Bike inspector with legal experience required

Towards the end of last year, the good old ZZR was starting to cost me
money. It had done 38000 miles in three years and bits were starting to
wear out - a bit prematurely, I thought. It needed some work to keep it in
good shape.

I started thinking a new bike might be a good idea but I wanted something
better built than the ZZR.

I don't really keep up with current models but a quick search of the obvious
brands' web sites presented a pretty tedious choice of sports tourers.

I gave a K1200RS from Coopers BMW in Reading a test ride and, like every
other sucker that ever bought a BMW from a dealer, fell for the empty
rhetoric: the quality of manufacture and the quality of service. Bollocks,
all of it.

The manager of the bike department at Coopers, a guy who had been there
years, trotted out the usual sales patter but not with much enthusiasm. He
couldn't have given a toss if I bought the bike or not. It looked like he
was just counting the days until he could quit. It turned out he was but
not before his sales team of one left to become a plumber.

Just before he left, but a few months after he sold me the bike, the manager
did discuss the state of Coopers. He was deliberately vague but he gave me
the impression that staff morale was down the toilet and that the
management were arseholes. I've since had the opportunity to discuss
Coopers with others, including customers and a BMW delivery driver. No one
has a good thing to say about them. The delivery driver was most revealing,
knowing all the dealers for some distance. He said the staff at Coopers
were unpleasant and he always got away as quickly as he could.

Anyway, back to the K1200RS. I ordered the bike. The manager (let's call him
Tim because that was his name) then informed me that it was out of
production and he'd have to try and 'find' one from somewhere. Brilliant.

Everything gets sorted and I picked up the bike a week or so later. It's not
to spec. but Tim says they'll fix that at the first service.

Taking the bike home, the gear selector was awkward and requires some
coaxing to change. I put this down to it being new and will probably ease
with use.

The first service is delayed by two weeks because they didn't have a
mechanic who wasn't sick or dieing or just too pissed off to lift a
spanner.

When I got the bike back, they still hadn't brought it up to the spec I paid
for and the gear selector was no better. A neutral was never more than a
gear away and the gear indicator was now entertaining me with random
numbers. It knew about neutral (the real one) but couldn't be relied on for
much else. It would regularly show 4 when in second.

A short while later, with my daughter on the back and a full set of luggage,
I pulled up at the end of our road, checked it was all clear and, without
taking my feet off the pegs, leaned to pull away. False neutral. I
scrabbled to find a gear but the abundance of neutrals prevailed and we
went over.

As we rolled in the road together, oh how we laughed. A zero mph off - two
up. Fantastic.

I picked the bike up. The engine was still running, the gear indicator was
still showing 1 and the neutral light was off.

I stuck the bike in the garage until Coopers could book it in. I used the
ZZR until they eventually loaned a bike while they waited for the workshop
staff situation to improve.

Eventually, after weeks of delays and inspections and reports, they fixed
everything, including all the scratched panels. They put it down to a
corroded gear selector which they had now replaced.

And this on a bike that had done fewer than 1500 miles and spent its life in
a garage.

They had now also brought the bike upto my original purchase specification.
A little riding confirmed that gear selection was now hugely improved and
caused no more problems so things were looking rosy.

Until a few weeks later, that is.

Heading for work the bike was really sluggish and wasn't accelerating. The
engine was obviously OK but there was resistance somewhere. When smoke
started issuing from the front discs, I deduced the brakes had siezed.

Again, after long delays and fucking about by Coopers, they informed me that
the brakes were corroded and clogged with dirt. The bike had still only
done about 3000 miles.

I told them to keep the sack of shit and give me my money back.

This long story is somewhat abbreviated and other problems have included:
useless horn, saggy suspension, inaccessible oil inspection window, poorly
fitted luggage supports and utterly hopeless service from Coopers - who
have now had a complete change of staff in the motorcycle department. The
old staff were so utterly pissed off with the place they had to get out.

Coopers didn't want to offer a refund so now the whole thing is with
solicitors.

Coopers have been sitting on the bike since March and have had plenty of
time to fix everything and make it bright and shiny. They then commissioned
an inspection and are using this 'unbiased' report as proof that the bike
is fit for purpose.

I need an inspector with some experience in submitting reports - possibly
for legal use - who is prepared to consider the whole story and not just
the current condition of the bike - which is bound to be spotless.

I've owned loads of bikes and ridden them in the grimmest winters but I've
never had a bike give up and fail on me so soon after leaving the showroom.

The whole episode leaves me wondering if this bike was indeed new at all or
whether it had been sitting around rotting in the corner of a warehouse
having been used in a demonstration or something.

So, can anyone help? Does anyone know of an experienced inspector -
preferably in the Berkshire area - who can take a good look at this bike
and its history and give a fair assessment of its suitability for purpose?

Thanks for reading.

--
The Judge.
ZZR1200 (Fast for a bike. Slow for a teleporter)
K1200RS (New, rotting, useless sack of shit. For sale)
Gone: VL1500LC, ZZR1100, GS1000G, GSX250
Orh+ BOTAFOT#61

 

If it's any consolation he's been like that since at least 1987

 

Judge was seen penning the following ode to ... whatever:

BMW gearboxen tend to be fully paid up members of the Clonk family and
do shift better when you pre-load the gearlever, but I've never had
one that was full of false neutrals.

It sounds to me like you've bought lemon that may well not have been
new...

All that aside, did you actually put those complaints in writing when
you brought the bike back to get it fixed? Otherwise I can see that
it'll be a problem as it's your word against theirs and I would expect
that to make matters a lot harder.

 

# Judge and lozzo sitting in a tree...




Never thought I'd see the day.

 

I looked up vehicle inspection in Reading on Google and found
http://www.vehicle-inspection-ltd.com/

Explaining the situation to them, and possibly the local Trading Standards
may assist when producing a report like you are looking for.
Given that the extra problem that prompted you to return the bike to them
telling them to put it in a non sunny orifice occurred after the sequence of
events that they rectified I reckon it will be worth them repairing the
existing problem and returning the bike to you. Possibly that suggestion
being made by your Solicitor by letter or threatening them with legal action
after you receive a report.
Also find out who did their report and ask for a copy.
Once returned sell it, cut your losses saving the money for another better
machine.
Just my 2p worth


--


--
Robbo

Trophy 1200 1998
BotaFOF #19. E.O.S.M 2001/2002/2003/2004.
B.O.S.M 2003, 2004, 2005
FURSWB#1 KotL..YTC449
PM#7
..

 

Judge scribbled:

Should have walked away right then.

I smell a rat. A 'new' bike out of production, why were they trying to
sell you one?

I'd say there is a very strong chance this is whats happened. The
seizing gears and brakes make me think its been sitting for a *long*
time somewhere?

Can't help though.

CAB & small claims court?

 

Bear says...

I must admit I had a little chuckle to myself.

 

frag emerged from their own little world to say

Seems like there are some changes taking place at Coopers
http://www.ukgser.com/forums/showthread.php?t=50703

Does the chassis plate give a clue to the build date? BMW don't tend to
stockpile bikes like some makers. A significant gap between the build date
and the time you got it may be evidence that the bike was hawked around
shows etc.

Contact Neil at http://www.gsshop.co.uk/ - he's an independent BMW bike
specialist in SW London. If he does not have the expertise to produce the
report you want then he may know someone who does.

 

Very interesting. Thanks.

All gratefully noted. Cheers.
--
The Judge.
ZZR1200 (Fast for a bike. Slow for a teleporter)
K1200RS (New, rotting, useless sack of shit. For sale)
Gone: VL1500LC, ZZR1100, GS1000G, GSX250
Orh+ BOTAFOT#61

 

[humungousnip]

Fuckin' hellbeans!

I've heard it said that "Coopers BMW of Reading are a bunch of cunts"
but had the good fortune to avoid them.

Vines of Guildford have been pretty good but I've yet to deal with
Sawbridgworth...

I've ridden three K1200RS, all as loan bikes from Vines and only one was
perfect -- a 5,000mile 03 plater, IIRC. The other two both had gearbox
probs; one was reaaally fluffy and vague when selecting which had me
playing "hunt the cog" much of the time, and the other had a nasty habit
of jumping out of gear at max chat =8-o

The one good one was a belter -- that engine is a peach and creamy-
smooth, linear power delivery is superb. The looong wheelbase and
para/telelever provide a true track and a lovely ride at autobahn speed
with the 'leccy screen at the right position.

1 out of 3 is pretty damned poor...

I was hoping the new "hyper-K"1200R with its 160+ bhp lump and fancy
suspension gubbins would be a "maybe" but I've kinda gone off the idea
of late -- too many problems with its sibling...

Sorry to hear you're having so much grief with yours and hope you get it
sorted, man.
--
| Wik -UKRMHRC#10- 2003 R1150GSA -DC#1 -'FOT#0 'FOF #39 - BOD#12 BOB#12
|# You don't believe me | "Experience is the worst teacher.
|That the scenery | It always gives the test first
|Could be a cold-blooded killer. | and the instruction afterward."
***** human response from wik at blueyonder dot co dot uk *****

 

It must pain you that you obviously agree on something, though!

 

Ben Blaney says...

I'm having an "It couldn't have happened to a nicer bloke" moment, so
not really.

 

LOL

 

Bear emerged from their own little world to say

There is a link. "Motorrad" on the RHS of the model selector bar which
ain't a lot of use unless you are aware of the marketing bollocks you
reference.

Personally, I prefer the bike sales being decoupled from the car sales. The
service levels from bike only franchises are generally much better than
combined franchises.