Another F800GS delay?

Paul, Would you see if you can get a direct e-mail address of Eric Buell? Or Willie G

PAULBACH said:

I think HD/Buell came out with a Rotax engine in one of their bikes this spring but not a parallel engine. But the engine went into a sport bike which has quite a lean forward position for the rider. Seems like they got the right engine but then put it in the wrong bike.

It would have been sweet in the Buell XT. So HD has the right engine, but they put it in the wrong bike.

Will be going out today to pick up one of those free neck gaiters that Buell is giving away. Don't want Buell to think that BMW riders are so snobbish as to turn down free motorcycle apparel.b

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Are you riding? I've family in Corinth, Saratoga Springs and Glens Falls, New York.

They've told me that this has been a really rough winter and they finally can get some use out of their snowmobiles. If you find a Buell representative that seems knowledgeable, please press him for more information on the new Rotax engine.

I buy my Harley's from either Buddy Stubbs in Phoenix or Chester's H-D in Mesa.

Neither of these shops carries Buell, and the Buell shop in Chandler and shop in Tucson don't know a thing about Buell. They just want to sell Fat Boys and Glides!

Paul,I'm heading over to the Harley dealer now

PAULBACH said:

I think HD/Buell came out with a Rotax engine in one of their bikes this spring but not a parallel engine. But the engine went into a sport bike which has quite a lean forward position for the rider. Seems like they got the right engine but then put it in the wrong bike.

It would have been sweet in the Buell XT. So HD has the right engine, but they put it in the wrong bike.

Will be going out today to pick up one of those free neck gaiters that Buell is giving away. Don't want Buell to think that BMW riders are so snobbish as to turn down free motorcycle apparel.b

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for a cookout,but I don't believe they'll be giving those neck gaiters away here in south Florida!
Maybe something to keep us cool though.High 82 today.

Again I appreciate your feelings Beemerdons; however, I suspect you will have trouble with a contract argument. Based on my experience I found my contract was with the dealer. Failure to perform was his error for overstating what he could deliver in that contract. When we tried to move up the food chain to the manufacturer they were able to spit out the proverbial hook because their contract contained the legalize escape clause that protected them.

bigdelta said:

Maybe something to keep us cool though.High 82 today.

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You are killing me! We have not seen the sun in almost a week. It is supposed to come out on Monday briefly before disappearing for another long stretch.
I always get so weary of winter in February.

Speaking about Buell, free neck gaitor offer: http://www.experiencebuell.com/

Along with the sunshine

Mongo said:

You are killing me! We have not seen the sun in almost a week. It is supposed to come out on Monday briefly before disappearing for another long stretch.
I always get so weary of winter in February.

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comes the liquid sunshine too!A few showers but rain never hurt anyone,unless you're traveling 100 mph w/o a shield.
Hang in there,spring is just around the corner...

I'm afraid that father BMW has lost some customers on the 800GS project -- some perhaps permanently. I think many might have taken a decision to halt the GS production altogether better than they are taking the on again -- off again marketing decisions that are being made.

And the suggestion that the delay may be due to excess inventory of larger GS models is ludicrous. Its like saying that they know that no one will want a 1200 once the 800 is introduced so we need to con those customers into buying something that they don't want by withholding the availability of something that we know they do want. Do they expect us to buy a 1200 and trade it on an 800 in a year? And what of the resale value of the 1200s if that is their strategy?

I'm willing to bet that we will eventually hear a rumor that production was stopped because of some horrible flaw in the design. Such a rumor, unanswered by facts, could easily cause the project to go stillborn. But BMW leave themseleves open to such speculation by telling the customer one story after another after another.

I love their bikes, but their marketing and customer service is going to kill them.

Is there a Trans Alp Honda still in production?

I'm coming into this thread a touch late, but I was thinking about the big BMW promotion from the motorcycle shows, and on their website; the whole "Be Unstoppable" 03/08/08 F800GS giveaway. It's possible this is why in the contest rules they say "subject to vehicle availability". I wonder what they'll substitute as the prize, or if they'll ship ONE to the US for the winner?

Mongo said:

You are killing me! We have not seen the sun in almost a week. It is supposed to come out on Monday briefly before disappearing for another long stretch.
I always get so weary of winter in February.

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But ..

There are things worse than getting weary of winter in February ... like getting weary of winter in March and early April

Herleman said:

Did they give their marketing plan to Chris Bangle???

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I personally met Chris Bangle last year in Seattle. Interesting chat...one sharp American!

BMW is taking some risky challenges on...in the March issue of "Motor Cyclist" they summed it up correctly...

"The Business of BMW"

Big Changes are afoot inside BMW Motorrad. Will they jeopardize the company's recent success?"

Apparently some guy named Dr. Herbert Diess has been promoted from his position as President of BMW Motorrad to a seat on the companies’ main board of directors.

BMW is making record profits while jeopardizing delivery of vehicles while Diess is in charge of squeezing vendors to optimize profits. A far cry from the creative role he thrived in at BMW! Though he is no longer directly involved with Motorcycles, he will be remembered for successfully transforming BMW from a Niche manufacturer of quirky-but-worthy motorcycles into a major player with a full range of products capable of competing head on with the Japanese while offering superior perceived quality and status (Sorry Japan, Taiwan and Korea)

My Take? They are having supply issues hence the delay in providing actual product to the US market (And Canada) In the past Canadians where the test bed for new launches, something that has become a thing of the past.

It will be worth the wait! 800GS I’m waiting…..please before Christmas! Delay has nothing to do with a flaw, the 800 is bullet proof!

Tomas

tominator said:

It will be worth the wait! 800GS Im waiting..please before Christmas! Delay has nothing to do with a flaw, the 800 is bullet proof!

Tomas

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OhOh. Touch wood.

billp said:

OhOh. Touch wood.

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With the way the Dollar is dropping, he'd be better off touching gold.

8.7 Gallons here

My new GSA1200 and its 8.7 g's will not run out and I just did the AZ.,Mexican Border deserts last week, with a little Death Valley thrown in too. A lot of offroad in all conditions. Yep, the GSA is bigger, BUT no slouch out there and certainly no lack of GAS...I grew tired of the F800 saga and will maybe go there another day in BMW's future, when they get off the stick. This is a first for BMW, as they have never in my years done a release and "not released". I think you will find millions and millions of dollars saved in Europe, by holding the American Dollar at arms length. Its weak and they know it! Raandy13233

tominator said:

I personally met Chris Bangle last year in Seattle. Interesting chat...one sharp American!

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. . . whose styling sense stinks! "Flame surfacing"?! The BMW cars now look Asian in design, and the motorcycles started to go that way, but have come back a little in the last few releases. Chris Bangle is the main reason I am looking at the new MB C300 Sport Sedan for a new car (I'd go for the C350, but you cannot buy it with a manual transmission).

BeemerMike said:

. . . whose styling sense stinks! "Flame surfacing"?! The BMW cars now look Asian in design, and the motorcycles started to go that way, but have come back a little in the last few releases. Chris Bangle is the main reason I am looking at the new MB C300 Sport Sedan for a new car (I'd go for the C350, but you cannot buy it with a manual transmission).

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Bye Bye Beemer Mike, hope you enjoy your Benz....Chris made a great reference to all Older BMW's looked like "Book Ends" He was right...now they have a distinct look like nothing else. If you are comparing the jap cars to BMW new styling? They actually copied BMW's style because the new world order within BMW styling department has increased the car sales and excitement world wide. Sorry for the bad news...but his design team has also made changes to the new Beemer Bikes. At first I felt the same as you, but the new styling is starting to grow on me! (I hate to say it) I currently own a 2003 RT and people often comment on it like Nice Bike, but when I borrow a new RT form the Dealer people say WOW! Never new BMW was that big into motorcycles.

Oh on the Benz? Not the same car they used to be from a quality perspective, make sure you get a extended warranty.

Cheers
Tomas

tominator said:

Oh on the Benz? Not the same car they used to be from a quality perspective, make sure you get a extended warranty.

Cheers
Tomas

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+1 on that. I had a '05 S500 Benz - what a piece of crap. Never again. Ergonomics all wrong, cheap interior and stuff breaks a lot. Buy a M5 BMW, you can get it with the standard transmission. I tried out a M6 with SMG, didn't like the way it shifted around town. The dealer let us take it out for a day, nice road car - horrible around town with it's abrupt shifts.

Mercedes has had some issues over the years. I suspect the price of automobiles and the fierce Japanese Competition has led them astray sacrificing quality for price. ItÔÇÖs a tough market out there...BMW is one of few that has continued to succeed in the Hi End Car market.

Tomas

tominator said:

Bye Bye Beemer Mike, hope you enjoy your Benz....Chris made a great reference to all Older BMW's looked like "Book Ends" He was right...now they have a distinct look like nothing else. If you are comparing the jap cars to BMW new styling? They actually copied BMW's style because the new world order within BMW styling department has increased the car sales and excitement world wide.

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Oh, I'm well aware that Chris Bangle deflects all criticism of him and what he has done to BMW as just coming from the "design unwashed" of the world who do not understand his genius.

Granted, BMW car sales are up . . . but Toyota just overtook the General to be the #1 world wide vehicle manufacturer, and I don't plan to buy a Toyota either. I'm not sure it really makes much difference if it is a BMW looks like a Honda, or it is a Honda looks like a BMW. I have noticed that the new Hyundai's have bustle-back trunks like the new 6-Series. Is that good?

BMW cars now have a distinct look like nothing else?! When I come up on a new 3-Series coupe from behind, I still cannot be sure that it is not a Toyota Camry until I can see the roundel.

tominator said:

Sorry for the bad news...but his design team has also made changes to the new Beemer Bikes.

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I know, and I noted that in my post. The recent R1200 ST?! What was THAT?

tominator said:

At first I felt the same as you, but the new styling is starting to grow on me! (I hate to say it) I currently own a 2003 RT and people often comment on it like Nice Bike, but when I borrow a new RT form the Dealer people say WOW! Never new BMW was that big into motorcycles.

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The new Audi styling is starting to grow on me. The new BMW styling . . . not so much.

tominator said:

Oh on the Benz? Not the same car they used to be from a quality perspective, make sure you get a extended warranty.

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MB's recent reliability issues have generally centered on trying to put too much electronics and technology in their cars, especially their braking assist system (sound familiar?). I believe they have been rethinking that, and the C-class does not have as much tech and gizmos to start with. And anyway, I'm not claiming that MB has the best reliability.

But let's not kid ourselves that BMW cars are the pinnacle of reliability. I have bought five new BMW cars since 1998, and they all had problems, many of which the BMW dealers could not fix without multiple attempts. BMW essentially bought back my second Z3 2.8, because they could not figure out why when driving at 1,900 rpm with the AC on the car would randomly NOT slow down when you took your foot off the throttle (although it would never do it if the AC was off). Plastic water pumps and radiators that are not "life of the engine" components. And now I hear the new 3.5 liter twin-turbo engine overheats if you drive it too hard. Both MB and BMW now have 4/50 warranties, and you should consider an extended warranty on both if you plan to keep them longer (although those warranties are overall a bad deal).

And not "bye bye", I plan to stay in Bimmerland . . . I'll just be keeping my 2001 Z3 3.0i. I love the way BMW cars drive . . . I just do not love the way the new BMW cars look.

Uh . . . I guess we've gotten a little off topic for this thread.

BeemerMike: Since we are off topic anyway please provide me your wisdom on 4cyl Z3's.

I'd originally posted onto the thread because I was one of the very first to put a deposit down on the new F800GS here in Arizona; and one of the first to get his $500 back because this bike won't arrive until 2009 and who knows at what price.

However, you really caught my attention with your knowledge of BMW cars and particularly the Z3 sports car. If you don't want to clog up the thread by replying here my personal e-mail is beemerdons@aol.com and I want to know about the Z3

I'm wild about 4 cylinder sports cars: Triumph Spitfire, MGB, Mini Cooper, TR4 and my greatest 4 cylinder sports car I've owned, my 1966 Volvo P1800S; 500K miles.

If you don't mind, I would like to pick your brain regarding the BMW Z3 1.9 liter four cylinder roadsters; any pros and cons that you can tell me about this model.

I have been riding BMW opposed twin motorcycles continuously since March of 1969 (up to four beemers in the garage), but this will be my first BMW automobile!

Any links or articles about the 4 cylinder BMW Z3 would sincerely appreciated. Don

Point Taken...Welcome Back Mike!

Tomas