No love for BMW?

[Disco Panda]

I've been a long time lurker and yet to even sit on a bike (I hope that soon changes) but from reading the forums there seems to be some hate towards BMW. I'm interested to know why that is? From what I can see they make some very nice well built machines catering for a wide range so what am I missing?

[Shaft]

[WD Forte]

they make some very nice well built machines catering for a wide range

that could have been lifted directly from an ad
you sure you dont work for them?

Hate?

Is it really hate?
You could easily add in bile, spleen, invective, sarcasm, contempt, insult, abuse, piss taking etc
all this often lightened with dark humour and sprinkle
in some good advice and common sense and you have BCF.

Whatever you ride, some will love em some will hate em
best get used to it and carry on regardless.
____________________
bikers smell of wee

[_Iain_]

The big adventure bikes seem to attract midlife crisis dicks that aren't much fun to talk to. They seem to be mainly accountants & dentists, wear all official BMW gear and carry tons and tons of luggage/all sorts of weird offroad safari type gear that's just not needed for the five minuite ride to the bike cafe to pose on a sunday.

The very sporty bikes have a wonky face that's highly irritating.

https://www.xbhp.com/autopictorials/data/1003/medium/IMG_4972_copy.jpg

Idk, not my thing.
____________________
Please be aware that the above post may be full of complete nonsense.
Riding: '07 KTM Duke II, Baotian BT49QT-20 Driving: '88 Volvo 340

[Rogerborg]

Can't say I've seen much hate, just that there aren't many on here who have BMWs.

They're not particularly expensive these days, at least not on sticker price, although you may not be able to score a decent discount, in part because they're selling so well.

Something that struck me on my trip to the BCF BBQ was the number of BMWs you can see actually out on the road being used. GSes and RTs, again and again, yes, ridden by midlifers (hello) wearing Ewan-and-Thingy tw​atsuits, but actually out there being ridden instead of languishing in garages.

However, it is perfectly fair to note that modern BMWs have a pretty poor record of major issues. https://www.dft.gov.uk/vosa/apps/recalls/ shows 59 recalls in the last 6 years alone, some of them "stop riding now" serious.

I've got one of the few models that hasn't had any real issues, reported or experienced, apart from some minor and easily sorted paint flaking under the engine. It's a perfectly decent bike, very capable, I really can't fault it.

Would I have another though? I think not. It's got no real character. I'd likely switch to a worse bike, if that makes any sense.

Anyway, you're a bit away from a bike decision yet: get some riding under your belt, you'll be much better placed to know what you want and why.
____________________
Biking is 1/20th as dangerous as horse riding.
GONE: HN125-8, LF-250B, GPz 305, GPZ 500S, Burgman 400 // RIDING: F650GS (800 twin), Royal Enfield Bullet Electra 500 AVL, Ninja 250R because racebike

[c_dug]

BMW's get more of a ribbing than hating.

SV650's on the other hand can all die and burn in hell. This is a view shared by many members.
____________________
I am a bellend, I am a man of constant sorrow, I am a gummy bear, I am a rock.

[temeluchus]

I've had a few. Nice bikes.
____________________
Some shite cruiser. Now with guns and FREEDOM!

[Bunny Lingus]

They are the Chelsea tractors of the motorcycle fraternity. Mr A. Brown of Purley, Surrey rides straight up the A23 to his accountancy job in the City & back five times a week. Mr T. Smith of Sittingbourne, Kent does a bit better. He has one of those off road GS things with the Patrick Moore front end so he can also negotiate most, if not all the puddles in Sainsbury's car park. Those two blokes who went round the world, Charlie Woss'name & that Scottish actor... Pioneering stuff, until one of 'em dropped their Beemer & couldn't pick it up. You get the picture? Ain't hatred, just why? What is the point? Sure I wouldn't turn down a S1000 or even a Patrick Moore but I don't really have a use for one, can't justify the price tag & just about any other marque except Harley Davidson make lighter, cheaper bikes which are more user friendly with better parts & consumables availability & above all, price. Mate of mine had a C1. Everywhere he went he got abuse. Sold it. Couldn't handle it. I used to use an ex police K75 years ago for courier work. Totally reliable fleet bikes, until the alternator cups & rubbers went, or if the battery was removed & the brain needed a re-boot - free, if you rode all the way to BMW Bracknell. Start the K75 on the side stand & the whole world would disappear in a cloud of white smoke. The ABS was terrible, like it was designed by Massey Ferguson. They don't cater for youth or women so they have a patriarchal pipe & slippers image that appeals to 'serious' older motorcyclists (read, boring middle aged men). If BMW were to create a range of smaller lightweight machines that don't invite abuse from other bikers & Joe Public, I might be interested but they don't so I won't. Other than all the above, they do make some fine well engineered machines but they will never be sexy. They are, like Angela Merkel, unfuckable lardarses...
____________________
Bunny Lingus & The Flipside Faggots

[Rogerborg]

[stonesie]

No hate here, I think that if I ever get bored of the Street Triple then the S1000r would be a top contender to replace it.

[kawashima]

BMW cars have sharp and sporty image like 6 cylinder manual 3er 5er etc. But BMW bikes especially twin models have dull image. They are made for comfortable long touring. This is very interesting for me.
Yes they have sporty models too but I think most of the sales are twin models.
I learnt BMW twin models eat a lot of oil. And BMW dealers are rip off for every service like Harley. It's like they are saying "we deal with people who has lots of money only".
BMW cars are bought and used more widely(from young to old, from poor to rich), but BMW bike are usually bought and used by rich old people only. I think it's due to dealer servicing.
____________________
own:2020 Serow 250
owned: 2012 YB125SP, 2008 TDM900, 2005 W650, 2002 LS125R, 2002 CB400SF, NS50F, C50 / Trip to UK(2009), Hokkaido touring(2013)

[chickenstrip]

[Hetzer]

The modern ones blow up and BMW say "not our fault".
____________________
"There's the horizon! Ride hard, ride fast and cut down all who stand in your way!"

[Polarbear]

More a dislike due to the Ewan and Charley thing I would guess.

I have a friend in the met (bike cop) who has his own GS1200. He is going to trade it in for a new watercooled version. I offered him my Explorer for a test to compare but he said no, I'm getting another BM.

Brand loyalty or blind stupidity
____________________
Triumph Trophy Launch Edition

[Nobby the Bastard]

[WD Forte]

Never had a 'proper' beemer with sticky outy bits each side
but had a couple of mid 80s K100s.
Always did all my own servicing and they always got me home again
and took me over a lot of the UK and Ireland.
There were things I liked about them and things I didnt, but you could say that about just about any bike.
____________________
bikers smell of wee

[Wafer_Thin_Ham]

[69.9mph]

I don't hate them, just think that most of them are either overpriced, underpowered or lardy. So not particularly interested.

[Vincent]

I like the boxers...to ride anyhow. I've never ridden anything from BM but boxers so don't know about later IL4s. I havn't met many people that have owned them and didn't enjoy the experience and some mates that have bought them have stuck with them....must say something good.
____________________
Space Is Deep

[motobiker]

No hate here.. I have two. a Boxer and a Brick.

makes me smile that people still refer to the Ewan and Charley thing... that was 10 years ago!!! Must have made an impact if a programme thats so old still is still mentioned (blamed). is it repeated constantly?

I have no idea.. not owning a TV since 2000 means Ive never seen a single episode.

anyway.. Ive had a GS since 1997 - so long before they were considered cool... what took people so long?

its a puzzle.

here's my two.

https://i172.photobucket.com/albums/w40/motobiker/46c6d57f-e682-4e02-845a-a4dd4de03eca_zps02cf4188.jpg~original


https://i172.photobucket.com/albums/w40/motobiker/Photo6.jpg~original


____________________
1999 R1100GS + 2006 F800S
(Nottingham)
Sooner or later opinions fade and the name on the tank matters not. I think that happens somewhere between 3rd and 4th gear. Enjoy the ride... everything else takes care of itself.

[prosnap]

You're all just jealous!!!

I love my 800GS
____________________
_Iain_
World Twat Champion

[P.]

[G]

Their bikes are generally heavy, slow and expensive.

I did actually have high hopes for the 800GS when it came out, but turns out that it was not as good as a KTM950/990 adventure in every way, bar road manners probably.

Of course the RR is very much the exception to the rule, but reliability does seem to reflect the performance.

[chickenstrip]

Character = sum of all the faults?

[Beehive Bedlam]

My Varadero 125 has seen more dirt and done considerably more hard miles than some GS1200's I know of.

If I had the license and money I'd have one it would be ridden every single day and every one of those days would be a real adventure.