BMW GS Update

bmac

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Mar 17, 2012
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284
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Florida, Wisconsin
You can laugh but it's very true and no joke. I consider myself an average rider. Nowhere have I ever said "typical riding maneuvers causing me distress". It's cool though you can think what you want.

In Long Beach on the freeway on ramp the GS Adventure I rode did try to eject me. It was the most ill handling machines I ever swung a leg over.
Perhaps, just perhaps, you don't realize how incredulous your claims really are. They are impossible to take seriously so laughing is the only reasonable option.

And now, we find out the bike did try and eject you. It must be that "spooky" handling. Unbelievable!!
 

bmac

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Mar 17, 2012
Messages
284
Location
Florida, Wisconsin
Don't worry about the cylinder head falling off . There is another on the other side. But you have only 0ne driveshaft. :D
This discussion pertains to the BMW R1250GS that has been in production since 2019. The driveshaft debacle pre-dates the water cooled version and affected bikes built before 2013. We have a driveshaft on the other side.
 

Sierra1

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Joshua TX
Actually, all bikes only have one driveshaft. But, BMW only has one side to their swingarm. And, it doesn't matter if you have a double/single sided swingarm. . . . if your driveshaft breaks. . . . you're not riding it home.

I have no dog in the hunt, but I thought they were still having driveline issues; on current models.
 

bmac

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Florida, Wisconsin
I have no dog in the hunt, but I thought they were still having driveline issues; on current models.
From the numerous sources I follow the ground up redesign for the water cooled version beginning in 2013 took care of it. It is no longer a discussion point for current owners and rarely mentioned anymore.

I researched it extensively before I bought mine at the beginning of 2019. I found nothing to dissuade me from going ahead with the acquisition.
 
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ballisticexchris

Guest
This discussion pertains to the BMW R1250GS that has been in production since 2019. The driveshaft debacle pre-dates the water cooled version and affected bikes built before 2013. We have a driveshaft on the other side.
Time will tell. The new GS's don't have enough owners and miles on them yet to know of a good number of driveshaft failures.

Now there is a recall on leaking brake calipers.


Point being there is always some kind of issue with the GS. Be it the very odd handling characteristics of the bike or failures of safety related parts on the bike. Just a few years back riders were getting spit off the bikes due to fork stanchion failures. Once again BMW cutting costs by weakly press fitting the yokes into the tubes instead of threaded fit.
 

Sierra1

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Just got an ad email from Altrider. . . . showing a distinctly BMW issue. I've gotta ass-sume that if the jugs didn't stick out so far. . . . this likely would not have happened.

bmw.jpg
We're offering our support!
Yes, it has been documented the BMW OEM crash bars leave the powerful Boxer motor vulerable. We've seen it time and time again; high speed wreck, a small parking lot tip over, or anything in between has pushed the OEM crash bars into the motor leaving a nice rubber block sized hole, or crack in the magnesium valve cover, spilling the life blood of your motor all over the trail. What gives? (besides the OEM crash bars) Enter the AltRider Reinforcement . . . .
 
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ballisticexchris

Guest
IMO, the Rumbox that Eric was selling are the most bulletproof for protection of the GS motor. To be fair all these big adventure bikes are susceptible to very expensive damage when dropped. The big problem with the GS is you have to change your riding style to avoid cylinder damage when navigating off road.
 

Checkswrecks

Ungenear to broked stuff
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Be careful throwing stones at glass houses. The original Gen1 Super Tenere crash bar was no better and we still have a vulnerable radiator fan sticking out on the left side.
 
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RonH

Guest
Thread is getting long, so hard to say what has been said without going back through 10 months of posts, but a $20,000-$25,000 motorcycle that is totalled by falling over in the driveway at zero mph is not on my "must have" list regardless of the attributes it may or may not have.
 
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ballisticexchris

Guest
Be careful throwing stones at glass houses. The original Gen1 Super Tenere crash bar was no better and we still have a vulnerable radiator fan sticking out on the left side.
Rocks are equalizers on any bike. Even my nice Gen 2 got close to 500.00 worth of damage in a driveway tip over. Grinding and welding a footpeg and bending the bottom of the frame straight was not fun.
 

Sierra1

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KZ1000P. Damn near indestructible. Lay it down. . . . pick it up. . . . clear the carbs. . . . back in the hunt. Every so often, you have to kick the crash bar forward, 'cuz it's touching the back brake pedal. :rolleyes:
 

Madhatter

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buda texas
we all have opinions ,lets be nice .... if you own a BMW and your offended here , I dont think anyone has tried to be offensive in their opinions , a BMW owner might be on the wrong forum site . I do not go on the BMW forum sites and trash talk their bikes , but I can discuss the virtues of the Tenere v GS here and should be safe doing so . I think the GS is a great bike in so many ways and with out it there would be no super Tenere to have this discussion at all . my 2012 lived outside for as long as I had owned it , never garaged sometimes I would put the cover on it . wonder how a GS would fair treated the same way . my new Tenere lives outside too. (wonder what a garage is like having never had one ) go look at a few years old garage kept GS at a dealer , they can look a little used shall we say . I would look at my 12 and say , she still good going to ride you a bit more.
birds of a feather gather together , be it bike brands or type of bike within that brand , the style of riding it promotes . the car s we drive our neighborhoods our cities our political leanings ,religion or denominations , blonds v redheads v brunettes , nerds v jocks the list goes on and on . and the choices we make , I chose to buy another Tenere after I was treated rather poorly at the BMW dealer , so I left . I may never no how great a GS really is or how bad ,but I know the Tenere . and I find myself wanting to know just how does a GS feel and handle , I might just have to find a BMW dealer that's not a bunch of a-holes and try one out . I could see me owning one , heck found a great deal on a 1290 s at the KTM dealer , but it has a chain .
In short if you jumped off the Yamaha ship and landed on a BMW ship , that's cool for you , I might even be a bit envious . we have our opinions here one and all , if your shorts are in a wad over opinions take a deep breath we are not anyones enemy here , passionate at times and that spills over . but it can make life more interesting . there is a Mexican restaurant I enjoy not far from my house , good food , but one would never no they serve 2 styles of salsa , you only get the generic unless you know about the other and ask ..... I saw something different and asked so now I'm in the know at the restaurant . its a way to learn. ( the second secret salsa is smoking ) that's all for now my fellow forum members.
got to go stand in line with half the people I think are idiots this morning and vote. and half the people that I don't agree with will think im an idiot for the way im going to vote . just the way it is.
 

Jlq1969

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May 5, 2018
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Argentina
we all have opinions ,lets be nice .... if you own a BMW and your offended here , I dont think anyone has tried to be offensive in their opinions , a BMW owner might be on the wrong forum site . I do not go on the BMW forum sites and trash talk their bikes , but I can discuss the virtues of the Tenere v GS here and should be safe doing so . I think the GS is a great bike in so many ways and with out it there would be no super Tenere to have this discussion at all . my 2012 lived outside for as long as I had owned it , never garaged sometimes I would put the cover on it . wonder how a GS would fair treated the same way . my new Tenere lives outside too. (wonder what a garage is like having never had one ) go look at a few years old garage kept GS at a dealer , they can look a little used shall we say . I would look at my 12 and say , she still good going to ride you a bit more.
birds of a feather gather together , be it bike brands or type of bike within that brand , the style of riding it promotes . the car s we drive our neighborhoods our cities our political leanings ,religion or denominations , blonds v redheads v brunettes , nerds v jocks the list goes on and on . and the choices we make , I chose to buy another Tenere after I was treated rather poorly at the BMW dealer , so I left . I may never no how great a GS really is or how bad ,but I know the Tenere . and I find myself wanting to know just how does a GS feel and handle , I might just have to find a BMW dealer that's not a bunch of a-holes and try one out . I could see me owning one , heck found a great deal on a 1290 s at the KTM dealer , but it has a chain .
In short if you jumped off the Yamaha ship and landed on a BMW ship , that's cool for you , I might even be a bit envious . we have our opinions here one and all , if your shorts are in a wad over opinions take a deep breath we are not anyones enemy here , passionate at times and that spills over . but it can make life more interesting . there is a Mexican restaurant I enjoy not far from my house , good food , but one would never no they serve 2 styles of salsa , you only get the generic unless you know about the other and ask ..... I saw something different and asked so now I'm in the know at the restaurant . its a way to learn. ( the second secret salsa is smoking ) that's all for now my fellow forum members.
got to go stand in line with half the people I think are idiots this morning and vote. and half the people that I don't agree with will think im an idiot for the way im going to vote . just the way it is.
Yes ... you can look like an idiot when you vote ... but one looks more idiot, when buy a motorcycle, and half of its price is destined to sustain a corrupt state, and to sustain the other half of the population that he does not work and lives off the money he receives from the state "for not working"...money contributed by those who work, with their taxes
79472482-9615-4EC5-9FB4-D1C24D8BB580.jpeg
 

Boris

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midlands. UK
Or, you could just live and let live, respect each other’s choices. Some things don’t need to be said, spiteful glee at others problems is unnecessary and not a particularly nice human trait. It’s quite easy to be pleased for and with other people’s good news/purchases/achievements, but sadly far too often on this forum I see spite and glee from others misfortune and choices, certainly not all members, but certainly from some.

Someone moves on to a KTM/BMW, you can almost feel that some are just waiting to express their smugness, if and when there’s a problem.

You know those Harley owners that cannot and will not see beyond their chosen brand, rubbishing everything else along the way..............................
 

bmac

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Mar 17, 2012
Messages
284
Location
Florida, Wisconsin
I do not go on the BMW forum sites and trash talk their bikes , but I can discuss the virtues of the Tenere v GS here and should be safe doing so .
The OP and myself are both former Super Tenere owners. I don't think any BMW owners have showed up just to trash talk the S10. I have not trashed talked the S10 as I think it is, in general, an excellent bike. I have mentioned numerous times that I chose it, objectively, over the BMW R1200GS on several occasions. The 1250 changed the game for me. In my opinion it was a dramatic improvement over the previous version. Yamaha has not had any updates of substance since 2014. Time does not stand still as we all know. If you are not moving forward you are falling behind. The BMW update of the GS was in 2019.

For some reason the mention of BMW gets some folks riled up. I am not quite sure why. If we were talking about a Suzuki or Kawasaki I would bet the tone and veracity of the responses would be quite different. I am not, for the most part, brand loyal. I will buy whatever works best for me. I do have a strong preference for Yamaha as well as other Japanese brands due their record for reliability. Yamaha builds the highest quality bikes in the market today and I expect that to continue. If reliability is far away the number 1 priority stick with Yamaha.

As far as engine design is concerned I think an opposed twin like the BMW is inherently an inferior design. If they hadn't been building one forever I doubt they would build a new one now. It is more expensive to build and the the engine is more susceptible to damage from tip overs and accidents. But, it is a LOT easier to perform maintenance. The vertical twin is clearly the engine design of choice. With that said the package on the BMW just plain works. It has an excellent broad power band and exemplary handing. Its design should cause a weight penalty but yet it is quite a bit lighter than the S10 and feels even more so. The engine rotation counteracts much of the gyro effect of the wheels and aids it in quick side to side transitions. BMW sells a bunch of GS's and there are legitimate reasons why that is occurring even if many folks on this forum thinks anyone that buys a BMW is crazy.
 

twinrider

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Sep 28, 2011
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Location
Yokohama
My biggest objection is the ridiculous price. The 1250 GS costs about $25K in Japan, and that's just the starting point not counting the services required to keep the warranty intact. It might be more powerful than my S10, but cost a heck of a lot more and in the end it's the nut holding the handlebar that determines how capable a bike is.


1250.PNG
 
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Eville Rich

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Joined
Sep 15, 2016
Messages
464
Location
Wisconsin, USA
This conversation is getting dumber as it goes. What business do people have critiquing other's choices on something as trivial as a motorcycle? Geez Louise, get off the high horse. Ride what you want. Be happy for others who ride what they want. Life is too short.

Eville Rich
2016 S10
 
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