ARE BMW BETTER THAN THE JAPS

Rachel 999

I am thinking of getting a BMW K1200 LT. I am returning to bikes after a long break from them and at last can afford to be a sunshine biker. Some people dont rate the bmw's very high.:):):)

Del2005

BMW's used to be bullet proof but in the last couple of years their quality has gone down. Once the bike isn't too modern you should be OK quality wise.

They have different switch gear to the all other bikes which can take a while to get used to.

Rachel 999

Looking at a 04 model . do you rate that in the older bracket.:):):)

galwaytt

Better at what, exactly ? I've had 16, over the years. Depends on what you want them for, tbh.......the K-series in particular, is good. Better engine than the R-series, imho.

P.C.

BMW's are nice, but then, Jap bikes are nice, it all depends on what you want.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ukAhlxl4hmM

faceman

BMW can be pricey to maintain and get official accessories for.

Depending on the bike they are reliable tho. As are many of the japanese bikes.

Honda ftw tbh!

Steffano2002

Honda FTW! Definitely!

Interceptor

No. But it doesn't seem to bother most BM riders - they just get on with it.

'cptr

cranoo

They are over priced crap go the honda route better build quality

Quint

Doesn't the LT have a hydrolic mainstand? Sounds cool! Not a fan of those big tourers, but the LT definitely looks better than the Goldwing. Both are expensive bikes

bazzjazz

No offense meant, but is that not a bit of a beast if you've been off bikes for quite a while?

Would a cheap short-term run around not be good to get used to two wheels again? Whatever you get, you will drop it as you get used to the weight and handling and I'd prefer to drop a cheap unfaired bike than a fully faired LT!

The Beemers I've had (GS and RT) have been very reliable and dependable. GS is great fun, RT bit boring but comfortable. Expensive to maintain if you go to main dealers but there's plenty of good mechanics out there well capable of looking after your bike. Parts can also be ordered from the UK at more reasonable prices.

seanybiker

sooooozzzoookkyy FTW.

Fabio

Aren't a lot of BMW riders absolute knobs?! :P

Sorry, it justr seems that when you salute a fellow biker on a BMW they rarely salute back.

Also, they look too ungainly in my opinion, they try too hard to be different.

Tigger

seanybiker wrote: »

sooooozzzoookkyy FTW.

or yamaha

yams have soul sukis have heart
hondas have very good paint

Tigger

Fabio wrote: »

Aren't a lot of BMW riders absolute knobs?! :P

Sorry, it justr seems that when you salute a fellow biker on a BMW they rarely salute back.

Also, they look too ungainly in my opinion, they try too hard to be different.

salute ?

you mean a flash of the beams

seanybiker

Tigger wrote: »

or yamaha

yams have soul sukis have heart
hondas have very good paint

Ha ha thats it.

Quint

Tigger wrote: »

or yamaha

yams have soul sukis have heart
hondas have very good paint

"soul" is code for heaps of sh!te. All italian made stuff has it. Yams don't!

Fionn

i've had Yamaha and Honda before - now have a BMW!
all good bikes!

as for saluting - i generally nod!! (dont like waving etc.)

Run_to_da_hills

For a while the BMW scene was monopolized by Paddy Maddock, thank God for competition and the Internet one can shop around. Not my personal choice but I do have a soft touch for the R25, R75 and R90 classics. My Brother has the R100S and also the K75 and recons they were the best of that series. Personally I lprefere JAP.

no scope

mate if you want a bmw buy a bmw thats all i hav to say

Quint

Well, the GS is the biggest selling bike in the UK for 3 years now, and I heard that the RT is the most popular bike world wide used by police/emergency services, so they're doing something right.
I have a GS and can't fault it.

Pique

Out of interest (and sorry for the hijack), How would an R850R handle being restricted ?

Nodster

gonna get shot for this :eek:

Buy a Harley
But the Best
Ride a Mile
...and push the rest!!

Quint

Pique wrote: »

Out of interest (and sorry for the hijack), How would an R850R handle being restricted ?

I don't BMW factory restrict any of their bikes. A quick call to Joe Duffy Mororrad and they'll give you an answer straight away.

RJC

I've had Hondas (blackbirds) and now a GS. the GS has had electrical gremlins that the Honda never had (can't hold a charge on the battery) but then the honda ate tyres and chains and the key got stuck in the ingition which is a bit of a design flaw.

A pan european might fit your bill as well.

Fabio

BMW rider saluted me the other day, two of them actually!

Quint

Fabio wrote: »

BMW rider saluted me the other day, two of them actually!

I was out yesterday on the GS and saw about 20 drivers over the evening and waved at them all. The only guy who waved back was on a BMW!
It's the rider, not the make of bike he's driving.

granville

Quint wrote: »

I don't BMW factory restrict any of their bikes. A quick call to Joe Duffy Mororrad and they'll give you an answer straight away.

I have a factory-restricted R850R - bought it in Germany. Joe Duffys told me that there's very little difference in either acceleration or max speed between the restricted and non-restricted versions. I've had it up to around 170kph and the published max speed for the unrestricted version is 187kph.

Paparazzo

I want a K1300R

bladespin

They're very good bikes, always weree great tourers but they're very overpriced compared to their Japanese (or even Italian) bretheren.

A lot of bikers struggle with the idea of paying more for an equivalent or lesser machine.

cc1085

It's a myth that that Japanese bikes are more reliable than other makes.Honda electrics anyone? Kawasaki paint and finish? I've had english,continental european,and japanese over the years and the best finished was a triumph tiger(hinckley) and the most reliable so far is a bmw f650 which was actually made by Aprilia in Italy and has an Austrian engine.The K1200 lt is a very heavy bike at walking pace,you will need easy access to your garage etc.but it has the "brick" engine which will probably outlast everything else.