Photo: BMW
Finally, BMW Motorrad has made a move to solve the increasing pressure from extremely unhappy customers. As we reported earlier in June, BMW has issued a riding ban for its 2014 R1200RT tourers equipped with the Dynamic ESA suspensions. The rear shock absorber was prone to failure, possibly resulting in life-threatening crashes.
Customers worldwide have received what is now named “the dreaded call”, with a BMW worker telling them to stop using the bikes. Needless to say, some of them were in the middle of their trips, while others have been only days before setting out in their two-wheeled vacations, hotels booked and whatnot. And the dreaded call was the last things they were expecting.
A fortnight after the riding ban was issued, it’s BMW Motorrad USA which makes the first move to solve this problem. Well, “solve” is definitely not the most accurate definition in this scenario, but at least the owners of the immobilized RTs have been presented with three options.
Option 1. If you’re willing to simply wait for bike to be repaired, you get $2,500 (€1,840) after the operation is being carried out. This works very well for those who made no vacation plans involving their R1200RT, or who have already returned home before the dreaded call rang on their phones.
Option 2. Those who are not willing to forfeit their vacation plans can opt in for a loaner machine provided by the local BMW dealer. And they get $1,000 (€735) to be spent on gear and accessories, or even towards payment to their new RT (if applicable). These fellows should pray their nearest dealer has enough loaner bikes… and theirs is not a F650 or similar bike.
Option 3. The 2014 R1200RT customers who no longer want to keep the bike will be able to sell it back to BMW at the original purchase price and get $1,000 (€735) in compensation money if they want to buy another BMW motorbike.
Still, BMW adds: “Owners of the new R1200RT who want to exercise any of these options will need to contact their BMW Motorrad dealership. Dealerships may not yet have all the answers to questions, however, and since BMW Motorrad dealerships are independently owned franchises, participation in the loaner program and availability of models as a loaner or replacement will be up to the individual dealership. More information will be forthcoming which we will post as soon as available.”
So your problems might still be far from over, even though we can hope that BMW will have the dealers refusing to play the game written down in the black book of damnation. No (official) word on the other markets, but we similar measures are expected, with € replacing $.
A fortnight after the riding ban was issued, it’s BMW Motorrad USA which makes the first move to solve this problem. Well, “solve” is definitely not the most accurate definition in this scenario, but at least the owners of the immobilized RTs have been presented with three options.
Option 1. If you’re willing to simply wait for bike to be repaired, you get $2,500 (€1,840) after the operation is being carried out. This works very well for those who made no vacation plans involving their R1200RT, or who have already returned home before the dreaded call rang on their phones.
Option 2. Those who are not willing to forfeit their vacation plans can opt in for a loaner machine provided by the local BMW dealer. And they get $1,000 (€735) to be spent on gear and accessories, or even towards payment to their new RT (if applicable). These fellows should pray their nearest dealer has enough loaner bikes… and theirs is not a F650 or similar bike.
Option 3. The 2014 R1200RT customers who no longer want to keep the bike will be able to sell it back to BMW at the original purchase price and get $1,000 (€735) in compensation money if they want to buy another BMW motorbike.
Still, BMW adds: “Owners of the new R1200RT who want to exercise any of these options will need to contact their BMW Motorrad dealership. Dealerships may not yet have all the answers to questions, however, and since BMW Motorrad dealerships are independently owned franchises, participation in the loaner program and availability of models as a loaner or replacement will be up to the individual dealership. More information will be forthcoming which we will post as soon as available.”
So your problems might still be far from over, even though we can hope that BMW will have the dealers refusing to play the game written down in the black book of damnation. No (official) word on the other markets, but we similar measures are expected, with € replacing $.
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