So, what would it take to tempt you to buy a new GS?

[crampie]

What better way of finding out what a retailer should be offering than asking potential customers what they would be looking for? Novel huh?

So, with that in mind and us being a retailer of all things BMW and you being potential BMW customers.....

WHAT WOULD IT TAKE TO GET YOU ON A NEW GS THIS MONTH???

Here's just a few ideas...

-Free Panniers?
-Low rate finance?
-Good old fashioned money off?
-Servicing packages?
-Free nationwide delivery?
-None of the above, just a cup of coffee and great customer service?

That's just a few for starters, I'm pretty sure you'll be able to come up with some innovative and entertaining suggestions. If you are serious about a purchase this year and have a sensible suggestion or offer, feel free to pm me with your details - you never know what we might be able to do..............

 

[DavidJames]

What better way of finding out what a retailer should be offering than asking potential customers what they would be looking for? Novel huh?

So, with that in mind and us being a retailer of all things BMW and you being potential BMW customers.....

WHAT WOULD IT TAKE TO GET YOU ON A NEW GS THIS MONTH???

Here's just a few ideas...

-Free Panniers?
-Low rate finance?
-Good old fashioned money off?
-Servicing packages?
-Free nationwide delivery?
-None of the above, just a cup of coffee and great customer service?

That's just a few for starters, I'm pretty sure you'll be able to come up with some innovative and entertaining suggestions. If you are serious about a purchase this year and have a sensible suggestion or offer, feel free to pm me with your details - you never know what we might be able to do..............

Warranty - seriously.

I have brought 2 new 1200GS in the past and whilst I still like the bike I no longer own one. The reliability concerns me and I wouldn't want a 1200 without a warranty, so if there was an offer with more warranty than standard then I would consider it (if I had the money for a new bike, which I don't at the moment).

 

[crampie]

Extra warranty

Warranty - seriously.

I have brought 2 new 1200GS in the past and whilst I still like the bike I no longer own one. The reliability concerns me and I wouldn't want a 1200 without a warranty, so if there was an offer with more warranty than standard then I would consider it (if I had the money for a new bike, which I don't at the moment).

Would an extra year do it - taking the warranty on a new bike up to 3 years?

 

[JohnnyBoxer]

Confidence in the economy........................for starters (which is outside your control)

 

[DavidJames]

Would an extra year do it - taking the warranty on a new bike up to 3 years?

I would help. If for example I was buying a new bike and you were offering a deal at a similar price to another dealer, but you had a an extra year on the warranty, then I would buy from you...............assuming I didn't need to come to you for servicing to maintain the warranty.

 

[wessie]

Would an extra year do it - taking the warranty on a new bike up to 3 years?

No. Car manufacturers are offering much longer warranty periods, some as long as 100,000 miles or for as long as the first owner has the vehicle.

I've owned my R1150GS for 10 years. The only non-service parts I have changed in that time is a rear brake caliper and a few seals. I wouldn't consider a more recent BMW due to the appalling reliability record of those recent models.

Your sales problem is with your supplier. You need to persuade them to back their product rather than take their customers for granted. If Kia can give a 7 year warranty on a car costing £6670 then I don't understand why BMW can't offer the same on their motorcycles.

 

[(RIP) john plane]

What better way of finding out what a retailer should be offering than asking potential customers what they would be looking for? Novel huh?

So, with that in mind and us being a retailer of all things BMW and you being potential BMW customers.....

WHAT WOULD IT TAKE TO GET YOU ON A NEW GS THIS MONTH???

Here's just a few ideas...

-Free Panniers?
-Low rate finance?
-Good old fashioned money off?
-Servicing packages?
-Free nationwide delivery?
-None of the above, just a cup of coffee and great customer service?

That's just a few for starters, I'm pretty sure you'll be able to come up with some innovative and entertaining suggestions. If you are serious about a purchase this year and have a sensible suggestion or offer, feel free to pm me with your details - you never know what we might be able to do..............

A lottery win

 

[bowser]

To be honest I am not sure if you could, I retired 18 months ago and had the money burning a hole in my pocket to buy a new bike, money put aside and agreement from significant other, I still have it and no new bike. Until I bought my GS (1100 second hand) I have been a confirmed Harley man for years, I wouldn’t buy one as the build quality is crap, and the new bikes I am not keen on, I don’t want fly by wire and would rather not have fuel injection.
I looked at a new 1200 and took one for a test ride, I have to say that as a bike to ride I loved it, but for me it’s a bike I could ride but not live with long term. I love the look and everything about it but in the back of my mind is reliability problems and the cost of putting them right. What stopped me is the number of friends that have them who have had problems with finish peeling off, 2 drive boxes in 18 months, fuel pump controllers going, and odd other electrical gremlins. People on the site and otheres with trashed engines from droped valves.
So I think the money will go on a complete refurb of the GS I have, engine, gearbox, new paint and powder coat, its not that the bike I have does not have its problems but those that are common are not £1000’s to fix.

What would it take for me to buy one, I would want to be sure that I am not buying a lemon and that as and when (not if) it breaks down I am not going to be lumbered with the repair bills. Although to be honest probably not even then. For the same reasons I don’t have a new KTM, or Harley or Super Ten you don’t make what I want out of a bike.
I don’t really want fuel injection, I don’t want CanBus, I don’t want fly by wire, I am not interested in electronic suspension, different engine modes, ABS and I do want reliability, reasonably simple to repair and service, no complicated electronics. So if BMW remanufacture GS 1100s I will buy a new one like a shot especially if it had a Carbed version of the engine, but since BMW wont the only option I have is to make my own as new as possible. But to be fair there are a lot of people put off by the CanBus and reliability, I have a sister a wife, two brothers in law and a couple of mates (GS11/1150 ownerrs) all who are hanging on to old bikes for the same or similar reasons. I will be forced to change eventually I do understand that but I will hang on for dear life.

The only thing that would convince me to buy a new BMW would be a lifetime warranty on the Final drive, electronic brain, Valve gear the other expensive bits that seem to go wrong far to frequently. If you could convince me that my ownership of a new bike was not going to cost me a fortune in replacing parts that should not be breaking in the first place then possibly.

What better way of finding out what a retailer should be offering than asking potential customers what they would be looking for? Novel huh?

So, with that in mind and us being a retailer of all things BMW and you being potential BMW customers.....

WHAT WOULD IT TAKE TO GET YOU ON A NEW GS THIS MONTH???

Here's just a few ideas...

-Free Panniers?
-Low rate finance?
-Good old fashioned money off?
-Servicing packages?
-Free nationwide delivery?
-None of the above, just a cup of coffee and great customer service?

That's just a few for starters, I'm pretty sure you'll be able to come up with some innovative and entertaining suggestions. If you are serious about a purchase this year and have a sensible suggestion or offer, feel free to pm me with your details - you never know what we might be able to do..............

 

[crampie]

Confidence in the economy........................for starters (which is outside your control)

or is it.....?

kidding obviously, even I don't have that much power

 

[swissrob]

No. Car manufacturers are offering much longer warranty periods, some as long as 100,000 miles or for as long as the first owner has the vehicle.

I've owned my R1150GS for 10 years. The only non-service parts I have changed in that time is a rear brake caliper and a few seals. I wouldn't consider a more recent BMW due to the appalling reliability record of those recent models.

Your sales problem is with your supplier. You need to persuade them to back their product rather than take their customers for granted. If Kia can give a 7 year warranty on a car costing £6670 then I don't understand why BMW can't offer the same on their motorcycles.

. What stopped me is the number of friends that have them who have had problems with finish peeling off, 2 drive boxes in 18 months, fuel pump controllers going, and odd other electrical gremlins. People on the site and otheres with trashed engines from droped valves.

What would it take for me to buy one, I would want to be sure that I am not buying a lemon and that as and when (not if) it breaks down I am not going to be lumbered with the repair bills.

The only thing that would convince me to buy a new BMW would be a lifetime warranty on the Final drive, electronic brain, Valve gear the other expensive bits that seem to go wrong far to frequently.

If you could convince me that my ownership of a new bike was not going to cost me a fortune in replacing parts that should not be breaking in the first place then possibly.

well said!!!

 

[Sleepy]

No. Car manufacturers are offering much longer warranty periods, some as long as 100,000 miles or for as long as the first owner has the vehicle.

I've owned my R1150GS for 10 years. The only non-service parts I have changed in that time is a rear brake caliper and a few seals. I wouldn't consider a more recent BMW due to the appalling reliability record of those recent models.

Your sales problem is with your supplier. You need to persuade them to back their product rather than take their customers for granted. If Kia can give a 7 year warranty on a car costing £6670 then I don't understand why BMW can't offer the same on their motorcycles.

This 150%, I too have owned my 1150 since new (10 years old) BMW need to regain their once famous reliability, they are now the butt of many jokes, I couldn't bring myself to buy a 'modern' GS with the feeling that it's pot luck if you have a good one.
I know that there are many on here that have had no problems, but I also know personally, far too many that have had trouble with this new generation of BMW's, some Dyed-in-the-wool BMW owners I know have actually moved away from their beloved BMW's...
As Wessie says, no amount of free stuff will entice me to get a new one.. it's your supplier that is at fault.

 

[Mutley]

Many moons ago someone put a photoshop up of an early airhead dakar style bike (only lightweight, small and manageable) with a 1200 engine in it.

Make one of those for under £10k and I'll swop you my 1150GSA and some cash

 

[Mr K]

Proper indicator switches.

 

[crampie]

wow!

Thank you for your response. I must say that, whilst I appreciate your comments, the overall number of warranty repairs has (thankfully) been reducing for the last couple of years. BMW Motorrad did recognise that the quality of some components were less than satisfactory and there has been a concerted effort to improve this over the last few years. I can also confirm (perhaps less thankfully!) that this income 'stream' has reduced significantly in the last 3 years whilst other areas have increased. That said, there will always be room for improvement and I also recognise some consumer desire for a simpler, less technical product. I can't promise to fix all of the problems you state only assure you that it is in our interest for the quality of the products and dealer service to be the best it can. I have been fortunate enough to ride almost every BMW over the last 11 years including, at one time, doing 30K miles a year on one - I have never experienced a break down (mechanical anyway!) in all that time.
It would be impossible to absolutely guarantee a fault free experience but I think you could reasonably expect - based on my experience - to own a modern BMW and see far fewer problems than the number of forum experiences would indicate - unfortunately one tends only to hear about the worst experiences but then that's true in all walks of life.
I think that this issue is a big fish to fry for a humble Devon Dealer but I hope you appreciate the effort and that this goes some way to restoring your faith in the brand. Good luck if you persevere with your GS rebuild, I look forward to your business in the future. Just remember us when that day comes!

To be honest I am not sure if you could, I retired 18 months ago and had the money burning a hole in my pocket to buy a new bike, money put aside and agreement from significant other, I still have it and no new bike. Until I bought my GS (1100 second hand) I have been a confirmed Harley man for years, I wouldn’t buy one as the build quality is crap, and the new bikes I am not keen on, I don’t want fly by wire and would rather not have fuel injection.
I looked at a new 1200 and took one for a test ride, I have to say that as a bike to ride I loved it, but for me it’s a bike I could ride but not live with long term. I love the look and everything about it but in the back of my mind is reliability problems and the cost of putting them right. What stopped me is the number of friends that have them who have had problems with finish peeling off, 2 drive boxes in 18 months, fuel pump controllers going, and odd other electrical gremlins. People on the site and otheres with trashed engines from droped valves.
So I think the money will go on a complete refurb of the GS I have, engine, gearbox, new paint and powder coat, its not that the bike I have does not have its problems but those that are common are not £1000’s to fix.

What would it take for me to buy one, I would want to be sure that I am not buying a lemon and that as and when (not if) it breaks down I am not going to be lumbered with the repair bills. Although to be honest probably not even then. For the same reasons I don’t have a new KTM, or Harley or Super Ten you don’t make what I want out of a bike.
I don’t really want fuel injection, I don’t want CanBus, I don’t want fly by wire, I am not interested in electronic suspension, different engine modes, ABS and I do want reliability, reasonably simple to repair and service, no complicated electronics. So if BMW remanufacture GS 1100s I will buy a new one like a shot especially if it had a Carbed version of the engine, but since BMW wont the only option I have is to make my own as new as possible. But to be fair there are a lot of people put off by the CanBus and reliability, I have a sister a wife, two brothers in law and a couple of mates (GS11/1150 ownerrs) all who are hanging on to old bikes for the same or similar reasons. I will be forced to change eventually I do understand that but I will hang on for dear life.

The only thing that would convince me to buy a new BMW would be a lifetime warranty on the Final drive, electronic brain, Valve gear the other expensive bits that seem to go wrong far to frequently. If you could convince me that my ownership of a new bike was not going to cost me a fortune in replacing parts that should not be breaking in the first place then possibly.

 

[crampie]

I would help. If for example I was buying a new bike and you were offering a deal at a similar price to another dealer, but you had a an extra year on the warranty, then I would buy from you...............assuming I didn't need to come to you for servicing to maintain the warranty.

Well, that doesn't sound unreasonable and you can certainly use any BMW Dealer you like for servicing, no problem (though we'd love it if our customers all came back to us, we're realistic enough to know that it is impractical for many).

 

[Rasher]

Only two things:

1. A decent warranty,

I am happy with 2 years on Jap bikes, it covers the "burn in" of new components and if it ain't failed in that time it probably never will, however regardless of dealer claims of improved reliability FD's, EWS, FPC, Gearboxes etc. etc. etc seem to blow up on a daily basis, before buying my GS several ex-BMW owners warned me about reliability, these were mainly K1300 victims, but it seems the GS is as bad.

So 10 year warranty on all non-service items would be a start.

2. Lower servicing costs / fixed price servicing

Why does it cost £90 an hour for BMW servicing when the rest of the bike trade is virtually half as much, main Honda / Yamaha / Suzuki / Kawasaki delears charge £50 - £60 an hour


Overall there is a huge premium to BMW ownership, possibly this was once good value, when the 1100's were new and Japenese rocketships would be well tired at 50k, and your 1100 would pass 100k with no major issues and by some peoples reckoning be barely run in.

These days the shaft drive needs more attention and has a shorter lifespan than the average chain (yet costs 15 times as much) with this and all the other faults you need to pay £350 a year to keep up a warranty and then twice the going rate for servicing.

I love riding my GS and think the concept is supurb, it is a wonderful thing that BMW managed to ruin by fitting cheap and nasty parts and slapping them together in a shoddy manner, achieving the Holy Grail of unreliability along the way.

I think British Leyland probably had better precision engineering and quality control.

 

[the director]

Hang on, let's turn this the other way around.....

I've a 2009 1200 with a 5k mileage, premium and dynamic packs.

Now, what are you offering that would make me change?

 

[Timolgra]

Hang on, let's turn this the other way around.....

I've a 2009 1200 with a 5k mileage, premium and dynamic packs.

Now, what are you offering that would make me change?

Good point, dealer's have been taking the piss with part-ex offers from what I've read here...still, if you really need the latest toy after only covering 5k miles, you deserve to be ripped off

 

[bowser]

wow!

Thank you for your response. I must say that, whilst I appreciate your comments, the overall number of warranty repairs has (thankfully) been reducing for the last couple of years. BMW Motorrad did recognise that the quality of some components were less than satisfactory and there has been a concerted effort to improve this over the last few years. I can also confirm (perhaps less thankfully!) that this income 'stream' has reduced significantly in the last 3 years whilst other areas have increased. That said, there will always be room for improvement and I also recognise some consumer desire for a simpler, less technical product. I can't promise to fix all of the problems you state only assure you that it is in our interest for the quality of the products and dealer service to be the best it can. I have been fortunate enough to ride almost every BMW over the last 11 years including, at one time, doing 30K miles a year on one - I have never experienced a break down (mechanical anyway!) in all that time.
It would be impossible to absolutely guarantee a fault free experience but I think you could reasonably expect - based on my experience - to own a modern BMW and see far fewer problems than the number of forum experiences would indicate - unfortunately one tends only to hear about the worst experiences but then that's true in all walks of life.
I think that this issue is a big fish to fry for a humble Devon Dealer but I hope you appreciate the effort and that this goes some way to restoring your faith in the brand. Good luck if you persevere with your GS rebuild, I look forward to your business in the future. Just remember us when that day comes!

To be fair to you, I have been in on a couple of occasions as despite living in London the rest of my family are in Plymouth, and you do have damn good coffee.
And to be honest I dont think as a dealer you are in a position to address any of my particular complaints, the design is down to others.
However I will make a point, and that is if we ignore the small number who buy new bikes and have lots of cash to spare, in the current climate its a considerable financial obstacle for most people, it matters not that mechanical problems are becoming fewer the fact is that they happen and if it happens to you and you are already stretched then it can be catastrophic for you on a personal level, the response you get will vary from dealer to dealer but to be honest major components that are effectively not repairable but replace only should not be breaking at all. I am a member of a number of forums and yes there are problems with all sorts of other bikes but nothing for any particular mark or model that you get with the 1200. As an example is the bevel box, every single owner of a 1200 I personally know well has had a replacement, ok its a very small dip sample but there again its the likes of me you have to convince to buy a new bike !!
I have had several Suzuki GS850's, one with over 150,0000 miles I have never known anyone to have a problem with the drive box, my mates xj900 is sitting in his shed, and it is a shed he rode it for years as a despatch rider its got over half a million miles on the clock and the drive shaft and bevel drive is just fine and its still running on the same oil (if any) that was put in the bike new!! if bwm cant make one at least as reliable in 2011 then they didnt ought to be charging anyone to replace one however old the bike, I mean it seriously, we should be looking at a component lasting the the life of the vehicle with nothing other than change the oil anything other than that is really not acceptable from a major manufacturer, I cant imagine BMW car owners being prepared to accept replacing the rear diff on car, tell us as your a car dealership as well, since going into buisness how many 1200 diffs have been replaced and how many car diffs at similar milage? I would be prepared to bet that you have not replaced a single car diff?
Oh and the 1100 is going fine, new clutch and startermotor fitted on sunday only took about 5 hrs, nice new set of tyres, the rest will have to wait, having way to much fun riding to take it off the road for a rebuild at the moment ;-)

 

[the director]

Good point, dealer's have been taking the piss with part-ex offers from what I've read here...still, if you really need the latest toy after only covering 5k miles, you deserve to be ripped off

That's my point I think. I don't need a new toy but if this guy is serious, find a way to make me want to change. I've yet to meet a dealer BMW or otherwise who actually makes it worthwhile to change my bike/car once I've made the initial purchase.

Seems to me their business model is all wrong and is actually centred upon an initial sale only with very little option for a future/2nd sale.