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Dealers not servicing older bikes?

glenfiddich

TravelsWithBarley.com
I’m considering making some expensive modifications to my 2012 GSA sidecar tug to make it easier to handle as I age, but have been hearing reports of dealers no longer working on bikes over ten years old. (Not only BMW; other brands as well.) Just how widespread is that? I do my own routine maintenance but there are some tasks I’d rather place in the hands of experts

It’s got me wondering if I should save up and convert a newer bike to my sidecar tug. Max in NY has been great with older bikes, but as many of you know I wander far. The thought of running into trouble and being denied service 2500 miles from home doesn’t sound much fun


Pete
 
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If the dealer won’t work on bikes more than 10 years old, i’d look for another dealer.
Not all brands require expensive factory special tools and software to maintain the product.
I’d take that into consideration on the next bike purchase as well and remind the dealer of that fact.
You really don’t want to invest $$$$ in a bike that will become essentially throwaway after 10 years.
Simple is good.

Good luck with your ride.
 
LOL a long time

The fact that some dealers won't work on bikes older than 10 years old has been going on for years. A dealer that took over the BMW franchise in my area in the 90's told me he would not work on my 84 bike. If I wanted him to work on a bike, I would have to buy a bike from him, my bike was too old.

This attitude started at BMW top level when they decided to go to a boutique/exclusive experience for dealerships catering to the "new" BMW ideals of what a premium motorcycle should be. The post 84 bikes never gave me a reason to buy them and the attitude of BMW didn't help.

I give BMW credit for keeping parts in the pipeline far longer than other companies. This is the only good thing I can say about the current BMW motorcycle company.

I am sure someone will take exception to my attitude toward BMW and I really don't care, they lost my business for new bikes years ago and it is their fault.

All you can do is talk to your local dealer if you are lucky to have one within a reasonable distance. They may work on older bikes. Good luck. St.
 
Fortunately, it's not all dealers. My local dealer (58 miles away), Hermy's BMW Motorcycles in Port Clinton, PA, worked on my 1993 K75RT when I had it in 2019, and will soon do the 60,000 mile service on my 1995 R1100RSL. And they were very reasonable last week doing the 6K service on my G310GS.
 
I’m considering making some expensive modifications to my 2012 GSA sidecar tug…

Pete - do you know Mike Paull? He is really big into exceptional (and I do mean exceptional) sidecar builds and could possibly be of service to you. Unfortunately, he lives in the PNW, so pretty far away. But he can offer you expert advice, get you hooked up with the right pieces, parts and most important… strategy for your build.

You can find him on Facebook… search on his name. He is probably an MOA member… and he actually appeared on the cover of BMW ON about 15 years ago. Big buddies with Helge Pedersen (who shot the cover photo). Please tell him I sent you.

Ian

Ps -> I think you can find a dealer to work on your bike… it’s not that old!
 
Fortunately, it's not all dealers. My local dealer (58 miles away), Hermy's BMW Motorcycles in Port Clinton, PA, worked on my 1993 K75RT when I had it in 2019, and will soon do the 60,000 mile service on my 1995 R1100RSL. And they were very reasonable last week doing the 6K service on my G310GS.

Awesome dealership from top to bottom.
 
Does anyone know if the BMW NA service training includes older bikes. If not that may exasperate the issue as older techs retire.

I have someone in the northern lower peninsula of Michigan that loves to work on airheads and recently worked on a K-bike for me.

Wayne Koppa
Grayling, MI
#71,449
 
Pete - do you know Mike Paull? He is really big into exceptional (and I do mean exceptional) sidecar builds and could possibly be of service to you.

That's who I'm working with. Very impressive! I was going to order a new tub and leading link from him for my 2018 GSA, but tens of thousands of miles traveling with first Barley, then Tulliver, and now Glenlivet in my modified Hannigan left me with some emotional history I wasn't factoring into the equation. In a perfect world he would build a sidecar chassis for me that would fit my Hannigan tub, but he doesn't do that. All the pieces/parts are fabricated in the Netherlands then shipped to him for final assembly and fine tuning. So my current thinking is having him install a leading link and Tractive suspension on my 2012.

My local dealer (Max in NY, not Lord Farquaad locally) is great with older bikes so is not a concern, but breaking down out West and getting towed 400 miles to a dealer only to find they won't work on "old" bikes would be.

Pete
 
We’re seeing the same issues in the west regarding dealers refusing to service their brand because they’re out of date. In NorCA, Ozzies BMW, in Chico, still services BMW motorcycles, from old airheads to the latest and greatest. If it hasn’t already been done, maybe we should assemble a good list of independent mechanics and add it to our annual anonymous book. That leading link will be a fine addition. Don’t know anything about the Tractive suspension. Travel well Pete.
 
If you stay local, MaxBMW is still servicing old bikes and will be there for you for many years to come. On your travels though, yeah it's a shame but 2012 is going to be ignored by many dealers and it'll only get worse as the years go on. It's really a shame.
 
No wonder some BMW dealers are going out of business.

E.

Well, the big problem now is dealers can't get bikes because BMW can't build bikes because Taiwanese factories can't make enough electronic chips. It is hard to be in business as a motorcycle dealership without motorcycles.

I will also add a comment about the notion that a competent BMW mechanic can't work on an Airhead or classic K bike or Oilhead because they didn't go to school on those models. That is pure balderdash. Ninety percent of any work on these bikes is just nuts and bolts. There are good factory and aftermarket manuals for these bikes and any competent John Deere tractor mechanic who can read can properly perform almost all service on these bikes, and those tasks that can't be done can be farmed out to specialist shops.
 
No wonder some BMW dealers are going out of business.

E.

I personally think it's much more nuanced than that and there are a few dozen reasons any dealer could go out of business because I've heard a few dozen reasons why many have. Not worth citing them all here as I'm sure a lot of people could fill in the gaps but I would wager that excluding old bikes saves them money. Example, MaxBMW has the 1980s era brake bleed machine needed to service Generation One ABS systems (like the one on my K75). IT's a BMW machine and has something like 200PSI of pressure with some special fitting. I learned the hard way that my brake bleed pump wasn't powerful enough to push brake fluid through both of those ABS cylinders and MaxBMW saved my butt there for $79. That machine takes up space, probably breaks sometimes but MaxBMW cares enough about servicing all K bikes that they keep it around. I think servicing old bikes cost more money than it makes them but I've never worked in a dealership..this is just my assumption given how many don't do it.
 
Rant mode on:

Thousands of classic K bike owners have bled their brakes at the ABS unit and at the calipers the old fashioned way - pumping the lever or pedal while alternately opening and closing the bleed valves, or with speed bleeders. I personally have done so at least 100 times with no issues. And with something in excess of 500,000 miles by Voni and me on K75s and my K1100LT and K100, I have never had an ABS failure on a classic K bike.

That said - I agree with the generalization that for some dealerships working on older bikes isn't worth it to them. These tend to be the mega-monstrosities with 5 motorcycle brands, watercraft, ATVs, snow machines, chainsaws, and generators. And perchance if you think I exaggerate, Gina's BMW in Iowa City used to work on virtually any 2 wheeled BMW. Gina and Julias retired. The current BMW dealership in Iowa City boasts that they carry twenty brands. See: https://www.sunandfunmotorsports.com/
 
I will also add a comment about the notion that a competent BMW mechanic can't work on an Airhead or classic K bike or Oilhead because they didn't go to school on those models. That is pure balderdash. Ninety percent of any work on these bikes is just nuts and bolts. There are good factory and aftermarket manuals for these bikes and any competent John Deere tractor mechanic who can read can properly perform almost all service on these bikes, and those tasks that can't be done can be farmed out to specialist shops.

Good point.

I live near a local bike shop in Kerrville that is not a BMW dealer. I get my bike inspected there, and frequent their parts department for an assortment of items. Just about every time I'm there they tell me I should bring my bike in for service. On their site they state, "We service most makes and models!" BMW should take note.

E.
 
My local dealer (Max in NY, not Lord Farquaad locally) is great with older bikes so is not a concern, but breaking down out West and getting towed 400 miles to a dealer only to find they won't work on "old" bikes would be.

You should see the look on a dealer's face when I bring them my Xchallenge!
 
Visiting MI dealership for tire change, mentioned having steering bearings and carbs adjusted on ‘93 RS. Now they didn’t say they don’t work on older bikes, but told me it would be awfully costly to check bearing and I should just tune carbs by ear. He give multiple excuses on why do it at all or do it yourself. This is a BMW stand alone.
 
Visiting MI dealership for tire change, mentioned having steering bearings and carbs adjusted on ‘93 RS. Now they didn’t say they don’t work on older bikes, but told me it would be awfully costly to check bearing and I should just tune carbs by ear. He give multiple excuses on why do it at all or do it yourself. This is a BMW stand alone.

Usually when I get this kind of "kicking the dirt" answer on a question at a dealer, I let the owner know. Every once in a while I get a response. I also like to let the owners know when things went well so the owner knows the service was important to me.
There seems to be an odd change in customer service where when asked for something the reply is "you should be able to get that online". :scratch
I hope that any retailer that is befuddled on how sales are going when taking this approach remembers they helped teach their customers to "look for it online".
OM
 
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