BMW motorcycles opinions on quality

I ride a 1998 K1200 RS and it is as reliable a bike as you could ask for. With the anti lock breaks, fuel injection, and around 130hp in a 10 year old bike, I have no complaints at all. Boxers are awesome, reliable old bikes, but the K is a kick ass sport tourer that still is nicer than any bike I owned before it, and there were an assorted dozen bikes before my big "K" over the last 35 plus years of riding.
All of the earlier BMWs are great IMHO. I am not in the market for a new one so I can't speak to their quality. I can say I intend to keep riding this K for many years to come. These Ks easily get over 100,000 miles on them before needing rebuilds, with proper maintenance.
For me personally the K1200RS rules as far as what I like and want in a bike.:thumbup::D
As far as cost goes, ALL shop work weather car, truck or bike. BMW, Harley, Ford or Chevy is expensive. I don't think the BMW is that far out of line.
 
R1150GS20019.jpg


R1150GS20012.jpg


I ride an '01 R1150GS. I have never had a better bike. :D
 
Rear drive failures were on K75, maybe K100 models for about a two-year span. Had to do with poor lubrication design where drive shaft fit into rear drive housing.
 
pipedreams - that is a really nice looking bike.

I also like the fact it comes with 2 beer coolers.:)
 
Of the dozen bikes I have owned, the oil-head I have is by far my favorite to ride (but not to look at). The linked ABS brakes and suspension are amazing. Dealer Service is $. But if you can change oil, filters, adjust valves, it is no more than anything else. Take one for a ride - The dealers in OH have demos all the time. Price is reasonable for what you are getting. MD

MD
 
They're great bikes and anyone who says otherwise is less than credible.....my dad's been riding one since he got it new in '04 and has put 40,000 on it trouble free. It still runs like it was new. I personally don't have one, but I find myself borrowing his every now and then. It's a beautiful machine and even though it's not my style I have a deep appreciation for those bikes. My uncle's been riding them for almost 20 years and has had no major problems with them either. He tours around regularly (has the benefit of being a CPA and having a LOT of spare time in the off season :p).

I, personally am a Japanese bike enthusiast: Particularly Yamaha.....but I like em all. If I had the cash for a BMW I'd probably be riding one of the new sport ones. I like that crossover too. That thing's bad ass!
 
The dollar to euro conversion rate is causing some pricing difficulties that may or may not last for the next few years. However, even with the higher conversion rates and the higher retail price that gives us "yanks", you still get a lot for your money. BMW, KTM, Husaberg, Husqvarna all have engineering that make them unique and arguable superior in their respective roles.

If you want cheaper upfront costs, it's hard to argue against the Japanese makes. Heck, I currently ride a Kawasaki KLX-250S. However, to make it or a Honda XR-650R into a KTM, Husaberg, Husqvarna equivelent I would easily exceed the MSRP price with the required upgrades. Now that my experience and riding abilities have improved, do I spend ~$2K on upgrades or do I spend ~$6K for a factory ride that is superior to my upgraded Japanese model which will only be about 80% of the equivalent European model?
 
For recent-production BMWs the build quality, in terms of fit and finish, attention to detail, and overall feel of quality is excellent. Everything you see or interact with is typically well made and well thought out. Nothing feels cheap or flimsy, the pieces are all very "nice".

Their mechanical quality and reliability, in terms of the parts that actually enable you to go down the road, is overall good. Honestly, virtually all modern vehicles are quite reliable.

I suspect that claims that their reliability isn't what it once was are due to rising customer expectations for all motorcycles rather than BMW quality taking a nose dive. Also, the internet allowing us to hear about every failure that any bike experiences is probably a contributor as well.

However, BMW motorcycles are very complicated compared to other similar products. It would probably not be inaccurate to say that in some ways they are over-engineered, inasmuch as other companies manage to achieve very similar results with less complex designs.

This does not mean that a BMW bike is inherently bad or unreliable, and the BMW designs typically do bring some advantages to the rider. However, they also present the potential for some problems that just don't exist with a simpler design.

If problems do occur, they will probably be catastrophic, require BMW-specific parts, and not be easily fixed by an average owner or even your local motorcycle shop. Furthermore, a BMW will probably be intolerant of substandard maintenance or inexpert service. This is not indicative of poor quality, it is simply a function of having a very optimized design that trades simplicity for performance.

I would not hesitate to ride a properly-maintained recent production BMW cross-country tomorrow.

I do not own a BMW, but I do like their products. I also opted for a Triumph Tiger, but was quite close to buying an opposed-twin Bimmer.

The Tiger won out simply because it was considerably cheaper. BMWs are pricey, I'd prefer to spend the money on motorcycle adventures rather than motorcycles. The ride is the goal, the motorcycle is just the means to make it happen.
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top