Cycle World Comparo

[BanjoBoy]

Ain't read any of them lame-ass glossy rags in years, all they do iz hype bs. They suck corporate kawk fer their own financial gain.

I don't post much on this forum, but I have found this thread interesting, and would like to share my story.
I read all the Cycle mags, they do a good job covering features of the new bikes and one can get a general idea from the tests how they run and handle. What you don't get from the mags is any kind of data driven information on how these shiny new models are predicted to hold up based on past models. Best we can do is ask fellow riders and browse all the forums.

Enter the new BMW portion of the discussion. Expensive. Lot's of technical stuff. Probably a fun ride. Reliability? Oh boy. Here's my experience.

Before my FJR I had a BMW year 2000 K1200RS. It handled well, as good as the FJR after I got the Ohlins so it would turn in easier, and it was powerful and smooth running. I liked the "sport" type ergos and I enjoyed riding the bike. My buddies who rode it thought it was a nice bike as well. It *was* a nice bike to ride.

However:

1. I had to put an Ohlins on the rear for ride height, and also because the stock shock compression damping was way off. The increased rear ride height helped turn in substantially with no penalty in straight line stability, and made two up riding less compromising.

2. I lost two fork seals in the first 30,000 miles. One leak was bad enough to get down onto the brake rotor and I had a trip coming up in two days. The dealership would not take the bike in for service because they were too busy servicing police bikes.

3. The ABS brake computer failed. Dealer estimate for repair was $1,700. I put black tape over the warning flashers and rode without ABS

4. The number four exhaust pipe which goes into the catalytic converter split causing a nasty exhaust leak. The exhaust tubing at that point was so thin that welding a repair wasn't really an option. I purchased a full Staintune system.

5. Thre rear end failed twice, some minor bearing failure, about $350 per repair, and it was going out a third time before I sold the bike.

6. The engine began burning about 1/2 a quart per thousand within the first 30,000 miles and I was told this is "normal."

7. The clutch began to chatter when hot at about 65,000 miles and I suspect oil was getting onto the dry plate from somewhere, probably a leaking rear main seal.

8. The front rim was "dinged" from a minor pothole adventure, it still held air and I was already fet up with the bike, so I left it.

9. NO NUMBER 10! I dumped the bike at 72,000 miles for next to nothing and rode my 91 beater VFR until........

December 2006 I purchased a new FJR off the floor of a local Yamaha dealership. It is now coming up on 81,000 miles. Here is a list of the mechanical "failures" I've experienced so far.

1. None -- I did have the two factory re-calls performed, but never experienced the problems they addressed (altitude sickness and ignition switch)

Two other admissions I should make. (1) I met a guy about a year ago who had the same BMW model, same year, same color. He had 120,000 miles on it with no trouble whatsoever. What can I say?... and (2) I have several friends with various BMW "R" models and they seem to have better reliability than the K bike series had. The R1200s are actually nice bikes, but don't have a motor compared to the FJR

Still, I've never owned a bike with as many problems as the BMW had. I own an 07 FZ1 too, and nothing has gone wrong with it either...

WWWobble

Another satisfied BMW owner!

I had purdie much the same experience w/ mah R1200ST; wut a fragile, unreliable, high maintenance pos that thang wuz! :loser

And mah friend haz a K12RS that's bean in the shop fer 'bout 5 months now, cuz the bmw wankers don't know how ta fix their shit!

 

[DynaSport]

I enjoy reading motorcycle magazines for entertainment. I like to read about bikes I don't own and I like to read about rides people have taken. I have learned to take their opinions of bikes with a grain of salt, however. Several years back one of the magazines, I am pretty sure it was Cycle World, named the BMW F800ST the best sport touring bike. I had a chance to ride one in Daytona that year on a BMW demo ride and didn't like it at all. Let me emphasize, not at all. It was a fairly short ride, but I don't think more miles would have made a difference.

I later test rode a Buell XB12XT and fell in love. I know most on this board wouldn't care for that bike. It shakes like a paint shaker at a stop and that alone would turn most of you off. It doesn't bother me in the least. On the road it has little to no vibration, at least to me. It handles well and has enough power OK, I'd like more power, but it has enough).

An FJR may be my next bike, but if it is, it won't be on the basis of a magazine article. I have just found that even when people are being honest and not swayed by corporate sponsorship, what I like in a bike and what they like in a bike may be very different.

 

[painman]

I don't care what Cycle World says, the 2013 Iron Butt Rally results says the FJR WINS! Oh yea......and so do we!

 

[FJRMGM]

I love my '05 FJR and don't care what any stinkin' magazine comparison says!!