I am going to try not to insult the Beemer guys, but that introductory presentation is full of glossy stuff and not berry specific. The fancy headlight is an option, the GT will be a stripped down version of the hype. The six is nice, probably brought out to scare up some Honda Goldwing riders who have nothing but money..... Don't get me wrong, it is very impressive and darn perty.
Have you ever seen a pre-order press release from ANY company that wasn't "full of glossy stuff and not berry specific"? Even a "stripped down version of the hype" might be pretty cool.
I am a guy who does all his own wrenching, and I've never been able to get my head around owning a BMW. All the guys I talk to find themselves "surrendering to the dealer" for the inspections and maintenance because they are either intimidated to get in there or are frustrated that there's so much more involved with simple tasks that are much easier on other bikes. One guy told me last Sunday he used to work on his, but took his K1200GT regularly now for the oil changes and the inspections, for about $900 per visit. I crapped myself. The shift lever has to come off to get at the oil filter. Another told me about an oil change on his LT where plastic has to come off and the oil filter is "inside the engine", and on a lot of stuff special tools are required. I have been reading up on the service manual 'cuz he wants some help this winter with clutch and brake fluid flushes, and fork seals.... On the LT, this is not your simple stuff, so dealers get the business. Another told me you book your service appointment 3-4 weeks in advance, because they are just that busy (not enough dealers around). I get the impressions the dealers are doing well on service work, but the guy who spends $900 a pop is very happy that his mechanic goes through all the checklists and is meticulous..... So, for me, it's a no go. For those with deep pockets and don't know which end of a screwdriver to use, it's great. I'm sure there's lots in between, and most seem to love their Beemers except the guys who complain about the cost of parts and service. Again, I'm not trying to offend anyone, it's just not my style.
There is so much anecdotal misinformation in your post, that its hard to know where to start.
First, don't knock it til you try it. I thought much like you until I ended up getting one in 2007 in a trade where my focus was more on getting out of another bike. I expected to sell the BMW in 2008, but it became my all time favorite bike because every time I looked at it, I saw something else that I thought was really well done. I've owned four of them now, and my current favorite is my all time favorite. It follows the old house of quality idea that the product should delight the customer. The grin on my face after a day's ride is even wider than it was with the FJR.
Here are a few other points...
1. Service prices at the BMW dealers I've used have never been more than at Yamaha or Honda dealers, except that at the BMW dealer I get a BMW certified master mechanic working on it. Some of the Yamaha or Honda service techs have been to a Yamaha or Honda school, but it is hit or miss. I have never paid $900 for a service, even when two tires were being changed along with the routine mileage or time based maintenance. Parts are generally priced similarly to what similar units cost from Yamaha.
2. The BMW's I've had had been refreshingly simple to work on. There may be an expectation of precision, and there may be a special tool here or there, but this is also true for other brands, including Yamaha or Honda. Compared to a Honda ST or Goldwing, the BMW is a piece of cake.
3. I've never waited more than 2 weeks for a routine service appointment, and that's been during the high season. Usually appointments for routine maintenance are available in no more than a week ... and I've never had to wait more than a couple of days for a warranty item or something like a tire or oil change.
4. Try as you might, the comment that "For those with deep pockets and don't know which end of a screwdriver to use, it's great" is pretty insulting. As a registered professional mechanical engineer who has built small motorcycle engine based race cars, is responsible for an engine lab with water brake and eddy current dynos, and started mechanic life 40 years ago in a Honda dealership as a service tech after having spent earlier years learning in the garage at home like many other young guys, I know which end of the screwdriver to use. And there's nothing wrong with deep pockets. When I started mine were pretty shallow and I did everything myself. I never paid anyone to work on anything until about 20 years ago when I'd finally made it to the point where my leisure time was more valuable to me than the money I could theoretically save by diverting my leisure time to maintenance activities. At this point in my life, doing required maintenance on stuff, whether its got two wheels or four, isn't where I want to spend my limited leisure time. FWIW, your pockets do not have to be deeper with BMW than with Hondas or Harleys, or Ducatis, or any number of others. The upper end of every line is high these days. For the marques other than Harley, this is as much because the dollar is very weak as because these products from Europe or Japan are expensive in their own right. The yen is now around 80 per buck when just a few years ago a dollar would buy 120 or more of them. Similarly, its not that long ago that a euro was worth 80 cents. Now they cost about a buck forty.
There is always this opinion that BMW's suck because they're overpriced, under performing, snob attracting, bling that primarily attracts owners who know nothing about their motorcycles. Maybe this is true in Canada. I don't think its true in the US. I wish they had a stronger dealer network, but I can say the same thing about Yamaha. BMW has the best owner support organization I've ever seen with any marque. The MOA membership includes really nice rallys, an excellent monthly magazine (which includes great, illustrated articles about wrenching), and a yearly "anonymous book" which provides emergency contact information for riders with problems just about anywhere in the world. The anonymous book is a paperback, about half an inch thick, and includes help ranging from coffee and a sympathetic ear, to trailers, to beds, to service area with tools. Dealers are all listed too. There are a lot of BMW riders who won't turn their bikes over to the dealers for service. No one holds it against them.
