Has BMW been bad to you? Did you buy a New BMW lemon? Have you spent too long at the service shop, dealing with "technicians" who think you're an idiot? Did the electrics start failing? Did your beautiful New BMW start stalling? What about that transmission? Did BMW tell you it was your imagination? Did your sub-frame crack? Did they promise they'd call you soon to arrange something?

Don't worry you're not the only one who bought a BMTroubleU, but now you can tell the world your real "BMW Experience" by simply emailing your story and images to rayone2.3456 AT blogger.com you need to replace ' AT ' with an '@' cos I get too much spam (privacy statement)

Wednesday, March 17, 2010

I want a proper K1300R

After test riding the other K1300R it became clear that I needed I proper example; so I got my lawyer to write a letter to BMW.

The letter basically said the below in legal words - observations, pleadings, compromise offer.


BMW Motorrad here's the situation:
  1. You have a customer with a new top of the line BMW motorcycle.
  2. The new motorcycle is and has been leaning over to the right since he picked it up from the showroom. This in the long run will cause uneven tire wear, be unsafe and have less than perfect handling.
  3. Your customer knows without a shadow of a doubt the bike is leaning to the right. A spirit level and a yaw string placed on the wind screen have visually and non-subjectively proven this.
  4. Your customer is very dissatisfied with the geometry of his new top of the line BMW bike and doesn't feel safe riding it.
  5. Authorized BMW technicians are unable to determine the misalignment, let alone fix it.
  6. Your customer had to remedy misaligned steering.
  7. Your customer has never had a factory issue with any of his numerous previous motorcycles.
  8. Your customer has tried other BMW K1300R motorcycles and none of the exhibited the issues his motorcycles exhibits.
  9. Your customer has been trying to get this issue resolved for over 6 months and has expended significant time, money and emotional effort.


Expected outcome:
  1. I would like a BMW K1300R like the K1300R's I tested. Given the above the only solution seems to be a new bike or a demo bike in equal condition to mine.
    I am willing to meet the depreciation costs.
OR
  1. If you believe K1300R is within manufacturing tolerances I would like you to detail these tolerances in writing.
    eg:
    K1300R
     steering can be +/- 10 degrees off centre.
    K1300R camber can be +/- 10 degrees off 90 degrees.
    K1300R engines vary in the amount of chatter noise they produce.
    So I can make other unsuspecting consumers aware of the potential issues.


Personal Note:
I didn't purchase the K1300R because I needed to get from A to B. I bought one because the design and specification inspired me. 
I took 5 test rides to confirm the bike was worth almost twice as much as models in the same class before placing my order.
I planned numerous modifications including carbon fiber pieces and an after market exhaust (this is now not possible as the reduced weight will exacerbate the lean).

The K1300R that was delivered to me had immediately noticeable alignment issues which I have fought to have resolved since the first inspection.
I've done 2400km and I had more or less resigned myself to the "BMW experience" until I tried another K1300R, that was perfect. It had no engine chatter, the steering was perfectly straight and it rode perfectly upright.

The demo K1300R felt right just like the other K1300R demo bikes I test rode before placing my order... my K1300R doesn't feel right and I've measured it not to be, my wife is concerned about it's safety and refuses to be a pillion after the steering fiasco. The engine makes a noise like a tensioner or dampener is missing or broken.

I know BMW Motorrad make good K1300R's because I've ridden them, but I also know that your quality is variable as my gear box is smoother than all the demo bikes and this is indicative of a company that doesn't appear to follow a Six Sigma process.

I really hope we can come to a prompt agreement so I can tell my friends how great my K1300R is instead of talking about how wonky it is and how I had to straighten the steering.

2 comments:

  1. anything that happens to a bmw motorcycle is the owners fault.

    didn't they tell you that when you paid $20,000.00 + for the bike?

    ReplyDelete
  2. I upgraded to a Yamaha XT1200Z... happy days now.

    ReplyDelete