Is it worth upgrading an '04?

[Haggerstoner]

I've driven an early '04 from new. Use it almost every day for commuting in and out of London. Guess I've been lucky - the only fault I've had was a failed fuel pump. Now that it is out of warranty (what a rip-off for an extension..) and needs MOT I was idly wondering whether I should upgrade and get a used '07 model. Must admit not entirely sure what the differences are between an '04 and '07 and whether it would be worth the price difference (guess £4k?). But more to the point reading about the numer of people with problems makes me think it doesn't make sense to chop in a "good one" (although I guess the peeps with problematic ones are more vociferous on this site than those with good ones so maybe the % of duff ones is really quite small).

So I think I will just keep riding it for a few more years or until there is a really new GS model. BUT.. anyone think I am mistaken and am missing something in not getting a newer one?

Cheers
Jon

 

[Matt splat]

If youve got a good bike and your happy with it, why sell

 

[MikeP]

Looking at the second-hand prices, hearing what dealers are offering for early 1200's and seeing that my local dealer has six in a row, I really think that unless you need to change, you are going to get stung for more than the extra £4k you estimate.

If it's working, keep it.

 

[jetjock]

I've driven an early '04 from new. Use it almost every day for commuting in and out of London. Guess I've been lucky - the only fault I've had was a failed fuel pump. Now that it is out of warranty (what a rip-off for an extension..) and needs MOT I was idly wondering whether I should upgrade and get a used '07 model. Must admit not entirely sure what the differences are between an '04 and '07 and whether it would be worth the price difference (guess £4k?). But more to the point reading about the numer of people with problems makes me think it doesn't make sense to chop in a "good one" (although I guess the peeps with problematic ones are more vociferous on this site than those with good ones so maybe the % of duff ones is really quite small).

So I think I will just keep riding it for a few more years or until there is a really new GS model. BUT.. anyone think I am mistaken and am missing something in not getting a newer one?

Cheers
Jon

When ever I get that upgrade feeling on my 54 reg I remind myself of the hand numbing vibes i had from 0 miles til around 7000 through the bars .Now its done 15k, sometimes i cant believe its a twin its so smooth.

 

[Dennis the Menace]

Mine is June 04 the more i ride it the better it gets, no probs since warrantiy ran out. Wrong time of year to do part ex at dealer. 07 may be better but is it thousands of pounds better.

 

[Deleted account 210609001]

Differences are minimal, with the exception of non-servo brakes perhaps. You could pay your £4k or whatever and find you have a less reliable bike than the one you've got.

And if anything goes wrong with yours, £4k would put an awful lot right again. Or pay for upgraded suspension, lights, sat nav, etc.

I'm in a similar situaiton - fuel pump has been only real problem (a little corrosion aside) and I'm struggling to justify spending a load of dosh to get a bike that might be worse, and I can't think how it's going to be any better at all.

There's a facelifted model due out soon, apparently...

 

[kbada]

My first one - late 2004 - chewed up final 3 drives plus a few other bits and bobs but all was fixed under guarantee without problem. The engine, whilst it ran alright, felt 'hard' if you know what I mean . I did feel however, that this was'nt what I had envisged a BMW to be and my first ever beemer was tossed aside after 26000kms in favour of a late 2006 and this one was all that I had expected - smooth, did'nt chew up things but its electrics did'nt like thunder and lightning but this we could live with, we loved it...... so what happened, I crashed it after 18000kms...... would,nt wait the time to get Humpty back together again, so I chopped it for a late 2007.

And the point of all this ??

I am literally about to ring the dealer and complain about 'hard' running and vibration worse than no. 1 It also uses more fuel but it'll get fixed or maybe it won't......

WYSIWYG - wrong, you don't know what you've bought until you've paid for it
they appear to be all different.....

 

[GS TRV]

Not exactly a lot of confidence out there

Think I'll hold on to my old school 1150 for a while

 

[NLS]

if it works Haggerstoner (and seems it does) of course you keep it

maybe you should think about the next year's model though

 

[Gipsy]

Mine's a 54. Had it from new, and have had most of the common problems. Went out of warranty 1 year ago, and faced with the samechoice as you, I decided to stick with what I knew, rather than change. Didn't buy the extra warranty. First year out of warranty just about to end and delighted with my decision. Only problem has been a second failed fuel pump relay. Fixed and now carry a spare in the topbox.
Difficult decision for you but I wouldn't give the £ 4k or more to a dealer when it's more than likely that all the major problems will have been sorted out on your bike under warranty.

 

[Chris Terry]

I wouldn't get a newer one until the GS has had a major redesign of the engine and transmission.

 

[Haggerstoner]

Thanks all, easy decision then...gonna keep it a while longer until a really new GS appears. Been a trusty old steed (he says...tempting fate)
..."If it ain't broke don't fix it"
Cheers
Jon.

 

[52blackshadow]

Agree with All the above.......................

My 04 was a complete Ball Ache to the previous owner, as documented in detail on this site. I bought it last year with a little over 20k miles on it, and in a bit over a year (I run an RT when the winter comes) I've put another 25K miles on it.

Apart from little niggles (a bit of vibration, a few broken centre stand bolts.) nothing has gone wrong in that time.

This could suggest any number of things: perhaps i ride it more gently (unlikely), perhaps all the niggles were fixed under warranty, leaving a good reliable bike, perhaps it's because I maintain and service it myself, rather than trust dealers? Or perhaps it's just that I've been lucky?

Either way, I have no plans to get rid of a good commuter which has proved reliable, and which isn't going to depreciate much any more to replace it with a potential headache and big depreciation.

Good luck whichever way you go.

Keith.