Experiences After BMW

ClassicVW said:

Let things go much?

Click to expand...

IMHO, I'm a customer and they need to earn my business. The day I get a refund check for the repairs associated with that failed CB360 cam chain follower (which was recalled a few months later), I'll consider purchasing a Honda car or cycle.

I do hear ya. But 1978 and something as small as that? ....So I guess your answer is "No."

Even I gave Chrysler vehicles TWO chances before I wrote them off from any future consideration. And both times the problem was the entire vehicle was a lemon, not one small part.

Back in the 60s my mother had some sort of tiff with Texaco over a billing snafu. She never let it go and never used Texaco fuel again. I have also refrained from using Texaco. Guess I'm a chip off the old block.

I have found that a "strong" dealer is the key to a good vehicle ownership experience. Things change fast so finding a dealer that is "strong" and has a chance of remaining that way seems to be more difficult nowadays.
OM

ricochetrider said:

Hey best of luck to you in this!
Nothing is certain these days, unfortunately. I've never heard of any motorcycle dealership offering a loaner ride- does anybody do such a thing? The lemon law idea is a good one, but it sounds like you are getting at least some attention from your dealership? Waiting on parts? Guess this isn't something that can be expedited in any way? You'd think in today's world they could put that stuff on any plane and have it to you within 48 hours from Japan or anyplace else in the world. OR, if the carbs or other parts were outsourced, go straight to the manufacturer for needed parts...

Well, whatever- I'm sure you and they have thought of it all already.
But this does beg the question:
what the heck?

Click to expand...

My dealer - Atlantic Motoplex in Moncton NB - ALWAYS gives me a loaner when I'm in for service (I've had some interesting rides, too!) but I've never needed one for more than a day.

jamesevans said:

My dealer - Atlantic Motoplex in Moncton NB - ALWAYS gives me a loaner when I'm in for service (I've had some interesting rides, too!) but I've never needed one for more than a day.

Click to expand...

My dealer once offered me a loaner bike when mine was in for service. It was a Honda 400 decked out with a Windjammer fairing and pretty much identical to the bike that Prince rode in the movie Purple Rain. My response?

"Thanks but I think I'll walk".

ClassicVW said:

I do hear ya. But 1978 and something as small as that? ....So I guess your answer is "No."

Even I gave Chrysler vehicles TWO chances before I wrote them off from any future consideration. And both times the problem was the entire vehicle was a lemon, not one small part.

Click to expand...

Let me put it in perspective..........

The cost of the repair was 1/2 of the cost of one term (10wks) of tuition at Penn State (at that time) or 100-hrs of labor at my minimum wage part-time job.

So, it was a bite in the wallet, I remember.

I've never gone near another GM product since they got me good with that Chevy Vega, the engine of which used a quart of oil every 200 miles just before I got rid of it (@ 70K miles) because of the soft engine block...

Harry

Quite a few on the KLR 650 forum always made fun of BMW reliability.

Well I took my KLR 650 on a test run with sturdy Happy Trails luggage mounts and Daerr aluminum cases mounted on a tour that included the Trans Labrador Highway. This for an upcoming month in Iceland.

Everything seemed fine till I changed the oil and filter on return and after start-up, it sounded like I had a grossly undersized piston in it. It runs quiet when the coolant temperature is in the operating range. Head gasket leak? Coolant level is low.

Anyway, it has been parked since 2003 because I have a reliable BMW GS that gets me around. LOL

As for the KLR650 forum, that was probably BMW GS envy.

jamesevans said:

My dealer - Atlantic Motoplex in Moncton NB - ALWAYS gives me a loaner when I'm in for service.

Click to expand...

For service and for warranty?

Somehow I doubt in the latter case.

I went from a 2008 FJR to an 2016 RT. I have been very happy with the RT. I loved the FJR. Tis a brilliant bike times 1000! Kept me happy for all those years. But alas she was getting little long in the tooth. It was time for an upgrade. I think I will be as happy or happier on the RT for years to come. I used to frequent the FJR Forum when I had my FJR a lot. Now, I am doing the same with the this board and some of the other BMW forums out there. My post count is on the wee small side still - but I have been doing a lot of reading/lurking on the boards. I can say that my impression is that, at least past - slash - older BMWs have a lot of mechanical issues - slash - quirks about them. I never got the same impression on the FJRs. Now mind you the FJ to FJR series may not have been around as long as some of the Beemer bikes that is fur sure. I know BMW riders are passionate about their bikes and the company. I am starting to feel the same.

When people ask about reliability of a brand - this always gets my hackles up. ANY modern bike/brand of the last 10 years is going to be reliable. A company would fail if they had serious issues in this regard. Having said that some brands have had to overcome past quality issues to be better companies. To me, I think BMW Motorrad is very much a 'better' company now. Gone are the quirky looking bikes (R1200C - sorry not my cup of tea), quality seems much much better. All is well in... um now where are BMW bikes created?

Anyway- food for thought I guess.

A new BMW guy.

My experiance with BMW

I currently have a 2005 FJR, 2014 XT250, and the 2015 F700GS. The f700gs is the spoil me rotton bike because it is a pure pleasure to ride, it will keep up to anythine made(going legal speeds) with its cummins diesel like torque, and handles great in the wind and on rough roads. I like my FJR, but it is not like the BMW. I hope to get over 100000 miles on that little Rotax engine. Currently have 22000 miles in 13 months.

zenwhipper said:

All is well in... um now where are BMW bikes created?

Click to expand...

I remember when BMW car guys used to make statements like that..............

AKsuited said:

I've never gone near another GM product since they got me good with that Chevy Vega, the engine of which used a quart of oil every 200 miles just before I got rid of it (@ 70K miles) because of the soft engine block...

Harry

Click to expand...

Harry, You should consider yourself luck with your 70K mile ceiling. My 74 Vega only made it to 45000 before I started carrying a case of oil around in the back seat. I loved the body design as it was so versatile for me at that time, but the engine was a pile of junk. I've had other GM products though, that were completely up to the task that I purchased them for, so would not trash their image based solely on my Vega experience.

weschmann said:

I loved the body design as it was so versatile for me at that time, but the engine was a pile of junk.

Click to expand...

Just to keep this off topic a little longer.

Back in the late 70's, a friend of mine solved the Vega engine issue by replacing it with a Corvette v8, added a supercharger and few other tweaks. Turned that little Vega into a sub 10 second car.

Travman said:

Just to keep this off topic a little longer.

Back in the late 70's, a friend of mine solved the Vega engine issue by replacing it with a Corvette v8, added a supercharger and few other tweaks. Turned that little Vega into a sub 10 second car.

Click to expand...

I'll bet it handled great, too!

weschmann said:

I've had other GM products though, that were completely up to the task that I purchased them for, so would not trash their image based solely on my Vega experience.

Click to expand...

Very good point.

I think every company goes through ups and downs. A couple/three examples: 1. Ford's Pinto-based Mustang and their full-size cars prior to the release of the Taurus in '86, 2. Chrysler before Lee Iaccoca got them back on track, 3. Lexus in the mid-90s when they were selling re-branded Camrys, 4. GM before they rationalized production.

I also believe every company deserves to sink or swim on their current offerings. My Lexus is stylish, quick, and well-appointed. And reliable. The Corvette is just flat fast and has never had any service besides scheduled maintenance. My wife's Focus is comfortable, handles well and also has only had scheduled maintenance. I think if BMW has been through a bad patch (final drives and transmission splines) they also deserve to have their current products objectively evaluated.

lmo1131 said:

Die beste BMW im Welt!

Retro's still in. Bring it back please.

Click to expand...

Actually BMW just showed a car they said was designed to pay homage to the 2002. Probably not the near-replica you are looking for, but hopefully it would rust more slowly than the original.

As for the how-much-power question, I think forget how much more slowly we drove back in the day. The base 2002 had what? 100 HP? Even in a car as light as it was (which couldn't be build today) that would be far too slow for today's highways. Remember, we used to think that /5s had power, handling and brakes!

tonycarlos said:

Actually BMW just showed a car they said was designed to pay homage to the 2002. Probably not the near-replica you are looking for, but hopefully it would rust more slowly than the original.

As for the how-much-power question, I think forget how much more slowly we drove back in the day. The base 2002 had what? 100 HP? Even in a car as light as it was (which couldn't be build today) that would be far too slow for today's highways. Remember, we used to think that /5s had power, handling and brakes!

Click to expand...

What I really miss about the older cars is the unobstructed field of view for the driver. So many of the newer cars are truly terrible in that regard and thus rear view cameras, and such, are basically a requirement.

tonycarlos said:

As for the how-much-power question, I think forget how much more slowly we drove back in the day. The base 2002 had what? 100 HP? Even in a car as light as it was (which couldn't be build today) that would be far too slow for today's highways. Remember, we used to think that /5s had power, handling and brakes!

Click to expand...

The 2002 is fully capable of highway speeds on any highway on this continent. Speed limits were no lower in the 70s than they are now. The Beetle had a mere 50 HP and we cruised at 70 MPH.

You only need a fraction of the available HP to maintain highway speeds, be it in the 2002 or /5. Furthermore, the average driver/rider only uses a fraction of the potential of what they are driving. Christ, people are afraid of their front brakes which is why they got ABS when it was an option.