Saludos rushes, You must Always say Drunk Hillbilly with Great Pride in your Voice! Recuerdos, "El Borracho de Arizona" aka, Papa Chuy Medina "El Burrito Ballerina" MAS TEQUILA Y PEYOTE, ese!!!'Make passionate love ta you' an the horse ya road in on.....i thought that was an every night thing with you
:bird:
I've owned and sold my BMW for my FJR.
Here's my thoughts...
If you can afford the "quality" of the BMW it's a real nice bike. Is it far superior to Japanese bikes, IMO no. Is it even a little better in quality, IMO, no.
Some design features on the Beemers are great and I wish the FeeJ had them, that being said.... The amount of money it costs to maintain, buy parts, get service, etc, is way more than you'd ever pay if you had a Japanese bike. I had a BMW K-bike, and if you didn't lube the splines on the output shaft of the tranny once per year, it would fry huge and cost you at the dealer about $1K. I did the work myself and it was still about $350. Now, to lube the splines meant pulling the entire ass end of the bike off and tranny. A weekend job once a year, that is not fun. Also, just to change oil and check all components at the dealer is at least $350 to $600 depending on what they adjust. Does that sound reasonable for a high quality bike? And even though they did these maintenance items, what ever went wrong with the bike and needed fixin', you'd pay for dearly.
Don't get me wrong, it's a real nice bike, I just couldn't afford the BS and was real pissed with the tranny design issue needing that type of maintenance. Remember BMW was making engines and trannies well before the Japanese was specializing in them, and BMW still doesn't have it down IMO.
I know many people own Beemers on this forum and they are real nice fun bikes, but you pay way more for that than a Japanese bike. IMO I don't think it's even close to worth it, That's why I own a FeeJ.
Now go to the BMW forum and say the FeeJ is far better and see the response you get.
Good luck.
BTW - Love the dog pile Saturday's.
I'll piggyback onto comments made by my good friend FJRBluesman! (please johnny80s, NO lewd and crude photographs!) I've owned and ridden BMW Boxer Flat Twins for over 500,000 miles and for over 41 years now. Starting with a BMW R60/2 bought from my off US Army base landlord in Augsburg, Germany in March of 1969. The BMW quality has served me very well. I have ridden all over Europe from Gibraltar to Amsterdam and Vienna to the Irish Sea. In North America I've ridden from Prudhoe Bay to Guatemala City, all aboard BMW's. My 1974 R90S was my sweetest Beemer ever!I had to transfer this from the double closed thread, not like any of this hasn't already been said, but...
I've owned and sold my BMW for my FJR.
Here's my thoughts...
If you can afford the "quality" of the BMW it's a real nice bike. Is it far superior to Japanese bikes, IMO no. Is it even a little better in quality, IMO, no.
Some design features on the Beemers are great and I wish the FeeJ had them, that being said.... The amount of money it costs to maintain, buy parts, get service, etc, is way more than you'd ever pay if you had a Japanese bike. I had a BMW K-bike, and if you didn't lube the splines on the output shaft of the tranny once per year, it would fry huge and cost you at the dealer about $1K. I did the work myself and it was still about $350. Now, to lube the splines meant pulling the entire ass end of the bike off and tranny. A weekend job once a year, that is not fun. Also, just to change oil and check all components at the dealer is at least $350 to $600 depending on what they adjust. Does that sound reasonable for a high quality bike? And even though they did these maintenance items, what ever went wrong with the bike and needed fixin', you'd pay for dearly.
Don't get me wrong, it's a real nice bike, I just couldn't afford the BS and was real pissed with the tranny design issue needing that type of maintenance. Remember BMW was making engines and trannies well before the Japanese was specializing in them, and BMW still doesn't have it down IMO.
I know many people own Beemers on this forum and they are real nice fun bikes, but you pay way more for that than a Japanese bike. IMO I don't think it's even close to worth it, That's why I own a FeeJ.
Now go to the BMW forum and say the FeeJ is far better and see the response you get.
Good luck.
BTW - Love the dog pile Saturday's.
Is there a point to this?I'll piggyback onto comments made by my good friend FJRBluesman! (please johnny80s, NO lewd and crude photographs!) I've owned and ridden BMW Boxer Flat Twins for over 500,000 miles and for over 41 years now. Starting with a BMW R60/2 bought from my off US Army base landlord in Augsburg, Germany in March of 1969. The BMW quality has served me very well. I have ridden all over Europe from Gibraltar to Amsterdam and Vienna to the Irish Sea. In North America I've ridden from Prudhoe Bay to Guatemala City, all aboard BMW's. My 1974 R90S was my sweetest Beemer ever!I had to transfer this from the double closed thread, not like any of this hasn't already been said, but...I've owned and sold my BMW for my FJR.
Here's my thoughts...
If you can afford the "quality" of the BMW it's a real nice bike. Is it far superior to Japanese bikes, IMO no. Is it even a little better in quality, IMO, no.
Some design features on the Beemers are great and I wish the FeeJ had them, that being said.... The amount of money it costs to maintain, buy parts, get service, etc, is way more than you'd ever pay if you had a Japanese bike. I had a BMW K-bike, and if you didn't lube the splines on the output shaft of the tranny once per year, it would fry huge and cost you at the dealer about $1K. I did the work myself and it was still about $350. Now, to lube the splines meant pulling the entire ass end of the bike off and tranny. A weekend job once a year, that is not fun. Also, just to change oil and check all components at the dealer is at least $350 to $600 depending on what they adjust. Does that sound reasonable for a high quality bike? And even though they did these maintenance items, what ever went wrong with the bike and needed fixin', you'd pay for dearly.
Don't get me wrong, it's a real nice bike, I just couldn't afford the BS and was real pissed with the tranny design issue needing that type of maintenance. Remember BMW was making engines and trannies well before the Japanese was specializing in them, and BMW still doesn't have it down IMO.
I know many people own Beemers on this forum and they are real nice fun bikes, but you pay way more for that than a Japanese bike. IMO I don't think it's even close to worth it, That's why I own a FeeJ.
Now go to the BMW forum and say the FeeJ is far better and see the response you get.
Good luck.
BTW - Love the dog pile Saturday's.
However, if there was such a thing as a time machine and I was now 19 and the year was 2009: I would not consider owning any other bike than the Yamaha FJR 1300, if all I could afford was 1 moto.
Thanks to some damn LUCKY investments made in rental properties over many years, I'm retired and living off rents which allows me to own five bikes, three of which are BMW's and my Harley FXD.
Like Bluesy says, FJR does everything well! My BMW's also do a lot of things very well, but as Lawrence stated: BMW often let's their Engineering Department overrule the Common Sense Department!
Is there a point to this?I'll piggyback onto comments made by my good friend FJRBluesman! (please johnny80s, NO lewd and crude photographs!) I've owned and ridden BMW Boxer Flat Twins for over 500,000 miles and for over 41 years now. Starting with a BMW R60/2 bought from my off US Army base landlord in Augsburg, Germany in March of 1969. The BMW quality has served me very well. I have ridden all over Europe from Gibraltar to Amsterdam and Vienna to the Irish Sea. In North America I've ridden from Prudhoe Bay to Guatemala City, all aboard BMW's. My 1974 R90S was my sweetest Beemer ever!I had to transfer this from the double closed thread, not like any of this hasn't already been said, but...I've owned and sold my BMW for my FJR.
Here's my thoughts...
If you can afford the "quality" of the BMW it's a real nice bike. Is it far superior to Japanese bikes, IMO no. Is it even a little better in quality, IMO, no.
Some design features on the Beemers are great and I wish the FeeJ had them, that being said.... The amount of money it costs to maintain, buy parts, get service, etc, is way more than you'd ever pay if you had a Japanese bike. I had a BMW K-bike, and if you didn't lube the splines on the output shaft of the tranny once per year, it would fry huge and cost you at the dealer about $1K. I did the work myself and it was still about $350. Now, to lube the splines meant pulling the entire ass end of the bike off and tranny. A weekend job once a year, that is not fun. Also, just to change oil and check all components at the dealer is at least $350 to $600 depending on what they adjust. Does that sound reasonable for a high quality bike? And even though they did these maintenance items, what ever went wrong with the bike and needed fixin', you'd pay for dearly.
Don't get me wrong, it's a real nice bike, I just couldn't afford the BS and was real pissed with the tranny design issue needing that type of maintenance. Remember BMW was making engines and trannies well before the Japanese was specializing in them, and BMW still doesn't have it down IMO.
I know many people own Beemers on this forum and they are real nice fun bikes, but you pay way more for that than a Japanese bike. IMO I don't think it's even close to worth it, That's why I own a FeeJ.
Now go to the BMW forum and say the FeeJ is far better and see the response you get.
Good luck.
BTW - Love the dog pile Saturday's.
However, if there was such a thing as a time machine and I was now 19 and the year was 2009: I would not consider owning any other bike than the Yamaha FJR 1300, if all I could afford was 1 moto.
Thanks to some damn LUCKY investments made in rental properties over many years, I'm retired and living off rents which allows me to own five bikes, three of which are BMW's and my Harley FXD.
Like Bluesy says, FJR does everything well! My BMW's also do a lot of things very well, but as Lawrence stated: BMW often let's their Engineering Department overrule the Common Sense Department!
I looked long and hard at the BMW RT a few years ago until I started researching and talking to people about the maintenance required. Valve "adjustments" (Not checks) ever 6000 miles...etc. The list was long and cost a lot of money. I think you can make any modern day bike last forever if you do all the stuff you are supposed to do.
The Valve Adjustments take about 15 to 20 mins after you do them once or twice. It is VERY simple screw and locknut adjustment and the valve covers come off in 30 seconds they are just hanging out there off the side of the bike so they are very easy to access.
I would agree with you and Wanderer, I don't think now days there are bad bikes. I don't mean to knock BMW's, they are great bikes and I really loved the way the RT I rode handled. Just talking to several people owned them scared me a bit. That and the fact that the nearest BMW dealer is a LONG ways away from me.
BMW made their motorcycle reputation ages ago with slow, reliable, motorcycles that (generally) old men rode. They were, indeed, good (for the day...). In later years they've (BMW) continued to build a few very reliable models (early, in the '80s, K-bikes, for instance) but have also branched-out into what I like to call "Heroic Engineering" to continue to promote a concept ('Boxer' engine) or, to position themselves as a technology leader in the marketplace. Some of these efforts appear to abandon engineering's 'first principles'?, maybe? to the detriment (monetarily and practicality-wise) of the rider...
