Frank from Berlin, Germany

BerlinBuilt69

BerlinBuilt69

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Hello Forum, I'm Frank from Berlin, the city from which your motorcycles come. I am also Berlin Built 1969, so 54 years old and have various BMW motorcycles, including an R18B from 2022.

I would like to get here with you times an impression, what is still so everything possible, except with us in Germany, with the strict TÜV.

Greetings from Berlin to the forum, Frank
 
BerlinBuilt69 said:
Hello Forum, I'm Frank from Berlin, the city from which your motorcycles come. I am also Berlin Built 1969, so 54 years old and have various BMW motorcycles, including an R18B from 2022.

I would like to get here with you times an impression, what is still so everything possible, except with us in Germany, with the strict TÜV.

Greetings from Berlin to the forum, Frank
Click to expand...
Morning Frank,
Seeing as you live physically closer to the action (in Berlin), do you know what’s actually going on with the R18 platform? Have BMW released the bike as a ‘last hurrah’, a tribute to the boxer internal combustion engine and they are prepared to heavily discount stock because they don’t care? Reason I ask is in various markets (USA and UK for two prime examples) BMW dealers are selling nearly new very low mileage bikes at bargain basement prices ($9995 is the lowest I’ve seen reported), this is approaching half price and it absolutely hammers used prices. If we never sell our bikes it doesn’t matter quite so much but if we want to trade we lose a huge amount of money. Have you noticed this trend in Germany? Regards Jon
 
Rufus said:
Morning Frank,
Seeing as you live physically closer to the action (in Berlin), do you know what’s actually going on with the R18 platform? Have BMW released the bike as a ‘last hurrah’, a tribute to the boxer internal combustion engine and they are prepared to heavily discount stock because they don’t care? Reason I ask is in various markets (USA and UK for two prime examples) BMW dealers are selling nearly new very low mileage bikes at bargain basement prices ($9995 is the lowest I’ve seen reported), this is approaching half price and it absolutely hammers used prices. If we never sell our bikes it doesn’t matter quite so much but if we want to trade we lose a huge amount of money. Have you noticed this trend in Germany? Regards Jon
Click to expand...

Well, I think the impression is not deceiving. In the market segment of the GS and GSA BMW is not to be beaten. This year I know, come new 1300 GS models. This is the market in which BMW earns money. For a current 1250 GS or GSA there are no discounts and the delivery times are enormous. My dealer has long since sold the models he got for 2023 and more are not coming.

With the R18 it looks different. Here are still enough FE models at the dealers they do not get sold. Who was the first to strike here, which should be annoyed, because of the favorable offers.

That the air-cooled 18 engine, an announcement is, understand surely only die-hard boxer engine lovers.

In the cruiser market there are enough legends like HD or Indian. Here BMW somehow does not create this feeling to get market share. And yes, I also have the feeling that they have brought the engine again because they can and in the foreseeable future, no more combustion engine will be approved.

For the European market, this bike is also somehow out of place. Here sell themselves rather, as said the GS or the fast K models. The bike is built for your market. And you have to answer that question for me. Why do people in the USA prefer to ride a BMW rather than a Harley?

I think that will be difficult. Especially since BMW has calculated badly here. HD lives on the large and established aftermarket. BMW cannot and will not be able to offer that.

It is not enough in such a segment to build only the motorcycle, here everyone wants to build his own individual machine. That is difficult at the moment. Or the clothes that somehow do not come. I'm L-XL guy, the jackets from BMW are all too small although supposedly 3XL or larger.

For the American market and the target group probably somehow, in the literal sense not suitable.

Nevertheless, I personally would have bought the R18b. Because I love boxer engines and the engine of the R18 is, for me incredible.
 
Hello Frank,
I don't know it. The oil coolers will be available from July/August, as will the cylinder covers. Until then, I'll keep my feet still and enjoy reading along.
Greetings
Michael
 
BerlinBuilt69 said:
Well, I think the impression is not deceiving. In the market segment of the GS and GSA BMW is not to be beaten. This year I know, come new 1300 GS models. This is the market in which BMW earns money. For a current 1250 GS or GSA there are no discounts and the delivery times are enormous. My dealer has long since sold the models he got for 2023 and more are not coming.

With the R18 it looks different. Here are still enough FE models at the dealers they do not get sold. Who was the first to strike here, which should be annoyed, because of the favorable offers.

That the air-cooled 18 engine, an announcement is, understand surely only die-hard boxer engine lovers.

In the cruiser market there are enough legends like HD or Indian. Here BMW somehow does not create this feeling to get market share. And yes, I also have the feeling that they have brought the engine again because they can and in the foreseeable future, no more combustion engine will be approved.

For the European market, this bike is also somehow out of place. Here sell themselves rather, as said the GS or the fast K models. The bike is built for your market. And you have to answer that question for me. Why do people in the USA prefer to ride a BMW rather than a Harley?

I think that will be difficult. Especially since BMW has calculated badly here. HD lives on the large and established aftermarket. BMW cannot and will not be able to offer that.

It is not enough in such a segment to build only the motorcycle, here everyone wants to build his own individual machine. That is difficult at the moment. Or the clothes that somehow do not come. I'm L-XL guy, the jackets from BMW are all too small although supposedly 3XL or larger.

For the American market and the target group probably somehow, in the literal sense not suitable.

Nevertheless, I personally would have bought the R18b. Because I love boxer engines and the engine of the R18 is, for me incredible.
Click to expand...
Interesting. Thanks for the feedback. I’m in England (not USA) so can’t speak about how it’s perceived over there. I‘ve had four Harleys over the years and I enjoyed them but I do much prefer my R18. I don’t like forward pegs so that didn’t bother me one bit. I might be looking in the wrong places but aftermarket accessories do seem to be very hard to come by here and then of course I have to take into account import taxes (Brexit) and that makes a big difference on bigger ticket items. It’s prohibitive actually.

Personally, I think BMW just got the numbers wrong and built too many, instead of keeping it slightly more exclusive and holding onto values instead of heavily discounting it in a race to the bottom. No doubt some accountant is writing off the losses against GS profits……🤷‍♂️
 
Yeah, Harley is for the most part an American thing or so they say. So American that most of the biker movies of the sixties and seventies revolved around British bikes like Triumphs and Nortons.
Not one Harley to be found!
 
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