sad to say goodby

[gt.mn]

well its time I left the bmw family
2014 c650gt is being replaced by a 2014 ctx1300 honda
guys I love the scooter but bmw is a pain in the ass to deal with
im loosing my ass to get rid of a bike I love just so I don't have to deal with them any longer
the thought of having a problem later and going through trying to get parts or someone who give a rip is past me now
bmw dealers think they don't have to do crap for you and bmw stands right behind them
its a damn shame cause the bike is awesome
it seems like stuff keeps coming out of the woodwork on these things and it will be a fortune when we have to pay
I was looking for a bike I could keep for a long time but I cant take the chance
if the dealers cared I would keep it but they know they don't have to
and the stories of talking to bmw customer service is, well you guys know many of you have called
again you guys are great but I have to make the jump
again great bike though if bmw would get there head out of there ass
gtmn

 

[ItsPhilD]

Did ya get the DCT version?

 

[gt.mn]

no such thing on the 1300 only the 700 at least for now

 

[SteveADV]

While not all of our experiences with BMW and our dealers mirror the issues you had (my guys are fantastic to work with), it's super that your are getting a great bike you can enjoy. There is more than one way to enjoy the the freedom of moving down the road on two wheels.

Good luck, gt.

 

[JaimeC]

Sorry you had such a bad experience. I'm just about hitting my 400,000 mile mark on BMWs, and you know damn well it's not because I've gotten lousy service or poor reliability out of them either.

 

[exavid]

Good luck with the new Honda. Honda makes excellent bikes. I've been a Honda fan for a long time but one reason for going to BMW was poor service from Honda on my '06 Goldwing. That and Honda's policy of not wanting to work on a bike over ten years old. I'm lucky to have a very good BMW dealer here which helps a lot.

 

[Snowdog]

I like Honda's and have had a few. In fact I always shied away from BMW's due to being over rated. I will say that I bought my Sport from MAX BMW in Portsmouth NH and have found them much nicer to deal with then my local Honda dealer ever was!! Of course you can't judge all dealers buy the bad few.

 

[alice761]

I have a Honda and a BMW and I perfer my BMW and the dealer is great.

 

[Dale]

Good luck with the Honda, hope you find what you are looking for.

If I were to look for a different bike today it would have to be a DCT or some type of auto shift. In this day and age who wants to shift gears. I would like a Yamaha 750 or 900 but they don't make an auto clutch version, that would leave me with a Honda 750 which would be fine.
Good reliability, dealer's in every town and I am sure good shops everywhere.

When you talk about bad dealer's the one closest to me (Louisville) is a Harley dealer also and only in an emergency would I let the hill bos's work on my bike.

 

[JaimeC]

I go back and forth between my K1200LT and my C650GT all the time. Honestly, I don't have any problems going from the "Full Auto" to the "Full Manual" and back again. At this stage of the game, shifting happens almost on the subconscious level; I'm barely aware of even doing it. The only time it becomes obvious is in the (more frequent than I'd like) bumper-to-bumper traffic I run into from time to time. Fortunately the clutch pull on the LT is light enough that it really isn't an issue (that wasn't true of previous BMWs I'd owned and the Buells were just HELLISH in those situations).

To me, a DCT has too many "moving parts" and too much that can go wrong. A CVT is pretty basic, easily serviceable and well-proven through the years. I would appreciate it if it were a little less maintenance-intensive (I had the clutch replaced on the K1200LT for the first time at 140,000 miles, for example, and the clutch slave cylinder had to be replaced at 120,000 miles but other than that, it's just been fluid replacement every 24,000 miles) but you can't have everything.

CVTs in automobiles have gotten pretty maintenance-free, but those units are apparently far too heavy and bulky for scooter use so I guess we'll have to live with our rubber V-Belts for the time being.

And it looks as though several people here have figured out something I did years ago: It's the DEALER that makes or breaks the brand's reputation. If you're lucky to have a good dealer, then you're going to be happy with your purchase. If you have a bad dealer, it doesn't matter WHICH brand of bike you own, you're NOT going to be happy.

In a recent owner's survey, Yamaha ranked near the top in reliability whereas BMW was at the bottom. However, my experiences with the local Yamaha dealers made me ditch my TMAX as soon as the C650GT became available. The local BMW dealership and I have had a good relationship for many years so I knew I could trust them to take care of me. They've kept my 1999 K1200LT running reliably and wonderfully for nearly 186,000 miles (and still counting) so I was pretty confident they'd do the same for the C650GT. So far I haven't been disappointed.

 

[FloridianRobert]

I agree with Jaime. I recently traded my C650GT in for a 2014 R1200RT, so I am no longer in the group. I will say that the BMW dealer in Sarasota, FL is really great on the sales, service and parts level. If the dealer sucks, the brand sucks. Like Jaime, I have had dual bikes in the past (full auto/full manual) and clutching is something that you do without thinking about. It's not difficult at all to go back and forth between auto/manual if you have some experience behind you on a manual transmission.

I plan to lurk these boards and I truly appreciate the feedback from all of you with the 650GT. I might get another one down the road, but living in a condo allows me one bike (so my wife says!). I chose to step up to something that I could do some serious touring on before age and body conditions prevent me from being able to do so. It's not that the 650GT won't tour, rather I just wanted to experience a touring beast while I can afford to. Keep the rubber side down and remember this. If you want pleasure for an hour, have a drink. If you want pleasure for a year, get married. If you want pleasure for a lifetime...RIDE A BMW!

Robert

 

[SteveADV]

I bought my KLR not because I in any way dislike my C650GT, but because it is a different bike that I use for a different type of riding. When I first started looking for a stablemate for my GT, my BMW dealer suggested that I buy a 2011-2013 GSA (for the oil head boxer - his preference until the new water cooled has been out for awhile) OR a KLR (which I had some great previous experience with). He had neither in stock (he is a Honda and BMW dealer) but told me to look on Cycle trader, etc. He would not make a cent if I bought either in the way he suggested....but do you think he'll get my future business?? You bet he will!! Sills BMW in Cleveland in case anyone is interested....same place Spdrush got his GT, I think.


PS. I rented a 2013 RT a couple months ago. A spectacular bike.

 

[Spdrush]

Yes Sills.

 

[SteveADV]

I should clarify that I actually bought my GT at another dealer that is over an hour away primarily because he let me try all kinds of other bikes and big scooters (including a used Tmax and Burgman Exec). I have another dealer about 10 minutes from my house who did one service for me and although they are very nice folks, I did not get the feeling that the young service guy was all that thorough. So, I looked around and spent some time talking to other BMW owners. Everyone was happy to share info....one of the great things about this motorcycle/scooter thing. Ended up talking to the guy at Sills and have since had them do some work for me.

So, like almost anything else in life, finding the right people to do business with can sometimes be a little bit of work, but if you make the effort you probably will be glad you did.