BMW rider thinking of returning to Honda

[LongRanger_imp]

Big fan of MG's, including the Griso. I often lament selling my V7C, but in reality, the dealership and parts availability situation was unacceptable for a sustained relationship. And my bike had the dreaded plastic tank. Let's not go there...

[veech_imp]

When I was a kid trying to figure out the whole motorcycling thing almost 50 years ago, chain maintenance was confusing and a great big hassle. Nowadays, it is so easy I wonder what I was even thinking (or not thinking as my brain was probably too clouded by the '60-'70 era). Somehow 'Zen & The Art of Motorcycle Maintenance' comes to mind. I never actually read the book, but have been often inspired to create my own interpretations by the title.

In any case, after decades of having no chains (belts & shafts only), having a chain final drive was actually one of the attractions of the CB when I was buying it. Simple elegance. Go figure.

[joega_imp]

I have owned Honda motorcycles from the seventies (back in the seventies when they were "state of the art") and then I moved to BMWs. Yes, my handle name should be "Beemer Guy" but I registered on my phone and didn't see the typo.

Anyway, I saw a CB1100 this past weekend and fell in love with it. I gave up riding a few years ago (fear of Bambi and idiots on cells phones) but now I'm thinking of getting back. Given that I'm used to the comfort and control of a BMW (RT and GS) how will I like the Honda? There's not one anywhere around here (that I'm aware of) available for a test ride.

Thanks!

You will never go back to dealer for high prices and recalls lifes good

[jwoods986_imp]

I'm thinking of going the other way, Honda->BMW.

[Riko_imp]

why and from wich bike to wich bmw?

just curious

[AzBob_imp]

My personal, unscientific theory is that the final drives are fine if you are a skinny German guy riding to Austria. But if you are a typical (large) American with a three week supply of clothes in your side bags and tail bag with a 6 liter tank bag and camping gear strapped to the rear seat, all of that weight goes beyond the design specs and the drives go TU.

Me personally, I've never had an issue with the BMW FD units, but then I weigh less than a hummingbird and rarely carry a bunch of stuff, and I've usually flipped the bikes before they got too many miles on them anyway.

Ah, I was going to post something, but I misread your comment. I agree that the shaft drives are probably more fragile than chains, however, they offer some advantages: they're sealed against weather and their maintenance interval is a lot higher. BMW has shaft drive on their K1600 which is a 700+lbs bike with 125+lbs/ft torque. I haven't heard much, if any, on shaft drive failures on that bike.

Ah, I was going to post something, but I misread your comment. I agree that the shaft drives are probably more fragile than chains, however, they offer some advantages: they're sealed against weather and their maintenance interval is a lot higher. BMW has shaft drive on their K1600 which is a 700+lbs bike with 125+lbs/ft torque. I haven't heard much, if any, on shaft drive failures on that bike.
true but you should search "the net" about all the other issues this bike is (in)famous for....

a google search with the word combination of the designation name of BMW's flagship, with the words problem or issue delivers a bit too much results

I've been on the K1600 forum since the bike came out. The major problems are/were: clunky transmission (no fix and never acknowledged, however, 2014+ bikes have much better transmissions according to owners), handlebar switches which was addressed, and the weird pull left some bikes exhibit. IMO, there aren't really that many problems at all with the bike. I test rode a 2012, clunky transmission and all, and thought it was fine. Not the best tranny I ever rode, but not the worst, either.

[jwoods986_imp]

why and from wich bike to wich bmw?

just curious

Why is because I've only had Jap I-4 bikes (used to ride sportbikes) and want something else. BMW, Ducati, even considering a H-D.

From which is a CB1100, to which I'm not 100% sure about yet. If I add no money, then maybe a R1150RT or K1200S (although that is an I-4). If I add some money to what I would get for the CB, then an R1200-something.

[ClassicVW_imp]

My personal, unscientific theory is that the final drives are fine if you are a skinny German guy riding to Austria. But if you are a typical (large) American with a three week supply of clothes in your side bags and tail bag with a 6 liter tank bag and camping gear strapped to the rear seat, all of that weight goes beyond the design specs and the drives go TU.

Me personally, I've never had an issue with the BMW FD units, but then I weigh less than a hummingbird and rarely carry a bunch of stuff, and I've usually flipped the bikes before they got too many miles on them anyway.

Ah, I was going to post something, but I misread your comment. I agree that the shaft drives are probably more fragile than chains, however, they offer some advantages: they're sealed against weather and their maintenance interval is a lot higher. BMW has shaft drive on their K1600 which is a 700+lbs bike with 125+lbs/ft torque. I haven't heard much, if any, on shaft drive failures on that bike.

Ah, I was going to post something, but I misread your comment. I agree that the shaft drives are probably more fragile than chains, however, they offer some advantages: they're sealed against weather and their maintenance interval is a lot higher. BMW has shaft drive on their K1600 which is a 700+lbs bike with 125+lbs/ft torque. I haven't heard much, if any, on shaft drive failures on that bike.
true but you should search "the net" about all the other issues this bike is (in)famous for....

a google search with the word combination of the designation name of BMW's flagship, with the words problem or issue delivers a bit too much results

I've been on the K1600 forum since the bike came out. The major problems are/were: clunky transmission (no fix and never acknowledged, however, 2014+ bikes have much better transmissions according to owners), handlebar switches which was addressed, and the weird pull left some bikes exhibit. IMO, there aren't really that many problems at all with the bike. I test rode a 2012, clunky transmission and all, and thought it was fine. Not the best tranny I ever rode, but not the worst, either.

I've been on the K1600 forum since the bike came out. The major problems are/were: clunky transmission (no fix and never acknowledged, however, 2014+ bikes have much better transmissions according to owners), handlebar switches which was addressed, and the weird pull left some bikes exhibit. IMO, there aren't really that many problems at all with the bike. I test rode a 2012, clunky transmission and all, and thought it was fine. Not the best tranny I ever rode, but not the worst, either.
You left out two of the biggest problems with the K1600-

The water pumps that failed so often on so many of those early bikes that riders were reduced to carrying a spare pump along when their K16 was actually rideable.

And the bikes that would suddenly and without warning shut off, even if you were in the left lane of an interstate. Very unsafe. I don't think this problem was ever acknowledged by BMW.

And those handlebar switches! Some people had theirs replaced TEN TIMES OR MORE before BMW was able to engineer a better replacement. And that was an issue on multiple models not just the K16. Mine failed on my R1200RT. And for a while the actual advice given to us by the BMW techs was to go get a bag of ice and place that on the switch to cool it down and you should be able to start the bike! Or, if you weren't near a store the advice was to carry a can of compressed air to shoot over the switch in an attempt to cool it!

The $4,100 clutch jobs and the $2,000 final drive jobs were the reason I ran away from BMW and back to Honda after almost 15years and 10 bikes. I didn't even keep the one that I won in their Superstakes. For me, there was too much to worry about while out riding.

[JustPassinThru_imp]

Now, having hit 10k miles on the CB...I can comment on chain maintenance. As simple as a spray can of lube. Takes five minutes; the small can fits in a pouch on the outside of my travel grip.

I figure on replacing the chain every season or 10,000 miles. Cost, I'm told, will be about $100. Maybe twice that.

Compare that to the nightmare of having a final-drive failure on the road, and then weighing an expensive rebuild and repair versus the value of the machine.

No thanks...given the problems related to marginal engineering on BMW systems...I'll stick to the high-quality chain drive of this CB.

[Riko_imp]

My personal, unscientific theory is that the final drives are fine if you are a skinny German guy riding to Austria. But if you are a typical (large) American with a three week supply of clothes in your side bags and tail bag with a 6 liter tank bag and camping gear strapped to the rear seat, all of that weight goes beyond the design specs and the drives go TU.

Me personally, I've never had an issue with the BMW FD units, but then I weigh less than a hummingbird and rarely carry a bunch of stuff, and I've usually flipped the bikes before they got too many miles on them anyway.

Ah, I was going to post something, but I misread your comment. I agree that the shaft drives are probably more fragile than chains, however, they offer some advantages: they're sealed against weather and their maintenance interval is a lot higher. BMW has shaft drive on their K1600 which is a 700+lbs bike with 125+lbs/ft torque. I haven't heard much, if any, on shaft drive failures on that bike.

Ah, I was going to post something, but I misread your comment. I agree that the shaft drives are probably more fragile than chains, however, they offer some advantages: they're sealed against weather and their maintenance interval is a lot higher. BMW has shaft drive on their K1600 which is a 700+lbs bike with 125+lbs/ft torque. I haven't heard much, if any, on shaft drive failures on that bike.
true but you should search "the net" about all the other issues this bike is (in)famous for....

a google search with the word combination of the designation name of BMW's flagship, with the words problem or issue delivers a bit too much results

I've been on the K1600 forum since the bike came out. The major problems are/were: clunky transmission (no fix and never acknowledged, however, 2014+ bikes have much better transmissions according to owners), handlebar switches which was addressed, and the weird pull left some bikes exhibit. IMO, there aren't really that many problems at all with the bike. I test rode a 2012, clunky transmission and all, and thought it was fine. Not the best tranny I ever rode, but not the worst, either.

I've been on the K1600 forum since the bike came out. The major problems are/were: clunky transmission (no fix and never acknowledged, however, 2014+ bikes have much better transmissions according to owners), handlebar switches which was addressed, and the weird pull left some bikes exhibit. IMO, there aren't really that many problems at all with the bike. I test rode a 2012, clunky transmission and all, and thought it was fine. Not the best tranny I ever rode, but not the worst, either. Waterpump....?

Read several times about multiple leaks/replacements of that part.
And not reading about 1 replacement per user but multiple replacements.

And the switchgear still fails on the newer bikes.