Am I crazy for considering a R1200GS?

[KCW]

I am considering a R1200GS just for something different, and because I can get support easier here in Hawaii.
So I now ask you, am I foolish for considering a BMW R1200GS? Are they as unreliable as they sound? Are they as expensive to maintain as they sound to be?
Any and ALL feedback welcomed. Please share your experiences. Actual experiences, not hearsay please.

 

[Newbium]

IMO, it comes down to personal preference. I just sold my 2008 GS so I could buy a 2015 Tenere ES. My GS never let me down on any ride, including going from Kalifornia to Prudhoe Bay and back, and the AZBDR and UTBDR. But you are right about it being more expensive to maintain than a Japanese bike.

I got rid of it because I never bonded with it. For me some bikes just click while others bore me to tears. The Tenere is a hoot to ride and I'm enjoying it much more than I ever did the GS. But again, I never had an issue with the GS. Time will tell if the Tenere will be as dependable as the GS, but I suspect it will be.

 

[Karl]

I only had the R1150GS Adventure but I loved that bike. It never let me down but I never paid for a service on it either. The main reason I got rid of it was the power along with the low tech and its age/mileage. I looked at getting a late 1200GS, which would certainly have addressed all of that but could no justify the extra $10k we have to pay over the S10. Also, over here a lot of the 1200GS riders are wannabe riding accountant wankers.

K

 

[Big Blu]

About a year ago I traded a '12 ST that I owned for two years and 27 k miles for a '15 GSA....
No, you're not foolish, go for it!

I'd say the reliability of the pre LC GS/GSA on par with the ST. As with any manufacturer new model bring improvements in reliability, in addition to Liquid cooling, there was focus on redesign the final drive and clutch.

I've been a fan of the boxer motor for over 30 yrs. and the new LC models are the best of the best.
Compared to the ST the LC GS is lighter, has more hp/trq., a set of electronics that integrates ride modes, suspension, ABS, TC, that will make you a better rider, especially off the Tarmac, ect...... major service on the BMW is so much easier then on the ST, even I can do it.

I'm fortunate to have 3 excellent dealer in my area.

Paul

 

[caillou]

When I was shopping for a new bike earlier this year, I was interested by the Tenere, the KTM990 (used), the 1190 and the new GS.

I googled "BMW GS LC reliability" and it came with thousands of pages, horrible pics and stories.

So I called a friend in Europe who is a head mechanic at a BMW dealer there. He was very clear with me: do not touch it... He explained BMW has created a new profile of users: people that buy BMW because of its name, that buy brand new model, keep them for the time it is warranted (2 to 3 years) so have every problem covered, and when warranty is over, buy a new bike and leave the "old" one at the dealer. So he told me that if I wanted to keep the bike any longer than 3 years (warranty in Canada), I would be better with another bike. He was considering the Tenere as a much better motorbike on this point (reliability and cost of ownership).

So I bought the Tenere and never had to look back. Life and season is too short to leave my bike for several weeks at dealership each season.

 

[Roge]

::026::

IMO, it comes down to personal preference. I just sold my 2008 GS so I could buy a 2015 Tenere ES. My GS never let me down on any ride, including going from Kalifornia to Prudhoe Bay and back, and the AZBDR and UTBDR. But you are right about it being more expensive to maintain than a Japanese bike.

I got rid of it because I never bonded with it. For me some bikes just click while others bore me to tears. The Tenere is a hoot to ride and I'm enjoying it much more than I ever did the GS. But again, I never had an issue with the GS. Time will tell if the Tenere will be as dependable as the GS, but I suspect it will be.

::026::

 

[Andylaser]

www.youtube.com/watch?v=QTTO3dn2MQc

 

[racer1735]

That's funny!! ::012:: ::025::

 

[trainman]

I have had the 1150 and the 1200 (gen 1), neither ever let me down but both had the 'usual' issues of fuel tank level sensor and gear position switch, the fuel level issues seems to be one where BMW just keep renewing then strip in the tank and have never solved the issue retrospectively, about £300 per time if you have to pay

the amount of issues on the forums is worrying but certainly over here they have sold a lot of bikes, so I am not sure how fair it is or how much worse it has got of late, my dealers labour prices were no worse than the Jap dealers but parts were pricey (consumable's had crazy prices)

some one summed it up well in a magazine recently - if you have one you need a warranty and you need to be prepared for visits to the dealer who will sort you out but you may have to get used to loan bikes

I would also add that they are very easy to service and over here if you have it done by someone competent BMW have to honour the warranty

like a comment above it never struck me as a bike I really bonded with, the reliability rumours worried me, whether true or not - also over here they are as common as muck, its nice to stand out, so that why maybe I liked the KTM, Aprilia and S10 more!

 

[Rasher]

Bought a 2 year old 2008 GS (in 2010 obviously) with 6k on the clock, 2 years on and at 20k it had needed:

Front Discs warped

Forks seals blew

Gearbox Seal (Oil Leak)

Clutch problem (took 2 visits to dealer to fix)

Intermittent cut out problem - never resolved (Was very occasional, maybe once every 1,000 - 2,000 miles, but would sometimes cut out just as you changed down gear to pull out on a roundabout)

3-4 Blown headlight bulbs

Failed heated grip


Nothing major, and it never left me stranded, but much as I loved the bike to ride I could not bring myself to buy a new one, my S10 is now almost exactly as old as the GS with the same mileage and has never missed a beat.

In my experience BMW do look after you quite well, but the cost of servicing and extended warranties for that peace of mind is (IMO) too much of a premium to pay....

....but don't let that put you off if you really want one and can afford the servicing and warranty, and now the LC is a few years old BMW have probably worked through most of the design flaws with the several thousand strong beta test team, sorry I mean last 3 years customers.

 

[ace50]

"Am I crazy for considering a R1200GS?"

Yes,...............yes you are! ::002::

 

[Squibb]

Well, all things considered, I'm with Rasher on this one, so I say take care.

My early experiences of BMW were excellent, but that was over 40 years ago now. These days it's the owners that have to do the beta testing, so it's a whole different ball game. No experience of the GS(LC) but my 2012 K1600 (so 18 months into the production run) proved to be the most unreliable bike I have ever owned, EVER! Huge warranty work was needed, suspension/gearbox/fuel leaks so it spent almost 3 months off the road last summer. Once fixed, it just had to go - I'm too long in the tooth to put up with such nonsense. Believe me, no warranty in the World prepares you for hassle like this - OK your wallet is insulated, but the time & trouble can never be factored in.

Additionally, & maybe it's just me, but I never really got on with the front forks. Yes they separate the braking & suspension forces & they smooth out the ride, but it's all at the expense of feel/feedback from where I sit. I far prefer a decent set of tele forks & I rekon my ES is pretty good in this regard.

By all means have a good test on a GS & a KTM maybe, but don't just change for the sake of a little extra performance that you will rarely use. BMW service is expensive & parts, at least the more significant items, are hardly ever available, even in Germany. Everything is JIT, so repairs take ............ weeks....... & often months. Still you will have the security of 'Lemon Laws', something we don't enjoy in the UK yet, so you have a bail out if needed.

Finally, & again it just might be me, but take what other BMW owners tell you with a large pinch of salt. The BMW sales system seeks to lock people into the brand, so they seem to stay wedded & many churn bikes over on a 2/3 year cycle, in line with warranty. They don't seem to step away & take stock of their experiences very often &, as I found to my cost, it can be very difficult to trade BMW bikes outside their franchised dealer network.

OK, I know, I'm a bit biased but, take it from me............... proceed with caution.

Ride Safe ................... KEN

 

[RED CAT]

Bought a new 2008 GS1200 and had it for almost 4 years before buying my first Tenere. Don't miss the Beamer one bit. The whole BMW experience was not pleasant overall. The bike was ok but it sure was nice to get back to a Japanese bike. Just ride, ride, ride. add more gas and tires and go. On my second Tenere now and love it even more than the 1st one. 1 year old and 25,000kms. I like to ride. My pal just bought a new 2014 GS1200 and has been back to the Dealer several times for various problems. The spoked rims are weak on the new Beamers and dent very easily. Just ask him. Don't do it!

 

[caillou]

I know there are a lot of rumors about BMW reliability, but if you check this report, these are not only rumors but facts:

http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/news/2015/04/who-makes-the-most-reliable-motorcycle/index.htm

 

[markjenn]

I know there are a lot of rumors about BMW reliability, but if you check this report, these are not only rumors but facts:

http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/news/2015/04/who-makes-the-most-reliable-motorcycle/index.htm

As is the following survey, also done by CR, which rates BMW higher than Yamaha in overall owner satisfaction:

http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/news/2015/04/which-motorcycle-brand-has-the-highest-owner-satisfaction/index.htm

Reliability is important and the Yamaha is, on average, more reliable. But there is more to owning a vehicle than reliability, otherwise, we'd all be driving Toyota Camrys.

- Mark

 

[markjenn]

The spoked rims are weak on the new Beamers and dent very easily.

In this area, I'd take the BMW rims over the S10's which have been problematic.

- Mark

 

[Andylaser]

The picture of the guys riding the Victorys look more like weekend warriors then daily commuters. If you only ride your bike on sunny Sunday afternoons, then expectations are going to be different. Would they be equally satisfied with their big cruiser commuting to work at 7AM on a rainy January morning

 

[Stridey]

That's funny!! ::012:: ::025::

 

[Don in Lodi]

A friend traded his 08 GS for a Tenere after his fourth final drive replacement that BMW wouldn't cover.

 

[Big Blu]

KWC... this may be of interest to you, I think it is the most object review and comparison in the press:
http://www.ridermagazine.com/road-tests/adventure-shootout-bmw-r-1200-gs-adventure-ktm-1190-adventure-yamaha-super-tenere-es.htm/

A similar thread is currently running on ADVrider. Several of the GS/GSA owners active in that thread were former ST owners, some were ardent supporters of the ST before they made the switch:
http://advrider.com/index.php?threads/pre-2014-super-tenere-gs-lc.1103258/

You requested we share our personal experience with BMW's, here's mine. Hope it helps.

My personal experience with BMW:
Me: I've got 55+ years of riding experience, have owned more then 50 different bikes, during most of my life bike were my primary mode of transportation, Now that I'm retired I ride 20-15K miles a year, about 5K of that is in Europe. I keep a bike in Europe and spend 6-8 weeks each summer riding there. I'm a lucky guy living my dream, life is good! I'm no fan boy of any particular marques and will own/ride anything that makes me smile. I've been stranded at roadside twice on a bike one was on my '09 Moto Guzzi 1200 Sport with electrical issues, and the other time was on a '06 FJR with ignition switch issues. I was travelling on the FJR and was stranded for 5 days 800 miles from home, it was a design issue resulting in many failures and no spare switched were available in the US. The dick head Yamaha dealer would not swap a switch from a new bike he had on the floor until I made legal threats to Yamaha customer service. A month later I received a recall notice from Yamaha for the ignition switch. I was reimbursed by Yamaha Corp for parts and labor but not for the 5 days lodging or food (I was just a few days out of the warranty period)

My 1st BMW was a new 1973 50/5(32hp/425lbs naked) with a Vetter fairing and Krauser panniers, a proper touring machine in its day. Since them I've own 7 other BMW's( 3 boxers, a flying brick, 2 parallel twins, and a 6 cylinder) have put maybe 250,000-300,000 mile on them and never had a major issue, have never been stranded, no hard stars issues, no fires, no CTC failures, no wheel/spoke failures (BMW tubeless spoke wheels are know to be the best in the business) as reported here on this forum. I have had recalls from most manufactures so BMW is not alone in that regard.

You can see from my experience that it has been Yamaha reliability and dealer support that had the a more negative impact on my riding experience then BMW.

BNW did have some rough years from about '04-'08 and were slow to respond to issues and sometimes in denial. Dealer were pissed and customers less then satisfied. That's changed. They are more customer friendly, more responsive to issues, work more closely with the dealer network, and most importantly have designed the completely new LC line with focus on reliability. Major improvements were made to the clutch, the final drive, and of course the motor. As I see it, the LC GS/GSA are a much better package then earlier models and at least on par with Yamaha for reliability, and in my part of the world BMW has a much stronger dealer network.

Hope you find my experience helpful in your decision process.

Just yesterday I was at my local BMW/Duc/KTM dealer to pick up the parts I need for a service and I made a big mistake, I took a test ride on a 1290 Super Duke they have as a demo. Sooo light weight, great motor, excellent suspension, surprisingly comfy, quick handling but stable at speed..... if only I had the room in my garage for one more. ::025::

Paul