Visited the BMW dealer last Saturday

[Awaz]

Nah...I am in central Illinois (near Springfield, IL). The closest Triumph or BMW dealer was in St Louis...unfortunately.

[Bobby]

I am at woodson and the rock road. For Tin Tin that is the Overland/St. John area and for Awaz that is the same road that Donnellson is on and about halfway bewtween Donnellson and the beemer dealer.
I have a 2009 K13GT beemer which I would like to pit against a C14 just to see what happens plus I have a ZX14 and 2 ZRX kawasaki's.

I seem to ride the wifes Honda 919 a lot now.

Also have a No-Mar tire changer and balancer at the house and a lift so an old fat guy does not have to lay on the ground.

[Rhino]

I have had 6 different dealers here in Colorado let me test ride a bike. At 2 dealers I was just tire kicking and told them I wasn't buying and they still talked me into test riding a bike (a Wing and a R1200R).  I definitely test rode a C14 before buying. I'm surprised as well when I hear about people not being able to do this.

I'm quite surprised at the difficulties that you guys in the US have to test drive a bike, being such a (at least in my mind) dynamic economy in which consumism plays a huge roll. I live in Germany (which as far as I know is, together with Japan and the US, one of the most consumist societies in the world), and having a test ride is as simple as filling a form (name, address, and....errrr.... that's it) and leaving your driving license at the dealer for the hour or two that you're out. Every now and then they ask for a fee (about 10 euros = 13 US dollars) for ensurance or fuel, depending if you ever did business with them or not. Before getting my 1400GTR I tried everything out there, from a Bandit 1250S to a Yamaha FJR, but funnily enough, I couldn't get my hands on a K1300GT  (sales guy at the BMW dealer was a §"$%&)

[tin-tin]

I think when I was in the market for an ST the 13GT wasnt out yet and the R12RT wasnt my style. I might head back there next season to see if they will deal on a S1000RR. Even if it is a little more than getting it at another BMW dealer it is nice to have a good dealer to fall back on.

[Bobby]

NEXT CLOSEST DEALER IS IN CAPE GIRADO.

This is only my 2nd beemer and the R was not for me. I had a 2004 K1200GT and got rid of it for my 14 Ninja. I did not care for the new K1200GT but when the 13 came out it was a whole different bike.

[Jeremy Mitchell]

NEXT CLOSEST DEALER IS IN CAPE GIRADO.

This is only my 2nd beemer and the R was not for me. I had a 2004 K1200GT and got rid of it for my 14 Ninja. I did not care for the new K1200GT but when the 13 came out it was a whole different bike.

The BMW dealer in Cape Girardeau seemed like a bunch of uppity jackwagons when I called about getting a new tire.  I was coming through and figured I would try and they said that the tire (front PR2) would be $250 installed.  I asked how much they charged for the tire and and if I could pull my wheel and bring it in.  He asked what kind of bike I had, and I told him I was on a C14.  He said "oh, we won't work on those, the wheels are different."  I said "they are round aren't they?" and hung up.  I ended up going to the NoMar shop in St Louis and they had me in and out within 20 minutes and it cost me $160.

[Bobby]

I don't think I have ever heard of anybody complaining about No-Mar. I have their tire changer in my garage and the only thing I will not do is tires with tubes just because I hate them. I better add a Gold Wing wheel to the not do list.

I have a lift at the house so it makes tire changes even easier which makes old fat guys like me even happier.

[curly]

I stopped in the local BMW dealer today and they offered me a test ride on the 12rt or k16 which ever I wanted or both and it was 26 degrees and snowing. I politely declined and said I would take them up on a nicer day.

I partook of their nice assortment of free drinks and left.

[Strawboss]

I love my 2001 Concours but when I looked at it I was riding the KZ, I asked if I could test ride it, it had been sitting for almost 2 years in the showroom, he literally laughed at me, paused, saw I was serious, and said "NO WAY". I bought the bike anyway simply because it was such a good deal, I don't regret it but this whole talk of test rides is so foreign to me, it just doesn't happen around here. NE Ohio.

[tretnine]

I took my grandson into the local BMW shop (Morton's) here in Fredericksburg, VA  a few weeks ago to look at police bikes as they usually have one or two in the lineup.  One salesman that's been there for years saw my interest in the big boy there and asked did I want to ride it.   Told him it was a plot to get me to buy it and we had a few laughs but then asked if I had any questions and went on to the next customer (no shortage there).  Nice people and if I were to buy a BMW it would be from them.  They will let you test ride just about anything where the other dealers will hardly let you sit on one, let alone test ride it.

I had an encounter with these guys on the phone. They knew full well I wasn't coming in, but their mechanic talked to me for 10-20 minutes on how to maintain a F650GS that I had recently acquired. Nice enough place. I've had good experiences at many places, though.

[killingbugs]

The BMW dealer in St. Louis was doing tune-up work on a friends R-Modellast year just before a "Big" rally he had planned to attend. They could not get the parts needed to complete the repairs.   They loaned him a K1600GTL to take to the Smokies

He was gone about 5 days and returned it unscathed, but the break-in was COMPLETE!!!

[stevewfl]

I'm twitching for a sportbike after selling my track bike and R1, so i purposely have been avoiding our BMW/Triumph/Ducati/Aprilia dealer