BMW R1200RT/R1250RT Forum

All, after yet another issue with my 1200rt I can take the stress and worry no more. Having had the bike for just two years and several costly and worrying issues I have decided to cut my losses and get rid of this bike and return to Triumph a marque I know well.  It is a shame about the RT as I did like the bike but, unfortunately I no  longer have any confidence in it and cant help but wonder when and what the next problem will be,[size=2px] this was a brief encounter with BMW and one I will not be repeating[/size]. I  would like to thank you all for the help and advice you have given me on this forum, stay well and ride safe..
Ian :not:

Hope you have luck with your next purchase. Was yours an LC ?

That's a bit sad.  Am I correct the bike was 10 years old with originally servo brakes.
Was it possible to sell it on with the servo missing. What was its mileage.

Sorry to hear you had problems.

Just curious, did you buy your 1200RT new or used ?

those servo models can be problematic.

It was used with 50k on I had it two years and did 4K we normally do 6k per year that's how bad it's been. The bike was 10 and had the servo removed lt was not the LC. Shame just a problem child with one too many problems!!!

Yes it was taken by a dealer who knew the servo had gone

I have known others to move away from BMW because of either mechanical problems or just the overall cost of servicing and repairs.  I have had my 2012 RT SE from new and it's not long had it's second MOT.  It has an easy life compared to a lot of machines but I have still had to have an oil leak repaired (£180) and a heated grip replaced because the connector failed (£230).  It had its last service in December and the weather was awful on way and from the dealer - a round trip of about 40 miles.  I arrived home late in the day so didn't wash the bike down until the next weekend by which time the from fairing stays were showing signs of corrosion.  (The bike is treated with ACF50 every year even though I generally don't ride in crap weather.

Compare this to the VFR800fi that I ran up to 60,000 miles with no issues other than having to replace the exhaust downpipes.  Nothing broke, nothing failed, it didn't rust (apart from the aforementioned downpipes, which would rust if you waved a packet of salt & vinegar crisps at them) and only consumables ever needed replacing.   

Although these aspect of the bike are disappointing it has never crossed my mind to sell it.  This is because on the road, as a two-up touring machine, which is the purpose it was bought for, there is nothing to touch it.  It just works so well in that role and I love the way the bike rides.  The rest is part of the package that you have to buy into as part of ownership.

       

That's a good advert for extended warranty.  If those two items had gone in the third year you would be about £100 up and had emergency assistance for nothing.

[size=3px]Although these aspect of the bike are disappointing it has never crossed my mind to sell it.  This is because on the road, as a two-up touring machine, which is the purpose it was bought for, there is nothing to touch it.  It just works so well in that role and I love the way the bike rides.  The rest is part of the package that you have to buy into as part of ownership.[/size][size=3px]
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After 6 years of Harley ownership and their crap quality. The BMW is in a different league  8) 

Casbar wrote: After 6 years of Harley ownership and their crap quality. The BMW is in a different league  8)

I've never owned one but I test rode a few models and took a close look at their fit & finish (paint quality, chrome, metal everything no plastic ...). I was under the impression they were well built.

Which model(s) you owned and what kind of problems if you don't mind sharing ?

F800GT wrote: I've never owned one but I test rode a few models and took a close look at their fit & finish (paint quality, chrome, metal everything no plastic ...). I was under the impression they were well built.

Which model(s) you owned and what kind of problems if you don't mind sharing ?

The worst model was a brand new CVO Road King, 26k worth of Harley Iron. Issues over two years: The day it was delivered I took it for a ride, went to fill it up and couldn't turn the engine off. It was keyless and only had a kill switch, which didn't work. Off to the dealership and yes the switch was knackered. 8 weeks for a replacement, so had to either kick the stand down in gear to kill the engine or stall it  8)  Then there were 4 recalls in 4 months for hydraulic clutch issues, cables routed wrong under the tank which could cause fire. Rear sprocket replaced as the paint peeled off. Gear change linkage replaced, chrome flaked off. Fuel gauge surround replaced, chrome flaked off. Grips replaced twice due to chrome peeling off. As soon as the 2 year warranty was up, Recall to replace the pannier zeus fasteners as they were prone to falling off (I replaced mine with after market bolts).  Paint dulled on rack (which was a £200 extra).


You really had to have the bike remapped and fitted with a decent exhaust to free up the engine and allow it to breath properly, so if every buying a Harley, get one that someone has already done at least a stage 1 tune and bought all the goodies.


You didn't get any help once the warranty was up.


Saying all that though it was a great bike, weighed a ton and went quite we'll. Rally liked it, but the BMW is in a different class. Had both for a while and never rode the Harley.

On the other hand, I found my 2007 RT easy to service myself and parts reasonable. Yesterday I picked it up from an independent BMW specialist as the right headlight wouldn't work. Tracked down to an earth fault in headlight 0- quite common apparently and he knew this. Also had the injectors balanced (much smoother) and a steering lock bolt replaced as one had fallen out when I don't know. Now my steering lock works too. The exorbitant cost? £65.

RTman10 wrote: That's a good advert for extended warranty. If those two items had gone in the third year you would be about £100 up and had emergency assistance for nothing.

I have posted about my approach to the warranty elsewhere on this forum. At £300 a year I decided not to take it as I don't see that the cost is justified. Is my machine really going to rack up £300 a year in repair bills? I reckon it's better made than that.
I bank the £300 into a 'repair fund' each year instead and take the risk myself. I am just starting my 5th year of ownership so the 3rd year post manufacturer's original warranty. That's £900 of potential warranty costs in the fund. Thus far I have spent £410 in repairs so I am £490 ahead of the game. I accept that, at some point, I could be facing a major failure and big repair bill but I reckon at £300 per year I'll have a substantial amount set aside at that point. Either way, at the annual cost for the warranty it's a risk I am willing to take.