BMW sales guy just couldn't shut his trap

[CRMH Eagle]

I was bored yesterday so instead of pestering the sales guy at the yammy place I looked at the bmw's down the street. I wanted to sit on the 1200GT's an RT's to see how they compared with the FJR. Each time as I got on a bike he started blahing about this and that and had to follow him to another bike. Sheeesh... just SHUT IT ALREADY!!! He wouldn't stop talking. All I wanted to do is sit on the bikes for awhile.

He went on and on about BMW's different front-suspension setup... about the coil-spring behind the A-arm, and whatever. He said that with that suspension you can brake in a curve w/out changing the momentum-direction of the bike. I did like how the switches were setup on the bars. The automatic dampening-effect is cool. But I have to consider is it worth $5k more for all of that? I could take that 1/2 of that $5k and buy me huge LCD tv.

Has anyone else had the same type of experience at a BMW dealership? Anyone here owned both a FJR and a bmw 1200 series?

 

[ngarider]

NEPRT in 5.....

 

[BobG]

I own a 1200c (not even close to what a 1200GT is), and I belong to the local BMW club. I ride the FJR most of the time.

To club meetings, and rallies.

You should of seen the club members eyes when I told them I would bring the FJR to the Oktoberfest BMW club display.

I not, but the shock factor was great.

Our local BMW dealer is getting real pissed at BMW corporate and is ready to tell them to take their bikes and shove it.

The BMWs I see are not worth the extra money they are charging.

Bob

 

[MKO]

The BMWs I see are not worth the extra money they are charging. Bob

I have an old R100RS boxer, but there is no comparison with today's RT and certainly not the GT. Although Beemers have always been a little pricier, the Euro to $ exchange rate has exacerbated the problem. It takes 30% more greenbacks than it used to just a few years ago.

 

[Mogambo]

At least the guy knew something about the bikes he sells. At the Yami dealer I deal with and the Honda dealer I most recently dealt with, it is ME that is telling the saleman about the various features of the bikes HE is selling. If you're going to sell it-learn it and know about it. Backward and forward. Who knows...it might even help you sell....MORE BIKES. Maybe I'm just an old school salesman.

 

[v65]

At least the guy knew something about the bikes he sells. At the Yami dealer I deal with and the Honda dealer I most recently dealt with, it is ME that is telling the saleman about the various features of the bikes HE is selling. If you're going to sell it-learn it and know about it. Backward and forward. Who knows...it might even help you sell....MORE BIKES. Maybe I'm just an old school salesman.

It's not just bikes, wife and I had to educate a salesman on an SUV we were looking at. Some seem to think that personality and BS is more important than knowledge of the product.

 

[beemerdons]

I have to wholeheartedly agree with BobG and MKO above regarding whether BMW's are currently worth the extra money that you have to pay for them. As you can see from my screen name I first drank the BMW Kool-Aide in March of 1969 when I bought my first Beemer from my German landlord while stationed in Bavaria with the US Army Artillery.

I have put over 400,000 miles on boxer twins alone since my first street bike in 1963; I have served as an Officer - President for nine of the twelve years I have been a member of AZ Beemers, BMWMOA Chartered AMA Club #89.

I do have to candidly admit that after riding the blue und white roundel machines for over 38 years that I can no longer recommend their purchase over the Yamaha FJR 1300. The FJR does everything better than the R1200RT, GT or RS.

I ride my FJR to AZ Beemers Club functions. I will be leading ten Beemers to Mexico's Copper Canyon on October 5.

 

[RatoneMuerto]

The sales guys here in the Dallas/Ft Worth are pretty much just let you shop.What is funny about the Ft Worth dealership is the Yamaha store is next door in the same parking lot.For me ,the exchange rate is the real killer now.I have always loved the boxers since the R60 airhead but now why bother.The failure rate on the rear drive during the Iron Butt Rally was enough to kill any desire of ever having the hots for a new "maintenance free" machine.I love the new R1200R but a 5k+ price hike in a three year period well forget about it.My point being why spend 21k+ on a bare bones machine when you can get all the toys for the FJR or even get an FJR with a good used Ducati for what a new GT or LT costs.I have said this before and I am sticking to it.The FJR is the best of old school with new technology.Easy to service yourself but lots of service places available of you need one.I never again want to be stuck 200 miles from the nearest dealer with a howling final drive.It is your money after all.

 

[charismaticmegafauna]

<snip>the exchange rate is the real killer now.

Yep, there's nothing we can do about that. But, BMWs have always been at a pretty severe premium. The difference, now, is -- there's a much better alternative.

<snip>....The failure rate on the rear drive

That's been going on for quite a few years, now.

I first did extended touring in the '60s on a 1950 BMW 500 (tellies, open drive shaft, etc.) and it was a great and wonderful motorcycle. BMW made their reputation with the 60's bikes and reinforced it in the following couple decades. In those early years there just wasn't much (if any?) competition for trouble-free shaft-driven L.D. touring.

Things are different now.......

 

[CRMH Eagle]

The sales guy did admit there have been trouble with prior beemers and he said "hopefully those problems have been fixed." So the guy is somewhat honest. I just wanted to sit and feel and touch... it's like I couldn't do it. Yeah, the guy did know a lot about his product, and, I am thankful for that. I've been to several yammy dealerships and I had to tell them about an FJR....

They say "uh, do you have to special order that from Japan?" My response is "no, you have to go thru the BMW plant in Munich since it's a project-bike built by Yamaha but BMW installs the motor. Lambourghini designed the suspension." Then I walk out and turn around and laugh when I see them scurrying to the phones and the internet. :yahoo:

Anyway, if BMW didn't have the problems with their bikes, to which, is very common and proven knowledge, I would consider the 1200. But I know yammy quality is excellent. Don't want to buy a $20k bike and have to leave it on the side of the road cuz the tranny malfunctioned.

 

[Ignacio]

Don't want to buy a $20k bike and have to leave it on the side of the road cuz the tranny malfunctioned.

For the record.....it's the final drive that's the significant issue with late-model BMW's....not the transmission.

Haven't had the experience at BMW dealer, but have had many an over-zealous salesman at other dealerships. *sigh* ...it's not BMW's, Harley Davidson, or ______ (insert brand here)....it's probably the salesman personality more than anything.

 

[germany]

I had a BMW salesman berate me because I wasn't buying the bike "today". I told him I wasn't buying the bike "today" for three reasons: 1. I didn't have a permit or license yet (my class was still 2 weeks away). 2. No permit/license means no test ride. 3. I wasn't paying the $600 set up fee.

Later I called a small BMW dealer here in Chico and asked about their set up fee. Ozzie said "What set up fee? We don't charge for that. It takes less than a half hour to set up the bike. Why would I charge for that?"

After I got my license, Ozzie got my business. The best part was going back to the other shop and telling the salesman that I paid zero dollars for set up fee, less than MSRP, a fresh tank of gas (Ozzie gave me his gas card and I rode to the station myself) AND he threw in a free helmet (not a cheap one either). All told I saved over $1000 by going to another shop.

Ozzie is an ex sidecar racer (I belive he sponsors his son now) and has some great stories.

 

[MKO]

I had a BMW salesman berate me because I wasn't buying the bike "today". I told him I wasn't buying the bike "today" for three reasons: 1. I didn't have a permit or license yet (my class was still 2 weeks away). 2. No permit/license means no test ride. 3. I wasn't paying the $600 set up fee.
Later I called a small BMW dealer here in Chico and asked about their set up fee. Ozzie said "What set up fee? We don't charge for that. It takes less than a half hour to set up the bike. Why would I charge for that?"

After I got my license, Ozzie got my business. The best part was going back to the other shop and telling the salesman that I paid zero dollars for set up fee, less than MSRP, a fresh tank of gas (Ozzie gave me his gas card and I rode to the station myself) AND he threw in a free helmet (not a cheap one either). All told I saved over $1000 by going to another shop.

Ozzie is an ex sidecar racer (I belive he sponsors his son now) and has some great stories.

My kinda dealer!

In 1974 I bought my first new motorcycle from H&H Cycle in Eastlake, OH: a Honda CB360. Long before there were any mandatory MSF classes required before taking your motorcycle license test, Harold, the owner of the dealership, road me down the street to an empty parking lot. He spent a half hour with me as I practiced my starting, shifting, braking and turning. Needless to say I became a repeat customer. Sounds like Ozzie is a lot like Harold.

I actually enjoy going into dealers and listening to the salesman's rhetoric. I love it when the try to BS me or mis-quote facts on their brand or the competition's. Am I alone in this strange thrill?

 

[GunMD]

BMW of Las Vegas seems like a good bunch of folks. I've purchased both FirstGear and Olympia riding gear from them. They are always helpful, never pushy and let me cruise around the showroom and throw a leg over any bike I want without any pressure. They know I ride a Yam and always talk more about my IBA licence plate back than the make of bike that it's hangin' on.

When I purchased my FirstGear pants from them a few months ago they actually let me "test ride" them. Told me to drive around with them for a while. I was gone more than 20 minutes and when I came back to the store they didn't seem alarmed at all. That was my FIRST visit to that dealership and they didn't know me from Barney the dinosaur. (Shut the hell up ya'll).

 

[UFO]

The last time I went and looked seriously at a BMW I got some sort of lecture along the lines of "Well, owning a BMW isn't like owning a regular bike. It's a commitment and lifestyle." Needless to say I didn't buy anything. It was very offputting to get a mini-lecture just because I wanted to look at a bike.

Whatever dude, it's still just a collection of steel, aluminum, and plastic...I don't care what brand is pasted on the side. I get tired of people who think the brand is the be all and end all of motorcycles. When (if) I ever own a BMW, I will only visit the dealer as a means to buy the bike. I won't subsribe to any "mystique" bullshit associated with any brand, BMW or otherwise.

 

[GunMD]

"Well, owning a BMW isn't like owning a regular bike. It's a commitment and lifestyle."

Hmmmmm....That sounds a LOT like a particular US made bike I've heard about.

 

[MKO]

"If I have to explain it, you wouldn't understand"...or is more like, "if you have to ask the price, you probably can't afford it".

 

[beemerdons]

Guten tag germany,

Wie gehts du? Very glad to hear that Ozzie is still the "Good Guy Ozzie" that he always has been! Very classy gentleman and a throwback to the motorcycle dealers and shops I do remember when I started riding in 1963.

Just out of curiosity, did you get the "today" crap from A&S in Roseville? My Zonie riding friends SkooterG and vectervp1 are always saying that I am as old as dirt, but I just happen to know the guy that is older than dirt!

Gruss Gott, beemerdons

 

[germany]

Gruss Gott, beemerdons

Mir geht es gut, beemerdons. Google is my friend.

Unfortunately 'germany' is just a screen name I started using about 13 years ago because one of my coworkers couldn't pronounce Jeremy. It came out "Jeremany". She then started calling me 'Germany' because it was easier. Then everone started calling me Germany at work and I needed an email account for school, so...

Anyway, A&S would be the culprit in this case. Ozzie is absolutely a class act. He acted as though I was a long time customer the minute I set foot in his shop. How did you happen to get acquainted with Ozzie?

I am actually a 'Zonie myself. Born and raised 18 years in Tucson. Wildcat fan of course. Can't handle any of that Scumdevil stuff.