Daves Blog

On so many levels…

I love my K1200S, really, it is by a million miles the best bike I’ve owned in recent years. The handling and performance are second to none and now that I have a fault free one it’s simply a joy to ride. Even at the weekend on some of the worst roads I’ve ridden on, it didn’t once give me any cause for concern.

Recently though tests of the new K1300S started appearing in the press and watching the BMW forums, I keep reading reports from those taking delivery. The general concensus of the press is that it is a much better bike than the K1200S. They claim the ESAII suspension works better, the engine is even smoother and less agricultural and that the extra power and torque being available lower down the rev range is very noticeable.

Anyone who knows me knows that I like to have the latest and greatest and they’ve even started on a thread on Mermaid Bikers about when I’ll be test riding one and then ultimately buying one lol. My desire to have the latest bike isn’t about showing off, but simply because the manufacturers do improve them and because it helps, to some extent, with resale values having a current, rather than obsolete model. Of course that’s got to balanced against typical horrendous depreciation of buying any new bike. I suppose mentally, I’m happier to keep a current model long term (erm, that’ll be 6 months for me then lol).

The K1200’s have had a number of inherent issues over the last few years and with the introduction of the K1300’s the hope is that they’ve all been addressed. So, am I interested in the K13? Yes, but I’m not desperate to pursue one because I’m so happy with my K1200S. Let the stupidity begin…

Stupid fact No 1. I went onto the BMW web site and used the bike configurator to spec. up a K1300S. I then sent the spec to, wait for it, yes I know, North Oxford Garage to ask them what it would cost me to change. This really was an enquiry out of interest, but never the less genuine. Why NOG I hear you asking… well, I did think about it and to some extent I felt it was better to deal with the devil I know. Once again though, they’ve convinced me how stupid I am.

Stupid fact No 2. You see I sent that enquiry last Thursday and I’m still, despite a reminder yesterday, waiting for a response. Can you believe that? A sales enquiry and they’re ignoring it lol.

Perhaps they’ve had enough of me? Perhaps they don’t want me as a customer which actually in hindesight probably would be their chosen way of dealing with things after all the problems THEY caused.

So onto stupid fact No 3. Following all my experiences with them I’d decided to give them the benefit of the doubt to date, but this latest level of unprofessionalism  shows me once again what a mistake that is.

Almost as soon as they took back my first K1200S, the one with the bent bars, front end, frame, whatever it was, they listed it in their second hand bikes as Available Soon. Let’s leave to one side all the stuff I was told at the time about how they were negotiating with BMW UK for the return of the bike etc. The point is this… they advertised the bike on their web site as having under 500 miles in it’s description and listed the mileage as 500 in the details. This remained true from when they first listed it on their web site until they removed the ad early in 2009. What’s wrong with that? Well, the bike had just over 1300 miles on it when I returned it and I know that, because I did most of them and kept mileage and fuel records.

I thought it was odd when I received an enquiry from the National Mileage Register  shortly after leaving the bike with them to verify the mileage. I understand the bike is now fixed (they tell me through replacing the entire front end) and sold. I just hope the new owner was given accurate information when they purchased it.

Let me be very clear, I’m not saying they deliberately lied, set out to deceive prospective customers or falsified the mileage on the bike. I am just reporting the facts as they appeared to me and anyone else who saw the web ad.

Anyway, any future BMW business for me most definitely will not be with them. Talk about chances… and yes, I know I was stupid to imagine otherwise.

However, we now get to stupid fact No 4…

The complaints from new owners of new K1300’s have already started. Oh yes, and they’re not new either. Juddering clutches have been reported by more than one owner and I’ve read at least one report of a loud bang followed by a rattling engine. Two issues that are exactly the same as some experienced with new K1200’s. Is that stupid or what? BMW had a golden chance to fix these problems for good and it seems they’ve gone and fitted exactly the same parts and used the same systems prone to failure.

I think I’ll be sticking with my K1200S! Or… LOL.

I want to make this the last entry on the saga of the last couple of months of buying a new K1200S. I feel I now have a fault free one and so it’s time to draw a line under the experience.

The MD from North Oxford Garage called me on Tuesday as promised but the truth is there really wasn’t much point to the call. I wrote to him at the time because with the delivery of the second bike with a fault, I felt he was the only one left in NOG who could or even would help me, but under the circumstances Phil, the sales manager couldn’t have done more. He accompanied the van driver to come and collect the bike and apologise to my face and then he delivered it back, fault free, on his own on Saturday morning.  Anyhow, I had a short pleasant chat with the MD and he said that he knew Phil and Matt wanted to do something ‘nice’ for me and so we left it at that.

I’m not a taker in life and neither do I try to exploit situations purely for my own gain. Sure, over the last couple of months NOG have given me moments of great anxiety and not always acted in a way that was totally honest or fairest to me, but how do you put a value on that? I know I can’t.

There are still some outstanding items; the fitting of the tyre pressure monitors for one, but it’s agreed this will happen on the first service. There’s some of the finances to sort out (the original Silver/Blue/Black finish was an optional extra) but again, I’m confident these will be finalised and the details are to be honest, private. Finally I expect the first service on the bike to be free of charge because I already paid for it on the first bike and it’s not my fault it had to be replaced with another. With this I will have what I originally paid for and won’t be out of pocket. I don’t expect anything over and above this and so anything ‘nice’ NOG do will be a bonus to me.

As far as NOG are concerned both Phil and Matt, the managers of the motorcycle department have assured me that lessons have been learnt from this. They’ve also assured me that they are implementing changes to procedures, particularly their PDI’s to make sure it can’t happen to anyone else. Providing this is sincere and the changes really carried out then I believe they’re a company to be praised and recommended. Of course it won’t take much for me to change that opinion but the ball’s in their court on this.

So, let this be an end to it all. I have a great K1200S that’s only going to get better and I hope will give me a few years of trouble free, enjoyable motorcycling.

On that note, Meike and I went to the mid week Wiltshire Riders get together at The Mermaid near Christian Malford last night. It’s not an official meet, although I suspect it could become one but there’s usually a good turn out. We went on the K1200S and despite it being dark it was lovely to ride it again. I find the standard headlight surprisingly good, especially on full beam. Lovely to see everyone as always.

Onwards and upwards.

Footnote. I heard from Phil this morning and he’s confirmed all outstanding items as well as offering me something very nice by way of an apology. Basically some goodies for the bike that I would like: the BMW battery charger/conditioner, the BMW tank bag specifically for the K1200S and the BMW tinted screen. I think it is very fair of him and so the issue really is now well and truly closed. He also let me know that the chap we met at the weekend at George Whites ordered a K1200S from them yesterday. I’m delighted to have been able to help them both… Man, I hope they PDI it well lol.

Phil emailed me first thing and said he’d checked the bike again and all was fine so would I like it back this morning. Of course I did and so he arrived at about 11.45 with it. He wheeled it onto the drive and again checked the ESA was still working, which it was. Actually I think both he and I nearly had heart failure because, like a kettle, when you’re waiting for something it takes ages. He pressed the ESA switch but it seemed to be a long time before the symbols started flashing and the shock adjusted. It did though and so of course I was happy for him to leave it.

Even though it had been raining a lot earlier and the roads were still soaked and caked in mud and even though it was threatening more rain, I couldn’t wait to take it for a ride and check everything out. So Meike and I pulled our gear on to head off to our usual Saturday haunt - George Whites lol.

Knowing that the bike was going to get caked in mud and that it would most likely never look so clean again I took some pics just before setting off.

I do like the looks of it although I preferred where the tax disc was mounted (at the rear) on the first bike. I think the black looks very good though and while I think the silver frame tends to make the left rear look rather cluttered, it suits the bike well. So I’m certainly not disappointed about the colour change.

Once at GW’s we met Stu from Wiltshire Riders and while we standing there chatting to him we lost count of the number of people that came over and admired the bike. Then the strangest thing happened: A fella, who I’ve never seen in my life before, pulled in on his K1200R, parked next to my bike and as he removed his helmet asked me if it was my bike. Yes I said to which he then said “Are you going to keep this one?” quickly followed by “Are you Dave?”. Amazing or what? Turned out he’s John, with the nick name Driller and he’s a reader of my blog here. Well, it was great to meet you John, thank you for introducing yourself. Great chatting and hope to see you again. We chatted for a long time actually, well over an hour, and just as we were getting ready to leave another couple came over and started asking about my K1200S. It turned out the guy was really interested in getting one, specifically a black one, and in favour of the K1300 coming out next year. Going on the info NOG had given me about there only being 6 left in the country, I told him he’d better get a move on.

There and then he phoned CW Motorcycles in Dorchester, his local dealer, but they weren’t able to help him until Tuesday and so I have him Phils name and number at NOG and the last I heard, he was calling him. I hope they’re able to do some business.

This brings me onto an interesting point I’d like to make. During in all these trials and tribulations with NOG a number of people have advised me to string them up or hang them out to dry by writing to the motorcycling press etc. etc. Well, I haven’t, and I doubt I would. I can’t imagine getting any satisfaction or gain by maliciously attempting to damage the business of NOG. Nothing that I’ve done or said has been out of malice and my only interest has been to get a fault free K1200S. My blog is merely my record of actual events in doing so.

So, with all that out of the way lol, how’s the new K1200S? It was wonderful to ride and so much better than the first in many ways. Firstly and perhaps most importantly it has straight bars and the clutch is, as it should be, sublimely smooth on take up. The bike also feels to me to be much smoother and lower revs and the suspension seemed even better able to cope with the roads. I’m surprised at these last two differences but it is noticeable to me and makes the switch to this bike even more pleasurable.

I would still like the tyre pressure monitors and NOG assure me the solution to this is still being sought by BMW UK and the factory. I’m hopeful they’ll be able to fit them although it won’t be the end of the world if they can’t.

Once home, and with the bike looking like it had been dragged through a field backwards I dried it off as much as possible and cleaned the more exposed areas. Tomorrow, weather permitting, I’ll give it a good wash and clean. I then fitted the tank protectors I got from BMW Bikebits, moved the tax disc to the rear and adjusted the gear lever to a slightly higher position.

So, all in all, I think this was a good day. The episode is not quite closed because I still have to hear from NOG’s MD on Tuesday but I hope after that I will be positing that it’s all over and then just get on with the bike. I love the K1200S, it is a fantastic bike.

North Oxford Garage collected the new K1200S this morning. Phil, the sales manager, came with David, the delivery driver to apologise to me face to face and to at least make the gesture they’re taking this very seriously. I showed him the problems and although quite embarassing for me, also voiced my concerns and made it very clear I think the situation is appalling. It seemed that Phil was genuinely concerned and regretted very much not taking a more personal interest in the bike prior to delivery. They took the bike back to the shop.

By way of an email first thing in the morning, Phil had already informed me that the BMW PDI instructions tell the dealer to check for errors held in the computer but not to do a physical check of all the switches and functions. This he claimed is how they missed the fault because the computer didn’t show any error codes. Considering the history I would have expected them to do more than the ‘book’ PDI and I think Phil realised his mistake in not doing so.

Apparently the MD is away until Tuesday but Phil had read my letter to him over the phone and he sent his apologies. I am a little surprised the MD didn’t consider it serious enough to take a few minutes from his break and call me.

Later this afternoon I heard back from Phil who informed me the problem was fixed. It seems that the ESA computer needed resetting or recalibrating. Phil informed me that he had personally tested it more than once and is satisfied the bike is now faultless. The scratches around the top shock mount are machining marks but he agreed it was very poor quality machining. I’m not really that bothered about the marks as they’re very hidden but with the suspension not working was concerned about why they’re like they are. He told me that the bike has been cleaned and polished and will be delivered back to me tomorrow morning.

Finally for now, he has assured me that NOG are revising their PDI procedures in future to include full functional checks for all future sales.

The MD will apparently be contacting me on his return to offer a good will gesture.

I just hope beyond hope that the bike I get back in the morning really is fault free and that at long last I can just ride it and enjoy myself.

There are no words to describe how I feel or the level of incompetence required to create this situation. I know there are those who will laugh at this, and I suppose at some level you have to, because it really is the stuff comedy sketches are made of. While you laugh though, spare a thought for me please, because this is really happening.

Phil from North Oxford Garage called at about 11.00am and said they were ready to deliver my new K1200S and would I like it this afternoon. After checking my call schedule and things we decided on a 4.00pm delivery so I could fit it between meetings. At 4.10pm it arrived and the helpful delivery chap wheeled it into the garage for me. I looked over it of course and started it to make sure everything seemed ok and it did. Oddly there was nothing for me to sign because it wasn’t a new sale as such but rather just a replacement. Anyway, I then almost immediately had to be back on more work calls.

Later in the evening, about 5.30pm, when Meike got home we went into the garage to take another look. With her there I started it up, set the clock right (why wasn’t that done on the PDI?) and it was then my world hit rock bottom… I discovered the ESA (Electronic Suspension Adjustment) doesn’t work. This basically means I have no way to adjust the preload which is a fat lot of use when I want to carry a pillion etc.

I was speachless. I checked the manual to make sure I was remembering right and sure enough I was. I’ve tried it more times now and it’s definitely not working.

I am absolutely flabbergasted, I can’t even start to imagine the level of incompetence needed to deliver a replacement to a faulty motorcycle with a fault. What’s as plain as day to me now is just how grossly stupid NOG must be as a business and how all their words of reassurance and customer service are actually meaningless. It is impossible to miss this fault on a PDI and so I have to believe either they didn’t PDI it or it was handed to the most incompetent idiot they have. Can you believe this on a replacement to a faulty motorcycle? I can’t.

Of course I looked a little closer and this was when I heard the odd ticking noise coming from the rear shock when the ignitions on and also when I noticed the strange scratches in the frame where the top of the rear shock mounts. These are scratches that look like they’ve been created by someone with a hammer and chisel and then tried to cover up with some sort of silver paste. Has the rear shock been replaced by a moron with a hammer and chisel? And if it has, why?

I’m gobsmacked, depressed, disappointed and more than a little annoyed. I can’t believe that NOG have created this situation but they have. They say all the right things and believe it or not will actually get upset with you, in writing, if they think you’re not being nice to them or appreciative of their work, but when it comes to putting all their promises into practice they’re useless. Totally and utterly useless.

I’m just about to fax a letter to their MD which lays out exactly what they now need to do… I think I’m being reasonable as usual… Basically they have until Monday to get it right or I want my money back.

I love the K1200S but I don’t believe NOG can supply one without faults and what’s more I don’t believe they care. I think despite my understanding, patience and tolerance with them over the last weeks I’m just a nuisance customer to them and that’s how they’ve treated me - couldn’t care less in other words. Well, I don’t want any kind of relationship with a company that cares so little.

… I think.

After quite a few emails and phone calls between myself and North Oxford Garage, BMW Customer Service and BMW Finance as well as even more between NOG and BMW Technical and Customer Service etc. some getting a little fraught at times, it seems that agreement has been reached all round and my K1200S will be replaced with a new black one. Amazingly BMW Technical are still insisting that my bike can be repaired by replacing parts but BMW Customer Service, with NOG have agreed it should be replaced.

With the laws of rejection in the UK they ultimately wouldn’t have had any choice as I would have a very strong legal argument but now, with BMW UK’s agreement, legal processes won’t be neccessary.

One thing I am pleased to have seen is just how hard NOG and Phil in particular have been fighting for this agreement and outcome with BMW UK. While I as the consumer are only concerned with them as the supplying dealer, it is good to know that they have been pushing for the solution that makes it easiest for me.

Unfortunately though because of the time taken for everyone to agree the one the dealer had their eye on has been sold. The next one nearest to the same spec. as mine does now apparently have my name on it but it doesn’t have the tyre pressure monitors I had on the original. However, NOG are trying to find out from BMW Technical if these can be retro fitted. If they can be great, but if not then NOG will refund me the difference.

They’re certainly not essential and prior to getting the K1200S not something I’d really thought of, but it was somehow reassuring to be able to check the pressures at the press of a switch and so I would like them if it’s at all possible. There’s also a difference in price because of the paint finish which again will be refunded to me.

NOG have informed me that I will have the new bike before next weekend and so I hope everything now goes according to plan. I’m a little disappointed to losing my beautiful blue wheels but very much looking forward to finally having the bike I should have had from day one.

Yesterday the carbon fibre yoke cover and tank pad set I ordered from BMW Bikebits arrived. They took three weeks from the date of order which I think is a pretty poor service and despite the fact they took my money immediately. I don’t imagine I will be using them again. However, it’s probably as well they took so long because otherwise I may have fitted them to the bike being returned. Now they’re waiting for the new bike but I’m not sure I’ll want to fit the yoke cover to that. I bought it because the black frame finish marked very easily, but as the black K1200S’s come with silver alloy frames it may not be neccessary.

Earlier in the week the Abba superbike stand I ordered also arrived. This is an amazingly easy to operate stand that uses the swing arm spindle as the pivot point and so makes it pretty easy to get both wheels off the ground. For the K1200S it requires a small pivot to be bolted to the bike but it’s not at all obtrusive. I’ll post some photos of the bike on it when I finally have a bike to put on it lol.

The new sheer hinge/pivot/joint/thingy didn’t fix or change anything which again was no surprise to me and so we’re now again talking about replacing the bike with a new black one. First I heard from Matt today who gave me the news on the attempted fix and then from Phil who will manage the switch to a new bike.

Yesterday, Phil had emailed me and asked that I apprasie BMW UK Customer Services of the situation, which I did by email, as suggested. Today when I talked to him he seemed surprised that I hadn’t had a reply, other than an automated response. He said he will talk to them first thing in the morning and then let me know what happens now.

I just hope beyond hope that they’re not going to make this a long drawn out complicated process where I have to get more and more involved. Afterall, I purchased a new bike that should have been delivered without faults and that’s all I want.

More news tomorrow I guess.

Just received a call from Matt who had just heard from Steve (BMW UK) who’s currently at BMW in Munich where they’ve been discussing the problem with my bike.  That’s not the reason he’s there obviously but they have taken the opportunity.

Apparently the engineers in Munich are absolutely 100% convinced that the problem is caused by, as Matt called it, the sheer joint. This is the hinged bracket indicated in red on the right that connects the steering to the front suspension.

It is certainly feasible that if this were bent then the front wheel would be out of alignment with the bars.

BMW UK have them in stock and so Matt has ordered one for tomorrow.

I’ve agreed therefore that we should see if this fixes it before going down the route of replacing the bike with another.

I am comfortable to keep the bike if it the fault can be corrected quickly and so I’m hopeful this will although still somewhat doubtful because I’m pretty sure this piece has already been replaced on Chris’ Canadian bike with the same issue.

Interestingly, Matt told me that the people in Munich were convinced this is the problem because they had the same problem on a bike in Italy and this fixed it. He didn’t say if it was a K1200S but it shouldn’t make any difference as the front suspension/steering arrangement is the same on all the K1200’s.

So, yet more waiting. I really hope this all gets resolved very soon.

Matt had spoken to Steve at BMW UK who is apparently now suggesting replacing the entire front end of the bike. Phil suggested taking the front end off a brand new black one they have in their showroom but they’d overlooked the fact they have different colour frames. That means to pursue this path NOG would have to order in all the parts and then we’d have to hope BMW have them in stock otherwise it could take weeks. I’m not convinced, as I’ve said all along, this would fix the problem and in conversation neither is Matt. Chatting to Matt he suspects it could even be something as serious as one of the suspension to frame mounting points. How that could happen in this day and age I have no idea but it seems very obvious BMW UK have not encountered this before and so have no idea what to suggest either. Matt told me that Phil has found a black K1200S in the UK to the same specification as mine and so all points considered I have rejected mine in favour of replacing it with a black one.

I don’t know at the moment what this means for the finance etc. but I hope so much that the replacement is fault free and that NOG do everything possible to make the transition smooth, fast and easy. I’ll know more tomorrow when I’m able to talk with Phil and understand better the path forwards. In the meantime…

I didn’t hear a word from North Oxford Garage yesterday and when Matt called this morning to tell me they hadn’t heard from BMW UK yesterday I was more than a little disappointed. It’s now very apparent to me that despite their words of wanting to do everything possible to ensure I’m a happy customer, this is nowhere near as important to them as it is to me. I simply cannot believe that there was nothing that could be done yesterday to progress this and so it can only mean that no one else, outside of myself and Matt,  has any particular interest to progress it.

When I first notified them there was a problem with the alignment I was delighted with the response. I received an email and a phone call from Phil, the sales manager, and not only did he sound like he really cared and arrange for the bike to be collected etc. he succeeded in making me believe they would genuinely look after me. In fact that he personally would ensure everything was resolved. Since then however, Matt is the only person who’s kept me informed and the only other communication I had from Phil was an email when I notified them that the bar alignment was definitely not correct. In this email Phil stated that as one of the people who had test ridden my bike he’d had ample opportunity to test the straight ahead position and could not detect any difference between my bike and any other K1200S he’d ever ridden. He even said that to be sure he jumped straight on their demo bike after riding mine.

Well I can tell you from my own experience there is a world of difference between  their demo bike and mine. Firstly the bars on the demo bike look and feel straight and secondly, because of this, and the misalignment on mine, the demo bike initially puts more pressure on your left arm when steering through a slow left hand bend. This is VERY noticeable and is because your left hand is nearer to you on a bike with straight bars than it is on mine with them twisted to the right.

For Phil and others who’ve ridden my bike not to notice this difference  and/or see the glaringly obvious fault in the first place is very disturbing and it can only lead me to one of two conclusions. Either they really are inept and incapable of spotting such a glaringly obvious problem or they did spot it and deliberately attempt to mislead and fool me into believing the bars are straight. The first is very concerning and questions the credibility of more than one person and the second is simply offensive to presume that I am stupid and gullible. Unfortunately, as things stand at the moment, I fear the second explanation to be true because this is the only one that explains the mis-fitting of the right hand tank surround panel. Either way it’s a great shame and very disappointing because either explanation destroys all trust and credibility in NOG.

Matt informed me this morning that Phil has looked to see if another K1200S to the same specification is available and apparently there isn’t one. I asked him if this was purely because of the colour choice and he wasn’t sure but I told him that if it was simply down to colour I would be willing to accept a black one as a replacement. At the time of ordering, black was my second colour choice anyway. I prefer the black frame and love the blue wheels on mine, but the black with silver frame and wheels does have certain appeal in its clean lines. He said he would ask Phil to explore this possibility but I haven’t heard anything further today. During our conversation Matt also spoke about other possibilities such as doing a deal on their (6000 mile) demo bike or giving me my bike back and then replacing it with a K1300S in February or March.

What I hate most at the moment though is that I simply don’t know how this is going to be resolved and what the best course of action is. Of course, being in the UK I have a legal right to reject this bike but I’m very much hoping this can all be resolved without having to resort to legalities etc. I certainly don’t want to and so I hope very much that NOG don’t force this. Matt already told me they had enquired and were informed by BMW UK that if the bike does indeed have a manufacturing fault then the factory will refund the dealers costs.

Of course I do have NOG’s demo K1200S but in my mind it’s not currently ridable. When they lent it to me last Tuesday, Matt told me that he was concerned about the rear tyre. Having got the bike home I can tell you I won’t be riding it much further at all. It is very borderline and down to the legal minimum in places around the centre. I’m sure NOG will do something about this if this situation continues much longer and in fairness, they were keen to get me home on a similar bike to the one I bought. So, again, I can’t knock their apparent determination, just their execution.

Will have to wait until Monday now to learn any more. Not happy!

Went out on the Bandit today as usual just to George Whites and met up with a few others from Wiltshire Riders. Great to see them and nice to sit in the indoor cafe and have a coffee and natter. Not sure if we’ll be out on a bike tomorrow as the current weather forecast is for rain all day.