BMW Service in Houston Area

[TravelerTracy]

I am looking for a new service provider for my 2005 R1200GS in the Houston Area. I would perfer the South side of Houston. If anyone has any positive or negitive feedback for the BMW motorrad service centers in the Houston Area please post them.

I purchased the Bike at Alamo BMW in San Antonio, TX. But, I will not return there for Service in the future for several different reasons. I live about two hours from Houston and it is time for my 6K mile service.

Any Info would be greatly appreciated. I do not want to find out the hard way about poor service again.

Thank you in advance for any input.

-T

[boxer246]

You may be out of luck. Gulf Coast BMW, the only BMW dealership on the south side of Houston has a spotty history. I have never personally taken my bikes there for service, but know others who have, and routinely hear horror stories of their service competence, even recently. About a year ago, I went by there to pick up a bike that a customer of mine left with them in a moment of dispair. This guy had his motor on his R100GSPD grenade on him mere miles from Gulf Coast BMW. He had the bike towed there for them to fix. It needed basically a new bottom end, etc etc. The quote was big. He got ahold of me in the meantime because he heard I work on Airheads. We agreed on a repair and I went by the shop to pick his bike up. Well they gave me everything from his connecting rods up to the valve covers just thrown in a box. One big box. Nevermind the fact that all the top end components need to stay with their respective sides and ends and front to back relationships when you pull the top ends apart. They obviously didnt give a rat's ass about that and were just going to put it back togther any old damn way they wanted as long as the customer paid. The guy had to pay some outrageous "disassembly and inspection" fee before I could take the bike. Anyone who has ever done a top end on an airhead knows you can get both sides apart in like a half hour. Its no big deal.

Their parts dept is no better. On one occasion I was there to buy a set of spark plugs for my K75. I informed the parts guy that I needed three plugs of XXX brand or whatever. He quickly corrected me by stating, "so you need four." I said, "no, i need three, its a K75." Again he says, "oh, so you need four....its a four cylinder." At this point I sheepishly looked down at my feet and just stood there in utter disbelief. Unfortunately I couldn't come up with anything appropriate to say. In the meantime, he yells back to one of the service guys....."Hey Jim, those K75's are 4 cylinders right?" Jim yells back, "No you moron they're 3!" He just shrugged and went and got the plugs.

Bottom line....i wouldn't take a Schwinn bicycle there for them to fix. Over the years, I have taken several disgruntled Airhead customers from them....well I say taken, actually they found me.

At this point I dont even really know where to tell you is a good dealership. Its such a crapshoot. Its really bad in Houston. There used to be a world class (at least in looks) dealership up near the Woodlands, but they closed down.

[george.mikal]

yes agreed wid boxer

[cmartin]

Take your bike to Austin, You will not be sorry. Lone Star is the best dealer in the state.

[Tourmeister]

Other than Lone Star, I have also heard good things about Wild West out in Katy. My own limited dealings with them were very good.

My experience with Gulf Coast left a LOT to be desired. My experience with the now defunct Woodland dealership were a nightmare. There are very good reasons why they went under so soon...