[RKWFXD]

I really want to love BMW motorcycles. I have even owned three at various times in my riding carreer. Unfortunately, they all had incurable problems.



The first, a 1985 K100RT, was slow and smooth as silk...on the left side. It made up for that by being slow and vibrating like a paint mixer on the right side. Right side mirror was useless.



The second, a 1988 R100RS, was a fun bike, light wieght and torquey but fairly primitive. The passenger pegs vibrated so much they put my wife's feet to sleep every time we took a ride.



The third, a 1992 K75S, was smooth but had a lean mixture "POP" every time I let off the throttle. BMW checked it out several times and said everything was AOK and that the problem must be my right wrist. Hmmm, I'm 100% confident I could have fixed the problem if it were carburated instead of fuel injected. Also, the ABS light started blinking. I took it in and the diagnostics said once again everything was fine. Obviously it wasn't so I asked how much to fix it. The dealer refused to give me a price quote. They basically wanted a blank check so they could just start replacing parts until it went away.



BMWs look like nice bikes but they are built so complicated now that even the dealers can't fix em. Addtionally, DON"T believe the ABS or any other system is self diagnostic.

 

[RKWFXD]

OK,

Points well taken but just to be argumentative.....



Another thing I did not like about my K75S was the maintainence required of the shaft drive. I like shaft drive, smooth, clean, etc...but BMW recommended I take the whole thing apart every 10,000 and lube the splines or risk major damage. That is not my idea of simple and it's easy to put 10,000 + miles a year on a bike. I don't want to rebuild half the thing every year. I don't know what BMW recommends for the new boxers so maybe this is no longer a concern.



The concept of fuel injection is simple but good luck fixing or tuning one in your garage let alone out on the road. I guess I could learn with $2000 worth of computers and cables but I would rather use my $5 screwdriver and $7 wrench to change a jet or two.



I've heard the arguments about how you can start it and ride away instantly. Even if I could do that with a carburated bike, I wouldn't...I believe it is good for the engine to let it warm up for a minute or two. Also, I use this time to walk around the bike and do a pre-ride inspection. This has saved my buns a couple of times.



I've also heard the argument about how FI is self adjusting for altitude. OK but I've literally been all around the UAS and Canada on carb equipped bikes from below sea level (Death Valley to over 12,000) and never missed a beat.

 

[RKWFXD]

Re: Opposed twin engines

i DON'T THINK THERE IS AN INHERANT DESIGN FLAW. EVERY ENGINE IS A COMPROMISE. ON THE OPPOSED TWIN, THE PISTONS SHOULD N THEORY CANCEL EACH OTHER OUT VIBRATION WISE. THE CRANK IS PERPENDICULAR TO THE DIRECTION OF TRAVEL AND THAT CAN CAUSE SOME TORQUE STEER BUT AGAIN THAT CAN BE CORRECTED WITH A COUNTER BALANCER. HAVING THE CYLINDERS OUT IN THE WIND IS GOOD FOR COOLING BUT BAD FOR GROUND CLEARANCE. BMW HAS AN UNOFFICIAL RACING BIKE WITH ABOUT A 37 INCH SEAT HIGHT IN AN EFFOR TTO GAIN CORNERING CLEARANCE. YOU ARE RIGHT THE V-TWIN IS AN OLD DESIGN BUT THE KEY IS, HARLEY HAD AND STILL HAS A HUGHE MARKET SHARE. THE JAPANESE WANT A PIECE OF THAT MARKET. IF BMW'S MARKET SHARE WAS AS BIKE I THINK THE JAPANESE WOULD TRY TO MOVE IN ON IT ALSO WITH THEIR OWN OPPOSED TWIN.

 

[RKWFXD]

California Highway Patrol purchased BMWs to replace their Kawasakis which they purchased to replace their Harleys which they purchased to replace their Kawasakis. They only put about 50,000 miles on a bike before they sell it at auction. I think all the manufactures can build bikes to last 50,000 miles. Where the Harley and probably the BMW shine is in the resale. The used police Harleys were selling in auction for about $4,000-$5,000 while the Kwackers were only bringing in about $1500.