sven
Registered user
Mine still starts first time and has never broken down.....after 5 weeks and 23 miles 
Has your GS1200 been reliable...or not?
- Thread starter dogman
- Start date
Dahoum
Registered user
Mine still starts first time and has never broken down.....after 5 weeks and 23 miles
Keep that memory mate
LittleMark
Registered user
I had the same worries when I was looking at buying a GS.
Bought mine mid 08 and now have 25,000 miles on it.
It's been to Holland, Belgium, France, Germany, Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Russia, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Slovenia, Austria, Italy, Croatia, Bosnia Herzegovina, Montenegro, Serbia, Hungary, Romania and Bulgaria... and it's only had one problem (failed to start once). That one time it was because a mates bike had a battery failure and we swapped batteries to get his bike working. The on-board comupter on the GS didn't like the experience so it took about a dozen starts before it got going again. Got it to a dealer and cleared the fault log and it's been fine ever since.
The final drive has been replaced once as well as part of a service as it was showing signs of going (done under warranty at around 8,000 miles) - so cost me nothing other than the service costs.
It's only had 2 sets of tires in all that time as well!
For all the long distances I've put in, I've never had a sore arse. I've never had a problem keeping up with Sports bikes, I've spent a lot less per year on the bike than I did on my old Bandit 1200 (chaines, lubricants, repairs, tyres, etc, etc.), and the ride is even better in twisties or on long hauls than any other bike I've had the chance of riding. I also use it for commuting 5 days a week all year round, no matter what weather.
The BMW warranty system is the best I've ever experienced from a manufacturer!
To sum up, I love the GS. It's one of the most reliable, solid, fun bikes you can own. Stop worrying about what could possibly go wrong because of some of the posts you see on here. You'll get it with any bike you own. It's just the BMW crowd tends to have more of a vocal community on-line when it comes to gripes than your lower priced bike crowd.
Now get your readies out and start posting "What oil should I use" threads.........
Bought mine mid 08 and now have 25,000 miles on it.
It's been to Holland, Belgium, France, Germany, Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Russia, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Slovenia, Austria, Italy, Croatia, Bosnia Herzegovina, Montenegro, Serbia, Hungary, Romania and Bulgaria... and it's only had one problem (failed to start once). That one time it was because a mates bike had a battery failure and we swapped batteries to get his bike working. The on-board comupter on the GS didn't like the experience so it took about a dozen starts before it got going again. Got it to a dealer and cleared the fault log and it's been fine ever since.
The final drive has been replaced once as well as part of a service as it was showing signs of going (done under warranty at around 8,000 miles) - so cost me nothing other than the service costs.
It's only had 2 sets of tires in all that time as well!
For all the long distances I've put in, I've never had a sore arse. I've never had a problem keeping up with Sports bikes, I've spent a lot less per year on the bike than I did on my old Bandit 1200 (chaines, lubricants, repairs, tyres, etc, etc.), and the ride is even better in twisties or on long hauls than any other bike I've had the chance of riding. I also use it for commuting 5 days a week all year round, no matter what weather.
The BMW warranty system is the best I've ever experienced from a manufacturer!
To sum up, I love the GS. It's one of the most reliable, solid, fun bikes you can own. Stop worrying about what could possibly go wrong because of some of the posts you see on here. You'll get it with any bike you own. It's just the BMW crowd tends to have more of a vocal community on-line when it comes to gripes than your lower priced bike crowd.
Now get your readies out and start posting "What oil should I use" threads.........
The BMW warranty system is the best I've ever experienced from a manufacturer!
To sum up, I love the GS. It's one of the most reliable, solid, fun bikes you can own. Stop worrying about what could possibly go wrong because of some of the posts you see on here. You'll get it with any bike you own. It's just the BMW crowd tends to have more of a vocal community on-line when it comes to gripes than your lower priced bike crowd.
Now get your readies out and start posting "What oil should I use" threads.........
100%Well said
I went to start mine this morning, after a month sitting in the garage(the bike, not me). It was below freezing in there, dark too, as the strip light starter had got damp/old/too many mince pies, whatever.
The BMW battery's only 3 years old but blow me....
...it started first time. I'm jinxed, I tell you - jinxed!
The BMW battery's only 3 years old but blow me....
...it started first time. I'm jinxed, I tell you - jinxed!
Yes, particularly when the question is 'Has your GS been reliable or not'? There is a clue there somewhere!
lillebror
Guest
Super!!
1200GS 2006 25000 miles, original battery. Super reliable motorcycle, also super handling even BEFORE I fitted Ohlins...
Best bike so far - not counting a K100RS which carried me 140.000 miles.
1200GS 2006 25000 miles, original battery. Super reliable motorcycle, also super handling even BEFORE I fitted Ohlins...
Best bike so far - not counting a K100RS which carried me 140.000 miles.
Seems like there are those who love their 1200's and those who have had unfortunate experiences and wouldn't touch another with a barge pole.
But...... on both sides of the arguments there are an awful lot of final drive failures, etc. Now this is not really acceptable when you consider that BMW are selling an adventure sports bike costing a considerable amount of hard earned cash, wouldn't you agree? Yes, you can say that BMW responded brilliantly and repaired/replaced the offending parts under warranty, but what happens when the warranty expires? Do you simply sell the bike on and let some other poor sod pick up the tab???
Don't get me wrong, I owned a R1150GS and I really like the 1200, but I'm trying hard to get my head around this and I can't seem to win the argument that says "buy one".
But...... on both sides of the arguments there are an awful lot of final drive failures, etc. Now this is not really acceptable when you consider that BMW are selling an adventure sports bike costing a considerable amount of hard earned cash, wouldn't you agree? Yes, you can say that BMW responded brilliantly and repaired/replaced the offending parts under warranty, but what happens when the warranty expires? Do you simply sell the bike on and let some other poor sod pick up the tab???
Don't get me wrong, I owned a R1150GS and I really like the 1200, but I'm trying hard to get my head around this and I can't seem to win the argument that says "buy one".
jpooch00
Registered user
Man, I hear ya.
I would seriously LOVE to have one of these bikes. In fact, this is the only bike that I would even consider buying - but I work 7 days a week, year-round, no vacations, no nothing, so I'm extremely particular about getting justifiable value for what I spend my spare money on.
I know without doubt that many of these bikes are awesomely reliable and durable and worth every premium-priced cent that they cost - and then some. But I also know equally well that many are total pieces of crap from the get go.
That ain't good enough for me by a long shot. I've never been a gambler and have no intention of becoming one by buying one of these bikes. If, in the future, BMW proves that they have addressed the long-term, ongoing issues with these bikes, I'll be first in line to get one. Till then, I'll be happy with what I have.
Wishing you the best of luck with your decision. I know exactly how you feel.
What is it you do, when you are not spending time telling us how much you do not want to buy a 1200GS BuMW?
jpooch00
Registered user
I manage a commercial glider operation on the Boulder Airport in Boulder Colorado. I also do all of the maintenance and repairs and inspections on all of the company aircraft. Plus, I'm the chief towpilot and am on call to fly the glider towplanes when the other towpilots call in sick, interview, hire and train new towpilots, fire bum towpilots etc.
When I'm not doing that, I fly Cessna 185 and DeHavilland Beaver ski planes out of Talkeetna Alaska, taking climbers to and from the Mount McKinley base camp on the Kahiltna Glacier and also do tourist flights around the mountain and in & out of the Ruth Mountain House location in the Ruth Amphitheater and also do drop offs and pickups at remote hunting sites in the Talkeetna Mountains and remote mine and lodge operations support. I also usually do all or most of the wrenching and inspections on the company aircraft when I'm there too, depending on which company I'm with at the time.
Also, I occasionally fly in the "Iditarod Air Force" during the race, generally carrying film or local news crews out of Anchorage and/or musher supplies, sick dogs, sick mushers or whatever. That is an EXTREME PIA, but it pays damn good!
What do you do when you're not spending time reading what I have to say about these bikes?
Busy boy then.
jpooch00
Registered user
markII
Guest
Yes chaps........Thanks for building up my natural paranoia.........I have a 2006 GS Adventure and the warranty is due to expire in March as I bought it a year ago as an approved used BMW .....anyone know how much a replacemant warranty costs ?
What actualy goes wrong with the final drive, I would have thought it was a simple mechanism
What actualy goes wrong with the final drive, I would have thought it was a simple mechanism
jpooch00
Registered user
This is the most comprehensive list I've found. http://www.bmwfinaldrive.com/fd_failure_list.php
Also go to ADVriders forums main page and then the GSpot forum & do a search. Several hundred pages there.
An extended warranty is under a pound a day, say about £320 a year. It's good cover and includes European recovery.
What happens to the final drives? You make it sound like they all break or have problems, which of course is not true by a long chalk. What you will hear about are those that have had problems, not from those that have not.
For instance, mine had problems at about 22,000 miles but was fixed very promptly by BuMW under warranty. I rode it down to Battersea, getting it back, fixed, a day or so later, with no drama. There is a thread on it somewhere. Since then I have had no problems at all. Had you bought my bike second hand you would never have know.
You are now faced with a simple choice. You can listen to the siren voices, some of whom, ad-nauseum:
(a) Make it plain that they have no intention of buying one.
(b) Make it plain that they regret buying in one.
(c) Make it plain that they have no regrets buying one.
I strongly suspect that, given the levels of sales and continued ownership, the number of people in list (c) will be longer than the list in (a) and (b) combined.
I think that if you buy one you will not be disappointed, I know I haven't been and I have used the bike a lot. But, it's your money and your life, believe whatever and whoever you like. I know I did.
BeemerBaz
Registered user
What he said
Wouldnt change it for the foreseeable future, my first BM of the 2 wheeled variety, had Jap bikes since 74, never kept one longer than 3 years but I can see me keeping the GS for many more years to come.
Well said fella. I agree 100%
After more than 70,000miles on a GS. There is no other 'Tall-Rounder' that i would swop my current GSA (11k trouble free miles so far) for.
Big Ted
Registered user
besides having to replace the battery after 12 months - i would say yes!
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