Why not ask BMW?

[karnevil]

I have read a great many posts on here about the problems which we expierience with our 1200GS's.Indeed I have posted some myself but that was with my last GS and this replacement one has been fine,any minor problems have been sorted quickly and efficientley by BMW Assistance or those ever helpfull guys(and girls,Becky) at SSB.It seems to me that because one does not expierience a certain problem with ones own machine that therefore when others complain about a certain...ah hem..."feature" or "quirk" then it cannot exist,or at the very least must be rider error.It seems that too many times we just end up squabling between ourselves.We ask each other"Why has such a problem not been addressed?"but we ask our selves not those who should know or be responsible!This site proclaims itself the biggest site in the UK for GS riders,there must be more around the world and these problems must be present in other countries GS's.BMW Gmbh(or what ever)must be aware of our existance.So why do we not contact BMW en-mass,maybe via a downloadable email or some sort of online petition and ask BMW to represent themselves here on this site and explain the difficulties they must surley be having in solving these problems.Just a thought.Or how about getting together and bending the ear of Watchdog?



I feel faint now

 

[JD13]

I agree 100%, i joined here as its the biggest n best BMW forum. Could we not lodge an official complaint with BMW re the constant failures of the bike

JD

 

[chris.wrench]

Problem is to whom do we address same?

 

[Deleted Member I]

Do you think they care?

 

[Deleted account 210609001]

I'm sure it has been considered many times - Judge posted something about this recently.

I expect it'd be less simple than it sounds. I imagine BMW would say that they do not believe the common faults represent a generic problem (can you imagine the cost to them of redesigning and replacing ALL fuel pump controllers versus the cost of replacing the minotity that fail?), so it would be down to a court to decide. I expect BMW can afford some quite good lawyers...

Arguments they will no doubt use: if people don't like our products, they don't have to buy them. We've sold X thousand bikes this year and havce consistently increased sales over the past X years.

Where problems are encountered during warranty, we replace them quickly and without quibbling.

We have agreed to X million pounds worth of goodwill claims outsid efo warranty periods over the past X years. Hardly the actions of a renegade outfit, your honour.

And that's before you get to the actual legalities of it all.

Do I think this is fair? No, not really. But in reality, I doubt there is much chance of bringing them to their corporate knees. If that did happen, I imagine the bean counters somewhere in Munich will consider pulling the plug on the whole bike operation. It's peanuts compared to their car business.

And despite the problems and inconvenience I've experienced with both of the two GS's I've owned (an 1150 and a 1200) I still can't find a bike from a competetior manufacturer I;d rather have. So I'm buggered, really.

 

[karnevil]

I'm sure it has been considered many times - Judge posted something about this recently.

I expect it'd be less simple than it sounds. I imagine BMW would say that they do not believe the common faults represent a generic problem (can you imagine the cost to them of redesigning and replacing ALL fuel pump controllers versus the cost of replacing the minotity that fail?), so it would be down to a court to decide. I expect BMW can afford some quite good lawyers...

Arguments they will no doubt use: if people don't like our products, they don't have to buy them. We've sold X thousand bikes this year and havce consistently increased sales over the past X years.

Where problems are encountered during warranty, we replace them quickly and without quibbling.

We have agreed to X million pounds worth of goodwill claims outsid efo warranty periods over the past X years. Hardly the actions of a renegade outfit, your honour.

And that's before you get to the actual legalities of it all.

Do I think this is fair? No, not really. But in reality, I doubt there is much chance of bringing them to their corporate knees. If that did happen, I imagine the bean counters somewhere in Munich will consider pulling the plug on the whole bike operation. It's peanuts compared to their car business.

And despite the problems and inconvenience I've experienced with both of the two GS's I've owned (an 1150 and a 1200) I still can't find a bike from a competetior manufacturer I;d rather have. So I'm buggered, really.

No one is suggesting any litigation or court proceedings,just a simple question,and a plain ,frank simple answer.

Do you think they care?

Well they care enough to build a product to sell in the first place.......

Problem is to whom do we address same?

The buck usually stops with the CEO..................





Just maybe a non belligerant approach would be all thats required,there is quite clearly a significant proportion of machines present repeated problems im sure someone would enter into some sort of intercourse on this,even if they only say we have a problem which we cannot easily sort but we will,by means of good will support our customers,it would take the weight off peoples minds.

Yeah maybe I do live in a fantasy world but what is fantasy and what is reality untill ou test it.

A unilateral approach,nice and friendly,may just work.Who knows.

2/3rds thru a bottle of wine writin this post.BTW.

 

[GSmonkey]

BMW are watching this forum...........no need for a petition.

 

[Twotter]

Try asking that chap Nemezis about ABS brakes

 

[Davy F]

BMW are watching this forum...........no need for a petition.

But if this got TV coverage on the likes of WatchDog, they would possibly have to sit up and take proper notice. So far, I can't see BMW do anything except replace these faulty components (at their or your expense depending on warrenty).

 

[redcastle]

BMW are watching this forum...........no need for a petition.

Yep they watch but dont take any notice. My dealer was telling me about a problem with, I think it was an RT some years ago. Speedo misting up. They just kept replacing them but never fixed the problem.

bottom line.
live with it or sell the bike and get something else, from what Ive seen over the two and half years Ive had mine nothing changes.

The only thing Ive ever seen them change voluntarily with a fanfare is the warranty cost after two years. That was because they werent selling any. Once they stop selling GS's they may sit up and take notice but until then dont hold your breath .

2p

 

[luckylucian]

One quote on Watchdog and all the idiots will come out and the re-sale value of the 1200 will plummet. Yes BMW have a problem, or rather us owners have the problem. 'Cept bike sales are a minor part of the BMW group turnover and profit margin, most BMW car retailers won't touch the bikes 'cos they make no money compared to the cars they sell.

I know how to fix my EWS ring fault, and change my fuel pump relay, just need them to use std torx or allen bolts when they change the ring.

The world isn't fair and BMW are not designing the faults on purpose, so lets not throw the baby out with the bathwater here!

 

[Davy F]

One quote on Watchdog and all the idiots will come out and the re-sale value of the 1200 will plummet. Yes BMW have a problem, or rather us owners have the problem. 'Cept bike sales are a minor part of the BMW group turnover and profit margin, most BMW car retailers won't touch the bikes 'cos they make no money compared to the cars they sell.

I know how to fix my EWS ring fault, and change my fuel pump relay, just need them to use std torx or allen bolts when they change the ring.

The world isn't fair and BMW are not designing the faults on purpose, so lets not throw the baby out with the bathwater here!

Or bury your head in the sand until it all goes away.

 

[Decster]

....just a simple question,and a plain ,frank simple answer.

Well they care enough to build a product to sell in the first place.......

The buck usually stops with the CEO..................

A unilateral approach,nice and friendly,may just work.Who knows.

.

sorry

 

[MasterDabber]

BWM don't need telling how well or otherwise their bikes are performing. They know that perfectly well. Therefore you can take their lack of action to remedy the situation as a combination of indifference and the fact that they are still seeing a healthy profit line.

If you don't like it vote with your wallet.

 

[karnevil]

See what i mean,we will all squabble amongst eachother instead of collectivley confronting the culprit.But hey ho my bike has been fine so what the feck......................................................

 

[Seamaster]

I wonder if people had the same sentiments way back in 1994 when they bought their 1100gs and found out that there gearbox casings were made out of chocolate, and did BMW change the gearbox casing during a 6 year production run, did they feck.

 

[Dee Tee]

Sorry to have to report that my 06 1200 GS has been nothing but reliable with no Breakdowns,Warranty Claims or Failures to report in just over 8000 miles.I hope the Megamoto that is replacing it is just as boringly problem free.

 

[deaninkl]

the very first thread on this section http://www.ukgser.com/forums/showthread.php?t=143272

asks about the very same thing, namely a joint response to BMW about the common faults, The Bebe even offers to take up the chalange and be the champion for the cause.

I suggest the moderators set up a seperate thread, or even section where we can all register and have a common response to those in power at BMW.

on this forum we talk..and talk and talk... but little seems to come out.

 

[Deleted account W]

I suggest the moderators set up a seperate thread, or even section where we can all register and have a common response to those in power at BMW.

It doesn't need a moderator to do it, this thread will do won't it?

I'd suggest someone with a talent for writing business letters write a standard text/template that you all could use, and post it here. You add your own details to it, with dates and simple facts saying what went wrong.

Then you all post them separately to the main man in the UK, the public relations dept and the main man in Germany.

I'm sure someone could post the names and address's here too.

A deluge, if thats how big the problem is, of letters all referencing this forum and pointing out clearly this common issue to the same "big cheese" will have more impact than one letter stating we've all had a problem.

We don't need to see another thread of people listing the faults and then getting the usual response of "mines done thousands of miles and never had a problem" replies. BMW need to see their mailbag full of your letters stating your woes.

When you've sent your letter post a copy of it's text in this thread.

Thats just my take on it.

 

[deaninkl]

It doesn't need a moderator to do it, this thread will do won't it?

Waldin, yes this thread would do it, but I've seen threads suggesting a similar thing in the middle of several treads, all starting out with other titles about various subjects, so after a while those threads gets lost.

Wait and see, this will be gone in 2 days.

I think we need something dedicated.