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

[crampie]

Claims that reliability has been improved now is all marketing waffle

Certainly you'd expect a savvy marketing department to crow about improved reliability but you don't have to take their word for it, I can honestly tell you that 'we' have seen a considerable reduction in the number of visits and warranty claims in the last few years whilst the number of BMW's registered on UK roads continues to increase. Not perfect perhaps but definitely heading in the right direction.

 

[RichieS]

What i want.....

Well.....in the first instance, a good part ex price. Realisitically, we look at what it is going to cost us per month.

I have owned 3 Gs's, a k1200R,an HP2E, a GS650 twin and an R1150RS, and have been lucky enough for only one serious thing to go wrong ( rear ESA shock let go)
Took it into my dealer at 3.30 on a friday afternoon, who took it in, gave me their demo DOHC 1200 GS and i got my bike back on Monday. It's not so much as what goes wrong, as to how the dealership deals with it. Get it wrong, lose custom . Simple.

I would be very tempted with a new 12GS with all the toys, but, the price has to be right.

 

[GrinningGSer]

My 07 GSA is my best ever bike and I do things with it that I would never do with a brand new shiny bike. I am therefore enyoying the bike to its full potential and I don't thing that any special offers would tempt me to change. Sorry

 

[crampie]

You've cheered me up!

Well.....in the first instance, a good part ex price. Realisitically, we look at what it is going to cost us per month.

I have owned 3 Gs's, a k1200R,an HP2E, a GS650 twin and an R1150RS, and have been lucky enough for only one serious thing to go wrong ( rear ESA shock let go)
Took it into my dealer at 3.30 on a friday afternoon, who took it in, gave me their demo DOHC 1200 GS and i got my bike back on Monday. It's not so much as what goes wrong, as to how the dealership deals with it. Get it wrong, lose custom . Simple.

I would be very tempted with a new 12GS with all the toys, but, the price has to be right.

Fantastic outlook and great that you don't seem to have experienced the faults that you could be forgiven for thinking are commonplace after reading this thread! I'm pleased also to hear that when you did experience a problem, the dealer sorted it out with the minimum of fuss. Brilliant.

The right price is definitely key and probably the most important thing for most of us, particularly at the moment! So lets say, for example, you're looking at a new BMW bike (a desirable bike but with pretty good availability) at £10,000 and you really want it - without taking into account extras or extended warranties or part exchange prices, what's the right price? How much less than £10,000 would you expect to get it for? Would it be reasonable to expect 2% off 5% off? 10% off?

 

[(RIP) Kaister]

I think creampie is starting to feel the big pinch - or he;s smart enough to see it coming.

all the boys my age rode around on fizzies and garelli's - this was the absolute boom time for super -mopeds - thousands were sold and the age range i'm talking about +/- 5 yrs is now into BMW's - or has been and is coming out the other end.

We've all bought BMW's...and we're wise to them....or we haven't bought them and never will.

Either way..the 'peak' of sales is over, we're looking round for other makes or sitting pretty on our 11**'s - hypothetically.

If we haven't bought a 1200 by now, we're never going to.

What's more - there's a recession on and its going to go on in the UK for a few years yet,

its looking bleaker for dealers...not brighter.

 

[Deleted account 210516001]

Fantastic outlook and great that you don't seem to have experienced the faults that you could be forgiven for thinking are commonplace after reading this thread! I'm pleased also to hear that when you did experience a problem, the dealer sorted it out with the minimum of fuss. Brilliant.

The right price is definitely key and probably the most important thing for most of us, particularly at the moment! So lets say, for example, you're looking at a new BMW bike (a desirable bike but with pretty good availability) at £10,000 and you really want it - without taking into account extras or extended warranties or part exchange prices, what's the right price? How much less than £10,000 would you expect to get it for? Would it be reasonable to expect 2% off 5% off? 10% off?

Two years extended warranty is £700 so offer that with the bike, equivalent to 7% discount but you can probably expect 2 years extra dealer servicing from the buyer with the warranty so it works out at costing you 5% of the price but being worth 7% to the buyer. Otherwise 10% off the pre VAT price (£8330?) is probably fair.

 

[MrC]

I purchased a brand new GS because I wanted one not because it was better than this or that, it was what I wanted. Simples. Free panniers was a nice deal sealer.

I am due to get mine serviced soon, and I am expecting higher than Jap servicing prices - I knew that before I purchased the bike. As I pay for the bike monthly, I would opt to pay for servicing on a monthly basis, as long as it wasn't a ridiculous cost on top of my monthly payments.

Reliability, yeah, in 8000 miles, the fuel sender went a bollock and my headlight had condensation in it. Both replaced under warranty, no quibbles. After its first service mind, I got it home and it was leaking from the LH rocker cover.

The annoying bits aside, I have found owning a BMW a great experience, and Benhams will be getting repeat sales from myself in the next year or so, hopefully a HP2 Sport. My Dad who is now back in the market for a bike has stated he will also be buying a BMW from them this year. It is refreshing to walk into the showroom and the salesman who sold you the bike to remember your name 18 months down the line.

So to answer your question Crampie, if I was in the market to buy a new HP2 for instance, I'd want to test the bike for a full day. If I liked the machine, I'd buy it. Thats me I guess.

 

[haydw]

Two years extended warranty is £700 so offer that with the bike, equivalent to 7% discount but you can probably expect 2 years extra dealer servicing from the buyer with the warranty so it works out at costing you 5% of the price but being worth 7% to the buyer. Otherwise 10% off the pre VAT price (£8330?) is probably fair.

Thats probably the best solution- the buyer gets a decent 'discount' or extra thrown in. The dealer also wins as to keep the warranty valid it has to be serviced at a dealer. In the long run (as long as the dealer provides a good service) the dealer wins all round- initial sale and customer loyalty.

A fixed price service scheme would help, but also include this up front- a lot of bikes are on finance so a tweak in the APR etc should cover that cost.

Manufacturer sponsored (I presume) like the panniers offer also most welcome.

The biggest thing though is definately quality and reliability. I have an 06 ADV and had to replace the gearbox input oil seal and clutch, final drive, ABS servo and a gear position sender, all at my cost as I bought the bike privately and had no warranty- I have taken it on the chin, but in no way would I consider an FD failure and an ABS failure to be 'wear and tear'. These are major machine components that should last the life of the bike. It seems like R+D and quality control has not been completed before the machine goes on sale- its left to the owner to find the faults and the poor dealer to get it in the neck for BMW's poor quality control. Its the dealer that loses then - a lost customer due to something out of their control.

I pity the poor people who are about to shell out the best part of £18k for a K1600GT....

 

[Devon]

I pity the poor people who are about to shell out the best part of £18k for a K1600GT....

Do You? I envy them, it looks a cracking bike and compared to the price of Harleys and Ducatis or even Jap stuff now, the K1600 is not over priced.

 

[Rasher]

the K1600 is not over priced.

Probably ain't over-engineered either

 

[haydw]

I too think its a cracker- had a good poke round one last Sunday at SSB. I would probably prefer to buy the mk2 model that will be available in 2 years time once the mk1 owners have sussed out all the faults that shouldn't exist, and BMW iron them out.

Same situation when the 1200 MU came out in 2008 - faults (according to crampie) have suddenly reduced.

 

[Rasher]

Same situation when the 1200 MU came out in 2008 - faults (according to crampie) have suddenly reduced.

Or not...

FINAL DRIVE FAILURE

1200 GSA
REGISTERED OCTOBER 2009
2600 MILES

So according to someone trying to sell the damn things reliability has been mucho improved, I think not!

When 2010 models stop spluttering to a halt due to dodgy fuel gauges and reports of FD's failing at ridiculously early mileages dry up I will consider them reliable.

I wish anyone parting with £18k for one of these 1600's the best of luck, and admire their bravery

If I had £18k to waste I think I would buy a new Seat Leon Diesel, faster, lighter, narrower, better on fuel and about 1,000 times more reliable.

 

[g.s.john]

the only thing that would tempt me to buy a new G.S was if it was made by Honda until that day arrives i will stick with my 1100 G.S the only non service items i have replaced is the clutch (a la steptoe) and the starter motor i do 99% of my own servicing dont fancy that on a 1200,
BMW were expensive for a good reason QUALITY now they are just over priced over complicated £12000 for that more money than sense some people

 

[JohnnyBoxer]

When 2010 models stop spluttering to a halt due to dodgy fuel gauges dry up I will consider them reliable.

FFS a fuel guage failure is hardly a show stopper

You really do have the worry beads syndrome, what has exactly failed on your bike, since you've owned it

 

[Ross Dean]

A list of my BMW bikes, the mileage I put on them and their mechanical breakdown history:

R1100GS, 23000 miles, shaft drive bearing wear at 20000 miles
F800GS, 8500 miles, none
K1300S, 14500 miles, none

I am picking up a new F800GS in a few days.

 

[phooey]

I love riding my 08 gsa but the finish is rubbish and paint bubbling up all over the engine. 30k miles but very disappointing.

No failures just little niggle with the fuel gauge - sorted under warranty.

To be fair I've had several GS's and an RT and no failures in around 75k miles+

Will keep the BMW until its no longer economical to do so as in other respects its the best bike I've owned, the premium for ownership I can't honestly justify any more.

 

[finn]

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..............

all of the above are good starters however the px prices i was offered recently were a real joke im afraid not by you but elsewhere was looking at another 12adv but at £14k including the above without px (having to sell privately) it take the ability to walk in and change out of the equations therefore start shopping around sell privately for and extra £1k then buy a 12 month old one for 10k saving a massive 4-5k in the process however if a dealer wanted your used bike and made the px attractive and the 14k manageable if you were to finance it (company bike) then we would all be doing it every 12 months

 

[crampie]

I think creampie is starting to feel the big pinch - or he;s smart enough to see it coming.

all the boys my age rode around on fizzies and garelli's - this was the absolute boom time for super -mopeds - thousands were sold and the age range i'm talking about +/- 5 yrs is now into BMW's - or has been and is coming out the other end.

We've all bought BMW's...and we're wise to them....or we haven't bought them and never will.

Either way..the 'peak' of sales is over, we're looking round for other makes or sitting pretty on our 11**'s - hypothetically.

If we haven't bought a 1200 by now, we're never going to.

What's more - there's a recession on and its going to go on in the UK for a few years yet,

its looking bleaker for dealers...not brighter.

I was one of those 'youngsters'! Mine was a Fantic 50 though.
Unfortunately, the motorcycle market IS experiencing a bit of a tough time and it needs to attract more riders into motorcycling to reverse the decline - BMW have fared relatively well but we are one of only 2 possibly 3 manufacturers who have.

 

[Timolgra]

Lose the corporate image.....it'll take time.

 

[karlp]

Or not...



So according to someone trying to sell the damn things reliability has been mucho improved, I think not!

When 2010 models stop spluttering to a halt due to dodgy fuel gauges and reports of FD's failing at ridiculously early mileages dry up I will consider them reliable.

I wish anyone parting with £18k for one of these 1600's the best of luck, and admire their bravery

If I had £18k to waste I think I would buy a new Seat Leon Diesel, faster, lighter, narrower, better on fuel and about 1,000 times more reliable.

The Kawasaki brand (that you are so in love with) has the same issues.

GTR 1400 2 MONTHS OLD.

Final drive leaking oil so needed replacing.
KIPASS system not working so left stranded.
Instrumet pod melting due to the sun.


The KIPASS is a well known problem
Final drives were a well known problem
Handling is suspect - again a well known problem.

Regarding my GSA - and I have had a few and done a fair few miles

NEVER HAD A PROBLEM