Migrating to BMW ...?

[cdc]

Curios to see if you or someone you know has migrated from the FJR to the relatively new BMW K1600s.

And what are the opinions of the K1600s.

 

[Bugnatr]

I know a guy from Bemmerzona who bought one. He hates it, a real over priced piece of shit but hell it's a fuking BMW??? Bring My Walet or Big Money Wasted, shoot you'd be lucky to get 3k miles before you have to rebuild the final drive. He hit a deer and the shop didn't even clean it after the repair? Piss heads.

Stick with Yamaha, spend the money you saved buying forum members drinks. Patron is working real good bout now.

 

[RoeckerJ]

Wednesday, my nephew rode my fjr and my brother has an bmw r1200rt and everyone that saw my bike likes my fjr and not the bmw for some reason. I can't ride my fjr until after next wknd when I do my class to get endorsed.

 

[Fontanaman]

I know a guy from Bemmerzona who bought one. He hates it, a real over priced piece of shit but hell it's a fuking BMW??? Bring My Walet or Big Money Wasted, shoot you'd be lucky to get 3k miles before you have to rebuild the final drive. He hit a deer and the shop didn't even clean it after the repair? Piss heads.

Stick with Yamaha, spend the money you saved buying forum members drinks. Patron is working real good bout now.

+1

If you got money to burn it is a great way to go, if not and or don't have a BMW dealer near (you will need one) you stick with the Feej.

 

[Blind Squirrel]

I recently test rode the K1600LT. Very nice bike! Way heavier than the FJR, but the weight is lower and managable. The seating position feels like you are sitting on a cruiser. It was fast and smooth.

I also recently test rode the R1200RT. Lighter and better balanced than the FJR. Better wind protection. The seating geometry is more relaxed than the FJR. Since it is a twin there is some vibration at lower rpms, but it smooths out quickly.

I am smitten with the R1200RT. I like that it has factory cruise control, On-the-fly suspension adjustment, traction control, no heat issues (I have a gen 1 FJR), lower center of gravity and better wind protection.

 

[beemerdons]

I know a guy from Bemmerzona who bought one. He hates it, a real over priced piece of shit but hell it's a fuking BMW??? Bring My Walet or Big Money Wasted, shoot you'd be lucky to get 3k miles before you have to rebuild the final drive. He hit a deer and the shop didn't even clean it after the repair? Piss heads.

Stick with Yamaha, spend the money you saved buying forum members drinks. Patron is working real good bout now.

+1

If you got money to burn it is a great way to go, if not and or don't have a BMW dealer near (you will need one) you stick with the Feej.

cdc, you will love the BMW K1600; our K16GT is named Gisele and she has performed flawlessly for us, my Son Seth and I leave for SW-FOG on her in a week's time after returning from NAFO in Canada. She has 10K and would have had 20K on her except I used her for deer hunting in Utah on October 13, like Doug says we cut a 250 lb. mule deer in half with Gisele. I do not know why Bugnatr drinks Patron, Papa Chuy Viejo's tequila is only Herradura Especial Plata!

In regards to needing a BMW dealer, I have over 500K documented BMW miles with BMW Motorcycle Owners of America and none of my Beemers have ever left me stranded on the road. The only final drive failure I have ever had was on a Yamaha XS750D triple, I had completed the SCMA Three Flags Classic and my final drive broke at the finish line at the Red Lion Inn in Burnaby, Canada; the Vancouver, British Columbia Yamaha shop had to repair it before I could ride back to Estados Unidos.

Do you live in North or South Houston? If South, Gulf Coast BMW is your dealer: https://www.gulfcoastbmw.com Houston: Team Mancuso PowerSports Southwest: https://www.tmpsw.com

You are also fortunate in having two excellent BMWMOA Clubs in Houston! BMW Motorcycle Club of North Houston #327: Contact Wes Wessel at 713-818-3880, tell Wes that BeemerDonS of AZ Beemers Club #89 said Howdy! If you live central, BMW Club of Houston, Ltd.#12: https://www.bmwclub.org

The purchase price on my K1600GT was $28.5K out the door. However, I bought it from a 70 year old man in Prescott, Arizona who after 300 miles decided that Gisele was too big and heavy for him. Amazingly, he had never owned a bike over 700cc when he bought Gisele. I have no idea why he bought her, but I picked her up for $22.5 with 300 miles on her!

Here is a video taken by marcusorelius and Duke the Wonder Dog showing my Son Seth and DaddyDon riding Gisele in Southern Utah. Seth is 6' and 200 lbs, Papa Chuy Viejo is 6'-1" and I weigh 250 lbs.; Gisele is so much more comfortable for us two up than Miss Lucy Liu is - our 2003 FJR!

 

[ionbeam]

The K1600 is a different class of motorcycle from the FJR. If you want to move up in weight and LD comfort you are now looking in the GOld Wing class of motorcycles. It is just a matter of what trades in SPORT Touring and Touring you want to make. The big bikes do handle well (enter the obligatory "for their size") but they still aren't a Sporting bike.

In New England 'travel' to good roads and nice scenery will by <100 miles. In northern New England there are good roads right out your back door. We don't really need a mega miler for good scenery or sporting roads. On the left coast and especially the desert areas you have to travel to get to the sights and roads so a mile eater may make more sense.

 

[beemerdons]

The K1600 is a different class of motorcycle from the FJR. If you want to move up in weight and LD comfort you are now looking in the GOld Wing class of motorcycles. It is just a matter of what trades in SPORT Touring and Touring you want to make. The big bikes do handle well (enter the obligatory "for their size") but they still aren't a Sporting bike.

In New England 'travel' to good roads and nice scenery will by <100 miles. In northern New England there are good roads right out your back door. We don't really need a mega miler for good scenery or sporting roads. On the left coast and especially the desert areas you have to travel to get to the sights and roads so a mile eater may make more sense.

+1, Gunny; Great Words of Wisdom from Alan, this is why ionbeam is the "Einstein" of our fine FJR forum. The FJR and the K1600 are two entirely different M/C beasts!

Gisele my K16GT is more touring and Miss Lucy Liu Gen1 FJR is more sporting; I love both of these machines, I really do and would NEVER get rid of either one of them!

Senorita Lucy Liu is still my preferred Motocicleta for my frequent road trips into Mexico. She handles the topes, vados and potholes better. Better on sandy dirt roads too!

https://www.k1600forum.com/ cdc, if you're interested in a BMW K1600 I highly recommend you join the K1600 Forum. Lots of good information both pro and con there!

 

[beemerdons]

Curious to see if you or someone you know has migrated from the FJR to the relatively new BMW K1600s.

And what are the opinions of the K1600s.

Here is your BMW Dealer for Katy: Wild West Honda, 22515 Katy Freeway, Katy, TX 77450 (281)392-8850, fax: (281-392-6162. https://www.wildwesthonda.com

 

[Sharif]

I'm going on a road trip with my brother and his new K16GT this next weekend - I'll get a tankful or two on the K16 and post thoughts. See my comparison with the K13 here.

 

[beemerdons]

 

[Fontanaman]

I recently test rode the K1600LT. Very nice bike! Way heavier than the FJR, but the weight is lower and managable. The seating position feels like you are sitting on a cruiser. It was fast and smooth.

I also recently test rode the R1200RT. Lighter and better balanced than the FJR. Better wind protection. The seating geometry is more relaxed than the FJR. Since it is a twin there is some vibration at lower rpms, but it smooths out quickly.

I am smitten with the R1200RT. I like that it has factory cruise control, On-the-fly suspension adjustment, traction control, no heat issues (I have a gen 1 FJR), lower center of gravity and better wind protection.

+1

If it were not for BMW reliability issues I would have an RT. In 2008 I rented an new, stock, RT and road it 525 miles in one day. The seat fit, the bike fit and at the end of the day I felt fine, no need for heli-bars, Russell seat or any other fracking farkles to make the bike fit - freaking amazing. And and it has a high Gross Vehicle Weight and no subfrome issues here or dinky saddle bags either. Those RT bag are sweet.

Of course the truth be told Motorcycle Consumer News did a review of sport touring bikes a year or so ago. They tested an FJR, a Concourse and something else. The haul mule for their gear on this ride was a BMW 1200GS. To a man, everybody wanted to ride the GS and though it was a better touring mount.

I wish BMW would get their reliability act together. The rear end spline issue makes me shudder, of course now I get to worry about subframes instead, sheeeet........

 

[Bugnatr]

Gisele my K16GT is more touring and Miss Lucy Liu Gen1 FJR is more sporting; I ONLY love both one of these machines THE YAMAHA!, I really do and would NEVER get rid of either of the FJR!

Senorita Lucy Liu is still my preferred Motocicleta for my frequent road trips into Mexico. She handles the topes, vados and potholes better. Better on sandy dirt roads too!

See, I told you about the Beemerzona guy. (I fixed it for ya Don)

 

[Fontanaman]

This is going to be one of those threads that keeps on giving. I love it! :yahoo:

 

[Blind Squirrel]

I recently test rode the K1600LT. Very nice bike! Way heavier than the FJR, but the weight is lower and managable. The seating position feels like you are sitting on a cruiser. It was fast and smooth.

I also recently test rode the R1200RT. Lighter and better balanced than the FJR. Better wind protection. The seating geometry is more relaxed than the FJR. Since it is a twin there is some vibration at lower rpms, but it smooths out quickly.

I am smitten with the R1200RT. I like that it has factory cruise control, On-the-fly suspension adjustment, traction control, no heat issues (I have a gen 1 FJR), lower center of gravity and better wind protection.

+1

If it were not for BMW reliability issues I would have an RT. In 2008 I rented an new, stock, RT and road it 525 miles in one day. The seat fit, the bike fit and at the end of the day I felt fine, no need for heli-bars, Russell seat or any other fracking farkles to make the bike fit - freaking amazing. And and it has a high Gross Vehicle Weight and no subfrome issues here or dinky saddle bags either. Those RT bag are sweet.

Of course the truth be told Motorcycle Consumer News did a review of sport touring bikes a year or so ago. They tested an FJR, a Concourse and something else. The haul mule for their gear on this ride was a BMW 1200GS. To a man, everybody wanted to ride the GS and though it was a better touring mount.

I wish BMW would get their reliability act together. The rear end spline issue makes me shudder, of course now I get to worry about subframes instead, sheeeet........

I haven't heard anything about the newer BMW's having any issues. When I do buy, I will get a 2010 or newer. They went with the "standard" (to me) blinker setup and made upgrades to the boxer engine.

 

[oldryder]

I looked at a BMW as a replacement for my FJR and GL1500.

really liked the R1200RT but was scared away by the final drive failures and BMW's piss poor response. the problems been around a few years and is still unresolved. I could live with the chronic fuel level sensor failures but I won't buy a bike that has a frequent problem that could ruin my vacation.

rode a 1600 and liked it a lot. However, the much vaunted rotary handlebar switch is an expensive repair waiting to happen once out of warranty. I've yet to see a truly reliable multi-axis switch and that one is more complicated than most. My guess is it'll be at least a several hundred dollar repair just a few years down the road.

I kept my FJR and bought a Royal Star Venture to replace my GL1500 for long distance 2 up. The venture is a really nice bike and bulletproof.

it's ridiculous that BMW charges so much for their machines and then ignores design related reliability problems like the final drive and the fuel level sensor on the RT. they''ll need to do better before I ever buy one of their bikes.

 

[beemerdons]

Gisele my K16GT is more touring and Miss Lucy Liu Gen1 FJR is more sporting; I ONLY love both one of these machines THE YAMAHA!, I really do and would NEVER get rid of either of the FJR!

Senorita Lucy Liu is still my preferred Motocicleta for my frequent road trips into Mexico. She handles the topes, vados and potholes better. Better on sandy dirt roads too!

See, I told you about the Beemerzona guy. (I fixed it for ya Don)

Muchas Gracias Doug, if I stopped riding BMW I would have to change all of my tattoos! jes' sayin' and nuff' said!

 

[radiummadman]

Not being a member of the millionaires club makes me opt for the FJR. Jan 2011 picked up an '04 with 4590 miles, paid $4950.00.

Now has 23K + not one problem, if I can make it last as long as SkooterG & others it will end up costing what your BMW's cost

BEFORE you put the first tank of gas in it. Plus even a broke dick like me can figure out how to do all of the maintenance.

Of course what do I know, just another pendejo from Nuevo Messico.

 

[El Toro]

I've got a '12 K1600GTL and an '09 FJR AE. I really like them both very well, and like Don, I think they'll both be kept for a good while. The weight to power ratios are about the same. The 6 is a little smoother, and with the single throttle body, you don't get into throttle body synch issues. The 6 is seriously detuned from what it could be.

The BMW is heavier and more prone to stressing the rider when walking the bike around. I have Russell seats on both of them (didn't like either of the stock seats, and went through various options with both before finally paying for the Russells). The BMW has a heck of a lot more onboard storage capacity, which is nice for longer trips. The BMW saddlebags will take an XL Shoei helmet if they're empty when you decide to stuff it in. The FJR's bags won't take the XL Shoei shell.

The BMW sucks me in with its onboard technology. I did not expect this. The cruise control, integrated GPS, central locking, audio, electronic suspension, traction control, tire pressure monitoring, etc. have all turned out to be greater comfort inducers than I have found with other bikes (I've had a fair number of the late model BMWs in recent years - 6 since 2007, and 2 in the garage at the present time). The tire pressure monitoring saved my butt the other day on I-40. I was doing 80 mph with the truck traffic, and the TPM started warning me that the front tire was on the way down. By the time the steering got heavy, which would have been the first notice had I not had TPM, I was already off the interstate and rolling into a parking lot for repairs. If the steering had gotten heavy at 80 mph while I was in a curve surrounded by trucks, it would have been more excitement than I care to stand.

Just as I like the technology hook of the K1600, I feel that the simplicity of the FJR and its sporty nature are actually more fun. I love both bikes. If I could only have one, it would be the FJR because of the AE feature. The AE feature is especially useful for me whenever my left foot decides to give trouble. Thankfully, this is not a regular problem for me, but my '09 AE has a permanent spot in the garage.

The worst thing about the K1600 is the forum. The K1600 has the highest Quality of Bike to Quality of Forum ratio I've ever seen. There's more whining there than on any other forum I know of. FWIW, I've never had a single one of the problems that those jokers think plague their bikes.