People deserting Bmw..?

[Warlord]

Well on Saturday I was out with two mates on 1200 GSA's. Me on my Africa Twin and another on a Triumph Tiger.

I had knobbies (Metzeler Karoo 3) tyres on, in the wet for 3 hours and then it dried up later.

All Advanced riders (one Senior Trainer) and we were pressing on at times in the twisties heading home.

Even on knobbies the bike performed superbly. However, I've fucked about 3mm of tread off the rear tyre with heat build up in 400 spirited miles. So, although the tyres performance was very good, fast road work eats them. Think I'll switch back to my GSA for road work.

All the lads have been hugely impressed with the Africa Twin, seeing what I can do with it on knobbies compared to their GSA's. All wanted to sit on bike and fiddle about with it. All gave thumbs up and respect. It's a very good bike, and gets a lot of attention.

I'm doing some off-road on Saturday for first time on this bike (no idea what terrain yet, but will take photos). Will report back, but I don't see a huge issue (except weight, and DCT whisky throttle). We shall see.

Just got to program the bike every time I turn it on...

Traction Control OFF........ check
Drive Selection MANUAL..check
Gravel Mode ON................check
Rear ABS OFF....................check

I'm ready..... Lads...... Lads....... wait for me....

 

[Phil-H]

I'm more than glad I bought the AT when they came out. Almost 10k miles now and once the switches were sorted and the stupid heated grips working more like they should (they're still not as good as Oxfords and too expensive), it's been all trouble free miles. Ultimately, nothing kept the bike off the road waiting on a dealer fix. Best of all, there's no future worries nagging me....it's all unbridled joy.

I never understand posts like this.

It's a brand new bike, 10k isn't exactly monumental mileage to be boasting about reliability and the fact it's not let you down! (I've bought 1k snotters that can give 10k trouble free too)

For a bike that took years in the making (or is that marketing....) heated grips that don't work and switches that stick are silly schoolboy errors that shouldn't happen, although I do get the 'no worries for the future' bit.

Sent from my SM-A320FL using Tapatalk

 

[Arsey]

I never understand posts like this.

It's a brand new bike, 10k isn't exactly monumental mileage to be boasting about reliability and the fact it's not let you down! (I've bought 1k snotters that can give 10k trouble free too)

For a bike that took years in the making (or is that marketing....) heated grips that don't work and switches that stick are silly schoolboy errors that shouldn't happen, although I do get the 'no worries for the future' bit.

Sent from my SM-A320FL using Tapatalk

But compared to the LC GS which may need an engine replacement inside 6 months ,Davy’s bike is doing well !

I had no problems with my AT.Grips worked ok,not the hottest but good enough.Switch gear just fine ,unlike a new BMW I had where the switch gear failed thirty minutes after collection from the dealer .

 

[MaDPRoFF]

Phil-H "For a bike that took years in the making (or is that marketing....) heated grips that don't work and switches that stick are silly schoolboy errors that shouldn't happen, although I do get the 'no worries for the future' bit".
And here I thought you were talking about a Ducati

 

[snaponphil]

Strange viewpoint

The AT is more aligned in price/weight/power to the 800 GS
You are comparing it to the wrong GS if you think of it being comparable to a Boxer GS
Try again
You are mixed up and not equating apples to apples

I agree with Jb on this one, maybe this should continue in the Honda section..?
For my tuppence worth I bought a F700gs in May, dealer demo with 600 miles on it, stuck a sump guard & Knobblies on it, stands me at about £7.5k, already done over 4K & although £105 a month with a £4K residual in 3 years it’s unlikely to ever go back to Bmw..
So getting back to people deserting Bmw there is a choice, but the Honda deal slips in the Price as the reason for leaving.? Although it appears for most of you this isn’t a replacement for Bmw..?

 

[Davy F]

I never understand posts like this.

It's a brand new bike, 10k isn't exactly monumental mileage to be boasting about reliability and the fact it's not let you down! (I've bought 1k snotters that can give 10k trouble free too)

10k in effectively 12 months riding isn't bad considering I see plenty of 12GS's for sale here with less mileage and a lot more years under their belt. . I can understand your reliability comment....it is after all a Honda.

 

[Jacal]

I agree with Jb on this one, maybe this should continue in the Honda section..?
So getting back to people deserting Bmw there is a choice, but the Honda deal slips in the Price as the reason for leaving.? Although it appears for most of you this isn’t a replacement for Bmw..?

I think it's a valid question why people are living BMW....If they are? and therefore it's in the right dept
The comment I made was about the bargain deal Honda did and for me (if I had known about) would have meant a second bike so no contest.
Re leaving BMW, after 5 beemers, 3 RT's and 2 GSA's I'm a little bored with pulling up and being surrounded by GS and GSA's, everyone and their brother as one now 'and why not' they are a great bike to ride, mix this with BM's prices going thro the roof and people do start to look elsewhere.

All I do know is whatever my next bike is going to be, BM will have to be a seriously good deal to keep me.

 

[Warlord]

Pretty much everyone in my immediate group of riders own a GS or GSA at the moment.

When one of our lot defected to Ducati, all 5 of us rode down to the Ducati dealership on BMW GS or GSA's. (they still welcomed us and made us coffee).

Then we 4 of us rode back and one on a new Ducati Multistrada.

Now in the group we also have a good mixup of other bikes

- BMW GS
- BMW GSA
- Ducati Multistrada
- Honda Africa Twin
- Yamaha Super Tenere
- Triumph Tiger Explorer

We're only missing KTM Adventure and I'm working on that one....

We all love our bikes and couldn't care less if we all had to swap around

 

[Deleted account 200417001]

We're only missing KTM Adventure and I'm working on that one....

Well you and your mates, will be riding a lot more to the dealers

 

[Warlord]

Well you and your mates, will be riding a lot more to the dealers

Nope, one of us will be. In true (old school) Top Gear style.... see ya later

(Actually I have just bought a 20' Yellow motorcycle Tow Strap)

 

[Deleted account 200417001]

Nope, one of us will be. In true (old school) Top Gear.... see ya later

indeed

 

[gspod]

2 points if I may:

1 - no young people into motorbikes.
On my way home from Dent last year our group were held up in a petrol station due to a puncture (KTM ) while there, 2 groups of around 20 sports bikes pulled in to rest a minute and refuel. In both groups there was no one over 30 yrs. I remarked this to my mate and he said that race meets were full of the under 30s both watching and competing - at some meets that's literally thousands.
2 - selling the dream.
My wife has been riding bikes for best part of 20 years. Now she hasn't ridden all bikes obviously but she's owned and ridden a few - mobylette, Triumph, Suzuki, Yamaha, Honda and BMW. Now, she rides bikes and enjoys it but she's never read a bike magazine or been on a forum and knows little about makes, styles or fashions.
She recently had a LC 1200 on lone and loved it, so she bought one - it's officially the best bike she's ever ridden. May be there is a bike that would be better but she hasn't ridden it so it doesn't matter - she was sold a bike on the ride not the lifestyle.

 

[dave hendy]

With BMW sales figures increasing almost every month it doesn't look to me that they have much to worry about in the near future even with their quality problems and ever higher prices. But things might change if they aren't careful

 

[snaponphil]

Sensible comments guys.. that probably sums it up..