Would you have bought your Tenere if it was the same price as a BMW 1200GS?

[Twray]

Well, I started the thread and appreciate the majority of the replies.

After much soul searching and riding both the Super Tenere and the 1200GS, I bought a new BMW Triple Black R1200GS. It was just more fun to ride for me, and the engine felt stronger. The 3 year warranty and a great dealer in Carolina Euro was also a big deciding factor.

We are lucky to have 2 great bikes to choose from. The difference between the two is small and boils down to personal preferences.

Thanks for all the imput, hope everyone enjoys their choices....

 

[EricV]

After much soul searching and riding both the Super Tenere and the 1200GS, I bought a new BMW Triple Black R1200GS.

Enjoy the new bike!

 

[rem]

After much soul searching and riding both the Super Tenere and the 1200GS, I bought a new BMW Triple Black R1200GS.

You got the color right .... three times !!!!! I hope it proves to be the right decision for you. Best of luck. R

 

[SuperTUSMC]

Why I could never bring myself to buy the Beak

[smg id=1288 type=full align=center caption="B(eak)MW"] [smg id=1289 type=full align=center caption="GrandpaSimpson"]

… is it just me, or do these two share the same designer?​

 

[~TABASCO~]

Yes. After riding both bikes many times and considering all aspects of both the choice is easy for me. I'll stick with the Yamaha even if they where the same price.

 

[BaldKnob]

Why I could never bring myself to buy the Beak

[smg id=1288 type=full align=center caption="B(eak)MW"] [smg id=1289 type=full align=center caption="GrandpaSimpson"]

… is it just me, or do these two share the same designer?​

Probably different designers as Grampa Simpson seems much more durable! BMW appears to have made said beak even larger on the current model. They must be trying to compensate for something. And yes, I would buy the Yamaha over the Beemer again but I would have looked for a lightly used one if prices were equal.

Thanks to you, SuperTUSMC and all that you do for this Country.

 

[Rasher]

At the start of this topic I had not yet bought my S10.

I really wanted the last of the air cooled GS models, but could not take the gamble that is a BMW motorcycle, the Yamaha was second choice for two reasons, firstly the GS was a great bike, it did everything well and I loved riding my '08 model and the 2012 was almost identical except with a better engine - which meant it probably had the same weak points of FPC / FD / Fuel gauge / ABS Controller issues and a clutch that takes 2 days to replace if it ever fails.

Over here the GS was cheaper, but deals were around on lightly used (ex demo) or pre-reg (registered with 0 miles) bikes so I got one with 150 miles on the clock for £2.5k off list price, the only thing it really needed was the ECU flash, now IMO it is as good as the GS overall and cheaper to maintain / run - definitely the right decision.

 

[fxst78]

In Australia I got my S10 with outback pack (bash plate, headlight guard and luggage) for $17990 on road. A GSA would have been $35990 on road from my local dealer (Townsville).
If I could have have picked up a new GSA for under $20k in would have!
For a sub $20k GSA I would have been buying a used 3 year old bike.


Sent with a leaf using a pointy stick.

 

[GrahamD]

A GSA would have been $35990 on road from my local dealer (Townsville).
...
For a sub $20k GSA I would have been buying a used 3 year old bike.

There's that famous BMW resale value again. ::024::

Almost considered a 15 month old $18,500 GSA so I could flip it for some farkle money. I thought it would be gone by the time I got to it. After I bought the S10 it was still around. Not enough coins in the pocket but still a bit surprised it didn't move. Maybe it was that 2013 model looming.

GSA for the same money Maybe. GS no.

 

[John D]

Yes. Price was not the deciding factor. Dealer support, and chances of being stranded in the middle of nowhere were. Yamaha won on both counts. The price was just a bonus.

 

[MurphCO]

I think the question needs a second part:


If they were the same price
And
If cost of ownership were the same


Would you still buy the ST?


As has been stated by several previously, the initial cost wasn't really the issue, to me it was cost of ownership that swayed me to the Yamaha. One way to say that is reliability and the other is maintenance being fairly inexpensive. I want a motorcycle I can ride and not worry about

If cost of ownership were not an issue I would have gone with a Guzzi Stelvio.....simply for the exotic factor

 

[zini]

Good point about the cost of ownership. BMW servicing costs are significantly more than Yamaha, without considering the costs of ownership when the GS is out of warranty.

I owned a 1150GS previously and you have to service the bike every 10,000km plus there are items over and above this that require an annual service.

Whilst the ST might be slightly down on power against the GS (old air cooled version) I found the Akropovic pipe cured this.

Apart from that the only difference is the electronically adjustable suspension, and it wasnt worth the extra cost.

 

[HoebSTer]

With what I know of Japanese bikes compared to what I have heard of BMW GS bikes, I would go with the Tenere if it was more money than the GS.

 

[Mike the bike]

Hi

Well in the UK the price difference between the two bikes is not significant therefore this is a question that I have and still am battling with. I currently own a 1997 1100 GS that I have covered 66 000 miles on with zero issue,s, best bike I have ever owned and also the most miles I have put on a bike.

I have had a lot of Japanese bikes have not covered half as many miles on them and have had some problems with all of them, not breakdowns but problems that required new parts i.e gear box problems, cam lobe pitting to name a couple.

So it should be a no brainier for me buy a BMW !! except I have known to many people who have had problems with the 1200 range starting from 2004 up to where we are now.

The Yamaha does not sell well in the UK initially due to price and now because it gets a bad review from the press when compared to the new WC BMW, Triumph and KTM . For me the rarity is a plus because I like to be a bit different, I am still pondering, keeping an eye on prices particularly the Yamaha I figure that the dealers will have to do something to move all the unsold bikes some time soon. ::012:: ::012:: ::012::

 

[Rasher]

Just look on E-Bay there are a large number of ex-demo and pre-reg S10's, you can get an almost new bike for under £10k, and I saw one with 0 miles at £10.5k, or how about a late 2011 model for £8.5k :question:

Yamaha cannot and therefore do not sell them at full list, you can easily find a bargain, and if you throw on a Flash the motor is just so strong in the real world rev range, I would not want the new KTM or BMW purely because they are chasing the BHP and producing revvy bikes with less torque, the S10 definitely out-stomped my 2008 1200GS before the Flash, and I reckon is now stronger shifting at 5k than the BMW was at 7k.

Grab a bargain, you would have a good £3k left over compared to a BMW at full list ::008:: And of course you would join a fairly exclusive club

 

[markjenn]

Hi

Well in the UK the price difference between the two bikes is not significant therefore this is a question that I have and still am battling with. I currently own a 1997 1100 GS that I have covered 66 000 miles on with zero issue,s, best bike I have ever owned and also the most miles I have put on a bike.

I have had a lot of Japanese bikes have not covered half as many miles on them and have had some problems with all of them, not breakdowns but problems that required new parts i.e gear box problems, cam lobe pitting to name a couple.

So it should be a no brainier for me buy a BMW !! except I have known to many people who have had problems with the 1200 range starting from 2004 up to where we are now.

The Yamaha does not sell well in the UK initially due to price and now because it gets a bad review from the press when compared to the new WC BMW, Triumph and KTM . For me the rarity is a plus because I like to be a bit different, I am still pondering, keeping an eye on prices particularly the Yamaha I figure that the dealers will have to do something to move all the unsold bikes some time soon. ::012:: ::012:: ::012::

This is a very old thread and was in the context of the old air-cooled boxer vs. the S10. I think with the new LQ model, there is no question it is an overall better-performing bike, but I would hesitate to own one in the first year of production. I'd also like to see this head-shake issue finally come to a definitive conclusion or at least fade away as the bike gets a lot more miles in the beta testers hands. With this caveot, if there were the same price (which they are not - in the states its about a $3.5-$4K difference apples to apples), there would be no question.... I'd probably get the new LQ BMW. And I take a long look at the new KTM. (Actually, the bike that is impressing me the most these days is the $6500 CB500X ABS - KLR money for a 50-hp ABS twin!)

This is Yamaha forum so everyone likes to talk about how unreliable the BMW's are, but I've owned three with only minor problems and I have four friends with GS's, all which have 50K+ without major issues. We ride on trips all the time where a major breakdown in any would be a big problem for all of us, so we all essentially all share in the reliability. I don't worry about it at all. And the Yamaha is certainly not unblemished either. All that being said, there is no doubt in my mind that the Yamaha is overall more reliable, as recent published data shows. But I don't think the disparity is as great as many make it out to be.

- Mark

 

[EricV]

Wow, 50 whole thousand miles? : Try adding up their service costs for that period and comparing that to the Yamaha. And on the opposite side of the spectrum, I have a BMW that has had over the bike's purchase price in repairs sitting in the garage. And the dealers simply say "that's about average" for that bike. "you ride too much in 6th gear" "the wheel bearings usually fail in 20k miles"

First, the "old" GS is air/oil cooled, not air cooled. Air cooled GS bikes are another breed and a far bit older.

Second, the "water cooled" GS is a joke. It had a recall before it was even delivered in most markets. Running coolant thru the oil passages and slapping on some small radiators doesn't make it water cooled. A proper water jacket would. It still relies upon a significant amount of air cooling.

As others mentioned, the purchase price alone is not the only cost involved. The cost of service for a BMW is huge. And they don't make it any easier to avoid the dealer. In fact, they go out of their way to make it difficult for owners to service their own bikes. From odd ball size torx fasteners to service lights to unbelievably over complex disassembly requirements for simple tasks.

 

[jasonc32amg]

GS? No. GSA? Yes.

 

[GrahamD]

This is Yamaha forum so everyone likes to talk about how unreliable the BMW's are, but I've owned three with only minor problems and I have four friends with GS's, all which have 50K+ without major issues.
- Mark

I have heard that 87% of BMW have no issues at all in the first 3 years. But that is a 13% discount I would be looking at straight away on a fleet purchase over a Honda / YAMAHA etc.

Having owned a few less than reliable cars in my time, reliability is something I now appreciate. There are places for fancy engineering and there are places for solid engineering I suppose.

 

[Techonly]

Definitvelly no,

I did consider both bike as well, but the 26,000miles service interval, all hex screws (no torx as on the BMW) rock solid reputation on the Super Tenere, (this is not a new bike in Europe), lead me to the S10.
It is also a little form the heart as my fisrt bike was a XV750 (Virago) in 1982. Crossed many countries wit her and never missed a beat. (at that time, my big brother had a BMW 750...)
If you search BMW forum for reported issues you'll discover that as soon as you use it hard, stuff start to break. front shock, rear shock, clutch, lot of electronics.
Think if you are going on long journey trip with no assistance, which bike will you take? Imagine breaking down in middle of North Dakota, and the mechanics has no Torx tools....good luck. now I know, you can always carry your tools with you.
On the handling point of view, lot of people love the BMW because its neutral feel. This neutral feel make them more comfortable as they do not have constant inputs from the bike beneath them. I love to have input form the bike and to know when it's about to loose it...but it get your brain more busy processing all infos.
Anyway, the best bike is the one you like and are happy with. It's like a girl friend....and never be judgmental....difference is good.