BMW Motorrad – goals and own goals, the flops

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BMW Motorrad - goals and own goals, the flops
BMW

BMW Motorrad - goals and own goals, the flops

BMW Motorrad - goals and own goals, the flops

BMW Motorrad - goals and own goals, the flops

BMW Motorrad - goals and own goals, the flops

13th pictures

BMW Motorrad - goals and own goals, the flops
BMW

1/13
Plastic as far as the eye can see: the K1, BMW’s interpretation of Supersport.

BMW Motorrad - goals and own goals, the flops
BMW

2/13
Nice is different: the English called the Flying Brick the horizontal in-line engine.

BMW Motorrad - goals and own goals, the flops
BMW

3/13
Ahead of its time? Roof scooter C1, driving behavior and design takes getting used to.

BMW Motorrad - goals and own goals, the flops
BMW

4/13
Not exactly a ratings hit either: G 650 Xcountry, cheaply made, sold at a high price.

BMW Motorrad - goals and own goals, the flops
BMW

5/13
Embarrassing yuppie style: Scarver with funny technology and design gimmicks.

BMW Motorrad - goals and own goals, the flops
BMW

6/13
Only a few wanted: R 1200 ST boxer with lamp battery on the upper floor.

BMW Motorrad - goals and own goals, the flops
BMW

7/13
The end: R 1200 CL, the last and most bombastic expansion stage of the boxer cruiser.

BMW Motorrad - goals and own goals, the flops
BMW

8/13
Rocking chair effect: only eliminated in 1995 by the Paralever support.

BMW Motorrad - goals and own goals, the flops
BMW

9/13
Loved and hated: the double-sided turn signal switches have always been controversial.

BMW Motorrad - goals and own goals, the flops
BMW

10/13
Engine damage in the long-term test: plenty. Here the innards of the first 4V boxer R 1100 RS.

BMW Motorrad - goals and own goals, the flops
BMW

11/13
Constant driving jerks: used to be a nuisance for boxers, today no longer an issue.

BMW Motorrad - goals and own goals, the flops
BMW

12/13
Toxic: brake booster installed in the R 1200 GS from 2004 until the end of 2006.

BMW Motorrad - goals and own goals, the flops
BMW

13/13
Blows from the drive: were typical boxers, they still exist on the K 1600 GT.

motorcycles

BMW Motorrad – goals and own goals, the flops

Enemy BMW – The prejudices and flops
Goals and own goals by BMW

Bayern landed some direct hits, but also scored some own goals. Nevertheless, it is surprising how much BMW as a brand polarize the machines and their drivers. What is behind the enemy BMW? An attempt at analysis.

Gert Thole

10/12/2011

Bayern Munich – the football club – is undisputedly the most successful club in Germany. Bayern are the bosses in the ring and the top club. Of course, most of the fans in Munich cheer, according to surveys, around 20 million. But success also generates resentment, aversion and downright hatred: Bayern Munich is also the club that polarizes the most and faces a lot of headwind, you can meet die-hard Bayern haters everywhere in Germany.

A parallel to be drawn between the football club and the motorcycle manufacturer, which is also based in Munich, is pretty close. Because BMW is currently swimming on a wave of success. Production and sales increased significantly, as a result of which the Bavarian share of the shrinking cake increased significantly in a declining overall market. This applies to the domestic new machine sales, but also worldwide. In plain language: The number of BMW friends and lovers is growing. From which one can conclude that the strategists at corporate headquarters, designers and technicians in development and the brand as a whole are obviously doing something right.

A success that should actually take the wind out of the sails of the critics. But the more dominant BMW appears on the market, the louder the opponents will be, at least here in Germany. The adage that the prophet is not valid in one’s own country is true, but does not explain this phenomenon. Part of the reason is that we Germans have a problem with national identification due to our troubled past. Successful domestic brands are inviolable elsewhere. Italy trembles on the GP weekends with Ducati, and in Ami country Harley-Davidson is the cult brand, precisely because it embodies “Made in the USA”. Declared Harley or Ducati haters – if they exist at all – have a difficult time in their countries.

Nevertheless, criticism must be allowed. After all, success does not mean that everyone has to like everything that Bayern do. MOTORRAD has never cut back with well-founded and factual criticism when it comes to testing Bavarian products. For example, we reported on an endurance test K 1300 GT, the engine of which flew at us at 250 km / h. Or how the gearbox and rear wheel bearings of the 1200 GS crumbled. For years we were constantly nagging at these unspeakably squeaking brake boosters and the digital braking effect associated with them, until BMW finally got us out of this annoyance. But as a serious press organ, MOTORRAD has to stay on the objective, neutral level. Criticism of the design, the sound, the character or the brand image must not influence test results – and neither do they.

In contrast, the reader is allowed to hit the Bavarians free of the liver and completely emotionally, see previous story. And he makes extensive use of this right. The opponents make fun of BMW motorcycles, their drivers and the brand as a whole. But for all the emotion there are also rational arguments and reasons behind it.


BMW Motorrad - goals and own goals, the flops


archive

Embarrassing yuppie style: Scarver with funny technology and design gimmicks.

Design horrible
Appearance is a matter of taste, so any subjective opinion cannot be challenged a priori. It is noticeable that in the case of BMW design bashing, examples from days gone by are often cited. In the past, BMW motorcycles – whether consciously or not better – were trimmed to be old-fashioned and conservative, today they want to be modern and future-oriented, which seems a bit cramped here and there. The transition phase between antiquity and modernity, in which the BMW design department suffered many a visual catastrophe, was problematic. In the 1990s, the Bavarians, slowly awakening from their slumber, tried to lure customers with daring styling and technical gimmicks. Today you have to attest to them more stylistic confidence, even if not everyone appreciates the asymmetrical headlights, duckbills or the massive plastic insert. But it remains to be said: other manufacturers are based on Bavarian products, some even dull copper. 

Frail technology
The elders remember: in the past, very early on, Boxer machines once enjoyed an aura of indestructibility. Anyone who went on a long-distance journey drove a BMW. The engines lasted longer than those of the English or Italian competitors. And if something broke, it could be repaired with home remedies anywhere in the world. But even then it was true: The machines were certainly solidly built, but by no means indestructible. Which quickly became apparent when the Japanese raised the bar to a whole new level with really reliable machines in the 1980s.

Today, BMW is probably not below average in terms of quality, but it is not top either. The fact that some things go wrong is not only reflected in the experiences widespread in the relevant forums, but also in the MOTORRAD endurance tests. Right at the top of the ranking is a Harley-Davidson (!), The first BMW is in the middle. And a K 1300 GT even lands in penultimate place. There is still a lot to be done.

Strange driving behavior
The cardan rocking effect, tumbling undercarriages, lousy brakes – that’s how a “rubber cow” used to drive. At times the Bavarians lagged miles behind the current state of the art and looked rather old compared to the Japanese high-tech competition. Even if many do not want to admit it, today it has turned into the opposite. Suddenly decisive innovations are coming from Munich. BMW was a pioneer in ABS, catalytic converters, electronic chassis, assistance systems, etc. Test wins confirm the good function of most models, with the competition from Japan and Europe panting behind. A good example is the S 1000 RR, BMW’s debut in the supersport sector, which pulverized the competition from scratch and is still the measure of all things in its segment today.

However, the current machines are not free from weaknesses either. And you don’t have to look far back to find flops: for example the unspeakable brake booster, initially jammed bearings of the Duolever front suspension, annoying constant driving jolts, the fragile rear axle bearings on the 1200 GS. And loud cracks from the drivetrain, typical for BMW for years, can still be heard by the customer with the current six-cylinder.


BMW Motorrad - goals and own goals, the flops


BMW

The end: R 1200 CL, the last and most bombastic expansion stage of the boxer cruiser.

Bad sound
Speaking of noises: the boxer sound is still typical of BMW – and it is well known that not everyone likes it. At least one has to admit that he has a special character. Whether a Harley or Ducati sounds better is a matter of taste – many see it that way. But now BMW can offer the full spectrum of sounds, as the engine range extends from one-cylinder to two-cylinder and four-cylinder to six-cylinder. And they all make a lot of noise, not even a tourer like the K 1600 GT can speak of elegant acoustic restraint.

Munich arrogance
Now it becomes difficult because you leave the factual level. The keyword arrogance can be heard from many “BMW haters” – see letters to the editor – in relation to the manufacturer, the dealers, but also BMW drivers. If a manufacturer sells its machines next to cars in sterile glass palaces instead of at the herb around the corner, it pisses off a certain clientele. Obviously, and this may be surprising, the current BMW concept is successful. Beginners who feel comfortable in neatly styled exhibition halls are of course made differently than many bikers who grew up with the subject of motorcycles and the dealer around the corner. When drivers dressed in BMW uniforms from head to toe in BMW uniforms meet veteran bikers in oil-smeared leather on well-used young-timer material on an Alpine pass, worlds collide. This confirms some of the cliches that the fronts are hardening. 

Overpriced machines
The Bavarian machines have always been expensive. Even today, a BMW is priced above the competition. But not far, as the Japanese in particular had to raise their prices significantly. An S 1000 RR, for example, costs around 500 euros more than a current Kawasaki ZX-10R. But the policy of surcharges can drive costs up significantly. 24,000 euros for a K 1600 GT in full regalia is certainly a lot of money. Anger among those who cannot and do not want to afford it is understandable. And envy and resentment are not far away – even if of course nobody will admit that.

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