Extended warranties?

[Doug_Baliko]

I own a '12 RT that is still under warranty. I was wondering if when the time comes it's worthwhile buying an extended warranty? And what the best companies to buy one from are?

 

Doug

[realshelby]

I don't think extended warranties are worth buying. If you simply cannot work on your own bike, should it need a major repair, and couldn't afford a multi thousand dollar repair bill then I suppose they are like health or life insurance for peace of mind. In that case, they are fine. IMO

 

That said I would NEVER buy an extended warranty from anyone other than the manufacturer of that vehicle. Too many horror stories from aftermarket insurance policies that simply won't pay when the time comes.

[John in VA]

The Zurich extended warranty I bought for my 06 RT more than paid for itself in repairs. Even if it hadn't, you're paying for peace of mind against catastrophic failures, which are all too possible on such a complex machine (with imperfect design and manufacturing quality control). Too bad it expired before my bike needed $2800 repairs for failed ABS and failed case seal -- money down the drain for me and more profits for BMWM.

 

Fwiw I'll never own a BMW bike again without some kind of warranty against catastrophe. Definitely shop around for the best price and coverage. If your local dealer offers one, they might dicker if you show them a competitor's offer.

[BrianT]

That said I would NEVER buy an extended warranty from anyone other than the manufacturer of that vehicle. Too many horror stories from aftermarket insurance policies that simply won't pay when the time comes.

I've even had this problem with the Volvo extended warranty sold to me with the car purchased new from Volvo. I don't know if they still do it this way now that Ford no longer owns Volvo, but they had a "third party adminstrator" who would run Volvo's extended warranty. I'm assuming a cost cutting measure. This way even though Volvo is paying for repairs that are made, they can blame the "third party administrator" for declining your repair and say "nothing we can do. It's them not us."

[Highway41]

I have the five year Zurich warranty and so far it's in the "Peace of Mind" category at 78K miles. My '05 RT needed but didn't have one.

[BrianT]

Forgot to mention in my previous post that having the extended warranty on my K1200gt was the smartest thing I ever did. I don't remember which company it was, but it was from the dealer when I purchased the bike new. I had the cam chain failure that caused 4K in damage to the valves and a piston about 2k miles after the original warranty expired. The extended warranty also had a tire hazard for two tires for the life of the warranty. I only had to replace one from a puncture, but that alone I think covered the nominal cost of the extended warranty. Having that extended warranty saved me some serious cash.

[RandyBailey]

I was one week from expiration of the extended warranty on my '03 RT when the final drive puked. The total cost was covered. At least on that extended warranty I came out ahead.

[Tri750]

Call your dealer, talk to the service manager and ask what warranty company they have the least amount of problems with. Some require you to pay the bill then reimburse you. (Or not)

The price of extended warranties has a lot of wiggle room. If you buy from the dealer, the salesperson gets a commission.

Sometimes, after you get the name of a good company, you can buy it online cheaper.

There is no BMW factory extended warranty. At least on the motorcycle side.

It's really an insurance policy more than extended warranty.

[elkroeger]

Extended warranties provide the highest profit margin of any other "product" out there. Look it up in consumer reports. The whole thing is a rip off. Somewhere, probably in New Jersey, there's a guy in an office who has the statistics all worked out and knows there's enough money out there, that he can make a whole career out of selling that garbage, and send his kids to college to boot.

 

What did we do before they invented extended warranties? We just paid the man, when things went south, and then moved on. What's the big deal?

 

The other way I look at it is what's the worst case scenario? You paid, what $20K or something for that bike? You won't lose it all when the crankshaft blows out of its case. If a new motor is too much, you buy a used one and carry on. You're out the door for a couple grand. It's not like healthcare, where you could lose everything you own when you come down with some bad shit. You need health insurance. You don't need final drive insurance.

 

And besides - you're riding a BMW. Arguably the best, most reliable bike out there. What could go wrong?

[elkroeger]

I was one week from expiration of the extended warranty on my '03 RT when the final drive puked. The total cost was covered. At least on that extended warranty I came out ahead.

 

I'm curious - how much ahead? And overall - have you bought other extended warranties?

 

What I don't understand about the extended warranty is that you're basically betting against your bike. Isn't there a better place for your money? Savings account? More maintenance? And why buy the bike in the first place, if you think it's a piece of junk and you're going to have an endless string of repair bills?

[Marty Hill]

Well said. One of the great it rip offs invented by man.

[Dave_in_TX]

I don't generally purchase extended warranties but I did for my 2007 and 2011 RTs. I look at it like insurance and consider the risk/reward ratio. On my 2007, I think he warranty paid for itself; my last warranty claim as at 135k miles. So far, with 66k miles on it, I haven't needed it for the 2011. In both cases, I knew that I would be keeping the bike for an extended period and putting lots of miles on it. For me, the price of the extended warranty amortized over the miles was worth it. If I only rode 5k miles a year, I don't think I would have bothered with the extended warranty.

[RandyBailey]

I'm curious - how much ahead? And overall - have you bought other extended warranties?

 

What I don't understand about the extended warranty is that you're basically betting against your bike. Isn't there a better place for your money? Savings account? More maintenance? And why buy the bike in the first place, if you think it's a piece of junk and you're going to have an endless string of repair bills?

 

I think the warranty was about $1,000 in 2003. It paid for the final drive and another repair. In my case I was money ahead. I'm on my third RT, the first one in 1999.

[Dave_in_TX]

And besides - you're riding a BMW. Arguably the best, most reliable bike out there. What could go wrong?

 

That may have been true in the past but the days of BMWs being the most reliable is quite arguably no longer true.

[John in VA]

And besides - you're riding a BMW. Arguably the best, most reliable bike out there. What could go wrong?

 

That may have been true in the past but the days of BMWs being the most reliable is quite arguably no longer true.

 

+1

[tallman]

And besides - you're riding a BMW. Arguably the best, most reliable bike out there. What could go wrong?

 

That may have been true in the past but the days of BMWs being the most reliable is quite arguably no longer true.

 

 

Insert tongue in cheek emoticom methinks.

[elkroeger]

And besides - you're riding a BMW. Arguably the best, most reliable bike out there. What could go wrong?

 

That may have been true in the past but the days of BMWs being the most reliable is quite arguably no longer true.

 

 

Insert tongue in cheek emoticom methinks.

 

Ding ding ding, we have a winner!

[EffBee]

Back in 1999, when I bought my first used '99RT, I got the extended warranty just in case. I paid (back then) about $795 for the coverage. Eventually, I needed it for a weeping final drive seal, and for a neutral light indicator. While they had the bike apart to change the indicator, it only cost me an extra $120 in labor plus about $350 in parts to put a new clutch in it. I had about 80K on the bike and as it turns out the clutch was only about 1/3 worn. But what the heck. Good insurance, and I was way ahead on the warranty anyway.

 

This latest '99RT was 12 years old when I purchased it, so I knew I was taking on all the possibilities as out-of-pocket. So far, only the stuff that the dealer's invoice said they did to the bike prior to the private party putting it up for sale (which I sincerely doubt they did or the throttle cables wouldn't have shredded at 3K miles nor would the alternator belt have been nearly in pieces when I checked it after the throttle cables almost left me stranded) have been unexpected expenses. I also changed the fuel filter (which the dealer also had put on the invoice). The oil looked fresh. The air filter looked new. But I still changed the trans oil and final drive just to be sure. Both looked relatively fresh.

 

In any case, I am generally not an extended warranty person. The actuaries who calculate these things always make it work out in favor of the house. But as much as I love BMW boxers, my experience with them, and my experience on this board, will lead me to purchase the EW. However, I will still negotiate the hell out of the price.

 

Oh, the EW on my original '99 was from Western Services, which is a division of McGraw Insurance. They paid for what they should have paid for and the only decline I got was for brake discs at about 85K, which rightfully are a wear item.

[Fubar]

Extended warranties provide the highest profit margin of any other "product" out there. Look it up in "Consumer Reports". The whole thing is a rip off. Somewhere, probably in New Jersey, there's a guy in an office who has the statistics all worked out and knows there's enough money out there, that he can make a whole career out of selling that garbage, and send his kids to college to boot.

 

What did we do before they invented extended warranties? We just paid the man, when things went south, and then moved on. What's the big deal?

 

The other way I look at it is what's the worst case scenario? You paid, what $20K or something for that bike? You won't lose it all when the crankshaft blows out of its case. If a new motor is too much, you buy a used one and carry on. You're out the door for a couple grand. It's not like healthcare, where you could lose everything you own when you come down with some bad shit. You need health insurance. You don't need final drive insurance.

+1

[indy]

FWIW, I got the extended warranty when I bought my '02 RT.

Mine paid for 3 sets of tires which paid the cost of the warranty.

All three just happened to have ...ahem cough cough...*nails* in them just before they needed replaced.

That and I wiggled in a ABS flush which saved me about $500.

 

But you gotta read the fine print and see what yours will cover.

 

Indy

[RTinNC]

Have had Zurich on my RT and now on the GSA. Had the fuel strip replaced with it and no questions asked, no deductible. They are one of the few that offer 4 years tacked onto the BMW 3 years so you are covered for 7 years. My dealer has nothing but good things to say about Zurich handling claims.

[bwr]

And besides - you're riding a BMW. Arguably the best, most reliable bike out there. What could go wrong?

 

This is a joke, right?