[SKX009K1]

It seems to me like there are two philosophies when it comes to bike ownership: some people buy a bike and keep it forever, others trade it in every couple of years.

One of the things that makes BMW interesting and attractive is the 3-year warranty, which gives you more room to strategize on when to sell a bike or trade it in.

What is your ownership strategy? And do you approach the 310 differently than you do other bikes?

It seems to me that unless you’re able to do your own repairs, owning the bike out of warranty would be a risky move. From what I can tell, repairs are usually a couple of hundred dollars at the low end, and can often extend to several thousand dollars at the top end. Given how affordable the bike is, I think you can quickly get to a point where a repair would cost you almost as much as the bike will be worth after three years.

Relatedly, has anyone looked into or considered extended warranties? When I picked up my bike, the dealer showed me what they have an offer. They quoted me an extended warranty of 36 months provided by RPM Plus for $1,650—which I think is pretty high, but which would be cheaper than getting a new bike at that point, given that taxes alone would be around $600 or so.

 

[SKX009K1]

It probably makes sense to keep a $23,000 bike for more than three years, but I’m not sure about a $6,000 bike.

I wish BMW had a GS in the $10,000 range, something akin to what the new Honda Transalp will be.

 

[SKX009K1]

The idea behind the parallel twins was lighter but they just got bloated and bloated until not too different than boxers and nearly as pricey!

True words. I don’t know what BMW was thinking making all the F models virtually as heavy as the big GS bikes, and almost as expensive. They must be guessing that there’s no market for a truly intermediate adventure bike. They probably think that it would be too expensive for the big Asian market and too “small” for North America and Europe, where people want liter bikes.

 

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It looks like the R 1300 GS will be smaller than the current model, or at least that’s what it looks like on the most recent spy shots.

 

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Yeah, I agree with that. I was thinking more along the lines of: should you sell your current 310 when the warranty ends to get a new 310?

 

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The thing is, the 310 GS is so good for everyday riding that I don’t think I would be using a bigger bike all that much.

I do hope that BMW keeps improving the unit. I read somewhere that they’re beginning another cooperation with TVS, so I assume that’s a good sign.

 

[SKX009K1]

I had no idea the RR has a TFT and ride modes. I would like to think that that’s a good sign for the future.

 

[SKX009K1]

I feel like I will have to get a second bike sooner rather than later. After four months and 4,500 miles, my headlight started acting up (high beam starts flickering even though it’s turned off). I brought the bike to the dealer on Saturday. The earliest they’ll be able to look at it is Friday. In case they can’t get it fixed then and need to ask BMW or order parts, it’ll easily be 2-3 weeks before I’ll have it back. Maybe I need to get a Grom as a backup…

 

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I think this is an area where the difference between countries becomes really clear. Because virtually no one in the US has a bike as their primary means of transportation, dealers are not in a big hurry to get them fixed when something goes wrong—or to supply a loaner vehicle.

Jerry, how did you end up with all BMWs in your stable? I assume you’ve owned bikes from other brands in the past?

 

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My 850GSA left on the HaulBikes trailer yesterday headed for its new home.

Why did you decide to say farewell to the 850?

 

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How long did it take you to sell it? It seems like there isn’t a particularly large market for the models in that range, at least compared to the R version GS bikes.

 

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I have to disagree. My dealer went to extreme measures to quickly fix my 310GS because (1) I carefully manage my relationship with them, (2) it died unexpectedly 114 miles away, and (3) I (truthfully) told them I needed the bike in seven work days for an no-refund off-road event. Also worth noting are the many stories in the BMW MOA magazine about dealers quickly getting tourers back on the road. Of course, a lot of this is situation specific. The loaner concept is a liability issue and, more recently, an availability issue.

That’s heartening to hear. It no doubt helps that you have bought several high-end bikes from the same dealer (I assume), so they should be doing their best to keep you happy. My experience has been rather different, though I don’t know whether that’s because I only have a 310 or because the dealership that’s closest is understaffed. I’m planning some longer trips for this coming summer and have been wondering what I would do if the bike broke down 2,000 miles away, when It would be imperative to get on the road again as quickly as possible. I guess it all depends on the dealership.

 

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That’s some truly exemplary service from your dealer, then. As I mentioned in my “State of the Industry” thread, my experience has been different. When I called the local dealer to ask whether they could do the 600 mile run-in check a couple of days before I left for a longer trip, they told me that the first opening they have is four weeks out. I called two other dealers, both of which mentioned that they might be able to do it even though I hadn’t bought the bike with them. (Which struck me as a ridiculous thing to even consider.) In the end, I found a dealer about 200 miles from here who did it, and I got the service done on the first day of my trip. That dealer was really excellent—friendly, trustworthy, and eager to help. Maybe I‘m just having bad luck with my local situation here.

 

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Sorry, but I'm going to call bull on this one: Unless your trip was an unplanned emergency (like my breakdown and non-refundable event), expecting a dealer to have or make an opening with just couple of days notice is poor planning on your part. Expecting him to bump a customer who got in line before you is not reasonable. What about that customer's plans? As the saying goes, "Bad planning on your part does not constitute an emergency on mine."

You’re right about that, and I wouldn’t disagree with you on this point. But there’s a larger issue at work here. If you sell me a new bike and you expect me to do a 600 mile service, but then you can’t offer that service within 5 weeks of me buying the bike, then that’s just not a great customer experience. (I got the bike on a Friday, called first thing the following week for a service appointment.) Granted, maybe that’s just what being a motorcyclist entails, and maybe I’m being unrealistic in my expectations, but it certainly doesn’t make it easier to use a motorcycle as serious vehicle rather than just as a toy that you may or may not be using on weekends. Just my two cents as someone who’s new to this world and who uses a bike as a daily driver.

 

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Oh well, we live in an imperfect world; that's not going to change anytime soon; but somehow we mostly muddle our way through.

True words. I’ll have to do some thinking on this. Maybe the takeaway really is that it’s best to have more than one bike, given that the turnaround for bike repairs tends to be longer, for all of the reasons you mention. I’m privileged in that my job and location don’t require me to have a car, and now that I’ve gotten a taste of what it’s like to live with a bike, I don’t really want to get one either. I really like the solution that Bob’s BMW came up with. They seem to be a quality outfit, from all I can tell. I bought some riding gear from them and they were excellent.

All of this makes me wonder how much a good car mechanic can do as far as bike work goes. I have an excellent little shop right around the corner, with a great owner. When I installed my Scorpion exhaust, I couldn’t get the oxygen sensor off, because the nut was so tight. I stopped by, he took one of his tools, loosened it, and I was gone again in a minute. I gave him a $10 so he could get a drink at the nearby bar and everyone was happy.

 

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I live in the South, so as far as the weather goes, you can easily ride year-round. That being said, I rarely see bikes on the road once the high season is over. And even when it’s summer, I mainly see other riders on weekends. As far as I can tell, there are very few people who use a bike for more than just the occasional weekend ride.

 

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And last read BMW was expanding production with TVS not something they would do if things were smelling lIke bad curry.

To Arbo's point, take a look at BMW Motorrad sales numbers for 2022:

BMW Motorrad Sold Record Number Of Motorcycles & Scooters In 2022

BMW Motorrad sold a record number of motorcycles and scooters worldwide in 2022. Sales increased 4.4% to 202,895 units sold.

www.roadracingworld.com

They have pretty strong sales in emerging markets, a large chunk of which are no doubt 310 models. I assume that's only going to increase now that the RR is coming out.

 

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I've been lusting after a bigger bike with more creature comforts for a while now. I talked to a dealer about a 2023 F 850 GS in the beautiful new trophy colors. Plus fees and aux lights and crash bars, the bike comes in at $20,000...before tax.

I think I'll stay with my 310 for a while. If it dies on me or if the engine explodes I'll just buy a new one while the other one gets fixed up.

 

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The more I'm looking into bigger and more expensive bikes, the more I realize what insanely good value the 310 GS is, even if you spend another $1500 to get it fixed up.