BMW Adopts New Course

[SAHD]

BMW Adopts New Course
http://www.motorcycleworld.com/enthusiasts/news_article.asp?id=2398

I guess time will tell if it is going to work out or not!

[Nevermore]

It'll never work until they get some lighter, dynamic, sportier dealers. Ones who don't look down their noses at sport bike riders.

[gigantic]

I was hoping that they'd say that the ne course was to price their bikes competitively...
L

[markjenn]

They need to be careful in moving into new markets and specifically into the performance market. The Japanese have been doing the one-upmanship of producing a new model each year that weighs 1.2 lbs less, revs 300 rpm higher, and has BNG for quite some time now - they're awfully good at it.

I see BMW perhaps running in the poorly troden path of Mercedes Benz in the late-90's: pushing out lots of new models, finding a lower price point that opened up new markets, and cutting an awful lot of corners to the point of building some real trash. And these new buyers had to deal with the same old dealers with their stodgy and expensive way of doing business. A C230 might have sold for $21K, but the customer was expected to pay about the same as it would take to maintain a $55K E320. This didn't fly. Are SV650 buyers going to buy an F800 for a couple thousand more? Are they going to be willing to pay BMW dealer shop rates for expensive BMW service? I doubt it.

There is a thread on another forum right now how BMW is removing toolkits from their bikes and shipping them with only one full-size kay and a plastic wallet key. An $18K motorcycle that ships with one key? Do they think that they'll attract some huge new market by selling the bike for $17,995 rather than $17,998?

It's funny, but one of the key things that allowed me to rationalize buying a $15K motorcycle back in 1999 was the toolkit, and specifically the clever way that BMW had integrated a flat repair kit with the bike. It impressed me that a mfg thought about the need for a rider to be able to fix a flat tire and to incorporate a provision for this eventuality into the design. It's stupid, but in an way, I bought the bike for the cute little place that stores the CO2 cartridges. It's these little things like this that go by the wayside when you start marching to the all-out performance drummer.

I don't know if the new R1200S has a place to put C02, but I can clearly see that it has no place to put luggage or a passenger. BMW is going to say that I should buy something else for sport-touring, that the need to make the R1200S perform at the level it does requires some compromises. But when you buy a $15K motorcycle, you expect to get some reasonable level of versatility, not a specialized track weapon. If that's what I want, I'll buy a new R6 for half what the R1200S costs and get a much better track bike to boot.

- Mark

[gigantic]

Originally posted by Nevermore
It'll never work until they get some lighter, dynamic, sportier dealers. Ones who don't look down their noses at sport bike riders.

I've yet to meet a dealer who looked down his nose at me. he'd at least need a step ladder to do that.

Lance

[Seeker]

Originally posted by SAHD
BMW Adopts New Course
I guess time will tell if it is going to work out or not!

This is just a press release stating what has already been in the works for some time now.

So far, that approach has produced the GS12, the K12 S and R and now the R12S. I'd say not bad at all.


Bruno
Montreal, Canada
Gerbing Heated PANT LINER Review
http://pages.videotron.com/mcrides/product_evals/gerbing/p-liner.htm
:

[Seeker]

Originally posted by markjenn
The Japanese have been doing the one-upmanship of producing a new model each year that weighs 1.2 lbs less, revs 300 rpm higher, and has BNG for quite some time now - they're awfully good at it.

I'd say that's a good rendition of Kaizen. The process of continual improvement. To me, there's nothing wrong with that.


Bruno
Montreal, Canada
Gerbing Heated PANT LINER Review
http://pages.videotron.com/mcrides/product_evals/gerbing/p-liner.htm
:

[SAHD]

Good points about the Dealers.
Dealers can make or break the mfg's marketing strategies.

Fortunately, my BMW Dealer was a Suzuki and Yamaha dealer first. He started the dealership 12 years ago and has always been sports minded and supportive of the sport and racers, myself included. He also isn't an old crusty senior ready to retire. He is a young mid-to-late 30 something owner.

I agree with the comments that BMW will not bust the balls of the Japanese. BMW will never be able to keep up with them. Funny though how with BMW cars the Japs copy the Krauts.

I like what Triumph is doing now. They are a good case study on how to fail in the supersports segment with the Japs. The 675 is brilliant! Sticking with triples and being unique (Scrambler, etc) in your market segment will work for them.

I also think BMW being higher priced is a big issue to compete in the supersport market. They need to address a market price point that keeps them in the game (or maintain an exclusive position like Ducati has) but delivers the performance in a unique BMW way, ...be it a twin, a four, or a triple. If they go MOTOGP racing it could influence the technology direction for the production sport bikes they might produce...and that would be cool! Maybe they need to stay unique in offering tool kits and tire repair kits.

Who here wants to draft the PP member's Performance Market Plan for BMW?

[John Lyon]

I think the #1 challenge to a "performance" marketing plan for BMW is that the guys that care about all-out racing tend to be young, which means poor. I say they go after the 30+ rider, offering sophisticated high-performance -- competitive in the right hands, but with creature comforts and other high-end features that the older guys want. They need to win some races, though, to get a reputation like Ducatis, but could still take business away on reliability and maintenance factors (which better stay true).

[sfarson]

Originally posted by Nevermore
It'll never work until they get some lighter, dynamic, sportier dealers. Ones who don't look down their noses at sport bike riders.

Ain't true at my dealer. The service manager races an R1100S each summer in the local MRA series and does quite well. The sales manager is from Britain, races Triumph Thruxtons, and used to race in the BSB (British Superbike) series.

[John Lyon]

sfarson- Do they still have that little track outside Aspen?

[Nevermore]

Originally posted by sfarson
Ain't true at my dealer. The service manager races an R1100S each summer in the local MRA series and does quite well. The sales manager is from Britain, races Triumph Thruxtons, and used to race in the BSB (British Superbike) series.

You're lucky. I'm here in SoCal, probably one of the biggest sport bike markets anywhere, and you can't get anyone to talk to you without flashing your AARP card first. Sure, those of us who would be looking at an R12S are over 30 and ready to move on to something a little more than the Japanese sport bikes, but until BMW gets its dealers in touch with this customer base a little better I'm not sure it matters what direction their designers take.

[Dale Flowers]

I think until manufacturers like BMW figure out how they are going to reduce their manufacturing costs all the design, performance and marketing developments won't increase market share.

[Deans BMW]

I know for a fact that San Jose BMW has a lot of customers waiting for the new R1200S. They have been in all kinds of Beemer racing since the mid '70's. Chris will have his supercharged, intercooled, Oilhead with a handmade frame at the San Jose Motorcycle show. The last AMA Superbike win on a BMW was with their bike and racer at Louden, NH, they have set many records at Bonneville on both their '77 R100RS, 162 MPH just a few months ago and with Brian Parriot on the K1200R Power Cup also. They won first place the last time the Boxer Cup was raced at Daytona and won 2nd over all in the last Boxer Cup series. At the Airhead invitational in Georgia, they win in every class they enter. All of this is but the smallest part of their racing program since the mid 70's.

There are lots of BMW dealerships ready for a BMW sport bike.

[John Lyon]

But in terms of a "marketing plan," competing on price is only a strategy for a commodity product with no differentiating features. Absolutely, though, paying more must be be "worth it" to the customer.

[markjenn]

There are lots of BMW dealerships ready for a BMW sport bike.

Gee, I thought they already had one. That's what BMW told us back in 1998!

If they come back and now say that the R1100S wasn't and the R1200S is, then I'll just point out that the 2006 R1200S is no closer to a 2006 GSXR750 than a 1998 R1110S was to a 1998 GSXR750 . On pure sportbike terms, they're just as far behind now as they were then, if not further. And they've taken away the versatility.

- Mark

[DanGreene]

Originally posted by markjenn
Gee, I thought they already had one. That's what BMW told us back in 1998!

If they come back and now say that the R1100S wasn't and the R1200S is, then I'll just point out that the 2006 R1200S is no closer to a 2006 GSXR750 than a 1998 R1110S was to a 1998 GSXR750 . On pure sportbike terms, they're just as far behind now as they were then, if not further. And they've taken away the versatility.

- Mark

You sir, are one of the great thinkers of the 21st century.

[Nevermore]

Originally posted by markjenn
Gee, I thought they already had one. That's what BMW told us back in 1998!

If they come back and now say that the R1100S wasn't and the R1200S is, then I'll just point out that the 2006 R1200S is no closer to a 2006 GSXR750 than a 1998 R1110S was to a 1998 GSXR750 . On pure sportbike terms, they're just as far behind now as they were then, if not further. And they've taken away the versatility.

- Mark

Yes, very well said.

[Steve Carlton]

For me, the R1100S is a sport bike (and more). I don't pick my bike based on track prowess, and even if I did, I don't think I'd be riding any faster on the street. Slower, probably. All these comparisons to liter bikes are irrelevant as far as I'm concerned. I like the BMW philosophy of providing comfortable ergos, the other numerous amenities, and the personality. I think they've made a mistake not providing a hardbag option or a reasonable pillion seat; that kind of bike should have been made a variant, like the prep, sport light, or replika was.

[roger albert]

Well said by Mark and Steve. I"ve not ruled out the 12S, but other than better hp:wt, it is the same or inferior to what I have, especially as regards versatility.