Official BMW Customer Care Response Re: DVD Repair Manual Availability

I didn't have a manual for frame guards, but it's pretty obvious how they are installed, other than the recommendation to position the strap locks away from boot contact perhaps.

Lee said:

Five pages of instructions for a part held on by three straps

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or, $30 if it were something equally as simple in the online access only, fee based, mothership font of all proprietary knowledge.

This is a problem but could also be a BMW OA marketing opportunity.

Perhaps we should reach out to our members a little harder on documenting maintenance procedures that would meet BMW warranty requirements for publication in the magazine and/or available on a maintenance forum thread.

This would be a great incentive to belong to BMW OA.

You could save the price of your subscription on your first oil change.

A 12k service done in your garage could save enough to attend a BMW OA Get-A-Way.

Maybe some of our dealers would allow someone to document certain service procedures for the positive visibility.

Maybe that would get them in trouble with mother ship?

Maybe not?


Wayne Koppa
Grayling, MI
#71,449

Does anyone know if KTM offers service manuals to KTM owners? Just asking for a friend.

wkoppa said:

Perhaps we should reach out to our members a little harder on documenting maintenance procedures that would meet BMW warranty requirements for publication in the magazine and/or available on a maintenance forum thread.

This would be a great incentive to belong to BMW OA.

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I was barking up this tree about 20 years ago, when broadband Internet access was becoming more widely available and Google was just a search engine.

There is a lot to unpack regarding this idea, from design and production to hosting and access. Without getting into the details, our organization is simply not structured to do something like this (at least at the level of quality that I think our members deserve). When I presented the concept at a Board meeting in 2002 it was tabled. My vision was a combination of a paid contractor guiding members who were video enthusiasts. It is a lot of work and coordination of processes and resources is critical.

If you want to see this concept in action, check out Woodworkers Guild of America. They got started in the video realm about the same time I made my proposal.

If you look closely at bmwownersnews.com and scroll down, you will see this.... who knows, it could happen.

A close reading of Airmail will tell you that there are things going on with respect to something like this...

Maybe this move by Corporate will spur Clymer and Haynes to come out with the R1250 manuals. Preferably in book and online formats!

DaveSlash5 said:

Maybe this move by Corporate will spur Clymer and Haynes to come out with the R1250 manuals. Preferably in book and online formats!

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I would think the lack of BMW manuals would markedly increase the market for Haynes and Clymer manuals. Time will tell.

DaveSlash5 said:

Maybe this move by Corporate will spur Clymer and Haynes to come out with the R1250 manuals. Preferably in book and online formats!

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Would that it will work out that way. Alas, when the OEM declines to make the information available the aftermarket publishers are stuck without the data necessary to provide a reliable product. Ducati stopped providing service information years ago and now there are no Haynes or Clymer manuals for current Ducatis.

It provides a pretty bleak scenario for us ten years down the road when BMW dealers decline to support our now current rides and there's no aftermarket info for anyone else to do it properly.

Not to toss fuel on the fire, but I was recently pointed to this item buried in the FAQ on the Haynes/Clymer site: https://haynes.com/en-gb/faq.

chiba said:

Not to toss fuel on the fire, but I was recently pointed to this item buried in the FAQ on the Haynes/Clymer site: https://haynes.com/en-gb/faq.

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I wonder if the new product will be a DVD or a PDF you can download?

Lee said:

I wonder if the new product will be a DVD or a PDF you can download?

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New Haynes Manuals Going Digital Only, But Paper Books Will Remain Available

FREE Haynes Online Manual Preview
https://haynes.com/en-us/tips-tutorials/take-look-inside-haynes-online-manual

Latest online BMW motorcycle manual is 2018.

They offer an online manual for my bike:
https://haynes.com/en-us/bmw/r1200rt/2005-2009-0

$33 for a lifetime subscription

The Online Manual is not a printed product, not a PDF and not a download.

Access this manual immediately on your internet browser on your mobile, desktop or tablet.

With a Haynes Online Manual in an online format you get all the trusted content of a printed manual, with additional features to help you get the job done. Take your entire manual with you on every journey.

Key features:

All colour step-by-step guides for over 200 jobs with 700+ photos
Image zoom feature for close-up view of jobs
Brand-new “how to” video tutorials covering key repair tasks
Print complete sections to take with you into the workshop
Troubleshooting section – quickly find the cause of a problem
Colour wiring diagrams help track problems quickly and easily
Easy search feature – find your job fast
Dictionary of automotive terms
Quick links to popular DIY tasks and other jobs linked to your task
Conversion calculator – imperial and metric units

mikegalbicka said:

Latest online BMW motorcycle manual is 2018.

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Yes, but that's only for a few models. The most recent bike covered for the majority is in the early to mid-2010's. For the R1200 WC models it's 2016. For the F series it appears to be 2016 as well. For the K series it appears to be 2010. So, it does not appear to be an option for models built within the previous five years. Technically (no pun intended here), my 2018 is not completely covered by the manual for the 2013-2016 R1200 GS.

I wonder if they realize the lack of a true dealer network in the lower 48 US
states.

Interested in seeing how Haynes pulls this off and where they are getting their data. I’m sure there’s a non-resell clause in the subscription contract for BMW’s digital manual system and doubt that BMW would be interested in licensing Haynes to resell all or part of the service information.

Best,
DeVern

GTRider said:

Interested in seeing how Haynes pulls this off and where they are getting their data. I’m sure there’s a non-resell clause in the subscription contract for BMW’s digital manual system and doubt that BMW would be interested in licensing Haynes to resell all or part of the service information.

Best,
DeVern

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“Where it came from” is relatively easy to track. When you download from iTunes, your email gets embedded. Probably nobody is really interested unless someone tries to become the next Napster.
OM

I just bought a Honda because of BMW's decision to make manuals unavailable.
I also sent them an email telling them so.
I got an email from them thanking me for my 45 years of loyalty.
We have to let them know what we think about the manual situation.
Who knows, it might help.

I think they have us confused with their car customers.

Joe

joe garski said:

I just bought a Honda because of BMW's decision to make manuals unavailable.
I also sent them an email telling them so.
I got an email from them thanking me for my 45 years of loyalty.
We have to let them know what we think about the manual situation.
Who knows, it might help.

I think they have us confused with their car customers.

Joe

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I'm a bit surprised that BMW doesn't work harder to cross-sell their cars and motorcycles. There have been a few fits and starts, but little systematic effort, far as I can tell.

Mods - Can we combine all of these various DVD/Service Manual/Right to Repair threads into one?

bigjohn -

See this: https://forums.bmwmoa.org/showthrea...availability&p=1272326&viewfull=1#post1272326