ORS Bikes

[paulR]

I was in Vines in Guildford before Christmas and they had all the ex Off Road Skills bikes there. I must say they did look quite cool as they hadn’t been prepped and were still in off road trim. I asked the salesman about the availability but he said they don’t sell them direct to the public any more, they’d all be going to traders.
I notice that Group1 in Brighton have one for sale at £12,995, way too pricey in my mind when you look at the close up photos, virtually every panel has some sort of damage. I’ve bought a couple of ex-ORS bikes in the past but I’m not sure they’re such good value now. Although still a huge saving against the new price I guess.

 

[PitaNaanRoti]

The two brothers trying to make a quick £ again.
They got their fingers badly burned in 2021 after stating they weren’t buying any - they bought 24 of them. Only sold 3 and the rest had to go back to auction at a loss.
Be careful of a lot of traders who will list them either without disclosure of their background (easy ways to tell ) or who do but expect that to carry a premium because they’re “ex-ORS”.

 

[paulR]

Out of interest, I specced up a bike on the configurator to the same as the ORS 1300 and it came to exactly £21k! So I guess if you don’t mind some cosmetic damage and a reduced warranty it’s actually quite a good deal. The new prices are getting a bit ridiculous now though, especially when Honda can bring out their 1000GT for £12k.

 

[theoneandonly]

there are things that carry a premium ,
being a training school bike is not one of them .

 

[RallyeGS]

Not after I spent two days on one!

 

[twizzle]

For a few hundred quid more, (well a grand ) you can get one the same spec and not ORS.

They should be sub £10k - could you imagine the dealers face and PX offer if you rocked up with one like the Brighton one to trade in….

 

[RallyeGS]

Has someone got a link to that Brighton bike please?

 

[RichardD]

Has someone got a link to that Brighton bike please?

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/bike-details/202512228754571?

 

[twizzle]

And for £900 more……..

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/bike-details/202508275793323?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios-app

 

[theoneandonly]

they will be like an ex-couriers bike ,well used .

 

[twizzle]

they will be like an ex-couriers bike ,well used .

To be fair to the Brighton dealer, they have photographed the torn seat, scratched paint work and boot worn areas well…

I know bikes age, and gather battle scars as they go… but I could not part with 13k and start that way……

I’d sooner find another 2k and have a nice one…..

Would need to be about £9k

 

[paulR]

Agreed. It looks a good deal against the new price but doesn’t really stack up against a nice used bike. I think £10k would be a fairer price. I got my 1300GS this time last year for £14750, it was an ex service loan bike with not a mark on it. The depreciation is crazy in the first year.
The original ex ORS bikes were fairly basic but were a much better deal I think.

 

[richardbd]

I bought an ex Ducati Riding Experience V4 Rally last year. It was 18 months old. Top of the range spec. (including a full set of (unused panniers and touring screen) 2,000 miles. Fully and recently serviced. It had the odd scratch mark on the crash bars and hand guards and some wear on the frame where enduro boots had been rubbing. No marks on plastics or seats. I was about to take it across Canada, including some long stretches of dirt, so the marks made it look better not worse!

The only thing that was knackered (which I had assumed would be the case) were the bearings - both wheels and the sprocket carrier. You only have to watch those school bikes being jet-washed to within an inch of their life every evening to know what state the bearings will be in.

In round numbers I paid a little over half list price and I was more than happy. In fact, I consider it to be a bargain. I put 12,000 miles on it last year and it never missed a beat.

So, at a little over half list for an ex-school bike with a few cosmetic flaws was a good deal for me and I'd do it again for an adventure bike I plan to use on a adventure. That ORS GS strikes me as a tad too scruffy and a tad too expensive, especially if the buyer plans to use it as a road bike.

 

[RallyeGS]

Problem I have with these bikes is that although they are well maintained, they are ragged from the off. No running in period (even though that is supposedly less than a thing these days). They are delivered new to ORS and are then abused by clients up to the 5000 point and then moved on.

 

[karlp]

Do they come with any warranty?

 

[RallyeGS]

They are not able to apply a BMW approved used warranty, so they get the balance of the manufacturers 3 year warranty. So just under 2 years on this bike.

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/bike-details/202512228754571?

This from their advert.

*****VERY IMPORTANT*****This bike will have markers on them wording direct from BMW UK. -" All off road skills bikes have a marker for review placed in the warranty system. This is not removing warranty from the motorcycle but drawing our attention to if the fault is a manufacturing defect or the cause of the fault if related to the usage of the motorcycle".We have inspected this bike through our workshop make sure they are safe to ride. What this doesn’t take into consideration is aesthetics. Example being if the screen is badly scratched but still safe for riding it wouldn’t be replaced. Same goes with all the panels, exhaust etc etc. We can replace any panels & parts if you wish, please call us to discuss options. This bike does NOT Qualify for a 'BMW Approved Used Bike' standard due to the condition. So they only have the remainder of the manufactures warranty.

I read that as a constant battle to get faults sorted if they arise, as they just claim it was related to use. Its hard enough getting warranty claims sorted on a new bike! I would take a punt if the price was right, but that is expensive in my view. No one rides a school bike with sympathy!

 

[twizzle]

As mentioned, seems good value against new, but warranty looks like it will be a fight, it’s cosmetic condition is poor, it will have been jet washed to death as mentioned by staff who only care for a clean bike at the end of a long day…..

And it’s price is not far off a similar “normal” secondhand one……for me that’s the killer ??

 

[PitaNaanRoti]

As mentioned, seems good value against new, but warranty looks like it will be a fight, it’s cosmetic condition is poor, it will have been jet washed to death as mentioned by staff who only care for a clean bike at the end of a long day…..

And it’s price is not far off a similar “normal” secondhand one……for me that’s the killer ??

There are far better ways to get an ex-ORS bike and that is not one of them.
Just to correct above - not ALL ORS bikes have markers against them on the BMW system.
The instructors bikes do not. Certain ones that may not have had much or any use do not.
Even some of those used do not.
Our two do not have any markers on the system and neither do the two bought by a friend(git beat me to those ones).

 

[paulR]

There are far better ways to get an ex-ORS bike and that is not one of them.
Just to correct above - not ALL ORS bikes have markers against them on the BMW system.
The instructors bikes do not. Certain ones that may not have had much or any use do not.
Even some of those used do not.
Our two do not have any markers on the system and neither do the two bought by a friend(git beat me to those ones).

It looked like Vines had most of the 1300s there so I’m not sure if there are any others available elsewhere, I’d be interested to know if there were. If you could get them direct from the ORS centre they probably would be under £10k, but after Vines add their cut and the likes of Brighton add theirs the price starts getting too close to a good used one.

 

[paulR]

As mentioned, seems good value against new, but warranty looks like it will be a fight, it’s cosmetic condition is poor, it will have been jet washed to death as mentioned by staff who only care for a clean bike at the end of a long day…..

And it’s price is not far off a similar “normal” secondhand one……for me that’s the killer ??

I bought an ORS 1200 from Bahnstormer in 2014 when they used to get them, it ended up needing a new clutch and gearbox. Luckily the fault showed up during the test ride so they agreed to fix it before I took delivery. But I may have had more of a fight if the fault arose at a later date. You would expect the cosmetic damage not to be covered under the warranty, but what about all the mechanical stuff that gets a battering?