| Author | Message | ||
     Iugradmark |
After nearly 3 decades of riding BMW's I switched to a 2007 Uly a month ago. I don't know if I will ever make it to homecoming since I live in CA but I can tell you that the lack of breakdown stories from people that made the trek and the attention Buell pays to their customers reassures me that I made the right decision. I started buying BMW's because they were the first motorcycle that really understood that people want to use their bikes to travel. BMW introduced many things that we all take for granted today. Unfortunately, and in my opinion, they have lost their way. The bikes are complicated to a fault and very expensive to purchase, maintain, and have become less reliable as a result. Take a look at the list of posts on this board and then go over to advrider board for the GS and you will see what I mean. Nearly 1/3 of the posts have something to do with failures, mechanical problems, etc. My experience is that that BMW uses its dealer network as a shield and will not interact with owners especially when it comes to failure rates of rear drives, etc. Contrast that with an event like Homecoming and you can see what I mean. So even though I didn't attend, except through the excellent posts by those that did, I am sold on the company and look forward to a great relationship. | ||
| Horridus |
+1 Horr | ||
| Bikesmark |
I jumped the Beemer ship after my 3rd bike(R100RT,F650,1150GS). I'm a tinkerer and don't mind wrenching and prefer to do maintenance myself but I couldn't do it with the GS due to the specialized equipment involved. So, a 75 mile trip each way and a day off work got old. The bills got even older. The bike cutting off at the worst possible times really hacked me off. They never did get the FI sorted and said I wasn't thrashing the bike enough. Well, now they dual-plugged the heads which is supposed to have fixed the non-problem. I know a person can go nuts deciding which bike is right and I've done my research. You can read all you want and compare specs til you're blue in the face, and should for some baseline knowledge but I will never,ever buy another bike without a ride first,something Buell seems to understand and a big part of my earlier BMW choices. Still in a dither, I went and test rode the Uly '07. No dither now. I'm currently on a DR650 after selling my Strom and it's OK and I can do all the work myself, it's reliable as they get and a hoot on the back roads and trails but it can't do two-up very well, especially at high speeds. Looks like the Uly won't have me getting out the toolbox much,especially for '08. I'm sold and will be ordering one pronto. | ||
| Cavi |
what was wrong with the storm? | ||
| Bikesmark |
Cavi, there was absolutely nothing wrong with the Storm and I probably should have kept it but after I joined a carpool it sort of sat around and I started running the DR to the GF and back. I do have to say that the Uly has much more character at least to me. The Strom was kind of vanilla but it never let me down in 10K miles and ran like a bat out of hell. | ||
| Sweatmark |
I started buying BMW's because they were the first motorcycle that really understood that people want to use their bikes to travel. BMW introduced many things that we all take for granted today. Unfortunately, and in my opinion, they have lost their way. The bikes are complicated to a fault and very expensive to purchase, maintain, and have become less reliable as a result. Take a look at the list of posts on this board and then go over to advrider board for the GS and you will see what I mean. Nearly 1/3 of the posts have something to do with failures, mechanical problems, etc. My experience is that that BMW uses its dealer network as a shield and will not interact with owners especially when it comes to failure rates of rear drives, etc. Agreed. We've got 2 Beemer R1150Rs, great bikes for roadtrips and general purpose riding. But the potential for Oilhead mechanical failures has forever tarnished BMW's reputation for bullet-proof bikes. We've got a lot invested in the BMWs, so our long-term plan is to make 'em as simple and reliable as possible/reasonable. z.B., that means removing my bike's ABS when the warranty expires; proactively replacing rear drive bearings; drivetrain disassembly to check & lube splines; fuel line quick-connect removal to avoid fires (!!!). And we'll start doing our own regular maintenance to keep ownership costs in check. Contrast & compare: my little '03 Buell XB has had a few problems, with some required upgrades necessary to ensure long-term problem-free enjoyment. I plan to keep it forever (like the Beemers), and do the maintenance work myself... the Buell manual is a huge advantage! Unlike the BMWs, the Buell factory response to us owners appears to be excellent. Unfortunately, in my locale there's little good to say about the Buell dealer options, in stark contrast to our favorite BMW dealer, who does a great job. Still, I've made a strong Buell Ulysses recommendation to a friend whose R1150RT has been nothing but trouble! | ||
| Iugradmark |
Sweatmark, You at least have an out as you are capable of doing all of your own service work. I don't have the skills or time to do the work so BMW became increasingly expensive and I lost confidence in the brand. I think Buell has it right when it comes to customers. Build the relationship between the manufacturer and the owners. Now I would like to see the dealers get better but that will happen if sales start to increase and become more important to them. BMW is different in that the owners really do all the relationship work. MOA puts on the national rally and local chapters do same. BMW selectively participates but refuses to fix known issues. The current direction of launching all these new lines will only make things worse in my opinion. Vertical twins, horizontal twins, singles, 4 cylinders, and rumored 6 cylinder touring replacement for LT is going to stretch engineering and support too thin. Buell feels like Saturn when it first launched. Many happy owners that sold by word of mouth and came back to the manufacturing plant each year. Buell needs a little more time but I think they are laying the foundation for a great company. I hope they are allowed to continue. | ||
| Sweatmark |
The current direction of launching all these new lines will only make things worse in my opinion. Vertical twins, horizontal twins, singles, 4 cylinders, and rumored 6 cylinder touring replacement for LT is going to stretch engineering and support too thin. Yep, my thoughts too. Which is why we'll keep the conventional Boxers, with established 10+ year base of new & used replacement parts, just like the Airheads. The Oilheads are (thankfully) pretty simple motors to work on: valve adjustments require no special tools, electrical system and drivetrain resemble typical auto systems. Wouldn't want to be fiddling with any of the new BMW non-Boxer motors or the single wire electrical/instrument systems! The Buell - at least the XB series' Sporty motor - is similarly simple and DIY-friendly. | ||
| Adrian_8 |
I don't want to make this a BMW bash...but...my two buds have R1200GS, I have the ULY...ON a trip out west in May...my fuel pump went out in Utah....cameras were flashing as if Nicole Smith was reincarnated on that rollback truck....I got fixed up in one day from Zion HD...Two days later in Sequoia NP...the brand new 07 GS would not start after a pic session of the big trees...The beemers have a anti-theft key...The keyhole has an antenna that recognizes the key....no workee....bike down for 3 days.... What goes around comes around....Typical BMW... more complicated electrical crap that is unneeded..the Advrider guys are taking up a reward fund to try to figure out a way to bypasss this(EWS) but they are SOL ...What thief ever cares if he has a key for your bike? AS said above just overly complicated electrically with very few dealers. This happens to them totally without warning...stop in BFE bike no start...no fix...BMW engineering. | ||
| Stevenknapp |
The EWS systems are pretty bulletproof typically. Remember Ducati that had the system that came with two master keys (red keys) and only those keys could program additional keys (black). Someone in MCN bought a used one, got one black key, lost it, and basically had to get a new bike because of all the interrelated systems. For the BMW setup, the trick would be to pot in epoxy the antenna and the key's gizmo (the plastic key would be perfect for this). So they are always there. Oh, but wait, leaving the key in the GS raises the key-off standby current to an unacceptable level. Doh. | ||
| Erz |
I too just made the jump from a BMW to a Uly. I previously had a R1150R. Was a great bike, had ABS, loved it and had no real problems. It really shows reading the posts above how successful Buell has been at enlarging their owner base with the Uly. Clearly the Uly is on the shopping list of quite a few BMW owners. The fact that made me jump is a simple one. The Uly is just a heck of a lot of fun to ride. Much more fun than my R1150R was. | ||
| Chinook |
Yep, I made the jump as well. One test ride on the Uly and my RT was for sale. I did a comparo to the GS and well, you know. Uly = More Fun, more hooliganish! Not looking back and not missing the roundel. | ||
| Bertotti |
The GS was my dream bike forever, well since the inception of them. I was all set to pull the trigger but the offer on my shadow was ridiculous. I had no idea about service costs of the BMW. I went in saw the Ulysses and told them what I needed to leave with it. Thank God for the little road block with the BMW. I would probably be rather irritated with it by now. The Ulysses is perfect for me I just need some better off road tires. Big huge knobbies or at least something with more grass grip. My only gripe, darn grass especially wet is a bugger to run on. | ||
| Pso |
My Fiance' made the jump from f650GS to Scg after one test ride. I am glad she did. | ||
| Lorazepam |
I made the jump from BMW as well. (I still have an airhead though) I like the ease of maintenance, and the lack of a canbus system on both bikes. Now, if my Uly will just stop with the nagging warranty issues, I will be a happy man. Maybe I need to name it and talk to it a little..... | ||
| Blackangus |
+1 on the jump from BMW. My '04 RT was a great ride for a big bike, but the Uly is fun! Minor niggles, yes, but it's a hoot and I'm taking it places I'd never have considered with any previous bike. About 5,000 miles since March and smooth sailing. | ||
| Lost_in_ohio |
I saw a lightning at the factory with a flat tire.....No idea what happened with that, there was a lot of people around and it looked like it was dealt with. There was a blast that would not start at the factory and from what I heard they (factory staff) cleaned the carb and got it going. Really cool. I didn't hear of anyone with mechanical issues on the trip in or home. (Message edited by Lost_in_Ohio on July 18, 2007) | ||
| Diablobrian |
The factory replaced the tire on the bike that had a flat. My brother had a broken turn signal that was broken and one of the guys brought out a new one to replace it. It's a whole different kind of motorcycle company than any other I've ever dealt with.  | ||
| Wolfridgerider |
The people that work at Buell are GREAT!! I came out of the factory to notice one of the Buell techs looking at my chain conversion. He pointed at it and said "Isn't that your master link?, I think its missing the clip." Sure enough, the clip was gone and I thought I would be grounded for awhile. The next thing I know he tells me to hold on and he would be right back. In less than 5 min. he returned with a new clip, rtv, rag and needle nose pliers. NOW THAT IS TAKING CARE OF YOU CUSTOMERS!! | ||
| Lorazepam |
I really wanted to be there again this year. It really is a great group of folks. Oh well, maybe next year if I am still kicking. | ||
| Thespive |
There are at least a couple of us planning to ride out from So Cal to Homecoming next year, you are welcome to join us. --Sean | ||
| Iugradmark |
Sean, Keep me in mind when the day comes around next year. - Mark | ||
| Diablobrian |
Did I mention that last year I tipped my bike over on the ride from Hal's to the factory and broke my Low beam bezel. The lens from the light disappeared. I didn't make it into the parking lot before I was stopped and asked about it. A few minutes later the guy that stopped me brought out the headlight assembly for me. I asked "how much?" and he replied "fix your bike!" That blew me away. Seeing it that it is not all-together that unusual astounds me. | ||
| Old_mil |
They never did get the FI sorted If you think that's an issue with the pre -04 R bikes, don't get within 10 feet of a new generation K. They've released 4 or 5 remaps in the course of a year and a half and still don't have the surging fixed. And it's a huge issue: I was a former K1200R rider; was in first gear with the throttle closed in a parking lot slowing down heading for the exit. The surge almost shot me out into traffic. Anyway, extremely happy with the Uly and I think word is getting out. BMWFOA Member #1 (BMW Former Owners Association :^) | ||
| Mm128 |
I have BEEN looking at the NEW BMW R1200S.. I LOVE the style of the bike... Has anyone heard of PROBLEMS with it...??? DONT WORRY... My Buells are NOT going anywhere... I just like the looks of that Underseat BMW.. Matt. | ||
| Old_mil |
I LOVE the style of the bike... Has anyone heard of PROBLEMS with it...??? I don't think they've sold enough of them for any recurring bugs to become apparent. Read this thread over on the advriders about the K1200 engine (this doesn't include transmission) problems... http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=96 804 Right now, it's sounding like about the 4th model year after a BMW is introduced to market is the safe one to buy. ...and besides, the Buell 1125R is just around the corner, and should be fast enough to smoke a r1200s... |
