I don't want to spoil the party but, in my experiance, the reputation BMW motorcycles have for relibilty is completey misplaced.

I have recounted these experiances elsewhere on this site but they are relevant here.

I bought one of the first F650gs machines to be imported into the UK. The bike was everything I needed at that time, lightweight, comfortable and economical. The build quality was the first thing to cause concern. Whilst fitting an alarm one of the lugs on the side panel snapped off as the plastic was too brittle. The dealer admitted that his mechanics had managed to break a couple of them whilst working on the same model, so it can't have been all down to my cack handedness. To my delight and suprise the dealer replaced the panel free of charge.

A fault occured each time I rode the machine in heavy rain. The oil pressure warning light would illuminate. The first time it happened was very worrying as I took the warning at face value and cut the engine. I made a frantic call to the dealer and explained what had happened and in the course of the conversation mentioned the weather conditions. He told me that he new of other BMW models on which this occured during heavy rain, but that it was the first time he had heard of it happening on this model.

The most serious fault however, was dangerous and could not be rectified even after several visits to the dealer. The engine would cut out, without warning, usually on the over-run in the middle of juctions and on the last occasion I rode the bike in lane 3 of the M25 in fast moving traffic. I was eventually offered a replacement bike or my money back. I took the money.

A few months later I read an article in 'Motorcycle Sport & Leisure' by a guy who had had the same problem.

The last BMW I owned, and will own, was an R100GS which I bought to travel RTW. Whilst this machine had no faults other than the most stupid sidestand ever devised, a subframe made of chocolate and a gearbox from a tractor, it required constant carb balancing, every 1500-2000 mile, to make it accepable to ride.

Despite all this (I'd had the subframe braced and a new sidestand fitted) on my return I wanted to by a new 1150GS. I went to my local BM' dealer and test rode a demo bike. I also rode tested a bike that was for sale privately. Both bikes suffered from noticable serging. On a constant throttle settings the bikes would speed up and slow down.

I also made contact with a friend who had had the same problem who has old his bike due to this. The dealer had told him that is was a common fault and most people learn to live with it.

For a bike costing £10,000 in the UK this is ridiculous. I've read that many owners have changed exhausts and constantly have the throttle bodies balanced in order to sort the problem out, again ridiculous. The later bikes have twin spark heads which are supposed to cure the problem, well it's about time.

OK, the GS has shaft drive, well whoopee do. Personally I'd sooner adjust and lubricate a chain than ponce around balancing carbs every 1500 miles. And on an overland trip, in the middle of nowhere, when the BM shaft knackers out your stuffed. With a chain you have some hope of fixing it.

I ride a Pan's at work which are shortly to be replaced by BM's which presumably are cheaper. No one wants them but we don't have choice.

With what I buy and ride I do have a choice. I buy jap, ride it get it serviced and don't have problems. See post above re; the Transalp.



[This message has been edited by mcdarbyfeast (edited 05 February 2004).]

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