Had a complete change and had this since June

__________________
The Balkans
https://new.horizonsunlimited.com/poi_entity/8417

Just for information: The BMW GS has just failed the third 50.000 km test of a professional motorcycle magazine with engine failure:

BMW R 1200 GS Dauertest : TOURENFAHRER ONLINE
Dauertest-Abschluss BMW R 1200 GS - Motorrad-Dauertests - MOTORRAD
Dauertest BMW R 1200 GS Getriebeschaden - Motorrad-Dauertests - MOTORRAD

Actualy quite a sad result for "made in Germany"

The most expensive budget bike you can ever own...

__________________
Did some trips.
Rode some bikes.
Fix them for a living.
Can't say anymore.

Can you give us a short translation about what happened? (sorry, don't speak much German!

Was it 2 magazines testing (Motorrad and Tourenfahrer) ?
Did they do 3 different tests, 50K kms each? Or?

Which year/model GS was it? The 2014 LC version? (liquid cooled)
Jeez, I hope it wasn't that Japanese made transmission BMW are now using that replaced that Getrag one.

Good morning,

Thie magazines are testing and riding every new bike for 50.000 km and then write and give points for the good and bad things.
It was three different bikes failing. Two times the BMW 1200 GS at Tourenfahrer and Motorrad when it came out and now the brand new BMW 1200 GS LC at Motorrad Magazine.

At 44.000 km the journalist was riding on the highway when suddenly the transmission broke and parts of it went into the engine and destroyed it too. Cost: 7975,70 Euro + costs for the mechanic to change the engine.

http://www.motorradonline.de/dauerte...schaden/559102

They wrote the driver was lucky not to be killed and pointed out that this was nearly the same thing that also happened with the old model in 2005.

http://www.motorradonline.de/dauerte...1200-gs/104553

At the test of the Tourenfahrer, a valve was broken and destroyed the engine if this bike with less then 50.000 km:

http://www.tourenfahrer.de/index.php?id=639

BMW has some big quality problems. This is not me saying but the Magazins words, scince many also other BMW bikes failed the tets:

Motorschäden bei Dauertests - Motorrad-Dauertests - Dauertest-Zwischenbilanz: Motorschaden der Dauertest-BMW K 1300 GT - MOTORRAD

Dauertest BMW K 1200 RS (Motorschaden) - Motorrad-Dauertests - MOTORRAD

Bilanz nach 50 000 Kilometern - Motorrad-Dauertests - Dauertest BMW S 1000 RR: 50000 km mit dem BMW-Supersportler - MOTORRAD

The BMW F800 did not fail but had used up piston rings at 50.000 km wich is not good as well:

Geschafft - Motorrad-Dauertests - Dauertest-Abschlussbilanz BMW F 800 S - MOTORRAD

They also say it is conspicuous that things like this does not happen to the japanese motorbikes, who allways pass tests like this without any desasters. The onely japanese bike having engine problems in the tests the last years was a big 1600 Suzuki Choper dont find it right now.

"Auffällig ist auf jeden Fall, dass nach wie vor japanische Maschinen kaum von Desastern betroffen sind. Die Japaner waren immer schon vorn bezüglich Qualität und Verarbeitung, daran hat sich im Grundsatz nichts geändert. "

The BMW R1200 GS LC is only at place 18 in front of bikes who did finished the test without any problems, because it got 68 of 100 points for adjustable windscrean, electrical heated seat etc, while the expensive engine failure only was -5 points. Sam as a clutch cable would break or so.

The Honda Crosstourer and the big Triumph finished without real problems and are on Place 5 for Crosstourer and Place 4 Triumph and Yamaha Super Tenere on place 6. Best bike (of the ons you can still buy) at place one with 86 points is Honda CBR 600F, second place is Harley Davidson Road King and thirs place is Yamaha XJ6.

The magazine also tests good bikes again after a long time. They write how trustworthy the Transalps are and that this is cousing bad sleep at the mechanic workshops, because customers with a Transalp dont come:

Gebrauchte Honda Transalp richtig kaufen - Motorradtests - MOTORRAD

They also took apart a Honda Africa Twin after 260.000 km and complained that it was not rinning as new after more then 20 jears anymore but was still going:

Honda Africa Twin mit 265000 Kilometern - Motorradnachrichten - MOTORRAD

Thanks for the information!

wow! Three different bikes! ... all with problems? That is BAD for BMW!
We all have heard about BMW drive lines, shaft, bearings and such, but I thought the Boxer motor was solid. Friends I ride with on GS BMW's have had drive line/trans issues but no motor problems. WOW!

Have also heard of major problems with the F800 motors. But BMW are smart and move quickly to replace bad motors and keep things quiet.

I wonder if you remember the Motorrad project: "Alpentour" test? They used 15 to 20 different bikes, rode them all over the Alps for 3 weeks. The Suzuki DL650 Won the test walking away ... two years running. All good bikes in the test.

I read an English translation of the article, way back to mid 2000's or so? (2005 to 2007) I think the Wee Strom is the "New" Transalp!

Rumors now say Honda will do an ALL NEW Africa Twin. Intermot Milan show in November will let us know if rumor is true.

If you have any chance get a Transalp or Africa Twin for 2000 bugs. Those bikes are known for their reliability and old bikes dont have a high loss of value per km. Sometimes you will even able to sell them for the same price after the trip.

Insted of shiping bikes around the globe I would recomend you to buy what is available at the continents you want to visit.

If you ship an exotic bike into a country were its hardly been sold you will not be able to find any spare parts or people who know how to deal with all the modern computer bus systems of expensive bikes.

At "long way round" they had to ship a BMW home because there nobody could repair it even they had a big team and were loadet with spare parts (but the small bike they bought insted worked even better then). If you are chosing to ride the same bike as everyone else in this country, everything will be easy to get and easy to repair, even if the best workshop in this area looks like this:




http://afrikamotorrad.de/?report=en_transafrika

Not looking like money on legs also will help you to get into contact with the locals more easily but if you look like an ATM, they will treat you like one

Last week I bought a 2003 Triumph Thunderbird 900. Rode it the 460 miles home. all ok except I have the rattly alternator impeller syndrome. Will cost £7 in parts to fix

Quite a different bike from my Enfield to ride.

Hopefully it will be prepped and equipped by next ready to start next years biking for longer trips.

After a few years on a BMW R1100GS, I bought a GoldWIng GL1200 again.

__________________
Jan Krijtenburg

My bikes are a Honda GoldWing GL1200 and a Harley-Davidson FXD Dyna Super Glide

My personal homepage with trip reports: https://www.krijtenburg.nl/
YouTube channel (that I do together with one of my sons): motormobilist.nl

People who have BMW, think they are the best thing since sliced bread. But talk to the people who fix them, and horror story's come out one after another. You woun't get these story's from the people who sell them. From clutch changes that need the engine taken out, to drive trains Totally destroying bike's. Give me a chain drive bike any time. If it breaks the chances are it can be fixed by some local bike garage. A drive train, on the other hand, Could see you waiting until a bit is sent to the garage. And you can guess which one is going to cost less.
John933

__________________
To buy petrol in Europe. Pull up at station. Wait. Get out a 20 Euro note, then ask someone to fill up the bike. Give person money. Ride away. Simple.

What make of travel bike do I own? Well I've go three sitting in my garage. So where do I start? The first one I brought. ( born again biker) was a CBR 1000f. Sport's tourer. Took me all over Europe. The next one on my list, was a GSX1400. My lady friend had problems traveling on the back. So with the softer seat and the lower peg's. She was well pleased. The later addition to my collection is the ZZR 1400 Star ship. Why? well the Honda was getting on a bit over 20 year's old. With next to a 100k miles on the clock. On one of my trips coming back the gear box was not click up and down as well as it should. Some time's it would get stuck in a gear. Had to roll the accelerator on and off. To put pos and neg drive in to the box. Then she would click up and down like a good'n. Was then thinking if I get stuck in one gear some where in Europe I'm going to be stuck, in the way of it's going to be a long way home at one speed. So a talk to my lady friend about the problem, got me on to E bay. Was just looking really. When the Kawasaki came up at a price that I thought was a good deal. That how I end up with it. So now the Honda take's a rest from long haul trip's. Where the ZZR fit's the bill just right. Both bike's will take hard and soft luggage. Got both. Where the Suzuki is a local cruising bike for day's out to the sea side.


Is there such a thing as a right or wrong bike? A Gold Wing is not going to be the best bike to go green laneing on. But for crossing great distance on tar mack. She going to be a hard bike to beat. So why the bike's I have? Once I get across the channel in to France. I'm looking for something that going to eat up the mile's, and get me to where I want to be. And still be a recognisable bike to a garage if I need some kind of break down fix.
John933

__________________
To buy petrol in Europe. Pull up at station. Wait. Get out a 20 Euro note, then ask someone to fill up the bike. Give person money. Ride away. Simple.

I'm a happy owner of a 2012 Nc700x. Had it for a couple of months now and like it a lot. Downsized from a BMW 1150 GSA and pleased with the switch. Very nimble and confidence-inspiring on gravel roads, fun in the twisty mountain roads, and I'm not bothered by the low red line at all.

Mine is nicely setup with Seat Concepts seat, skid plate, crash bars, auxiliary lights, risers, rear luggage rack, Givi Trekkers, center stand, madstad honda touring screen, Gripster tank guards, grip heaters and bark buster hand guards. 70 mpg, and as much adventure bike as I need or want. Love the low center of gravity. Shinko 705's front and rear work well. I also have a tank bag and small top case not shown in the pics, for longer trips.

Have owned both size vstroms, the GSA and many other bikes. The NC700X feels like the perfect bike for me for my style and riding preferences. It's just as adventurous as either vstrom, and I would be comfortable taking it anywhere that I would have taken the GSA (again based on my riding habits). It's easy to pick up, easy to handle standing or sitting and not top heavy - feels much lighter than it should based on its weight.

Can't beat it for the less than $6k I'm into it!






Roborider - NC700x - Southwest Virginia

__________________
Roborider
Rob Osborne
Vail (Tucson), Arizona USA

EvilExpiditionaryVehicle:EEV or 'Eve'...

__________________
kicka,kicka,cough, sputter, kicka,kicka, cough, sputter, bwbwbwbwbw....she running fiine today

Hey, if a pair of kiwi's can ride from Alaska to Argentina on similar and a kid from South Korea can meander all ever the US on 50cc's or an '83 "hamburgler" p200 can go around the world and end up in a museum in Milan.....

Then Eve and I are in good company....

__________________
kicka,kicka,cough, sputter, kicka,kicka, cough, sputter, bwbwbwbwbw....she running fiine today

And the 2 guys in their 20s that went from Portland, Oregon to Tierra del Fuego on mopeds. Only 1 made it. I think 1 gave up around the Darien Gap.

__________________
Not Ted Simon since 1970!
http://nokilli.com/rtw