Why BMW?

[seangd]

The simple answer: Character.

I can like and appreciate all makes, but I prefer BMW these days. I've ridden and owned plenty of Japanese bikes and while I can say they are reliable and fine machines, I've never been able to feel any character. After I rode my first European bike I realized what everyone was talking about it. The European bikes - and I mean pretty much all of them - have character oozing out of every seam. BMW, Triumph, Ducati, Guzzi, and Aprilia all have this. They endear themselves to their riders, forming a bond which I've never experienced on a Japanese bike.

Now to this business of Harley Davidson. I've ridden plenty of these as well, and I can say with all integrity that these bikes also have character. I have ridden an HD and felt that connection with the bike I spoke of earlier. HOWEVER, and I would stand on a podium in front of the entire country and state this, the main selling factor of a Harley Davidson is a "tough" or cool image. If anyone is going to say otherwise they're flat out not being honest. They are heavy machines that are by no means nimble. They are slow. They do not brake well. And the technology in their engines is extremely outdated. Their riding position is hilarious with feet out front like some kind of pregnancy stirrups; for control and stability your feet should be under you. Their suspension travel - at least in the rear - is a joke at best; usually less than 2 inches. Finally, there's that issue of reliability. All of this being said, you do feel cool riding them. Several years ago I met the most beautiful woman I had ever seen while riding a stretched out, mega-expensive Harley chopper which I was borrowing from a friend. We started dating and she admitted on several occasions she liked the look of me on the motorcycle. As it turns out, I ended up marrying her. NOW what do I need that chromed out behemoth for? My 2009 R1200R out performs it in every single category, save maybe the "cool" factor, and that's even starting to change for me.

There's got to be a happy medium between performance, character, reliability, and cool factor. The answer is European.

[rockbottom]

I generally agree with your take on Harley but my impression from riding and hanging around with diehard Harley guys is that the reliability is at least as good as BMW, particularly problem prone models like the F series.

That said, I guess I'd phrase it differently: Harley is designed for a look while BMW engineers almost seem to disregard looks. I think that the R1200ST and R1200GS/GSA, for instance, are butt ugly. I often suggest that people look at how Harley describes their bikes on their web page and compare it to BMW. If you click on Harley's "features of this bike" link, everything listed concerns the look. With BMW, it's mostly the technology.

Neither is necessarily right or wrong. I'm just glad that we have choices like that available to us.

[Jed]

Harley is designed for a look while BMW engineers almost seem to disregard looks. I think that the R1200ST and R1200GS/GSA, for instance, are butt ugly. I often suggest that people look at how Harley describes their bikes on their web page and compare it to BMW. If you click on Harley's "features of this bike" link, everything listed concerns the look. With BMW, it's mostly the technology.

No one will ever accuse the Germans of having great "fashion sense".

I ran into a guy last year on a custom HD. A beautiful bike, long sleek and clean (lines and mechanically). He described my R12R as being more of a performance-oriented design. I happen to think boxers are beautiful in a quirky sort of way but what keeps me interested in BMW is the performance. Not that other companies don't make bike that are better at certain things. There are faster bikes. There are more powerful bikes. There are better handling bikes. But for me, for everyday riding - the BMW boxer "character" - is the best overall compromise. YMMV

cheers,

[rockbottom]

A few examples I sometimes give to make the point that Harley is willing to sacrifice performance for look, and BMW is will to sacrifice looks for performance: 1) The boxer. The cylinders sticking out is uglier than a V Twin. But it is also much more efficient at cooling. No leg roast like Harley. 2) The front brake cylinder. Harley's are black so that it doesn't look like a specimen cup perched on the bars. But that means that most riders never check it while BMW riders glance at it pretty much every times they get on. 3) The speedo mounted in the gas tank. I rented a Fat Bob that had this. Looked nice, but it meant that I had to take my eyes totally off the road to check my speed.

I normally rent a Harley when visiting family at Myrtle Beach over Christmas. It does strike me as funny that the people at the Harley dealer are always convinced that once I put some miles on one, I'll fall in love and never go back. The same thing happens with some specific features like the toe and heel shifter. It's fun for an occasional change of pace and I enjoy riding them (particularly on the straight coastal South Carolina roads), but I wouldn't trade. My R is just the ticket for the mountain twisties where I live, and for the occasional trip into Washington traffic.

[spoonyfork]

Long Way Round - But my Ewan and Charley wet dream ended when I couldn't get a GS rental. They had an R instead and I fell in love the moment I rode away. I've ridden Honda, Harley, and Suzuki but none of them ride anything like a BMW.

[Rrider]

Years ago, I owned a Honda Transalp and VFR. As I spent more time touring long distances, I wanted a better riding position and a bike without a chain. Due to BMW's reputation for high quality, well built motorcycles, I moved into an '04 R1150R. That bike served me well and is still one of the most beautiful bikes out there. I loved not having a chain to maintain. But then I saw the 1200 at A&S. The bags were bigger and had better style. It had ABS, ASC, a tire pressure monitor, less weight, more power, and good riding position. It came home with me that day. Besides a buffeting problem that is now solved, it's been just about perfect for me.

[rockbottom]

Oh, and I forgot to mention--3 year warranty versus 1 year on Japanese bikes.

[T206Bob]

Hi Folks!
First post from a new member to this forum and yet another test ride victim!
My story is similar to many of you…I am now 52 and have owned some form of motorized two-wheeler since the age of 15. My last “real” motorcycle was a 1977 Ducati 900GTS, a classic black and chrome beauty. I loved that bike, particularly since at the time (1980’s) I was living and riding on the Isle of Man…yes as in "the Isle of Man of TT and GP road race fame"! Needless to say I enjoyed many fun rides around the circuit, “showing the way” to our European visitors!
Time moves on and once again I am in the fortunate position to purchase another bike. The search in earnest started during 2010, and after researching the current offerings, including extensive browsing of this forum, my short list was narrowed down to the 2010 Ducati 1000GT (based on its similarity to my beloved old steed) and the 2010 R1200R. I had long admired the rugged engineering of the boxer twin coupled to the maintenance-free shaft drive.
Next task was to test drive the two finalist! Ducati was first. The kind folk at the dealer in Geneva lent me a brand new 1000GT demonstrator, sparkling in its black and chrome livery. They said I could take it for half an hour or so and recommended the best route along some nice winding roads just outside the city to show off its agility. Sitting on the bike and starting it up all felt familiar and very comfortable, until I started riding…As expected, handling was very nimble, but I found the power delivery to be very jerky. It was hard to ride smoothly and it seemed to drop into the corners more than I remembered. Had I been 20 again this may not have been such an issue, but at my age expectations for what constitutes the perfect ride are probably quite different from back then… Long story short and I was back at the dealer’s in less than 20 minutes…didn’t like that one!
Bring on the R1200R... Wow! Is all I could think as we powered smoothly up the twisty road from Nyon to San Cergue. What a pleasure this bike was to ride! Perfectly balanced, smooth, light, nimble, comfortable, gobs of torque, ever so quick and beautiful to look at to boot! I rode on, way past my allotted time, arriving back at closing time with a huge grin on my face. Sold!
After a long but a strategic wait for the 2011 model, my matt grey 2011, with all the factory options (except the anti-theft alarm which is said to be “not required” here in Switzerland) is due for delivery in one week from today…can’t wait!
I guess there are motorcycles one enjoys day-dreaming about and motorcycles one enjoys riding…I am looking forward to many hours spent on one designed for riding!
Alpine shots to follow in the near future!
Thanks for a great forum and for all your great stories, tips and pictures.
Cheers!
Bob.

[Jed]

I guess there are motorcycles one enjoys day-dreaming about and motorcycles one enjoys riding…I am looking forward to many hours spent on one designed for riding!

Ain't that the truth !!

Welcome to the Test-Ride-Victims Club. Enjoy your new R12R, nice color choice BTW.

cheers,

[Rrider]

Welcome to the forum and congratulations for making the right decision! We'll look forward to some photos with nice alpine backgrounds!

[angellr]

Welcome to the "Test Ride Dummy" club. As a proud member, I salute you and look forward to excellent ride reports!

[xprof]

Back in the early 60's I saw a friend of mine riding off campus on a 250 Zundapp with a pretty blonde girl on the back. I wanted that! So I went out and bought (used) a 500cc Matchless G80 from the late 50's and stole the girl (still married to her, too). It was a real "desert sled" dirt racer with a headlight and a license plate tacked on as an afterthought, and it taught me to ride, race, and wrench. Trouble was, it was wretchedly uncomfortable for the girl riding on the back fender, and I didn't have a car, so long trips were impossible. In 1963 I bought a used 1959 BMW R60 (which one would call a /2 today, but really was before the /2 designation), and the problem was solved. We did lots and lots of 12-hour runs and one 24-hour run; she could sleep on the back with her hands in my jacket pockets! Came marriage and a good job and we upgraded in 1970 to a brand-new /5, which we sold when the kid arrived. Some years later I drifted back into motorcycling via Hondas/Suzukis etc, but the old /2 remained my gold standard, and when I retired she urged me to get another BMW, hence the "R". I just returned home from a 3800-mile solo trip through Nevada, Utah, Colorado, Wyoming, Montana, Idaho, Nevada again and back to California, and I don't have one negative thing to say about my farkeled-out Roadster. It ran 12-hour days on the highway, hours on the dirt, carried all my camping and fishing gear, and did it all with comfort and style. It is just a superb motorcycle!

[hjsbmw]

Why BMW? That's in the end a personal and subjective question. I'll answer because I have sometimes asked myself that while sitting on mine. Naturally, YMMV.

- the availability of factory accessories: they are very expensive but at least available. For some other new bikes you don't even have the option of heated grips, luggage, or a center stand.

- touring capability: I find myself taking a lot more overnight trips now than I did in the past. The luggage is great.

- shaft drive: I was really tired of tightening and lubing chains and in the end having the black gunk all over. There are pros and cons to either, of course.

- the Boxer: I never fully got into the inline fours, and I consider myself a mostly conservative rider, certainly not a sport rider. Although the R is really larger and stronger than what I utilize in daily commuting it feels highly awe and confidence inspiring when I take it to the mountains.

- the telelever: I wasn't fully aware of this although I realized its stability during the test ride, but the combination of robust braking and almost zero fork dive is a joy.

- three years warranty: it gives some peace of mind.

- the BMW reliability: all in all my hopes are mostly met, but I needed to have some oil seals replaced under warranty. That never happened to me on a Japanese bike. This is my first BMW, but after getting into the topic and reading forums it appears that failures are not all that uncommon: final drive, oil leaks, fuel strip, at least on Hexheads.

- some sort of patriotism: I am from Bavaria.

- having turned 40 in 2007: I frankly wouldn't even have looked twice at a bike like the R ten years ago. I was always more into the traditional British look or some of the Guzzi and Ducati designs. The first BMW that turned my head was the R1100S. Now, I even find myself looking after a GS. Tastes change.

[Caroanbill]

In Australia in the late 1970s and early 1980s (my early riding days), Japanese bikes were not regarded as particularly good handlers or even particularly sporty, so European bikes owned cachet .. Jap bikes were often called "UJM" (Universal Japanese Motorcycle). Sure, Jap bikes won the races, but few people saw a GSX1100 or a CB1100R as much of a long-lope tourer (the CB900F2 came close) or a "pure" sportsbike. So bike-lust was confined to Ducati, Moto Guzzi and BMW ... (BTW, Harleys here, then, were only for hardcore or outlaw types).

I'd had a few very unreliable but oh-so-fun Ducati 900s, and some Suzuki shafties to "tour" ... but kept looking at BMW R100RS and R100RT .. shaft drive, sport touring cachet, great fairings and proper panniers (but too much $$, even second hand) ... then, when the K100 came out, I wanted and waited for the K100RT. I kept the brochure at my work desk ... I lusted after each cure and every spec!

Finally, my first wife had enough of my 900SS and we went halves in a new 1985 K100RT. Never looked back. I converted the 900SS to solo custom look, but eventually swapped it for a BMW R65LS (the Hans Muth design) as our "small" bike.

BMW riding also became about the people - I joined the local ACT BMW club and found a cameraderie I'd not seen in the Ducati club. I met my best riding mate there and together we've ridden all over eastern Australia. Although I had the K100 and then K1100, my heart was always in the twins (but they weren't offered in the full-touring mode I wanted then).

I have looked at other machines - but not really meet the 'spec' of semi-upright ride position, shaft (or belt) drive, single or twin cylinder, ABS, and integrated luggage. I looked haredest for an alternative when BMWs got too porky - I tolerated the 292Kg K1100LT, but when I got the R1150RS at 246kg, it really was too much and I sold it and turned my wee F650CS into a light tourer instead - I looked at the R1150R but 238Kg was just to much. I wanted to find the 'perfect' mid-weight light tourer and hoped the F800 series would do it .. but in the meantime finally agreed to test the new R1200R.

.. and we all know what happens when you test the R1200R.

Yeah, I've had a few BMW cars - always second-hand ones, and only straight sixes (1985 323i, 1996 528i, 2000 528i) ... but as good as they were, the cars never "got" me like the bikes did ... I drove Alfas until the mid 1990s and then (now) off-road capable four wheel drives (a diesel Suzuki Vitara now). These days I'd puke before going into a BMW new car showroom - spivs selling them, rich dills buying them.

.. and now I've discovered a vehicle as good in its inner-city environment as BMW is on the open road, and also has its own cachet. Vespa. One of each is a great combo!

[Motorcycle_Girl]

When I was looking for a new bike I knew that I wanted a bike that would suit the type of riding that I enjoyed. I needed an all round bike that I could ride in the city, hit the twisties and go on long distance rides. I narrowed it down to 3 bikes: Honda CBF1000, Suzuki Bandit and the R1200R. After the test rides the R1200R put the biggest smile on my face so that was the one I bought. Simple...

Still love the BMW but in reality I am not tied to any particular brand. If I had the money and the space there would be several more bikes in my garage.

Celeste

[GBag]

In 2008 I got my 1st bike at the young age of 48. It was a harley sportster. Since I'm vertically challenged (29 inch inseam) this was a good bike for me. I wanted a low rider but it weighed a ton and I still couldn't get enough of my feet on the ground to feel warm & fuzzy about it. Well a year later I joined group of riders that had a tuesday night dinner thing going and actually ran into 2 friends I hadn't seen since high school. They invited me to do a run from NY to Barber motorsports park in Birmingham Alabama to see the vintage motorcycle races. The poor harley never went under 4400 rpm on that trip (5500 is red line) trying to keep up with their BMW's. 5 days and 2800 mi later, both valve covers were leaking, 3 of 4 motor mount bolts were missing. Needless to say the Harley was hurting. They asked if I wanted to do a 10 day 6000 mi trip the next year. I had such a blast that I knew there was no way I was going to miss that trip but also knew I'd fry the harley if I ran it that way. So the seed was planted and in the spring of 2010 I went to the BMW dealer. Man these bikes aren't cheap but after poking around I saw an R1200R. I asked if I could sit on it. They laughed and said you don't sit on our bikes you ride them, get your helmet. Well it was only a 5 mile ride but man what a nice bike. Real suspension, real brakes, and more than enough power for me. "Sit down & lets talk $" they said. Oh man I can't afford a new bike but ok at least I should hear them out. An hour later I walked out with new leftover 2009 R1200R BMW having payments that were only $3 a month more than what I was already paying. I took that 6000 mile trip and many more One year four months and 30,000 miles later I have no regrets at all..... in fact I just traded up to a 2011 R1200R and in 2 days have 607 miles on the new bike. It's much improved over the 09 that I had. I doubt I will own anything but a BMW again.

[websterize]

… in fact I just traded up to a 2011 R1200R and in 2 days have 607 miles on the new bike. It's much improved over the 09 that I had.

This is why I stay out of my local dealer's showroom.

[GBag]

… in fact I just traded up to a 2011 R1200R and in 2 days have 607 miles on the new bike. It's much improved over the 09 that I had.

This is why I stay out of my local dealer's showroom.

Actually my 09 got lemonised. It high sided off its kick stand and never ran right again. If you've seen the documentary " the long way around" you'll understand that, that is an abnormal result for the boxer engine.

[Faylo]

I've been thinking of posting to this thread for a while now, but I have too much to say, so I'll try to keep it short.

My father opened a Kawasaki dealership in February of 1970. I was 10. Within a year, we took on the BMW line. I thought these were the strangest looking things ever. I thought that for several years, until I was old enough to ride one. When I turned 16, I bought and rode a used F7 175 enduro converted to street. Low bars, low pipe, and street tires. Fun bike! Next bike at the age of 16 1/2, was a KZ400 which I rode all over Missouri and on several local BMW club rides. During this time, my dad let me ride his R90/6 demonstrator with a Windjammer fairing, bags, rack, loaded.... The power was not what I expected for a 900cc bike, but even with all of the stuff, it was light enough that I handled it easily. Keep in mind, I had not ridden a Z1 or H1,H2 at this point because Dad wouldn't let me. The next year I rode a KZ650 and actually took it to the BMWMOA rally in Colorado Springs (?1977?) My little sister rode a R50/5 and won youngest rider! She was 16 for about 3-4 weeks at that point. During this stage, I was definitely oriented towards the performance of the Kawasaki brand, but I regularly rode BMW's for delivery's, evaluations, etc.. I always appreciated the lightness and handling if not the power.

Fast forward a few years, I rode any used bike the old man traded in, and that was many, some rather scary, military service, and then, college and no money. I bought a very high mileage R90/6. Mom actually made Dad give some money back on it because she thought he charged me too much! He still made money on it though. I rode this thing most of the way through college. With my riding friends, I felt underpowered, but none of 'em could leave me on a curvy road and the thing was flat out, "easy to ride". I never had any fear taking it out in any kind of weather or road conditions. I even took it to my old dirt riding stomping grounds and freaked a bunch of kids when I raced them on their little race course. It was their course now, but it used to be mine.

Another jump forward. Graduation and a job. We lost BMW by now and had picked up Suzuki, so a '91 GSXR1100 was in order. Really liked this bike. Lightweight, air & oil cooled, endurance champion. Definite pedigree. Problem was, the fuel tank vent was through the triple tree and that meant that every year, I had to replace the bearings in the neck as the lowers rusted from the fumes and overfill. Too much work for a busy man with a wife and house. Sold it and bought a new '97 ZX11. Reliable, low maintenance and fast enough to scare anybody. Revolutionary bike in it's own right. But.... I was now too old to really get it with this bike. I dig the power and if you go with the maxim that you should scare yourself at least once every day, this bike will do it. I can honestly say that I have traveled in excess of 145 mph and taken enough time to really look at the speedo and prove to myself that I was going that fast. (Speedo actually showed close to 155, but I am conservative when it comes to speedos, so lets just say 145.) That was several years ago now, and I think that experience was what got me thinking about something more sedate. When I get on a bike, I do like to run it and maybe I should be on a bike that doesn't run so hard.

I thought of a Harley. Something that is cool, stable and reliable. I talked to a local dealer friend of Dad's and he gave me a below list price when these were still selling for over list, but the price still knocked my socks off. Then I thought "What are BMW's selling for?". I visited the local BMW dealer to check out the lineup. Turns out, this dealer was not for long. So, no local dealer, no BMW. I bitched at BMW North America about this and then withdrew.

Within a year or two, Gateway BMW opened up. I had them inspect the ZX11 and checked out the new BMW's. I was originally interested in the GS, but then I sat on the R. I was flat footed, weight down low, and the memories of the R90/6 came flooding back. I thought, this is a bike I can ride every day. The GS is totally cool, but I wouldn't utilize the off-road element of it much, if at all, and it was tall. Plus, the R was cheaper. I thought of trading the ZX11, but that was really difficult due to the whole life Kawasaki thing, so I waited. Then, as "all things come to those who wait", I scored a deal on the R outfitted exactly as I wanted it and have been loving it ever since. I am so impressed with the power, handling and utility of the bike. I have already put more miles on this thing in 5 months than I did on the ZX11 in 13 years. It all comes down to "easy to ride".

This thing is it! It handles! Acceleration is available at any RPM with a nice rush above 5000 RPM but without the "violence" of the ZX11. The light weight makes it so easy maneuver where ever one may be, which has helped in at least one situation so far. This bike is every thing I knew it would be. And you can't call me a test ride victim because I bought it and then rode it. But then, I knew what it would be like!

Crap, I just wrote a book. Sorry, but I'm going with it.
-Jim

[pistonbroke]

hi all
over the years have mostly rode jap bikes ,only because they were the bike to have , always looked at the bmw range and could never afford one , always fancied a gs 80 many years back , still like one now . however getting married and children houses and bills still stuck with the jap range . past bikes are early gs 1000 ,1100 ,gsxrs kawa ,lawson rep . the list is endless , plus all the trail type bikes for getting to work .
2005 bought a gs adv ,loved it same year also bought a aprilia rsv, that was it then twins in fours out , since then crashed the aprilia ,survived the incident , bought another and then a ducati .. sold the first gs for a ktm 1000, missed the gs and sold and then bought another gs 1200,lost loads of money on the deal , my first gs lost hardly anything plus done 20000 miles on it . so thats it now just going to stick with the bmw range , service at the bmw garage is far better than anywhere else i have been . the finish is a lot better on the bikes as well . the motors go on forever too ,simple . i still like the latest stuff out but when you read the 0 to60 times and lap times , overall riding , they are not much slower anyway . two years ago i purchased a hp2 sport and for everyday use a gs1200 and the gs gets all the use , it still looks like new but with lots of mileage on it , now going to have a r1200r to use all winter as a daily commuter .next year get almost most of money back when i sell .