OEM BMW parts or Indie Dealers?

[montmil]

My recent R65 pushrod tube seal replacement project included more than just the four new rubber seals. Per cylinder, there's additional new parts required: three O-rings, a head gasket and possibly a new valve cover gasket. The R65 is complete.

On Thursday, FedEx dropped off the same goods I'll need for the R100S seal replacement job, plus a couple other non-tube seal items. Here's a photo of the BMW OEM head gasket. Note the origin of manufacture. Spain. I also note the line stating BMW Group. What's that?



Curiosity aroused, I checked in with MotoBins and grabbed the photo of their BMW head gasket offering and compared it to my freshly delivered gasket from a well-known US BMW dealership that supports classic Airheads.



The head gaskets are identical right down to the imprints on the gasket material and the light blue-colored rings at the pushrod tube and small o-ring locations. The only difference I could find was the 'Bins parts are $3.84 USD less per item.

Delivery cost for my USA order was $9.20. From England, Royal Air Mail Packet Rate for these lightweight items would be about the same. I could not drive to the nearest BMW dealership in Ft Worth for less than the delivery charge. Nor would it be very likely that the Cowtown store would have everything I needed for the 36-year old bike.  

I occasionally hear or read about Airhead owners wanting to use, only BMW OEM parts. Obviously, some new Airhead parts are available only through BMW dealers. However, regarding the head gaskets, the only difference I can see is the higher price from BMW Motorrad USA. Same thought regarding the better quality and lower price of the Italian repop Neutral Switch.

I'm not overly concerned about museum-grade resto work in maintaining my three Airheads. It often becomes an economy of scale. YMMV.

[Bob_Roller]

The last part I ordered from the local BMW dealer, a final drive output seal, I noticed a special order charge, it's a 5% charge for non current model bike parts .

This dealer is 6 miles from my home and 3 miles out of my way on the way home from work, with shipping costs from another source probably isn't worth my effort to get parts elsewhere .

But if I did have a large order to place and if the parts weren't heavy, I would place the order with Motobins or Motorworks .

Even with international shipping costs and currency exchange fee the credit card issuing bank charges on international charges, it's cost effective on a lot on airhead parts .

[davidpdx]

I have found that the local shop that works on older bikes (Cheshire Motorsports) in Portland has or can get most of the parts I have needed so far for less money and quicker than the BMW dealer. I also like to support a local business and it gives me a chance to see what they are working on.

[Barry]

BMW Group is just the company umbrella name for BMW, Mini and Rolls Royce brands.

It's no accident that there are at least 3 independent airhead parts suppliers in a small place like England. Even though they can order parts it is not common to buy spares from a BMW franchised dealers.  You suspect most dealers wouldn’t know what an airhead was if they fell over one in their glass palace showrooms. My nearest is a combined car/motorcycle showroom so you can imagine what it's like. Visit the show room and you are likely to find no dedicated parts counter. They’ll keep you waiting while they find a backroom person to deal with the strange person who wants spares for a 35 year old bike and it might be a long wait. I only waited once to no avail and walked out taking my business with me.

Google “BMW motorcycle spares UK” and you find only one or two BMW dealers who will sell you anything at all online and that will be accessories for the new models. You can buy a BMW mug on line but you can’t buy an oil filter.

The same Google search will find the 3 independent BMW parts suppliers:- Motorworks in the North of England. Motobins in the East and James Sherlock in the South. All 3 have knowledgeable staff and will sell you almost anything you are likely to need either online or over the phone and many of the part are the genuine article. Is it any wonder  we buy are spares and service parts from them.

[AlfromNH]

I guess I'm very fortunate: I have a BMW/Triumph dealer 10 minutes away. While they rarely have parts for my R65 in stock, they place orders evey Saturday, and with one exception(bean can cover), they've had everything within a week.

And I have to say, as this is my first BMW, I'm pleasantly surprised at the cost of most parts as compared to my experience with Japanese brands.

[georgesgiralt]

Well, I think you are right and I'm fortunate enough that I can order BMW parts 10 ' ride from home in two different places, one having a huge stock.
But to solve your problem BMW has put an online shop called Shop-BMW-Classic where you can buy all parts from the fiche.
It has a wonderful interest because if you can add the item into the basket it means it is available, and if it doesn't and doesn't have an "E" like in Ended ... you can order it from a BMW representative. Which will sometimes take month...
As they give you the price of the parts and shipping is free for order above 75€ in Europe, you'll have a fair estimate of the costs and can see if the independent people are a bargain or not.
I've ordered 3 times now and they ship very fast. If you order mistakenly or they sell you too much parts for your bike or the wrong one, return is on them and money back is very fast...
So you may give a try ... (and they sell car parts too !)

[Barry]

Well I guess I'd use a BMW dealer if they were 10 mins away. For me it would be a very unpleasant 40 min ride through urban sprawl.

When I was a lad all the local motorcycle dealers were clustered together and we would ride out just for fun to window shop, not intending to buy anything.  A glass palace BMW showroom is somehow not fun any more.  

[Rob Valdez 79 R65]

My nearest is a combined car/motorcycle showroom so you can imagine what it's like. Visit the show room and you are likely to find no dedicated parts counter.

Wow, even my Honda dealer (auto) has a parts counter!

The Honda/Kawasaki dealer from which I bought my CBR250R has closed it's doors...

[montmil]

The Honda/Kawasaki dealer from which I bought my CBR250R has closed it's doors...

In a city the size of Indy? How could that have happened?

[Rob Valdez 79 R65]

The Honda/Kawasaki dealer from which I bought my CBR250R has closed it's doors...

In a city the size of Indy? How could that have happened?

I think he was ready to call it quits.

He had a nice store in a suburb NE of town, but he still had trouble with kids from govt subsidised housing behind the place.

There is still Dryer Honda (Pop Dryer!) on the West side and I think the email I received from the closing guy said his service was being transfered to some multi-bike dealer on the North side.  Neither one is convienient for me as I live on the NE side of Indianapolis.
Dryer is near where I work, but since I don't arrive at work until 8pm, I can only get there on the nights they stay open late, or on my weekend, which is Mon/Tue, and I'm pretty sure they are closed on Mon.

It's a good thing my bike does not require much!
If I want (and I do) Motul chain lube, I have to go to a scooter shop in Speedway.  The only place in town that carries it...  
But at least I get to smhooze with the scooters a little bit!

[disco51]

Since I've moved to Nashville, I've given the local BMW parts dept. a call twice now for parts I've needed.  Both times, I've been told they would need to be ordered.  I don't blame them for not keeping them in stock.  It probably isn't a great business model to keep the R65 exhaust nut in stock (I'm guessing).  I said thank you and then went to an online shop where I can browse the fiche and have a shopping cart online and almost always find that the parts are in stock.  I do like to support local shops, but I'm afraid with the ease of the internet, these will eventually become fewer and far between.

[montmil]

I've heard the comment referring to BMW dealerships as "Glass Palaces". Not far from the truth.

A longtime, regional BMW sales record-setting BMW dealer in Ft Worth, Perry Bushong, was told by BMW that he needed to upgrade his physical plant to meet BMW's dealership standards. Told ol' Perry they'd even hold the mortgage for him to do so. Turned out to be one of those, "I don't think so" moments and BMW pulled his franchise.
    Perry and his wife still operate a nice, large shop that specializes in classic BMWs and sidecars. Our own ScottyInTexas has a beautiful rig built in FTW.

But for me, up here just north of the DFW MetroMess, and with what seems like every freeway being under construction for expansion, it's just a nerve wracking, day long experience to try and find Airhead parts... at least my complete list. I certainly will not pay a surcharge for special orders such as the one Bob Roller was hit with. What I always do is ask for a 10% discount on special orders seeing as how the dealer does not have any of his money tied up in inventory. That works sometimes. Worse case scenario is they say 'No' and I say, "See ya".

Looking back through my file of receipts, I find many from MotoBins. Never a back ordered part and good prices on the same supplier parts that BMW Motorrad buys. Delivery is also cost effective. Back in the Colonies and The Republic of Texas, I've pretty much settled into Bob's BMW for my Airhead needs. Again, no backorders and a 2-3 day delivery. Rick Jones' Motorrad Elektrik and EME also get my biz. Good people, all.
      

[Barry]

Imagine what happens to the glass palace when it's under the same roof as a BMW car dealer ship.  

I spent my formative years in motorcycling where the dealers were real dyed in the wool motorcyclists that you respected. They were such distinctive characters I can still  remember their names 40 years on. I remember nothing about a glass palace except it is an unpleasant experience  - unless of course your there to spend £15,000.

[marcmax]

I have only been riding BMW's for about 6 years now. My first one was a K75s I bought from a Craigslist advert. I wanted to start with a known reference so I went to the nearest BMW dealer to by lube, filters, etc. The dealer was over 2 hours away.

I know people saw me pull up on my "old" bike and I went in to find the parts dept. I was in the showroom for 30 minutes and no one came up to help, try and show me something, nothing at all. I found the parts counter and told the guy what I was riding and what I wanted. All he said was, "We don't carry that old stuff. Give me a list of p/n and I can probably have some of it here in a couple of weeks." When I asked for help getting the p/n's I needed he said they can't give that information out.

I thought, "What the hell did I get myself into!"

Then I found an independent shop. When I went there and told him what I needed he told me roll the bike into the shop. I bought the supplies, filters, etc. and he said, "Here, watch this. You can pay me to do this every time but there is no need. Just pay me to do things that are beyond your skills."

I have used him ever since. I can call and he will send the parts that same day if he has them or order them. The most I have ever waited for a part has been 1 week.

About 1.5 years ago a BMW motorcycle dealership opened in Jacksonville (about 30 minutes away). I stopped in on day to look around and got that same cold, you need to spend megabucks attitude as soon as I walked in. I asked the parts guy for what I thought was a simple request, an airhead oil filter. Once again, "Oh, we don't carry that old stuff. Give me a p/n number and I will try an order you one."

I haven't been back. I ride past it and make a day of riding to the independent shop for all my needs. Call ahead, tell him what I need and they are waiting when I get there.

[Luca]

My local dealership is the only one in Rhode Island, though they also carry Yamaha, Honda, Kawasaki, Moto Guzzi, KTM, and Kymco, which I think helps them keep things down to earth.  It's about 25 minutes from me, although nothing is more than an hour away in this state.

Their stock is overpriced, but there is a 10% discount for "mentioning the website" that brings things back to normal, and if they're feeling nice they will make it 20%  I've bought all my gear there so I could try it on and once had a problem with a 3 month old pair of gloves... my third pair of the same model.  They took 'em back no questions asked and gave me a credit. That kind of business is what keeps me coming.  Maybe one day when I have cash to spare I'll pick up one of their Schuberth helmets too!

They've shared the screen with me when looking up BMW parts and I've got to say that the new system BMW has them use is awful.  They'll go back to the old system to find things, get the numbers, and then enter them into the new system, so I've got some sympathy (though I should say they have never refused to help find parts) .  It's faster and easier for me to get PN's before I head to the dealership.  BMW is also having them ask for the last 8 digits of the VIN now.

With that said, sometimes they don't even have an airhead oil filter in stock, which I find ridiculous.  Maybe because they prefer to carry stuff for the new models of the many brands they carry they don't keep airhead parts around, but 20 years of BMW motorcycles use the same oil filter!!!!  They should have a couple on the shelf.  Most parts have to be ordered, and the orders go in on Thursday, so you probably won't see them by the weekend.  I've done a little side work on other folks' motorcycles, and when rebuilding the forks, among other work, on an R60/6 (the guy was not an "airhead" or I'd have done the work for a cold one) I ended up ordering the parts from Max BMW in NH, who had the stuff in stock and got them to me more quickly.