My first BMW
Hi all after riding Japanese bikes all my life, I bought my first BMW bike ever, a R1200RT 2007 model some year and a half ago, and I am disappointed in the bike. About six months ago the gear box packed up, last week the gear lever shaft inner bush bracket broke of the frame and had to be repaired by the dealer because the swing arm had to come out to weld up the broken of part.
The dealers comments in both cases was they have never come across this kind of problems, leaving me a bitter RT owner I was always looking at BMW as the top in the motor cycle food chain.
Have any body else hade the same sort of experience with there BMW
I don't think too many people have had those problems. But I'm sure other RT owners will respond.
BMW is definitely the top of the bike food chain. You might have just gotten a bad meal though.
:D
I am on my fourth BMW RT, 1000, 1100, 1150 & now a 1200. I have not had any problems to speak of with any of them and will probably buy another one when it is required.
J, I'm on my 4th RT r100Rt, R1150RT, R1200RT , R1200RT, and my 1st GS 1150RT.And in my 395 00 kilometres between them since 1997, I've never been left on the roadside or garage due to a mechan ical breakdown.
W&T on worn clutch, worn front wheel bearings, maybe, but never for an arb failure of any sort.
I swear by the product and I swear by the agents.
Hi Jdaal,
You migt be getting a one-dimensional view of BMW ownership, but perhaps this is to be expected on the site of a club that relies on dealer support and sponshership? 
Start flaming here!
I have a very good relationship with my BMW dealership, but the fact remains that not everyone's BMW experience is all roses and moonlight. A quick visit to 'Parallel Universe' or the 'Chain Gang' will paint a very different picture. I am sure there must be an equivalent for the Boxer bikes. When visiting these sites, bear in mind that only unhappy people tend to post and so the picture will be skewed the other way. The happy owners will be out riding and will not have time to spend on the internet!
I replaced my first BMW with a Suzuki after it took the dealer 8 months to sort out a problem they caused by loading the wrong soft ware on the bike at the first service. This was a reliable bike, but was from the first year of production and did have 3 recalls.
As I write this, my current BMW, also bought new and subjected to a number of recalls, is back with the dealer for the 3rd time for a blown gasket. This is not what one would expect after only 20 000km. The fact that it occurred one month out of guarantee was a bonus. That it keeps blowing within 200km of each repair is simply the jackpot.
This is not a BMW basing site, nor is this a BMW bashing post - it is simply true that some people seem to be luckier than others and certain models do have known issues. However, if the Suzuki was so good, why did I come back to BMW? For the dealer network and support. The dealer that has my bike never argued once and is getting a panel firm to spray up some scratches they caused on the frame. Try getting that at an independant Japanese dealer!
I do hope you get your issues sorted out and that you enjoy many, many happy miles on your BMW. And no, you are not the only person in the world having issues with their Beemer. I have a love affair with mine, but sometimes I feel like I am in love with a alkie or druggie with an expensive habit...
Good luck!
