800gs

Beemerdons said:

So, my personal experience with writing to BMW is akin to teaching a pig how to sing: It's a complete waste of your time and it annoys the living hell out of the pig!

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If you're going to take the time to write them - be sure to do it on some of that special paper that comes on a 2 ply roll. That way, your letter can be used for something constructive once it arrives. BMWNA will appreciate it.

YUK! (expletive deleted because this is a civl forum)

I just talked to my local dealer...get ready for this:

1.) They do not expect to have any F800gs's until year end.

2.) There will not be an 800gs at the Chicago International Motorcycle Show.

3.) My local dealer is in a very unhappy place right now.

I wonder if the 800gs will be in Canada?

I was one of those on the delivery list, numero uno at my dealer, with aspirations of spring riding through the hills of New Mexico and Colorado...not to mention Utah. I even have a bunch of stickers advertising ÔÇ£Unstoppable 3.08.08" relating to the much anticipated delivery date of the 800GS. Yes, I even signed up for the give-away contest were the winner would be announced in a live Web broadcast. ThatÔÇÖs me, hook, line and sinker. Now it sounds like all the excitement and anticipation is the result of a cruel hoax. Of course I have the proper perspective...itÔÇÖs only a motorcycle and not the end of the world. But I canÔÇÖt seem to shake the feeling of being had. Oh, well.

Dates(3.08.08 vs 3/08/08 for del. of 800GS

lensuz....I have the same bunch of stickers advertising ÔÇ£Unstoppable 3.08.08", relating to the much anticipated delivery date of the 800GS", but come to think, if these placards were printed in Germany by BMW then the dates are correct for August delivery. You see in the US we indicate our dates in this order: month/day/ year while in Germany it is: day/month/year. So the dates on the stickers is 3.08.08 with periods(.) indicated. This is German, so the August dates for delivery is correct. No error on BMWNA's part, more of dealer and our misreading??

Achtung Motorradfahrer: Es ist nicht richtig. Es ist kaput und scheisse! 3.08.08 es.

http://unstoppable.bmwmotorcyclesus.com/

I lived in Augsburg, Germany for two years courtesy of my Uncle Sam and thanks to six years of German from St. John's Lutheran Parochial School in Orange, California: Ich spreche Deutsche. And you are so absolutely correct about the European date orientation and indications! However, the dates on everything that BMWNA has produced related to the Worldwide Unstoppable Open House is Events being on March 8, 2008; whether it is in Berlin, Paris or Scottsdale, Arizona.

I'm on the electronic mailing lists of the three Arizona BMW dealers: Mister John Cartwright of Iron Horse BMW in Tucson, Rick Hall of Victory BMW in Chandler and David Slepak of BMW Motorcycles of Scottsdale. Every one of the dealers got the same info from BMWNA / Motorrad AG and sent them out to all of their customers!

Unbelievably, David has still not received anything in writing about what he is supposed to be doing on March 8 for customers! So he still has everything in the works, music-food-seminars-raffles-Hootergirls, for a bike that won't even be there

What's truly amazing is the link above is still on the BMWNA web site as I write this. One part of their organization is shutting down deliveries of the F800GS to North America, while simultaneously the advertising department is still promoting!

I also have a half dozen of the stickers, but I also have the large poster and it is printed here in Estados Unidos. I think that ultracyclist is correct, nobody in NA is going to see a F800GS until December. My bet is they will now ask $3K more for it.

My Fellow F800GS "Waiters": The comments of "cruel hoax" and "being had" from lensuz really struck a nerve with me. I have accepted that PAULBACH is right, BMWNA is not getting to get off the spit without my expressing my displeasure.

As soon as possible I am going to draft a nice and polite letter of complaint to NA.

One thing is for sure, when we are all at Gillette, Wyoming together this summer for the BMWMOA International Rally you will certainly be able to pick out and spot Beemerdon's bike parked at the CamPlex: It will be the KTM 690 Adventure with the Arizona license plate and the AZ Beemers license plate ring; and adorned with "Unstoppable 3.08.08" stickers on the panniers, tank, windshield and fender.

Lets get those stickers out!

Sounds like a good idea for the national rally. Maybe you'll find me on a V-Strom or I am waiting for that Buell Ulysses to put the Rotex engine in it.

gpodzo

podsobinski: Do we need to ask Visian if we need to start a new thread for this move?

gpodzo: Would you like to be my co-conspirator in a movement to have all of the F800GS "Waiters" show up on their "other" new dual sport machinery at Gillette with "3.08.08"? Sometimes you just have to laugh; otherwise, you would cry! Ha!

beemerdons

I do not blame you at all for wanting to vote with your dollar. Ever since my Chevrolet Vega blew up at 29k miles, I swore that I would never own another GM car.

I think this situation is unforgivable. Period.

(small rant follows): At the 2008 Chicago I had planned on throwing a leg over the F800gs. I am sure many others had that same idea. Now we learn that there will not be an F800gs at any of the shows. I think this is a terrible betrayal given all that has happened.

How on Earth will BMW ever get more market share if it does crazy stuff like this?

After my Vega, I bought a Toyota. I then wrote a letter to the VP at Chevrolet who said that my engine had "normal wear and tear", and I said "good-bye".

(small rant ended)

Thank you.

So far no one has nominated this bike for this year's Motorcycle Bloggers International awards. I don't know enough about it...if you do, maybe you can add it, or any other BMW...as there are NONE on the list yet!

ultracyclist: I hear you loud and clear, brother! We're so loyal to a crappy outfit!

Since I'm also a member of www.fjrforum.com and Harley Owners Group I've a unique perspective from where I can safely say that BMW owner/enthusiasts are the most brand loyal customer/consumers that have ever existed in motorcycling!

And yet it seems that every time that you turn around BMWNA and BMW Motorrad AG both always seem to conspire to dump on we individuals as hard as they can!!

At both of the other clubs that I belong to, a stunt like this would have everyone up in arms. But even with the final drive fiascoes, the tranny troubles, the spline screw-ups, the sorry surging, and now the failure to deliver on deposited product that we would finally rise up and tell BMWNA and Motorrad to screw themselves!

I've just reached a point after 40 years that I'm not sending any money to Munich!

MOA Officers and Board Members--Heads UP!

May I suggest that BMW at least have the 800gs at the motorcycle shows. I am sure that you (we) could come up with at least 3 hard hitting reasons to do this.

Now would be good time to over-night that letter to the Fatherland.

Does anyone know what the RA is doing?

Vega

I do not blame you at all for wanting to vote with your dollar. Ever since my Chevrolet Vega blew up at 29k miles, I swore that I would never own another GM car.

You actually got 29k out of the Vega now that is impresive

erickson9502

Motorradfahrer said:

lensuz....I have the same bunch of stickers advertising ÔÇ£Unstoppable 3.08.08", relating to the much anticipated delivery date of the 800GS", but come to think, if these placards were printed in Germany by BMW then the dates are correct for August delivery. You see in the US we indicate our dates in this order: month/day/ year while in Germany it is: day/month/year. So the dates on the stickers is 3.08.08 with periods(.) indicated. This is German, so the August dates for delivery is correct. No error on BMWNA's part, more of dealer and our misreading??

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YIKES! That makes too much sense now...and right on timeline info from dealer now still gonna wait, being pissed off is in my control and I ain't goin' there...disappointed, but have other bikes to ride until then.

ultracyclist: You have made many good suggestions!! henzilla: That'd be something!!

Dear ultracyclist: You are a smart guy, with many good suggestions; please keep them coming. I had actually asked David if he at least was going to have one F800GS at the "Unstoppable 3.08.08" event so that I also could check it out in person. But his answer was no, and that sealed the deal that I wanted my money back. Since I already loved the specifications, an actual field inspection may just have kept me onboard with my $500 deposit as a disappointed "waiter".

Dear Henzilla: I am enjoying my lunch here in my office in Phoenix, staring at the saguaro cactus outside of my window and pondering your most recent posting.

Ach du Lieber, Mein Gott im Himmel! Was ist los? As first glance I thought that Motorradfahrer had to have just misinterpreted the BMWNA web site and many Internet advertisings that were here on our BMWMOA forum and in Owners News.

But, after seeing your latest post and re-digesting Der Motorradfahrer's postings, this just possibly could be the true story. Can you imagine if this was something so blindingly stupid as for BMWNA and BMW Motorrad AG not being able to read a freaking 2008 calendar? If this is indeed the case, as a businessman myself, I would send everyone involved in for drug/alcohol testing. I know that we in the Southwest have mota y poppies coming up from Sonora, but I had no idea that narco y drogas were making it all the way to New Jersey and Bavaria. Holy Cow!!

That'd certainly explain why none of our AZ Dealers can get a written response!!

Beemerdons said:

Ach du Lieber, Mein Gott im Himmel!

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HEY! My grandmother used to say that all the time!!!!

She just left out the "Mein"...


Hey, why not look for a good used twin spark 650GS for the time being?!
few pounds less than the 800GS (and quite a bit less ponies) but a great bike none the less!?

Kutch

I have a solution



More horsepower (1125cc), lower cost, made in America (except for the rotax engine)

A close up!

beemerdons

Thank you for the compliment.

I do believe the european dating system is in play here. But didnt a memo go out at least to the dealers?

But I find this corporate BMW thing hard to fathom. The smart marketing move would be to have bikes at least on display at key US (and Canada?) locations in 2008.

For what it is worth, Triumph IS coming out with a Tiger 675 (middle weight touring bike-about 80-85hp) in 2009. Triumph Rat Net members are anxiously awaiting that bike like we are waiting for the F8GS.

Kawa has the new Versys out, and Honda has a new CB9?? (1000?) due late '08 or early '09.

The new Honda will have kindler ad gentler ergo's like an H-D Super Glide-they have targeted that market, ala the Triumph Bonny. The pic of the bike is a bit retro.

Hmmmm. Now let us see...just thinking out loud...middleweight+easy ergo's.
Do ya think there may be a shift in the buying motorcycle population of the US?

Maybe BMW wants to bring out the 800 when other companies launch their new middleweights?

Why we could speculate on this for a long time!

Henzilla had great advice "being pissed off is in my control and I ain't going there"

Guys: Thanks for all of your excellent input regarding my finding another dual sport by May and I will come up with something. I just wanted that new F800GS!!

gpodzo and Paul mentioning the Buell Ulysses will have me checking out when they will become available with the Rotax engine. Ulysses currently has the Sportster 1200 mill and I already have a "Milwaukee vibrator" motor in my garage in my H-D 2002 FXD. I test rode a Ulysses last year and I do like the ergonomics.

Kutch recommended the BMW F650GS and I need to go back and give these a second look. I rode Andalucia, Spain in February of 2006 with my AZ Beemers buddy Uri Schumm. It was with Edelweiss Tours and Uri had a F650GS and I was riding a BMW 1150 Rockster. We swapped bikes for half a day in the area around Ronda and I couldn't wait to get my butt back on the twin, and off of that single.

But that was not a valid off road test of the F650GS and I need to check them out.

What is done, is indeed over and done with, in regards to Corporate BMW; they are not going to change a thing to the benefit of the BMW customers/consumers.

It is baffling that BMW Motorrad AG was advertising the F800GS meaning August 3, 2008 and BMW North America was telling their NA Dealers to go out and sign up contracts with buyers while accepting their $500 deposits for May bike deliveries!