24k service . . . . remortgage time?

[GTRPete]

GTBH - Thought about it, and don't think I really want to give up the GTR

It's a good point.  Not sure what beemer is like but the kwak is the best bike i have ever had.  Given price differential and in life costs not sure i would bother.  On the other hand a 1440 GTR . . drool dribble etc.  would be great to see the kwak spank the BMW . .  .

[Winston Smith]

Spent a long time road testing the 1600GT and it IS phenomenal.

But it's also a big, technology brimmed potential money pit!

I loved it, but as an every day bike I would need to think long and hard.

Touring - brilliant, even more so then the GTR, but the GTR is a better all rounder.

[Lonewolf]

To be fair Chris, treat yourself if it's something you really want. You only live once, so go for it.  ;D

[O.C.]

GTBH - Thought about it, and don't think I really want to give up the GTR

pound for pound you'de have to be better off with a new GTR wouldn't you ?

[Rusty]

Winston ... you know what to do ..... have BOTH !  ;D  Difficult, as you say, potentially a money pit BUT could you go on knowing it's out there and not have one in the garage, especially as YOU have ridden one and know what it's like !! Never mind hard times more like hard decisions !

[Winston Smith]

lol - Having ridden them (quite angrily!) I do think they are brilliant.  But they are big and for everyday use the GTR is better.

I am toying with the idea of a 1200 Adventure (as well as the GTR) and giving that a go for a season, then decide which way to go in 2013 - new Tourer or new Adventurer (Honda will have been out a year then)

New GTR?  Nah, don't think so, love them to pieces, but I don't like the 'new' shape (2010 on) - too 'organic', I prefer the angular look of the earlier model.  If I was going to do that I would do it in lieu of the upcoming 1/4 century service!

May just bank the dosh and wait until I really know what I want.  Bear in mind I kept my Blackbird nearly 11 years - I am not a dedicated follower of fashion.

[100milesaway]

Parked up at the "bridge"a few weeks ago and one of the Bms parked by the side of the GTR and the Bm dwarfed it , they are one BIG  bike. I do all my biking in the twisties, even when on holiday and  I think a Bm would be a bit of a handfull. :)

[Winston Smith]

Parked up at the "bridge"a few weeks ago and one of the Bms parked by the side of the GTR and the Bm dwarfed it , they are one BIG  bike. I do all my biking in the twisties, even when on holiday and  I think a Bm would be a bit of a handfull. :)

No, that's where it will piss all over the GTR!

I chased the GTR on one with a tidy rider on it and it was only the twistyness that stopped the overtake.

They hide their mass well, but are physically big round town.  Too big for CBT training.

They are awesome as a tourer where the GTR is far more sports biased.

Trust me, BMW really have got it right.  Just BIG!

[GTRPete]

got quote of 550 all in for the service. 

got quote of 800 quid excl Vat  :o for the same service at a dealership in Reading.
I trust the bristol guys implicitly so i wonder what the other quote was about? perhaps it also included an overnight stay in a 5 star hotel  and a hour's visit from miss whiplash ?

[O.C.]

Parked up at the "bridge"a few weeks ago and one of the Bms parked by the side of the GTR and the Bm dwarfed it , they are one BIG  bike. I do all my biking in the twisties, even when on holiday and  I think a Bm would be a bit of a handfull. :)

That's interesting, as I was was at the 'bridge'; about 5 weeks ago and a guy came wandering across to look at my bike.. we got talking, as you do, and it turned out that he already had a 1600 BMW and wasn't very happy about a number of 'issues' that it had experienced, mainly mechanical etc.,

He asked if he could sit on my GTR as he felt that it would be a bike with a 'heavy feel' to it, but he was amazed at how light and relatively small the bike was when compared to his Beemer. Of course I encouraged him to take a test ride on the GTR, which he said he would definitely do.

He said that he hadn't even considered the GTR as a possibilty when he purchased his BM, which I found a bit strange.

In between my second, and this, my third GTR I had a brief flirtation with BMW, firstly with a K1300 GT EE, which is a stunning bike with a great engine, (which is worth trying).... but even though this is a lovely bike its just a bit bland, the panniers are too small, plus the bike uses too much oil ! and when it mysteriously cut out on me one day and promply fell over, well, that was the straw that broke the camels back, so it was p/xd for a R1200GS,  ::) the less said about which, the better  :-[......the GS may be a capable bike but I hated it, so it went to a good home to make way for my latest GTR which I love  ;D

I guess its one mans meat is another mans poison

[kwarrgtr]

I never even tried the 1600 when i was looking for a tourer and never will. I have fallen out with bmw and it'll take along time for us to kiss and make up. When I had my bmw f800st serviced by a local independent just before i sold it, the owner/mechanic (who used to be a service manager for bm) told me that basically consumers did all bm's testing and fault finding - i.e new models introduced before all niggles discovered and rectified. From what I hear (albeit, ancedotely) seems to be true of the k1600gt.
One of the many things that attracted me to the gtr was 'tried and tested' technology without being 'long in the tooth' like the pan or FJR.
Sorry for going off topic... as usual...

[Rusty]

It's all interesting stuff .. members with different views and perceptions ... strange as you say Coney that the chap never thought of a GTR !! If you were going to spend a lot of money you would research the bikes first I would like to think ! For me now, the GTR is without doubt the best bike I have had in 30 yrs ... the VFR 800 came close ... but in a few years when I come to replace this I shall either go for the R1200 GSA or the K1600 ... ( the beauty that Winston rants about  ;D ) ... it's all personal choice and I think with everything you will always hear horror stories about the bikes and the service from dealers .. but ... you pays your money .........

[GTRPete]

Wbat was the original post about again?  ;D

[Rusty]

Never mind the original post ... just chat  ;) ... oh, and drink a very good Red whilst trying to type on threads !  ;D

[GTRPete]

Never mind the original post ... just chat  ;) ... oh, and drink a very good Red whilst trying to type on threads !  ;D

fine but i still want to know if anyone had any surprises at their 24k service.  Is this forum not about knowledge sharing as well as banter?