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BMW to discontinue C600/650 in the UK?

Skutorr

Skutorr

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Here was the resolution to a C600Sport owners trials in the UK with defect issues; got a full refund. see how it panned out.

Re: BMW C600 reliability problems

Tmaximus » Sun Oct 27, 2013 3:49 pm

Hi Guys, Tmaximus here that started this topic, just one final update from me. I have returned my C600 Sport to the dealer and got a full refund, - good dealer that behaved properly, so they have not lost me as a customer, - I also have a new R1200GS/LC and an HP2 Sport supplied by them. Yesterday I was advised that there is a final push in the UK where you can now get a BMW scoot for £100 / month, then from 2014 the scoot will effectively be discontinued in the UK and only available to special order. Very sad. If they had updated the scoot to a sensible final drive design, and dealt with the cam chain & primary drive issues then I may have bought another. However yesterday I did a deal on a 530 Tmax, but rear wheel removal on this looks like a nightmare compared to the C600 - you cant win them all !!
 
I'm always hesitant to rely upon any single source for information unless that source is inherently reliable. BMW's website shows a 2014 model with some, mostly cosmetic changes. There may be some British law that allows for such a return and refund to an dissatisfied customer.
 
Well, that would be strange.....

BMW Earns Six 2013 “Best Of” Awards From Motorcycle.com

One of the awards was for the C600/C650 as "Best Scooter of the Year". With the effort (and $) it takes to do enough advertising to win the award, discontinuing an award winning line (even if in only one country) would be a surprise, regardless of how the award was won.

Every motorcycle/scooter forum I have of which I am a member or have visited typically have many threads that deal with mechanical problems related to the forum's product. After all, that is a big part of the reason these forums exist. This forum should be no different.

And while the community for this forum is relatively small (too early in the product life cycle to expect more than a couple hundred members) the technical know-how is deep and experienced. I do not get the impression from those actual owners of either the 600 or 650 that they believe their bikes to be inferior to any maxi-scooter. In fact, my impression is the opposite.

Strange, that BMW would be discontinuing a product line in any part of the world under these circumstances. Not so strange that dissatisfied customers (dissatisfied for whatever reason) might report hearsay of that sort, though.

Still, stranger things have happened.
 
Having worked at a BMW motorcycle dealership one summer here in the US, I can tell you that even information you get directly from an official representative of the distributor can be suspect. Assuming they didn't just out-and-out LIE to us, they probably only get dribs and drabs of information out of BMW AG and put their own interpretive spin on it when they relay it to you.

In other words, until you see it on the OFFICIAL corporate web page, take it with a grain of salt.
 
It would be very difficult to keep this type of "information" from the motorcycle press. It would be big news for BMW to pull a much heralded product line in light of the press they have received. JaimeC is correct - dealers hardly know what distributors are going to do much less what the manufacturer is going to do. As the British said in 1939, "Keep calm and carry on."
 
I think the only reason that they would pull out of the UK is that they are not selling the bike which I find hard to believe, I own a Piaggio (galira fuoco) Mp3 500 they stop importing the bike here in the US because they where not selling well, you can still find new bikes at dealers and they may be bringing back the new version of the that bike next year.
so it would be a big deal to stop selling in the UK where there are selling more motor scooters of all makes than motorcycles.
 
If the C-series were to pull out of UK for lack of sales, I wonder if the new license requirements are playing a factor. As it stands, a motorcyclist could not even think of a 650cc bike until they are at least 24 years old and have passed 3 different levels of license exams. I remember that Piaggio/Vespa in the late 80's made a specific bike for the L-Badge riders (Learners Badge) called the T5. 125cc super fast very high revving 2 stroke marketed to the newly minted riders of the time. The big beemer might just be too big and difficult for the average younger rider/commuter who could do just as well with a 250cc scoot.

New Motorcycle Licence Categories and restrictions from 19th January 2013.
 
So far the only thing we know is "someone" says that he was unhappy with his bike and he got his money back and by the way, that BMW was going to pull the bike from the British market. Let's not honor this further by discussion until if as and when we get some reliable substantiation.
 
Oldscoot said:
So far the only thing we know is "someone" says that he was unhappy with his bike and he got his money back and by the way, that BMW was going to pull the bike from the British market. Let's not honor this further by discussion until if as and when we get some reliable substantiation.
Click to expand...

I think your right Oldscoot just a person who had a bad experience with there bike and were lucky enough to get his money back, which doesn't happen very often if ever.
 
TwoPort said:
Just looked at the BMW site. Only the GT scooter. Seems the sport has been pulled completely?
Click to expand...

Yep. It's "U.S. Tmax syndrome"; a really good sport scooter/automatic super sport with NO established market that the dealers don't know what to do with. At least the C650Gt is an alternative for the Burman650 or a down sell from a big touring BMW bike, as happened with an acquaintance of mine.

Just checked and there is no price listing in Canada either, for the C600 Sport. Or in the U.K. In Spain, they took some extreme steps to keep offering both the C650 GT and C600 Sport. Both are available with LIMITED horsepower of 35kW, at no additional charge, so that a person with an A2 license in Spain can ride it, just like every stock Tmax530...

Odd, that. On the Spanish BMW Scoot forum, the main reason anyone went with the BMW C600 Sport was that it was a higher-powered scoot, comparable to the Tmax as the majority of them were ex-Tmax riders. And sales of BMW's barely dented the Tmax numbers.

Now they will sell you a C 600 Sport with the SAME power as a Tmax, when the original C600 was already slower off the line, weighing 70 pounds more??? Good luck with THAT...
 
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Europe is in a recession, Spain's unemployment is almost 25% and the rest of the EU isn't in much better shape So I think BMW figures it is better to pull back than lose money advertising and and selling the bikes at a discount.
 
The c600 sport is discontinued in the USA for the next model year. According to the BMW rep at the international motorcycle show as well as the dealer people would rather spend the extra cash and get the GT.
Personally I prefer the c 600 as I ride in the city and the smaller the better for me at least. This imho is the chance to get an amazing deal before they are gone.
 
It really isn't THAT much smaller. The frame, suspension and engines are IDENTICAL. Only the bodywork differs. That adds a little extra weight but in the grand scheme of things the overall practicality of the GT over the Sport just makes it a better deal for the majority of scooter buyers.
 
Not taking into account the Sport is better looking, the dealer offered me a 2k price break to live without a little extra room under the seat and no electric windshield.
I would have been a fool not to!!
 
It wasn't the looks that got me on the GT but it's utility. I'm not much interested riding a scooter or bike with a backpack to haul my stuff. I really like being able to go to my gun club and stop off at the store for something while leaving my target pistols securely in the GT. I can fit my range bag and a couple of target pistols in their cases in the under seat storage and still have room in the top box for some groceries. Also I like the weather protection and electric windshield on the GT. The 600 looks like a fun ride but just doesn't have the utility/errand function as good as the GT.
 
Agreed. When I looked for a scooter to replace my sportbike I was looking for maximum practicality. The TMAX was a blast to ride, but it just didn't have the greatest luggage capacity, and the passenger accommodations (though certainly far FAR better than that of any modern sportbike) wasn't quite up to snuff either. Combine that with the pitiful electrical system and poor wind protection and it just didn't cut it. BUT, as I've stated many times in the past, its rear view mirrors beat the **** out of the mirrors on either of the BMW scoots.

The Sport looked like too much of the same, just with a better electrical system. But when I first checked out the GT, I was SOLD. Handling right on par with the TMAX with over DOUBLE the underseat storage, decent passenger accommodations, better ergonomics and a dealership that's always treated me well in the past. There wasn't any contest.
 
I definitely plan to have my GT as my last bike. I'll ride the K1100LT as long as my aging carcass is willing but eventually in a few years (I hope) the GT will be my only bike. This summer I'm planning on taking a couple longer road trips with the scooter because I know my knees won't give me trouble. On the bike a 400+ day makes my knees bother me the next day. I'm hoping with more walking and hiking I can work through some of the arthritis pain this summer but as it is now a long day's ride is a lot easier on the GT for me. I still like riding the twisites on the LT a lot and lucky for me I don't have to go far from home to find some fine winding mountain roads.
 
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