Any BMW owners?

Teabag_Terry2

Teabag_Terry2

Teabag_Terry2

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18 Aug 2014
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208
Hi guys.

I have an R1 at the moment. Before that I had an R6, before that a Honda CBR600rr.

So that's 10+ years with ZERO mechanical or electrical issues, or any kind of breakdowns whatsoever.

I really like the look of the S1000R, but am reading *lots* of stuff online about BMW's poor reliability record and bad customer service.

Does anyone have any experience or advice? I need to use my bike daily, and obviously need it to work. Should I just stick with Japanese?

Cheers.
 
My local dealer is trash, I am stuck with them as they are the only one in the island. For that reason alone I am considering moving away from the brand.

As for the S1000R, there is only one big reliability issue which you would need to watch out for. That's cam lobe and follower wear on units which have faulty coatings from the factory. It manifests itself with a loss in midrange power and causes a loud noise from the engine. I am likely going to demand a year 2 service head removal to check mine for peace of mind.

Those with problems usually shout the loudest. I've had no issues with mine yet, the problems lies solely with my crap dealer.

As for Japanese being the be all and end all, that's simply not the case. You could buy Jap and be unfortunate. My workplace has just sent 4 Honda's back for warranty work as they had faulty clutch packs.
 
Well, I make my opinions on my own personal experiences and that of my friends and family.

All of these strongly warn me away from European brands and as I have had over 200k miles on Jap bikes without a single issue of any description, I am veering toward an MT-10 instead.

Having a "crap dealer" is a MAJOR, MAJOR reason for me to avoid the brand. Why would BMW use a dealer who is so useless?

Another issue is that my local generic dealer will not service BMW bikes as they don't have the electronics required, but they told me they can service any Yamaha.

Probably answered my own question now, FML. An MT-10 is now on my list.
 
BMW are definitely on the lower end of the reliability scale, but that kind of reputation didn't stop me from buying an Italian machine :p
 
I've had 2 BMWs (still own one) and they've been faultless. I've used Balderston in Peterborough and Coopers of Tunbridge Wells, excellent service, including aftersales and very helpful.

As Sin_Chase has mentioned, you can have unreliable Japanese bikes. It does seem to be down to luck. There are horror stories about most bikes if you look hard enough.
 
unKle said:
I've had 2 BMWs (still own one) and they've been faultless. I've used Balderston in Peterborough and Coopers of Tunbridge Wells, excellent service, including aftersales and very helpful.

As Sin_Chase has mentioned, you can have unreliable Japanese bikes. It does seem to be down to luck. There are horror stories about most bikes if you look hard enough.
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Hmm, small world - I escaped from Peterborough in 2007 after living there for about 8 years. And now work 5 minutes from Coopers BMW Tunbridge wells.
 
Teabag_Terry2 said:
Well, I make my opinions on my own personal experiences and that of my friends and family.

All of these strongly warn me away from European brands and as I have had over 200k miles on Jap bikes without a single issue of any description, I am veering toward an MT-10 instead.

Having a "crap dealer" is a MAJOR, MAJOR reason for me to avoid the brand. Why would BMW use a dealer who is so useless?

Another issue is that my local generic dealer will not service BMW bikes as they don't have the electronics required, but they told me they can service any Yamaha.

Probably answered my own question now, FML. An MT-10 is now on my list.
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Nothing wrong with a Triumph! :D. 0 issues.

Is the MT10 build quality better than the MT07? The 07 is nasty in terms of build quality.
 
Teabag_Terry2 said:
Well, I make my opinions on my own personal experiences and that of my friends and family.

All of these strongly warn me away from European brands and as I have had over 200k miles on Jap bikes without a single issue of any description, I am veering toward an MT-10 instead.

Having a "crap dealer" is a MAJOR, MAJOR reason for me to avoid the brand. Why would BMW use a dealer who is so useless?

Another issue is that my local generic dealer will not service BMW bikes as they don't have the electronics required, but they told me they can service any Yamaha.

Probably answered my own question now, FML. An MT-10 is now on my list.
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If you're interested in the MT-10 watch BJ's Blog (he works for Fast Bikes Magazine) on YT, upto Episode 8 so far, he loves it.


Lot's of info, testing different exhausts, brake pads, dyno runs etc.
 
Not the same bike but I've had my BMW GS since new, about 4.5 years, and it's been perfect. Has about 20k on it now, used through 4 winters and lots of European tours. My only criticism would be corrosion on the engine paint, apparently due to a need to switch to water based paints, made worse by using it for commuting in winter with very little washing!

If however you looked on forums you'd think it was less reliable than a 60's Bonneville!
 
I'm 13 months and 6,000 miles into my BMW ownership. Coming from an Aprilia Caponord it has been an absolute joy. My 'local' dealer isn't exactly local - they're an hour away but at least there are some decent roads to get there. There are closer ones but I enjoy the ride and they've been very good so far - night and day compared to Aprilia.

My XR is based on the S1000R platform (engine at least), and to date it is the best bike I've owned. No issues with it, although for balance a few other owners report vibes through the bars and pegs (I found this myself on one of the test models I rode), and it hasn't skipped a beat from daily rides to weekend trips to Euro excursions. The experience has been that good that when considering a second bike I looked first at the BMW range (R nine T). The Aprilia experience I had meant that I'd never buy another one again, yet there are people here falling over themselves to buy Tuonos now, so it is horses for courses and a lot depends on the dealer and individual bike you get. I'll never forgive Aprilia's (lack of) supply chain for parts, but then again I haven't yet had to test BMW's.
 
I'd love to say my k1300s's never faltered but my latest destroyed its final drive bearing stuff pretty catastrophically and is also getting 20% less out of a tank than the last one.

But I still love it :(.

Along with its warranty.
 
Teabag_Terry2 said:
How does the MT-10 feel cheap? I test rode a V4 tuono and thought that it felt like a tractor, really rough and awful below 30mph.
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Don't worry, it's nothing like your R1 so no need to get defensive :p It was built to a budget so it's not a surprise that it feels like it.

Yeah the older 1000cc V4 Tuono's are not great at low speeds.
 
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