general concensus seems to be positive.

Regarding your DR...... I have a DR600 that I have been trying to fix for more than a year. Through elimination I suspect that the problem may lie in the CDI. I currently get a spark, but extremely weak. What was your CDI failure story?

Cheers, and welcome!

Paul G

 

[blackbird]

3,000 off road miles at the BMW off road training ground

 

[Cole]

Bargain

Sounds like a bargain ... near new F650 GS from £2750 .. might get one for the Mrs.

 

[marky-mark]

thanks for the friendly welcome & lots of quick replies!!

I'm starting think that these bikes might be the way for me although looks like not until the next batch comes around....i'm having a logistical nightmare!!
firstly - havn't passed my test yet..not even the theory, only the CBT.
secondly...i'm not 100% sure i can store a bigger bike!! We currently live in a terraced house & access to the back is through next doors garden via an alley between the houses, with a gateway at 45degrees to the path at the end. (putting it on the front isn't an option!)

I get the 125 down with much trouble, although its light enough for me to pick the back end up & swing it around. we're currently on the waiting list for a garage, although moving house is also in the picture! -

Yes, as JohnnyBoxer said the bikes are at Bath Road Motorcycles in Bristol...there are advertised on autotrader. The started off with 37 650GS & have 7 or 8 left.
Apparently before they go to the off roadcourse, they have breakable like indicators, some of the mudguards, plastic bits basically removed, these are then refitted along with a new set of tyres before sale.
These go for £2750.
Some of them get fully repaired, new panels etc & they budget approx £400 to do this, then sell fully repaired bikes for £3650 IIRC...

to The Other PaulG:
my bike had the occasion problem starting, but nothing major, would eventually fire up & run fine.
One day i parked it up & 2 hours later it wouldn't start, no spark at all. I replaced the spark plug, checked the coil & HT lead & no apparent problems there.
I spoke to the chap i bought the bike off (only had it a couple of months & bought it from a work collegue) he said the CDI had been a problem in the past with serious misfiring...i tested it as per the haynes manual & didn't get anything like the readings i should have.
So i took a punt & spent £40 on a second hand CDI unit (from a breakers/shop BTW) It arrived, plugged it in & after a few kicks worked apparently fine.
I rode 15 miles to work with no problems. I got on the bike to come home & had a few issues starting up again, but eventually fired up.
3 or 4 miles in, it started misfiring, backfiring & cutting out... i tried crossing my fingers, but after a couple of hundred yards like this it died completely.
On trying to kick it up again, it fires but won't actually start! give a couple of splutters & then dies again.
I'm yet to test it with the circuit tester, but i suspect its a dodgy CDI unit i've been supplied...which is great as the supplier doesn't want to know any more.
I think a new CDI is called for...

anyway, life goes on...even if i end up scrapping the DR

 

[Alan1963]

I'd agree with the above - thrashed and abused (cosmetically) but otehrwise mechanically sound. Si Pavey said much the same to me when I asked having dropped mine for the xxxth time.

A good deal in my book - but be aware that these bikes are registered in March each year, run for 6 months and then sold. the next batch won't be around until this time next year as the off road courses only run through the summer months.

Rgds

Alan

 

[Trevor Phillips]

Got my R1200GS this way nearly a year ago. Can't say I've been disappointed. Couple of scratches, small dings in rims, dents in exhaust system. If I was bothered about the last, I'd pick up an EBay £70ish complete job. If you want to save £2000ish and not be worried about about the first scratch on your pride & joy GOFORIT.
Then you'll end up spending the two grand on luggage,lighting,GPS etc

 

[Nasty1]

to The Other PaulG:
my bike had the occasion problem starting, but nothing major, would eventually fire up & run fine.
One day i parked it up & 2 hours later it wouldn't start, no spark at all. I replaced the spark plug, checked the coil & HT lead & no apparent problems there.
I spoke to the chap i bought the bike off (only had it a couple of months & bought it from a work collegue) he said the CDI had been a problem in the past with serious misfiring...i tested it as per the haynes manual & didn't get anything like the readings i should have.
So i took a punt & spent £40 on a second hand CDI unit (from a breakers/shop BTW) It arrived, plugged it in & after a few kicks worked apparently fine.
I rode 15 miles to work with no problems. I got on the bike to come home & had a few issues starting up again, but eventually fired up.
3 or 4 miles in, it started misfiring, backfiring & cutting out... i tried crossing my fingers, but after a couple of hundred yards like this it died completely.
On trying to kick it up again, it fires but won't actually start! give a couple of splutters & then dies again.
I'm yet to test it with the circuit tester, but i suspect its a dodgy CDI unit i've been supplied...which is great as the supplier doesn't want to know any more.
I think a new CDI is called for...

anyway, life goes on...even if i end up scrapping the DR

OK I am no electrician but I have heard stories of other electrical faults that can cause the CDI failures. What I mean is that you could of had a good CDI from the breakers but another underlying faults caused it to fail. Before buying another check the rest of the components like the voltage regulator and rectifier just in case.

 

[Tarka]

Actually,way back in the 1980`s,when I were a lad (and all that), my DR125 popped and spluttered and stopped running one fine day.

It too had no spark at all.

The guys at the Dealer`s tried all they could think of to no avail..it just wouldn`t fire up.

Then they got some info from Suzuki to check the ignition switch.......and they found a small sliver of metal swarf inside that was shorting out the ignition circuit to earth,in much the same manner as the killswitch being in the off position.

Have a look at yours matey,or try linking out the switch.

 

[talltony]

My 02 Dakar is an ex offroad bike supplied by CW Dorchester,it was 15 months old and had about 500mls on it IIRC.It had the usual dents and scratches but developed a few mechanical problems also:wheelbearings,steering head bearings,fork seals,rear shocker,oil pressure switch and temp.sender unit.All this was dealt with by CW under BMW warranty.So I would say that provided it comes with the balance of the warranty you'll be fine!Some of these faults are common with the 650s but I think the wheel bearing failure might have been caused by all the pressure washing.
Tony

 

[fredkat41]

I bought a 06 plater and it was fine. Panels scratched and exhausts dented, bike was fine. Beware ABS and Heated grips are disconected and these won't be fixed under warrenty.

Fred

 

[marky-mark]

well 4 weeks on & the DR125 still isn't running looks like its going the big old scrap heap in the sky...

on the plus side, i think i've found my new bike !! a stunning red F650GS!!
I will have more details when the deal is done

just need to pass my test now, i've got my theory test booked for the 15th of December & hopefully i'll have chance to get my practical done before xmas, depending on the weather!

i'll be posted posting pics of my new machine when it arrives

 

[Jaq]

Congratulations on your new 650, Mark...and good luck for your test....just in case you didn't know though.....BLUE 650's are quicker than red ones.....

 

[mattm]

HI Mark,
Had a nosey on the website and I think the new bike looks great!!!!! looking forward to lots of ride outs in the new year and some european travelling (girlfriends permitting)