BMW R1200GS Review

Overall Rating

When it works it's great.

Breakdowns, failures, lack of customer service.

The BMW 1200GS is a cracking machine. It's a versatile, capable bike that provides many a nirvana moment. It's also as reliable, well built and potentially very expensive. Bought first bike in December 2004. Suffered multiple gearbox failures, electrical failures, battery failures (etc, etc, etc). Average distance between breakdowns under 1,000 miles. After gearbox number 3 imploded on the M4 less than 300 miles after installation BMW finally appreciated that this might have been a bit of a "friday afternoon" bike and gave me a rather advantageous trade in for another 1200GS The January 06 1200GS is twice as good as the bike it replaced. This one has almost averages 2,000 miles between breakdowns or failures. Things of note: * gearbox / clutch replaced under warranty (both bikes). Replaced more than once too * fuel pump electrics failed (both bikes) * battery failed (both bikes) - In fact I've never made it through a winter without the bike dying. * Top boxes - three flew off the back of the bike before I got really fed up and BMW refunded my money. Design has since been changed. *ABS failed *gear position indicator failure (so bike won't start) *neutral indicator failure *sudden loss of power under acceleration *speedo / rev counter failure. *steering lock failure *total loss of electrics (no lights, horn, try stopping that bike without servos) The only area of ownership that is more disappointing than the reliability is the "customer services" After 8 years BMW ownership I won't be getting another one (2 or 4 wheels). Back to Honda. Maybe they aren't as much fun or as trendy but they do appear to work.

Members' Comments oncuscus's Review

• danielvaradero on 1st May 2009

  i was thinking of upgrading to a bmw from my Honda cb500 (there's nothing wrong with the cb500 and ive never had any reliabliity issue's at all, it's kept outside without a bike cover and just laugh's at the british weather-that normally eat's bikes, honestly my 15year old 33,000miles cb 500 does'nt have one rusted bolt on the entire machine) simply so i can have a offroad bike and just to try a beemer.
  
  anyway i think ill be keeping with my honda cb 500 now,and if i'm gona invest massive amount's of money on a new bike, it'll defo be a new honda.
  
  it seam's your paying just for a badge and not a quality machine, i think if charlie boorman and ewan mcgregor go on another adventure they should use honda's and show how robust they are.