[tomandmelanie]

So what does it cost to have you're final drive grind to a halt half way through a four day ride in the middle of no where 400 miles from home?

Bike K1200LT 2001 - 30750 miles.

Towing - $0 - BMWMOA - figured I needed this because of the final drive!
Rental Car & Gas Home - $150.00
Rental Car & Gas to Pick Up Bike - $150
Out of Pocket Repair Cost - $400.00
Over Night & Food - $100 - by the time you get out of the dealership it's 2PM. Who wants to slab it home through Oregon and N. Calif for eight hours when you can go on a Bigfoot hunt for a day and a half?

Total - $800.00 out of pocket after BMW allowance.
BMW Paid- $220 thanks but I'm not excited.

I don't make fun of Harley's anymore because...

Throttle Cable - broke on three day ride.
Shift Linkage - broke on a three day ride.
Final Drive - broke on a four day ride.

In fact every one of the BMW riders I ride with has experienced a bearing failure or a seal failure. It's not a question of if, it's a question of when.

MORAL OF THE STORY:
Put some money aside!

 

[UltraLT]

It's a machine. Machines break. Perhaps final drive more than it should, but things break. My HD Ultra ate its stator every 25K. Lost its chain tensioner in 40K. Etc, etc.

Just ride.

Ultra LT

 

[tomandmelanie]

Just like I said Ultra LT ... but some money aside.
I figure every day riding costs me $50 in wear and tear, scheduled maintenance, tire, oil and filter changes excluded.

 

[rattler50]

I was in Grand Junction when my final drive gave out.

$278.00 for Penske Truck rental (50% discount from the nice lady)
$300.00 for gas home (got 11 to 14mpg)
$240.00 parts to repair FD (rebuilt it myself)

On the road again............priceless............. :rotf:

I would never ride it any further than I could afford to haul it back........

 

[meese]

It's a machine. Machines break. Perhaps final drive more than it should, but things break.

True, but this is a known failure point on an otherwise excellent bike. Or should I say, range of bikes. BMW's response to this (or really, lack of response) is completely unacceptable and honestly, I'm amazed that they're stills selling bikes.

Y'all are lucky. My latest FD failure (of three total) cost me $2,300 just to get the repaired bike out of the dealer. And that doesn't cover tow trucks, rental cars, hotels, extra food, nor the complete interruption of a week-long trip that I was on.

Just ride.

Honestly, we're trying. I have well over 200K on Beemers, despite how many times they've left me stranded, or how much that has cost me.

So careful with the short, glib answers here.

 

[petepeterson]

True, but this is a known failure point on an otherwise excellent bike. Or should I say, range of bikes. BMW's response to this (or really, lack of response) is completely unacceptable and honestly, I'm amazed that they're stills selling bikes.

Y'all are lucky. My latest FD failure (of three total) cost me $2,300 just to get the repaired bike out of the dealer. And that doesn't cover tow trucks, rental cars, hotels, extra food, nor the complete interruption of a week-long trip that I was on.

Honestly, we're trying. I have well over 200K on Beemers, despite how many times they've left me stranded, or how much that has cost me.

So careful with the short, glib answers here.

I'm afraid your dead on Meese... Only been on BMW's alittle over 4 years, As an isolated case its a fabulous bike...Yet I've been looking at what to replace it with should and when the occasion arrives..So far I'm clueless as what to get. At first I thought GT but it's in the same category as the LT,GS, or RT..... I'm not loosing any sleep over it but none of my bikes over the last 40 years made me wonder if they would ever break...........Pete

 

[JATownsend]

...I have well over 200K on Beemers, despite how many times they've left me stranded, or how much that has cost me.

So careful with the short, glib answers here.

Ken, respectfully, the mantra on THIS SITE is Just Ride It! You yourself state you have had 3.5 BMW FD failures. We on the LDR list have been hammered by WC and TA. You, me, B&S, and a few others tried to explain the situation was not that bad. Well, now it appears to be 'that bad!'

Now, you're whining out loud? No one seemed to care too much until this week when the MOA (with lots of help) published their tome.

So, you gonna' ride that GT in any more rallies, or is an FJR in your future?

Me? I have a nice '05 FD in a box, with tools, a torque wrench, directions and 240ml of 80/90...ready to ship! :bmw:

 

[cccpastorjack]

Ken, respectfully, the mantra on THIS SITE is Just Ride It! You yourself state you have had 3.5 BMW FD failures. We on the LDR list have been hammered by WC and TA. You, me, B&S, and a few others tried to explain the situation was not that bad. Well, now it appears to be 'that bad!'

Now, you're whining out loud? No one seemed to care too much until this week when the MOA (with lots of help) published their tome.

So, you gonna' ride that GT in any more rallies, or is an FJR in your future?

Me? I have a nice '05 FD in a box, with tools, a torque wrench, directions and 240ml of 80/90...ready to ship! :bmw:

Yea Averill, and if I ever throw that fake oil spot up under that sucker again when you're not looking, you'll be replacing that thing for no reason! You shoulda' seen the look on yours and mike's faces!!! :histerica

 

[JATownsend]

Yea Averill, and if I ever throw that fake oil spot up under that sucker again when you're not looking, you'll be replacing that thing for no reason! You shoulda' seen the look on yours and mike's faces!!! :histerica

Jack, I love ya' man! But, your "fake oil spot" aged me beyond my years! I now never ride more than 2500 miles from home, and never faster than 126mph! You stole my innocence... :wave

 

[meese]

Ken, respectfully, the mantra on THIS SITE is Just Ride It!

And I have been. But the simple fact is that I no longer trust the bike, or really, the brand. My complaint is with those who can still claim there isn't really a problem, just because they never had a problem. Blind ignorance sure isn't the solution here (even if it works for some folks). And WC and TA are just as bad, only on the other side of the coin, with their whole "the sky is falling" attitude. As for the published articles, there's nothing really new there, except maybe to clarify some of the rumors and get the details out to a wider range of riders.

You stole my innocence... :wave

That's a great description. For me, I want to love the bike, but BMW just won't let me.

 

[JATownsend]

For me, I want to love the bike, but BMW just won't let me.

Ken, I hear ya'... But for me its simpler: I love the bike. Its BMW I hate.

 

[BecketMa]

Dam.

I better take my LT out for a test ride to make sure the FD is OK.
Will 100 miles one way for a day trip be fare enough?

Bob, 00 Leaky Type trany seal

 

[JATownsend]

Dam.

I better take my LT out for a test ride to make sure the FD is OK.
Will 100 miles one way for a day trip be fare enough?

Bob, 00 Leaky Type trany seal

No man, you have to ride it until it fails...Then call for help!

Of course, we MAY BE all old and grey by then. But, that's your best option!! :dance:

 

[meese]

I love the bike. Its BMW I hate.

I don't necessarily hate them, I just don't trust them. See my avatar.

 

[JATownsend]

I don't necessarily hate them, I just don't trust them. See my avatar.

Let's see...naked l'il guy, holding his arms up against the power of the corrupt corporation. I do see your trust there, most would run! Me? I don't trust them enough to get that that close!

The brutal reality is that they produce unique bikes that appeal to our needs and wants, with great sophistication, technical innovations and amenities that no other manufacturer offers. So we endure. However reluctantly.

The bikes speak their own truth. We know their flaws and pitfalls. And so, we allow the metal and plastic their failures, because it is at least an honest act. The parts hold no malice.

The company on the other hand is dishonest. It has malice...by the truckload! I can forgive honest failure. I cannot forgive deceit, customer contempt, disinformation and no apparent corporate integrity. :bmw:

Hence my position. I love the bikes...hate the company.

 

[BecketMa]

Whew!

I made it back home OK from grocery shopping tonight. Twas a beautiful evening for a ride, around 77F when I left.

Trany is still leaking fluid.

Bob 00 Leaky Type

 

[justlookin]

I need to get my copy of BMWMOA back out. I read the FD article last night. I though they said, that bmw had covered all these failures under warranty. They would not put it in print due to being forced to cover every failure no matter what the circumstances were.. But, the writer was not aware of any failures that were not covered.. I guess I must have been dreaming by that time..
Did BMW help w/ any of the cost of the FD failure??

Jeff

 

[BecketMa]

In warranty, covered.
Outa warranty, not covered.
The worst is during CCR, there aren't enough rear ends in the lower 48 to cover the ones that die.

I'm looking forward to CCR09.

Bob, 00 Leaky Type

 

[Steve_R]

I've had two failures out of warranty and BMW NA didn't help either time.

 

[meese]

I though they said, that bmw had covered all these failures under warranty.

Yeah, I argued that point with the author before publication. BMW NA was pretty good about it at first, and covered many of the drives even on bikes that were over mileage. More recently, they've been very hit-and-miss about it all.

My 1st and 3rd failures were both denied up front and I had to pay the whole bill to get my bike back. Both were covered later, but in both cases it took a lot of pressure from me and from my local dealer, even though the repairs were not done by them.

The 2nd FD failure was covered without question, but that was done at a good local dealer who didn't even blink when I trailered the broken bike in. I did pay extra for overnight shipping which I felt was fair, as they would have covered everything if I could have left the bike there for a couple of days.