Warranty

[Roymondo]

It's that time...

Bike is almost 2 years old, and at the end of the manufacturer's warranty period. So do I go for the insurance based extended warranty, or bank the money and keep it in case something goes kaput?

If I do go for the warranty, the optional Emergency Assistance seems pretty good value as it's less than 30 quid extra (although the extended warranty itself appears to be Reassuringly Expensive).

Decisions, decisions...

 

[B4ndit]

Bank the money and sort the bike yourself. Its not a rocket. At the end of the day its a BMW GS, Its supposed to be hard.

 

[APE]

I didn't and am £700 quid up so far

 

[Neil W]

Get the warranty I am next month as I wouldn't trust mine not to go bang

 

[GSTourer]

Just taken the warranty on my RT.

 

[Col]

Depends on the individual. Are you the type who would be able and willing to carry out work on your bikes?. How would you cope with a roadside repair? If you're not up for that then the answer is simple

 

[Norfolk Tiger]

The other cost factor to take into consideration is i believe you are tied into dealer servicing as although its refered to as a warranty it is in fact an insurance policy which means they can dictate the terms.This differs from the original BMW warranty which allows non dealer servicing as long as its done using OE parts and schedules by a compotenet non franchise gararge.
I decided not to go with the warranty when mine reached 2 years wether or not I will come out on top time will tell.

 

[adventuredon]

@Col:
Not always about able and willing - some of us don't have a garage to work in and do our repairs roadside in the big smoke! Also if it is a big part, I might be tempted to try repairing it myself, but the parts are not cheap....what biggish job could you replace a part for £360? Maybe get a caliper? or 1 disc or 1 exhaust flap and bowden cable....Oh and then you need some special tools too...I have the warranty and have just done my own 24k service..so mixing it up...

 

[cookie]

...I have the warranty and have just done my own 24k service..so mixing it up...

so the warranty's void then?

 

[diplomaticdanny]

I struggle to change a bulb, no brainer for me.

2006 GSA (servo), 38000 miles, never missed a beat but will continue with warranty as long as I own the bike, peace of mind is worth more to me than the expense.

 

[adventuredon]

No, I only have to use genuine BMW parts and prove that. As per the warranty. It does not and cannot under EU law specify where I have to get it serviced, only that Genuine BMW parts must be used.

 

[(RIP) Johno23]

No, I only have to use genuine BMW parts and prove that. As per the warranty. It does not and cannot under EU law specify where I have to get it serviced, only that Genuine BMW parts must be used.

That applies only for the ORIGINAL 2yr warranty from BMW. The extended warranty as said previously is in fact an insurance type warranty where they CAN and do insist you have it serviced at a BMW dealer . So your servicing is 20% more expensive and your paying the warranty. Bit less of a gamble when you see what your paying. It depends how many miles you do too I guess.

 

[Katnip]

warranty

It's like everything in life isn't it, you pays your money and takes your choice. Years ago almost everything you bought you took out cover and then gradually things got more reliable and the cost more prohibitive and for the last 15 years I have never taken out warranty on anything.
It's the same with your BMW bike, you never know what's round the corner (excuse the pun) and it's a gamble either way.
If you blew the engine or the fd failed that's big money. On the other hand, how likely is it? Some might say very likely.
I have a 2010 and decided not to take it out but I do only about 4000 miles a year and don't commute. If I used it every day I would definitely think it a good deal and it gives you peace of mind.

 

[Deleted account 190920001]

That applies only for the ORIGINAL 2yr warranty from BMW. The extended warranty as said previously is in fact an insurance type warranty where they CAN and do insist you have it serviced at a BMW dealer . So your servicing is 20% more expensive and your paying the warranty. Bit less of a gamble when you see what your paying. It depends how many miles you do too I guess.

This is spot on if you have the extended BMW warranty. All servicing and work must be carried out via the dealer. If you don't have the receipts and stamps your warranty is void. Other products like Warranty direct don't insist on BMW servicing but it still must be carried out by a VAT registered bike shop and to manufacturers schedule i.e your still not allowed to home service.
That little lot probably puts your extended warranty more up in the £600 per annum mark as opposed to maybe £100 per annum for home servicing, if even that. if you do more than 6000 a year it gets even more expensive. It doesn't take long to have a sizable saving for anything that happens to go wrong. 2 years worth and you have enough for a new FD for example and they only take 30 mins or so to fit.
You might be able to guess that I didn't take them up on their kind offer This isn't for everyone though. If you always use the dealer for servicing anyway and don't know your open end from a ring then the warranty isn't too bad a deal. Better still use an alternative warranty and an independent and save some money.

 

[Bendy toy]

I felt that £36 per month to continue the BMW extended warranty plus the cost and inconvenience of having them service the bike was too much. I also do more like 12K per year - even more costly.

Its a risk but £420 plus service hours is quite a wedge to put towards repairs (or more likely a Wibers setup when the shocks go titsup).

 

[Roymondo]

@Col:
what biggish job could you replace a part for £360? Maybe get a caliper? or 1 disc or 1 exhaust flap and bowden cable....

Siezed calipers are specifically excluded from the BMW extended warranty, and exhaust parts are not specifically included so are not covered either. Your brake disc would probably be covered if it broke, but if it simply wore out as expected due to 000's of miles usage, it would not.

 

[Norfolk Tiger]

No, I only have to use genuine BMW parts and prove that. As per the warranty. It does not and cannot under EU law specify where I have to get it serviced, only that Genuine BMW parts must be used.

You are spot on up until the end of 2 years,unfortunately after that its on there terms as its no longer covered by the block exception rules that manufacturers fought hard to overturn but lost

 

[Norfolk Tiger]

Also i believe you have to prove its done by a component person as well as one spares.

 

[Beemerman59]

My option was to ignore the warranty when the bike was two years old and do my own wrenching which for me is not a chore anyway. The money saved paid for the full Wilburs WESA setup last year (much much better than the OEM springs anyway) with plenty left over still in the ISA I put the savings into.

 

[Roymondo]

I'm thinking that the important thing is not to simply look on it as a £300 "bonus" and promptly go out and spend the money "saved" by not going for the warranty. Rather I should bank the £300 in a savings account, to be drawn on only in the event the bike breaks. So now the question is "Do I have the self-discipline to do this..?"