South West Bikers | Motorcycle Forum

Sooo, interesting, I’ve never joined a forum but I imagine you lads can be really helpful.
I’m Tracy, I ride a big bike (don’t go bad mouthing - yes it’s a BMW 1200 GS) and no I’m not an old man, it just compensates for my lack of riding skills. I discovered this site by looking for bike parking in Exeter, yes, even biking girls need to shop at Marks & Spencer’s .
But the reason I’m quite excited about being on here is that I like (or would like to) work on my own bike. There is no reason I can’t do most of the maintenance, I just need to know what tools and where to get them and that is where you lads come in.
I was taken by BMW failing my MOT last year because of my rear shock failing!!! I had just ridden 150 to the MOT place. They presented me with a £2,000 bill to get my bike through MOT!
I refused, rode the bike back to sunny Sidmouth and SORNed the bike. There was nothing wrong with the rear shock, they hadn’t turned on the ignition when testing so the ESA hadn’t been turned on. That is why I would prefer to work on my own bike.
Bet you are sorry you let a girl on here now

Hi Tracy, welcome to swb. We don't care what you ride, it's the fact you do that matters.
As for working on your own Bike, that's a rarity these days no matter which way you button a shirt.

Dive on in, get on a rideout and take any advice you want, just,be sure to back it up with a google search.

enjoy

Hi & Welcome Tracy.
Well done for not being taken in, which mot place was that?
I lived in Sidmouth until 2014 and use to take my bike to Ottery for MOTs.
As for working on your bike, just post up what you're doing and we'll give you many different opinions on how not to do it.

Hi Tracy and welcome to SWB.
I take my bike to Brown's Motorcycles in Ottery St Mary for MOT's, just like our Mr Jug used too. I wouldn't go anywhere else and not just because I live there.
Like a lot of us here, I mostly do my own servicing and, in my case, my own bodges too sometimes . Nobody knows everything, not even Herr billinom8s , and the hive mind usually rallies around with help and advice on any and all subjects bike related. There's some knowledgeable folks in SWB so whatever info you need, just ask, somebody usually has the answer.
We also do plenty of rideouts and that's another good way of gaining knowledge, and dead sociable too. So dive on into the forum and have a good look around and get a feel for things.

Hi and welcome, Tracy.

First off - well done on finding the site and jumping in. We don't bite, and some don't even have their own teeth. 150 miles is a fair way to go to visit a dealer, especially as there are BMW franchises all over the place. I guess you went back to the supplying dealer?
BMW boxers did have a recall for the rear shock failing but that was 10 years ago so would have thought that had been sorted by now.
If you're wary of main dealers most decent independents would be able to diagnose the problem if there is one without taking you to the cleaners. I can recommend some in south Devon but go with Robbos advice and use the one in Ottery, I've heard good things about them

Hiya Tracy. I don't know much about main stealerships having never used one...
No, I tell a lie - took my first Busa back to Bridge in Exeter, where I bough it, for the first service where they overfilled the oil and I had to siphon some out.

Hi Tracy welcome along as the others said loads of knowledge on here dive in and have some fun

Hi Tracy

Welcome to the forum hope that you have fun on all the ride outs and you find the mechanical stuff you’re looking for. As a fellow BMW rider there is no shame from me in riding BMW’s they are great bikes.


Personally for any of my mechanical needs if I’m not going to the main dealership in Plymouth then I am tapping on the door of Billinom8s who is some what of a wizard with the spanner’s and also great on doing suspension.

Once again welcome to the forum.

Welcome to SWB