Anybody brave and has Mottard Warranty & Use Independent Bike Shop ?

[JackSnipe]

Going to have Mottard Warranty on my K1300 GT SE, main reason ESA cover up to 30,000 miles and the odd expensive fault possibility here and there. Is the above a runner or will anybody brave enough come up against a corporate brick wall when attempting to claim ?

I note Pidcocks BM Long Eaton Derbyshire are working on a service plan deal due for release later this month. Remains to be seen if it is worthwhile. I have same on two cars and it works out cheaper but many other deals I have seen are not good value for money.

Cheers,

JS

[raesewell]

I have the BMW warranty and wouldn't run the bike without it. Over four years I am about £1100 up on the deal. This was a lot to do with the ABS pump I had replaced.

[Ross]

I don't have a warranty. As it happens, the used bike I bought had no extended warranty because of a missed service so it wasn't really a choice BUT I am just not keen on insurance in general and feel that BMW have us over a barrel with their warranty scheme. Finding a good independent bike shop is not always easy but I think I have found one and much prefer to take that route. I am relying on James Shelock of South Molton ( http://www.james-sherlock.co.uk/ ) to keep things running. My first full service and MOT with them is due in March. No doubt I will post on my experiences in running a non-warranty, high performance bike. What could go wrong?

[chriscanning]

If your going to run a bike with the BM extended warranty then it'll be an official dealer because it's their warranty!! there's no paper work and my experience they just do it I've had loads of things done and been informed afterwards with the exception of the 3 clutch's I've had put in.

Independent in the UK? I don't believe there is one yea sure you can have your oil and the usual stuff done but when you get into the serious and things going wrong it'll be a franchised dealer or more like what do you call a man with a machine gun although again you can argue about going the GS-911 route and hope you can dig yourself out of a hole.

As the prices of the bikes drop there's an argument for taking a chance on your own,I've never had an extended warranty on anything and certainly not a bike but I'm certainly not that stage of running my K without one although I have thought about it and to say I object to having to buy one is an understatement.

One of those useless pieces of info the extended warranty is only transferable if you pay up front for 12 months the monthly version isn't it's in the small print.

[Timbox]

Here is my experience, its all about the Dealer!! And right or wrong, if you havent spent any money with a Dealer is he going to go out of his way to help you?
In theory if all Genuine parts and BMW schedules have been followed then you have a right to a warranty claim, but will you have problems? Yes you might.

Personally I think a Good relationship with a "Good" BMW dealer is worth its weight in gold, but they are hard to find, your call.

[BruceV]

I agree that owning these new BMW's after the factory warranty expires is potentially very costly down the road.

I have owned 7 new beemers  and have not purchased an extended warranty for any of them.  Of course here in the U.S.A. BMW motorcycles come with a 3 year warranty so my method almost certainly makes no sense for you guys.

I simply sell or trade the bike in after 3 years.  Many think that is very expensive - that has not been the case.

Considering if I purchased an extended warranty - I usually am ready for a major service - need new tires - add all this up and I am usually not that far off in the price differences - so I go with a new bike.

I just did this yesterday in fact.  Had my 2012 RR for exactly 3 years - traded it in for a 2015 RR. Now I bought a loaded RR so I did add a few items that were not on my old one.  If I deduct the extras I probably spent $1,500.00 more than if I had kept my old one.  Now I have a new one with a few standard features that are much better than the old one.

[chriscanning]

Bruce

Sounds like the relationship you have with your bikes is the same as the one I have with my dishwasher or washing machine but the involvement I have with my bikes runs a little deeper.

To steal a quote off the I site you plan works great so long as you treat your bike as an appliance 

Plus of course all the signs are saying the K is finished do we all just bail out ? When the factory  warranty is up

[BruceV]

Chris:

I do set them up the way I want - but you are correct - I don't fall in love with any of them.  Unfortunately they are a machine/tool to me.  I know how much time you put into your bikes getting them just right for you and to sell/trade them as often as I do would not be in your best interest.

I do try to stick with the same models so most of my accessories do swap over and most of my learning also transfers to the new bike.

Plus I like knowing that I'm contributing to the economy even if it is only a small gesture from one rider.

Pretty soon I will stop the 3 year and out program - once I retire I think I will be much less inclined to spend what little money I will have on bikes.

[chriscanning]

Actually what I forgot to say Bruce until 2001 I was the same as you I'd just bought my 3rd Tiger and part exchanged my 2 year old one and £2500 which was a reasonable deal at the time,got home and thought about it and realised(sorry for the basic maths!!) that if I keeped the bike for 6 years I'd have £7500 to put towards another bike and still have the current one and that's what I've done.

If I did 10,000 miles a year which I used to do but don't do now that would be 2500 on each so they are hardly going to wear out and they lost most of their depreciation I haven't bought a bike for 6 years so I'm due another  but 5 bikes is ridiculous!! or maybe not 

[Costas]

The extended warranty is not offered in south Europe.
Independent bike shops are many with good if not excellent mechanics, bad only a handful few have the right tools and the connections to get the correct parts when a major work is needed not only on BMW bad in other bikes too, talking about Italy,Turkey and Greece the places that I'm more familiar with.
Regarding Bruce's comments I too have been following the same policy not only with my bikes but with cars too. The 4 years period of ownership was a must and believe me its the best since I never had to pay for major repairs and their value was somehow still high.
But that was then and then when I was on active duty. Back in 2012 many things changed here first was the economic crisis that will stay with us for years to come. Then my retirement came another thing that will stay with me for ever.
So now i will interact with a small scooter following the 3 or 4 years ownership and keep my K13S most probably for many years, at the end its the first road item that made me have true feelings, mark that I had a MASERATI among other muscle cars and a DUCATI among fast bikes.
All this would might be reconsidered of course if I win the lotto............... 

[Phmode]

Listen Costas, if you win the lottery we are ALL having new bikes 

Brian (who stopped doing the lottery a year ago and has now saved £52 pounds toward a new bike  )

[BruceV]

And I forgot one important fact in regard to buying a new bike every three years - it's either that or my wife spends the money on something - and that something is almost always something that I don't care about.

Last week I bought a new RR and I didn't so much as say one word about it to her.  Honestly I can't come up with one good reason to even mention it to her.  I always buy black bikes and I would be willing to bet all my nickels that she can't/won't ever tell the difference between my 2015 RR and my 2012 RR.  To the uninformed they look identical. Saves a lot of wasted conversations and in the end I'm buying it anyway so I kind of think I'm doing her a favor - she doesn't have to give into me or try to change my mind - because she doesn't know it happened.

[Timbox]

And I forgot one important fact in regard to buying a new bike every three years - it's either that or my wife spends the money on something - and that something is almost always something that I don't care about.

Last week I bought a new RR and I didn't so much as say one word about it to her.  Honestly I can't come up with one good reason to even mention it to her.  I always buy black bikes and I would be willing to bet all my nickels that she can't/won't ever tell the difference between my 2015 RR and my 2012 RR.  To the uninformed they look identical. Saves a lot of wasted conversations and in the end I'm buying it anyway so I kind of think I'm doing her a favor - she doesn't have to give into me or try to change my mind - because she doesn't know it happened.

When I swapped my Orange Tiger 955i for a Metallic Beige K1300GT it was about a week before my missus suddenly sad, "Hang on, thats a different bike isnt it?"
Im thinking of trying the same with the Renault Scenic and a Porsche Cayenne

[Costas]

mmmmm interesting, good ideas are coming, so my next one should be an orange bike.

[midlife crisis]

Costa people might think you are talking about a KTM!

Graham