| Author | Message | ||
     Court |
Whatever . . . I'll stick with my Cushman . . . it that baby has a spark, fuel and compression . . it just runs. Of course all the folks I could complain to are long since dead.  I've owned a BMW for the last 8 years and it was okay. It was when it started to make me dull and uninteresting that I got rid of it in a hurry. I'd suggest . . . .that like humans themownselves. . . . you'll find little behavioral differences amongst motorcyclist based on brands. Me? . . I'm nuts. I'm sitting here, bike loaded, studying and waiting for the rain to begin. As soon as it does, I'm headed to Tramp's neighborhood to walk a 6 mile trail I've been itching to walk. But . . I will NOT carry a walking stick and a back pack lest I be mistaken for a BMW owner. | ||
| Swordsman |
Tramp, did Buellgrrl authorize you to write her biography? You're doing a great job so far!  BTW, $2000 is a drop in the bucket, considering what stuff costs nowadays. I had $2400 worth of barely noticeable cosmetic damage once... ~SM (Message edited by Swordsman on October 21, 2008) | ||
| Jaimec |
Why would a motorcycle need a differential??  | ||
| Court |
Good news is that Steve-O-Mania did an 1125R at 120 MPH a week ago and reports all replacement parts could be done for about $500 . . . that's fairly cool! | ||
| Froggy |
Court, he decided to change his body color, so that means more money to change non-broken parts, but either way he got away cheap. So what a bike had $2k in warranty work, what did it cost you? Other than trip to the dealer, it costed nothing. My Uly has warranty work done at every service, did I care? No, because it didn't cost me a thing. My XB12SS has had only 1 thing done to it under warranty, and honestly it didn't need to be done but I had it done to be safe. My charging system was on the fritz, I fixed it but Buell still replaced the stator and VR just in case if it was damaged anyway | ||
| Skinstains |
I was in Cali in May and rented one of those 1200 GS pieces of sshhiitt to ride on the PCH. What a mistake. I hated it after about 20 miles. Now that I'm sad thinking about my one day off in Cali ruined on that kraut junk, maybe I'll take a ride over to Liberty to buy something I don't even need and say hi to the Mutant while I'm there. That should cheer me up. F BMW. | ||
| Cityxslicker |
Just got done with $1000 in warranty and another 300 in tires... My two year warranty is up... I have increased my insurance, made sure I had replacement cost... I have NO hesitation to ride this bike to BAJA. The world is bendy and dirty and the best adventures are never at home.  | ||
| Greenlantern |
F BMW. Yeah and F. Murray Abraham while we are at it.  | ||
| Chellem |
maybe I'll take a ride over to Liberty to buy something I don't even need Well I hope you find something you want anyway!  | ||
| Skinstains |
Maybe another pink hat to make all the boys wonder... | ||
| Jaimec |
Funny... I had a rented R1200GS in Colorado and thought it was the PERFECT bike. In fact, if I ever hit Lotto, one of the first things I'll get (after the big house with the four car garage) will be an R1200GS Adventure with a set of Al Jesse panniers. And since I won't ever have to work again, I may just hit the road for a good LONG time! | ||
| Tramp |
VERY few motorcycles out there I dislike | ||
| Skinstains |
Well I went to liberty and dropped about $1,400.00 on "extras" for my Uly that will be delivered to Liberty on 12/12/08 for me. Boy do I hate dealers. Why can't we just have the UPS man bring everything to our houses and teach us how to assemble/build/adjust/maintain and use everything we buy over the internets ? Death to dealers ! Now where can I buy a Kraut Kruiser with a training wheel to hang my "death to dealers" signs on ? So that I may roam the world enlightening those that need it. | ||
| Buellgrrrl |
Cityxslicker, after $1000 in warranty repairs in two years I'd suggest the longest extended warranty you can get. Skinstains, you need to acquire some more vocabulary to express yourself better- maybe then you could explain to us just what you don't like about that BMW. As for the "training wheel" comment, how many lifetime miles have you put on a bike? Froggy, my Buell will be out of warranty in a few weeks, and I can't afford to keep fixing it myself. Thusly it'll move to the back of my garage and become a spare while I ride my quarter century old BMWs. | ||
| Froggy |
Sell it instead of letting it rot. I see in your profile that its an M2, I am sure it is a nice machine. I got an S3 on my shopping list, otherwise I would make an offer. | ||
| Bigdaddy |
Tramp, Agreed. I'd love to have a Ural w/hack in the barn | ||
| Xl1200r |
Sell the friggin' bike. You know what my 'spare' bike is? a HALF century old Sportster that at this point I wouldn't trust to get me across town. But I know this and am okay with it. If you hate the bike, get rid of it. Your Bimmers obviously bring you much more joy than the Buell does. Cut out the fat and see the light. | ||
| Xl1200r |
Sell the friggin' bike. You know what my 'spare' bike is? a HALF century old Sportster that at this point I wouldn't trust to get me across town. But I know this and am okay with it. If you hate the bike, get rid of it. Your Bimmers obviously bring you much more joy than the Buell does. Cut out the fat and see the light. In Court's own words (and I may butcher this): Ride, lean, smile, repeat. | ||
| Cityxslicker |
Actually with the abuse that I put the bike through... and those of you that have been here awhile can attest to it. I am glad it was covered by warranty. Theres rocks, and mud to be had. | ||
| Tramp |
Buellgrrrl- I very honestly have over 220,000 miles on my S2T. My S2 has never had a rocker box opened up, let alone any other surgeries, save for a clutch replacement after ,ending it to a buddy some 9 years ago. All of the BMWs I've owned have required numerous interval valve adjustments, spline lubes and brake component R&R in half as many miles. I love the boxers (save for the footpeg offsets which lead to spinal pathologies in the riders), but (and speaking as a certified, BMW/NA MC group-trained tech.) have found them all to require far more maintenance and repair than has my Buell. I truly enjoy both brands, and I'll gladly trade you a nice R-Bike for your M2, to assist with your peace of mind. Is there any specific R you're looking for? (1997, performance custom, high displacement R/7, built from crank out by pictured rider)  (Message edited by tramp on October 22, 2008) | ||
| Tramp |
BMWs R us.... (Message edited by tramp on October 22, 2008) | ||
| Court |
>>>I was carrying a walking stick just last week, Court! I was yesterday . . .  Extended warrantees, be it motorcycles or plasma televisions, are one of the biggest wastes of money there are. Buell has a sterling example of paying little or no heed to when warranties run out. I personally saw >$37,000 worth of Buell parts provided to folks with bike approaching 10 years old last year. I'm unaware of a company, car, airplane or motorcycle, that has ever stood behind and supported it's product as well as Buell Motorcycle Company has. | ||
| Jb2 |
"Extended warrantees, be it motorcycles or plasma televisions, are one of the biggest wastes of money there are." Ditto. 'Nuf said. | ||
| Jerseyguy |
Court - The cost to get my 1125 running after a 120+ MPH crash on the track (not in the dirt) is $299.91 not including oil. The total to put it in perfect, like new condition is $598.05. Some of the cosmetic damage was very, very minor like a scratch on the front fairing ($118). Just as a point of reference: Daytona boots: $560 Shoei X11: $623 Feildsheer 1 piece leathers ~$450 | ||
| Buellgrrrl |
The Cyclone and many tubers have a literal weak link, the belt, and it's best not to rely on it too far from home. Let's say that I'm out on my Cyclone, re-exploring the disused Railroad lift bridge and North Dakota's only railroad tunnel along the ND/MT border near Fairview, MT. I pull off highway 200 and take the gravel road into the park at the base of the bridge, then walk the trail across the bridge and through the tunnel. By the time I get back it's getting dark, so I hop on the Buell for the short ride to my reserved motel room in Williston. But as soon as I get back on pavement and give it the slightest bit of throttle, the Buell's belt breaks and flies off. I walk the mile into town and am lucky to find a motel room in this oil patch town for $100 a night, and it's too late to cancel my room in Williston for $50 a night. The nearest Buell dealer is 200 miles away, and the tow bill will be at least $400 and the belt replacement with labor will be around $500. Or I can spend $50 on a cab ride to get to Williston and then $150 to ride the Empire Builder back to Minneapolis. Then I spend $240 on gas and another $50 on motels to haul the dead Buell 1200 round trip miles home so I can spend a greasy day and $200 on a belt to fix it. Figure wear and tear on my pickup, and either way I'm probably out around $1000 to fix a 50,000+ mile Buell that's worth barely that. Now instead of the Buell, what if I'd been riding my worst airhead, the R100GS, and it's notorious paralever drive shaft started to go at the same spot? I note some unusual vibration, so I put the bike up on the centerstand Buell doesn't even have. Turning the rear wheel in neutral, I note the barely noticable telltale double clunk of a paralever driveshaft starting to go bad. I baby the bike to the motel in Williston, check again, and find the clunk has gotten slightly worse. I get on the internet and consider having a new one overnighted for $600 and post my plight on the airhead list. I check e-mail again just before I go to bed, and find a fellow airhead has a spare driveshaft he'll part with for $200, and he can drop it off at UPS in the morning. I happily accept the deal and thank him and let the night desk clerk know I'll be staying another night or two. In the morning I buy some bigger wrenches and take out the old driveshaft, right there in front of the motel... Thank god for the BMWs centerstand and excellent tool kit. I kill off the afternoon at the library researching local history, binge out at the oriental buffet, then veg out in front of the TV watching old movies. Next morning the UPS truck arrives with my driveshaft and by noon it's installed and I'm headed west. I stop at UPS on the way out of town to ship the bad driveshaft to an outfit in Green Bay that's going to rebuild it with greasable U-Joints for half the price of a new one. My trip's been delayed by a day, but for about half the price of the Buell's belt failure I'm on my way instead of headed home and I've got a rebuilt better than new driveshaft as well as a spare. Now does anybody still wonder why I stayed close to the bus and Amtrak route when riding my Buell even though it's under warranty? And why after the warranty's expired, I darest not take it far beyond the city limits? | ||
| Cityxslicker |
There are many nice garages that would be happy to have your M2, craigslist is calling. PS when riding in off grid areas, I pack an extra belt, Have since day 1. Havent had to use it, but its there just in case. As are the tools to change it. | ||
| Chellem |
PS when riding in off grid areas, I pack an extra belt, Have since day 1. Havent had to use it, but its there just in case. As are the tools to change it. Sounds like your problem is solved. There were always parts we traveled with, "off-grid" or on-grid, whatever. Belt was one of them. I think a regulator was another one. But that was a while ago. And I'm really not sure, still, how your story would have been different if your bike was still under warranty? In your scenario, the nearest buell dealer is still 200 miles away, warranty or not. AND you've still spent a greasy day fixing your other bike, or in your scenario, a greasy morning. Seriously, if I had a motorcycle that I was that nervous to ride, that I had THAT much mistrust in, I'd get rid of it. I just wouldn't ride it. Parking it in the garage in case I ever go somewhere that I don't mind if it breaks makes absolutely no sense to me. You obviously don't trust the bike. You obviously don't care for the dealer network, hence the title of the thread. And the actual motor company seems to bear the brunt of your hatred because one dealership allegedly fired a woman for "Gender Bias". I can't think of any reason you would continue to ride this bike. I wouldn't if I had all these problems. Ride what makes you happy. ->ChelleM | ||
| Tramp |
I believe we've covered, in the past, that belt issues on Buells tend to result from two incorrect conditions: 1. Incorrect sprocket alignment (FAR more common than most realize) 2. incorrect tension My S2's belt went over 180,000 miles before its first change, and it crossed the continent more than once. ..maybe this tells us that correct alignment and tension work wonders, and that the belt is NOT a weak link, but, rather, the operator's inability to understand the link is weak? | ||
| Babired |
sorry I had too! and you'll never have the last word here...  | ||
| Froggy |
Wow, Buellgrrrl your last post made my jaw drop! If you really don't trust the belt that much, then switch to a chain. Or even better, sell the bike. If I had the cash, I would love to pick it up and document every mile and every issue I had. Oh yea and your scenario is all skewed in favor of the BMW. You did an apples and oranges comparison. |
