Very Bad News :'(

[Guest tripletrouble]

I didn't buy a FJ-09. Went by the BMW dealer and walked out with a R1200GS. 
 
Please don't crucify me, it's just the deal I got on the BMW was too good to pass up. In spirit, I bought a FJ-09 though and my heart will be with all of you.
 
--tripletrouble, now known as doubletrouble 

[Cruizin]

I didn't buy a FJ-09. Went by the BMW dealer and walked out with a R1200GS.  
Please don't crucify me, it's just the deal I got on the BMW was too good to pass up. In spirit, I bought a FJ-09 though and my heart will be with all of you.
 
--tripletrouble, now known as doubletrouble 

 
That's ok, when that very common BMW shaft drive failure occurs, and BMW denies your warranty claim, you'll basically pay for an FJ-09 in repairs.
 
But hey, you got a BMW, congrats!
 

[Guest tripletrouble]

They moved the drive shaft to the other side and made it easy to change the lube starting in 2013 on the non-adventure models. That should resolve all the problems!  (rofl) In the 90's there was about a 30% failure rate after 50k miles. So far it's a really fun bike. 

[Guest spackler]

I have a friend with an '04 GS. 110,000 miles. Never had an issue. Good luck.

[yamadog67]

A few years ago Motorcycle Consumer News did a comparison of sport tourers. I forget all of the four or five bikes that were in it, FJR and New Kawi 14, but they all had fairings and looked like sport tourers. i also don't remember which one won, might have been the Kawi. What i do remember is how annoyed I was by the article that followed. Something like " The real Winner Is: ". Turns out all the testers had to take turns riding the GS1200 "mule" that carried all the equipment and by the end of the ride they were fighting to ride the GS: The Real Winner. I almost cancelled my subscription.
Best of luck to you.
yamadog67
 

[rumbooblivion]

They moved the drive shaft to the other side and made it easy to change the lube starting in 2013 on the non-adventure models. That should resolve all the problems!  (rofl) In the 90's there was about a 30% failure rate after 50k miles. So far it's a really fun bike. 

Yes, that and the fact they finally ditched "Getrag" as the supplier for the Trans ... which also has problems and shifts like an old Panzer. The "new" gear box is Made In Japan!   
I stopped following GS's a 5 or so years ago. I get the feeling BMW have sorted many of the long running Gremlins, like ABS fault codes, CANbus issues, final drive and gear box.
 
The fact is, the GS is a great bike to ride. It rides MUCH lighter than it is (IMO), handles nearly like a sport bike and even not bad off road on simple fire roads. If it falls on you ... you're screwed. (Been there, seen it person)  It packs up well, is great two up, but is NOT a tough bike off road like my DR650.
But it IS an engaging machine, fun to ride ... once you learn how to ride it and once you get used to the NUMB feeling from the front end.
 
You pay a lot for the Blue Rondel ... many riders are happy to join that exclusive club, buy the BMW Twat Suit and go to BMW rallies. I did that many years ago, got tired of all the endless Circle Jerks and UNQUESTIONING loyalty.
 
Now, seems BMW take legit critics' points better .... and listen better than they did years past.
 
For a long range touring bike I'd pick the BMW over the FJ-09. But I've not ridden the '09 so who knows how good or bad it will be? I'm interested in the FJ because it's about 120 lbs. lighter than a R12GS, about $10,000 cheaper ... and probably half the cost to service. If you've never owned a BMW before I would be very cautious taking the bike to the dealer. Some are sneaky clever at ramping up your service bill. Jumps up over $1000 in a heart beat.