Every single thing oozes quality and is miles ahead of the S-Class.

BHPian Turbanator recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

A close known picked a day before and is mighty impressed. I will update you a few days after his initial euphoria has settled.

From my short experience with the car, this is entirely different from the earlier generation or even the current 740. As I have previously observed during an event of BMW, where one side of the trip was on 740 and returned via i7, suspension on the i7 is more like an S class (Maybach) level. The additional weight (600-700 difference), especially in the floor (batteries), explains this.

Every single thing oozes quality and is miles ahead of the S-Class. Seats are soft and highly comfortable, with tons of controls. The kind of interior lighting has to be experienced; pictures do not do justice.

And that Rear screen, finally, dealerships are delivering the cars after the 8,5 upgrade that takes care of the setup. I can't even imagine how the new Diamond system with 35+ speakers that will come standard on the cars from next month will sound. I won't be surprised if this beats S class or 740 sales by a margin.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

When I bought the 520d - I was more keen on buying a daily ride as it was my first luxury car.

BHPian tictactoe recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Hi Friends,

I'm planning to change my current 520d to something more fun. I have been eyeing the Z4 since possibly 10 years. First it was beyond my reach. When I bought the 520d - I was more keen on buying a daily ride as it was my first luxury car. But now I'm really thinking of a roadster. I saw that BMW has refreshed its Z4. My heart still goes out to it. I want to know is that still a good choice in 2023 / 24 (its been around for sometime) and if it's practical on Indian highways (I even had trouble with speed bumps near Hampi in a 5 series). Anything else I should be aware of? I live in Mumbai if that matters.

Here's what GTO had to say on the matter:

If you love the Z4 since 10 years, go for it . Quick, fun, usable, backed by BMW's reliability & service network. Also consider the Audi RS5 which is fast & more practical.

Personally, if I'm spending so much money, I prefer pre-worshipped cars as most of them suffer rapid depreciation. Something like a used M3 or M4, Boxster / Cayman, 911 etc.

Here's what BHPian mgastor2022grey had to say on the matter:

Hi @tictactoe, The Z4 is a beast of a machine, yet very impractical. Are you a family of 2? Yes, go for it. Are you a family of 3/4? Retain the 520D and buy the Z4 (if pocket is not torn). Do you want something sexy but practical? Take the BMW M340i.

I'd actually say, used car market is on fire now, check in regularly and you will get some beastly deals. Follow TeamBHP's used car checklist and you are good to go.

If you just want to spruce up your 520D, try tuning it or adding a custom exhaust, something like that. You can even do a lateral upgrade as specified by GTO.

Here's what BHPian NazgulLOTR had to say on the matter:

Getting that itch for a new car again are we... awesome feeling that is.. You will have to give a few more details to be able to help on this conundrum.

Will you be letting go of the 520D? What else is there in your garage?

What will this car be primarily used for and how often? How many passengers and what luggage capacity?

Are you aware of the low GC and it's implications - can you live with it?

And there are a few ownership threads of the Z4 on the forum, go through them to understand the livability factor with something that exotic.. happy hunting..

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

Suspension, brake pads, discs and wiper blades were checked and they got the all-clear. No work required.

GTO recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

10th-Year Service Update:

How the owner & the car both look now:

Sent the 530d to the workshop (Redline Autohaus) after 1.5 years! Just love BMW’s reliability, no issue at all in the longest time. The odometer now reads 56,000 km and there were a lot of things done. At these once-a-year visits, I get everything fixed, even the smaller stuff. This goes a long way in enhancing the “feel good” factor of your car.

Only the best for her as I intend to keep it for at least another 2 years, if not 3. It’s fast, fun-to-drive, luxurious, feels special, is reliable & has what is among the best diesel engine + AT gearbox combinations in the world. I am actually retaining the 530d for longer than I’d originally planned:

• Full service performed with engine oil change etc.
• The front fog lamps had become dull, with the left one completely fogged up & yellow’ish. Got them replaced to maintain the “fresh” look of the car. It’s important to take care of all fixes, big & small, to maintain your car in top shape - link to my article on the subject (Best Practices : Maintain your Car in Top Shape).
• As is the case with most German cars (especially BMWs, Audis & VWs), the AC vents keep breaking. This time, it was the central ones at the front. Had them replaced.
• The subwoofer was crackling at really loud volumes, leading to undesirable sounds (like rattles). I thought its the driver doorpad that needs to be refitted properly, but turns out, both the subwoofers were a bit torn due to the car’s age & my high-volume R&B music. The subwoofers have been repaired & I’m very happy to update that the original sound quality is back, with no crackles or rattles at all!
• The black roof lining was sagging at the rear and had started dropping. Akshay told me the best solution is to replace it (not repair). Went ahead with it.
• RHS wiper spray wasn’t working (left one was). Fixed.
• Rear seatbelt (one behind the driver) doesn’t clip in. Parts awaited. Will be fixed at my house once the parts arrive.
• Suspension, brake pads, discs and wiper blades were checked and they got the all-clear. No work required.
• Total cost was Rs 66,500 + GST. Other than this, the expenses have been 10 – 12k every 6 months for exterior & interior detailing. Not bad for a 10-year-old 6-cylinder German luxury car.
• That being said, the annual average maintenance costs still fall in the Rs 1 – 1.5 lakh range (if I look at all the bills of the last 5 years).
• BMW’s auto-wipers SUCK and are simply unable to handle heavy rains. I move to manual operation which weirdly is faster most of the time. Worse still, the auto-wipers have very poor sensitivity levels in light rain. Several times during a light drizzle, you want the wipers, but the auto-wiper won’t kick in.
• The rear tyres (Dunlops) have worn out and will need a replacement soon. It’s 15,000 km since I got them. Too early, but the remap (650 Nm / 300+ BHP), my heavy foot and the soft tyres themselves are to blame. Another problem with these Dunlops is the high rate of punctures! Every year, I’m getting 2 – 3 punctures which is really absurd – never got them with my other tyres or cars.

Nice shot from a working breakfast @ Birdsong Cafe (incredibly laptop-friendly place):

Sitting on the tail-gate of a Toyota Hilux. All these test-drive cars ensure that my own cars average just 5,000 - 6,000 km a year:

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

The one thing which I was desperate to do after getting the car was to change the chrome grille to black.

BHPian Rachet recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Hello BHPians,

Thank you all for your overwhelming response for my first post.

Been trying to come up with a video to give you all a better look at the car. Hoping that you all will enjoy it.

 Since all of you were so much interested in the car, I decided to share details about few other accessories which I got for the car. You can check out that video as well.

BMW Air Freshener:

Well there is nothing more to explain about a freshner. I had the itch to buy everything from the OEM so I went for this as well.

Pros:

• Tiny and perfect fit for the AC vents.
• Never becomes a distraction inside the car , because it is tiny and blends well with the interior.
• There are multiple flavour options . I personally liked the Sparkling Raindrops flavour . But flavours are purely subjective.

Cons:

It is costly. The refill pack with 3 cartridges costs 978 rupees and the holder costs approx 2k.

BMW Key Case:

Leather key case for the secondary key. Looks premium and feels good in hand. Cost of the case is around 4.5k . I have not bought a case for the display key yet. The cost of a leather pouch for the display key at BMW was around 20k. I felt like I could live without that for now.

MSport Mats:

There will be a set of mats already in the car. The MSport mats are purely optional. The quality is nice. Looks and feels premium. But it costs a whopping 32k . The mats given along with the car will serve our purpose. The MSport mats just add some premium feel.

BMW Advanced Car Eye 2.0:

Cannot expect it to be useful every day. Still thought it might come in handy someday. I know there are other cheap and may be better alternatives for this one outside, but decided to go with the OEM itself.

Pros:

• OEM installation is neat with no visible cables. It sits well integrated with other gadgets in the car.
• Records even when the engine is off with the help of radar based movement tracking system and even has a G shock sensor assistance.
• Cameras at front and back.
• ACE 2.0 mobile application to manage the recordings in your smartphone.
• The device will be switched off after consuming a defined power in parking mode to save enough battery to power up the car.

Cons:

• Costly. Costs Approx.45-50K.
• The device drains battery in parking mode.
• Comes with a 32GB memory card. Video overwriting happens faster because of small storage capacity.

Car cover:

Procured a customized cover for the car from TPH covers online. You have lots of customization options. There are multiple car cover options they provide for a specific car. You can go through their site , the features and characteristics of each cover are described there itself along with the price. I opted for ROMANITE which is suitable for both indoor and outdoor. Got it delivered in 10 days. I went for a complete black color with red piping. I wanted a MSport badging which they messed up by putting it on the wrong side of where I wanted it and also they did not tell me that they will print their logo in the front windshield occupying the complete space. That was a disaster when it comes to customization because of miscommunications. Otherwise the product is good.

Pros:

• Nice material with various characteristics to withstand harsh climate and other surrounding conditions. They have listed down the characteristics in their site.
• Perfect skin fit for the car. Looks neat.
• Very easy to clean.
• Various customization options.
• Nice packaging with two bags.
• On time delivery.

Cons:

• It is costly - cost of Romanite is approx.32K. There are covers starting from the range of 8K but the material and the characteristics of the cover changes.
• Chances for Customization blunders due to miscommunication.

Black kidney grille:

The one thing which I was desperate to do after getting the car was to change the chrome grille to black. The whole car has no chrome treatment in the body but for some reason the grille alone is given in chrome. It did not look pleasant to my eyes and felt it was never the right combination. Asked for black grille accessory in BMW but they came back and said they do not have the accessory with them. Maybe if I had waited they would have made it available but I was desperate. Got the grille painted in black and now it looks perfect and I am happy with the way it looks.

Paint Protection Film installation:

Was a bit skeptical about whether to do this or not. But in the end I decided to go for it. And then finding the right place to get the job done was even more challenging. There are lots of players now in the market who are even ready to give good discounts but there is no credibility. Came to know that there are duplicate products from china easily available which many of the local players are using and hence they are providing huge discounts. But I felt like this is not something you should compromise on. So I decided to go with a reputed and experienced team who I thought were the best fit. Got the ppf installed from Obsessive Compulsive Detailing a.k.a OCD. They did a great job and I am extremely happy with the work and the service they are providing. They provided proper instructions and 2-3 back to back inspections with a week's gap to check and rectify any issues. So far I am happy with the work and support. And also I got the grille painted from OCD.

Pros:

• The car looked shinier than new.
• Very easy to clean anything that's on the surface without having to worry about the paint.
• Protects the car from scratches caused by stone pelts and bushes.

Cons:

• It is costly . Since we are looking at rate/sq.foot , it will cost you a lump sum if your car is big.
• Will become a headache if not installed from the right place. Doing it from a place with experienced professionals and with genuine products is advised.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

I have always loved the Rolls-Royce wheel caps, so I got them fitted.

BHPian rpunwani recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

1st year service & other updates:

Did the 1st year service on 4th March 2022 at 5426 kms.

The engine oil & engine filter required to be changed. Since I had the Service Package, the service was free. I believe that if the car runs 12000 - 13000 km a year, then the service package makes sense, in my case this service would have cost less than 15k, so the 3 year/40k service package is not worth it.

Last week, I got an email from the dealer stating that self leveling wheel caps are available for BMW cars, price Rs. 8,596/-. I have always loved the Rolls-Royce wheel caps, so I got them fitted.

Attaching some pictures below:

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

Car feels super tight. These Germans age so well, she doesn't feel like she's almost 9 years old.

GTO recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

No media car right now, so been having a lot of fun with the 5! Took her out 4 times since the last update, almost everyday .

Rear tyres are slipping & sliding. I think it's partly my driving style and partly the 650 Nm torque going to the rear. But this happening at 12,000 km since the tyre change is quite early. The remapped car chews through rubber. Literally.

Who cares when you're having so much fun though!! Car feels super tight. These Germans age so well, she doesn't feel like she's almost 9 years old.

Nothing quite like stretching her legs on the open road. See how this Dzire has covered the "Army" board. It was positioned such that even his number-plate would've been hard to catch for the speeding cameras (from top angle):

I L-O-V-E Sunday lunches. In fact, I love late Saturday nights, long Sunday lunches and being at home on Sunday evening (chilled evening before Monday). Why Sunday lunches over Sunday dinner? Emptier roads (Bombay is too charming on Sunday mornings), easy parking, easier table booking, long 5 hour brunch or lunch sessions (not possible on Sunday night as I prefer to sleep early). Sunday nights are a mess in Bombay...too much crowd everywhere. Shot @ Diablo, a restaurant I highly recommend for the food + music + ambience:

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

All of a sudden last night I thought of browsing for pre-worshipped G30 530ds and found a few, but one caught my attention.

BHPian Jangra recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

I'm currently jumping from one chain of thought to another. Around last December, I almost closed on Kodiaq, then thought that Kodiaq = Tiguan + 7 years of fuel (my running is 10k per year), so booked a Tiguan. All of a sudden last night I thought of browsing for pre-worshipped G30 530ds and found a few but one caught my attention. A grey 2019 M Sport 530d, with 17k on the ODO, warranty till June 2023 and no BSI quoting 56L.

Now this one seriously is a heart over head decision. I always bought a new car that saved me all the "What if" thoughts. Neither I know about every nitty-gritty that one drive can tell me how it is and hence the cold feet. But, if I negotiate this right, this one will be costing me 65% of the new one.

I "almost" can afford this car, and can certainly pay 1-1.5L per year if it is this one. And that special feeling of owning a car I always wanted.

Couple of questions:

• Your 2 cents on my thought process.
• Shall I just tell the dealer that I want to get this car inspected by Navnit motors? And do I have to mention anything specific to the BMW service advisor of what I want to get done?
• If I call the current insurance of that car, will they just let me know if there were any big claims? I mean, why will they?

(My apologies if these questions are answered somewhere)

One thing I like about pre-2020 models are "no speed warnings", which in BMWs are very loud, equally annoying in other cars. Is it just me?

I took the TD of the car I mentioned, it felt tight and unaltered. Oh boy! the power kept me. Though Bandra Kurla was busy and couldn't get a long empty stretch, but was enough to understand why GTO is so impressed with this machine. All electronics worked as expected. Two observations were:

• 2 inch dent on the left side front bumper just below the headlamps.
• Scuff mark on the left headlight which the dealer mentioned is on top of PPF.

Guess they are not deal breakers.

Car comes with zero dep insurance expiring in Nov-22.

Warranty was incorrectly claimed to be expiring in Jun-23, correct one is Dec-22.

Car was purchased and registered in June-19, but manufactured month is Dec-18.

Question - Any idea how much $ for extending the warranty beyond Dec-22, for 1, 2 OR 3 years?

Decision making begins.

Here's what GTO had to say on the matter:

A Grey 2019 M Sport 530D, with 17k on the ODO, warranty till June 2023 and no BSI quoting 56L.

An almost brand new car. With the warranty, your risk is zero. Follow our used car checklist (including service history, checking past insurance claims etc.) and you should be all set.

Shall I just tell the dealer that I want to get this car inspected by Navnit motors? And do I have to mention anything specific to the BMW service advisor of what I want to get done?

Just tell them you want to get a pre-purchase inspection done, at your cost. That shows seriousness. But agree on price first with the dealer.

If I call the current insurance of that car, will they just let me know if there were any big claims? I mean, why will they?

Depends on your convincing skills. Or you can ask your insurance broker to get the information. That's what I did.

One thing I like about pre-2020 models are "no speed warnings", which in BMWs are very loud, equally annoying in other cars. Is it just me?

Takes 5 minutes to remove via coding.

Here's what BHPian lamborghini had to say on the matter:

Car comes with zero dep insurance expiring in Nov-22.

Warranty was incorrectly claimed to be expiring in Jun-23, correct one is Dec-22.

Car was purchased and registered in June-19, but manufactured month is Dec-18.

This part is a little suspect.

Ideally warranty starts from day of delivery, not day of manufacture. Similarly why does the insurance expire in Nov if the vehicle was bought in June?

I wouldn't be surprised if it was an unregistered TD vehicle which was later on sold to the 'first owner' as this is common place with many manufacturers.

Do have it inspected at an authorized workshop, and if you have a connect with a service advisor through a friend : enquire about this Dec 2018 - June 2019 gap. They will also help with extending the BSI.

Here's what BHPian Axe77 had to say on the matter:

I took the TD of the car I mentioned yesterday, it felt tight and unaltered.

Question - Any idea how much $ for extending the warranty beyond Dec-22, for 1, 2 OR 3 years?

Please just call and ask BMW this right? Easiest.

Also, on service records, BMW maintains these centrally. I would recommend you do a paid inspection with them so you are completely sure.

On a side note, this deal can be closed for less than 50L. Its kept by the dealer on 2% commission basis (ie. not purchased by him but selling for owner on commission basis). I think your deal could be closed within 50L including the commission plus whatever it costs for the extended warranty, which I highly recommend you should get.

This sounds like a great deal for a 6 cylinder 5 series. I’d say go for it if you don’t come across any red flags.

Here's what BHPian androdev had to say on the matter:

Don't pay a deposit or post dated cheque. You are already paying for PPI which shows your genuine interest. You can show other means to establish you are a legit prospect - your profession, address, other cars you own, referral etc can convince the dealer that you should be taken seriously. Give your offer to the dealer and tell him that the offer is subject to getting a clean report from the A S.C. Don't part with your money before everything is wrapped up. Being paranoid is not only ok, it's very much required. Don't entertain any fear of losing a great deal. It's very simple: a car that is registered soon after manufacturing and having all the scheduled service history (nothing more, nothing less) is a bare minimum requirement if you don't want to roll the dice. I tell the people that I am only looking for a fair depreciation discount and nothing more. I am happy to be the highest bidder for a clean car.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

The easiest giveaway/identification from rear that this X3 is the facelifted model is because of the re-styled Pincer Claw shaped LED tail lamps.

BHPian karan561 recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Likes:

Exterior looks, design & kit (Finally the G01 gets the MSport kit in India).

Ride & handling equilibrium (Thanks to adaptive suspension).

Interior design (Driver centric), iDrive (User friendliness).

Engine gearbox combo (B48 + 8ZF).

Dislikes:

This B48 in the X3 (SUV) only produces 350NM, whereas the same B48 is differently tuned in the G20 330i (Sedan) to produce 400 NM.

Features such as seat ventilation, wireless charging (Temporarily) & keyless entry are missing.

The nicer M-Sport variant is pricey (Strangely misses out on leather seats & HUD).

Where is the 20d (Should have been available at launch), 30d & X3M40i.

Exteriors:

The most notable change for the 2022 X3 in India is the M Sport kit offering. Interestingly the pre LCI G01 did not offer this option. M Sport treatment enhances the overall appeal for the X3 with the M Aero bumpers & high gloss Shadowline Package.

Front:

Globally BMW offers 3 headlamps, one is the standard LED, then there is the Adaptive LED & the top of the line are these LASER HEADLAMPS. My test car came with Adaptive LED's.

The double kidney grilles are now slightly larger, higher and surrounded by a one piece metal frame. M Performance gloss black grille upgrade highly recommended for this colour (Brooklyn Grey Metallic) to further enhance the looks. Grille gets active air flaps which provide cooling & reduce drag coeff. (Indirectly saving fuel) when required but also enable (when closed) faster engine heat up during cold starts.

Side:

As this is a facelift & not a new generation model, the wheelbase length remains same as per the pre LCI. Also the M Sport treatment continues with the M badging & shadowline high gloss inserts & window trims. Pre-booking customers get upgraded 20" M Sport Rims (With staggered tyres). Whereas the standard is 19" with 245's squared.

Rear:

The easiest giveaway/identification from rear that this X3 is the facelifted model is because of the re-styled Pincer Claw shaped LED tail lamps:

M Sport treatment continues with the sportier bumpers, prominently aggressive diffusers finished in Dark Shadow & the newly designed exhaust tips (Functional) which exude muscularity.

Engine and gearbox performance:

This B48 engine produces 252 HP. The highlight of this engine is its flexibility of the power delivery in the entirety of the RPM range. Mid range is strongest, with an exciting red line performance where as the lag down under is almost negligible. Acceleration feels quicker than factory quoted 6.6 Secs (0-100 km/h). Note this HAS Launch Control.

The only negative i have to report here and bring you all to notice is that the 30i in the X3 produces 350 NM whereas the same engine in the 3 Series gets 400 NM. Not sure the exact reason for this, but IMO the SUV counterpart deserved the same torque output (If not more).

Coming to the gearbox, this is the familiar ZF unit (GA8HP50Z) which is always performing its duties with passion and never in two minds enabling a good synergy with the B48 up front.

Ride & handling:

Globally the X3 comes with 3 suspension options, There is a Base, Sport (Fixed) & Adaptive. This particular piece gets the Adaptive Suspension. By adaptive it implies it adjusts the damper characteristics based on the mode selected. Lets speak about the SPORT mode 1st shall we. With all truthfulness, the X3 in Sport mode is the equivalent of a high riding G20. Its important to note that the G01 is based on the CLAR platform which also underpins cars like the G20 3 Series upto the G11 7 Series. Remember this is genetically still a rear biased AWD with upto 40:60 split, so the handling remains a attraction and a USP for enthusiasts. But for me the highlight is truly the Comfort mode, the damper settings allow a very premium & comfortable experience even with the runflats.

New generation runflats are good, but so are the new generation tubeless tyres, hence the ride quality will enhance even more with better, softer tyres something from the Michelin Pilot Sport SUV series. Current tyre setup is 245/50 squared on 19"ers whereas pre-booking customers get 20" staggered (245 front & 275 rear) wheels as standard, which will enhance the looks & handling with a compromise on ride.

Interiors:

To anyone who has spent time in the recent BMWs this will be a very familiar interior. The 12.3 inch iDrive screen features the very intuitive iDrive 7 & it's a good thing as the 8 is not great, and globally people have preferred the 7 over the updated iDrive 8 which has a new screen & cluster too. The door pads have good soft touch materials in all the touch points that matter. X stamping is a nice touch as well. This Control Island with the gear selector is familiar with the G20 3 Series. Mercifully, this gen BMW interiors have a good combination of buttons, knobs & rocker switches, not just a large touchscreen. A wireless charger is missing for the March production cars due to semi conductor chip shortage. However it is expected to be available for cars produced after March 2022. Comprehensively this is a very balanced, luxurious, and at the same time driver focused BMW interior.

The rear is spacious for a family however the outer seats are understandably more comfortable. The armrest is well positioned & it can also drop down and used to place longer items in the boot. The wheelbase allows decent legroom, but the highlight at the rear is the panoramic sunroof which enhances the sense of spaciousness for the rear passengers.

Final thoughts:

To conclude things, it would be fair to say that BMW have hit the sweet spot with modernizing the exteriors & interiors with just the right ingredients to keep the X3 competitively relevant in the market. However the M Sport variant needed more kit & an aggressive sticker price to justify the price/ performance ratio & the sterling driving experience.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

RON 95 or even the premium grade fuels are not available outside of major cities.

BHPian th2 recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Hello,

I had a question for large capacity BMW bike owners here. The technical specifications for these bikes, on the BMW website, mentions RON 95 fuel as a minimum recommendation.

How do you guys manage long trips? RON 95 or even the premium grade fuels are not available outside of major cities. Or does the fuel sold in Indian bunks equate to RON 95? Does regular fuel have a negative impact on the bike?

Would help to know before plonking big bucks for one of the BMW Motarrad machines.

Thanks.

Here's what BHPian CrAzY dRiVeR had to say on the matter:

Finding 95 octane petrol is not a major concern nowadays IMHO.

Indian Oil claims to have made XP95 available to 40% of their network. The price difference between XP95 and regular petrol is rather minimal too. Could even spot bunks with XP95 in hill stations like Coonoor and Ooty. In my small city of Trivandrum- I have a choice of 7-8 bunks available for XP95.

If you have concerns around the availability of 95 octane fuel in any specific area - use this link to find the list of bunks in the area, where it also shows which all bunks have XP95 available.

Here's what BHPian Turbanator had to say on the matter:

Usually all bikes and most cars are detuned for our market. It's a touchy and conflicting subject, some of the newer electronics allow use of regular fuel without any detuning as well. BMW bikes can run easily on the regular fuels, but if you can manage, these sound and run very differently (better) on XP100 of IOC.

Here's what BHPian ninjax had to say on the matter:

I ride a Multistrada 1260 Pikes Peak which is “supposed” to run on RON95. Have done multiple trips on regular fuel when traveling out into rural Tamil Nadu. It’s not been much of an issue till date as my technician just told me run it back on RON95 once I was back in town.

Here's what BHPian Haroon had to say on the matter:

I am among the earliest people to get myself in this dilemma as I had privately imported my first generation Hexhead 1200GS.

A few things I learnt and what I do:

The 2004 1200GS was the first to come with the technology to adjust to any grade of petrol. This was primarily done as lots of GS bikes were going round the world and deep inside Africa or Mongolia etc it was impossible to find premium grade fuel. HOWEVER, my bike which ran smooth on 95 grade petrol in oil rich Saudi Arabia did knock slightly under certain load and acceleration circumstances in India back in 2010 so its not an automatic adjustment in the bikes fuel injection system. Therefore, spoke to a few BMW gurus and apparently, the bikes from 2007 onwards have an option to recalibrate the fuel grade either from factory based on the importing dealer's request (or it can also be locally done on the BMW dealer's MoDiTec unit- I saw it myself at the Navneet Workshop in Bangalore), so generally I am given to understand the dealers (including Triumph and others) calibrate it down to 89 Octane to accept a wide range of fuel grades as well as compensate for some small fuel adulterations etc. SO you should be FINE with regular unleaded petrol also. Besides, if you are going to do some serious touring in India, its not practical to always find premium or Shell bunks etc as your route should be determined where you want to ride rather than where Shell or Premium petrol is available! Of course whenever available fill the highest you can get. I have ridden a BMW bike even on 100 grade fuel in Italy and sure you can feel the marked difference between your legs as you go higher on fuel grade but the regular fuel is fine as I have ridden BMW bikes in many countries with all kinds of fuel and its been fine. I have never used Octane boosters but from the general discussions with knowledgeable techs and reading on international forums etc, its better to avoid it.

Personally, I would be more concerned about post sales service quality of BMW dealers which I gather across India is a hit or miss esp after the warranty period. There are some horror stories on our forum itself. So having a good private mechanic handy is worthwhile as parts as well as BMW diagnostic tool etc can always be sourced thru the internet.

Good wishes on your purchase!

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

The easier part is writing about the destinations which can be done with facts and pictures. The difficult part is expressing the experience of the journey.

BHPian graaja recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

A road trip to Assam, Arunachal and Meghalaya in a BMW 330i GT:

“Focus on the journey, not the destination.” – Greg Anderson

Picture credit: Mrs. Megazoid.

Completed a 24-day road trip to the Northeast (Assam, West Bengal, Arunachal and Meghalaya) starting on 21st December 2021 and ending on 13th January 2022, covering about 9400 kilometers through 12 states, in the BMW 330i GT. This road trip was not about the places I visited (though I thoroughly enjoyed them as well), but about the life I lived these 4 weeks – the company I spent time with, the people I met, the roads we traveled, the food we ate, the adventures we undertook, and the conversations made.

The easier part is writing about the destinations which can be done with facts and pictures. The difficult part is expressing the experience of the journey. I will try to cover both in this travelogue.

Before starting, I would like to first thank everyone who made this road-trip possible.:

• My wife for letting me go on a road trip for such a long duration. She managed everything at home while I was away and told me every day not to worry about anything back home and to enjoy the trip. Without her support, it would not have been possible to do such a long road trip.
• Dr.AD, RobiMahanta, Megazoid and Mrs. Megazoid for the wonderful company they provided during the trip.
• Mrs. Megazoid for the fantastic planning of the Meghalaya part of the trip – more about this later.
• My friend and TBHPian quicksilver who arranged a full size spare wheel and also gave me several inputs on the maintenance of the car.
• All TBHPians who provided their inputs on route planning in this thread.
• Friend and TBHPian 500CountryCruiser who gave first hand inputs on what to expect and best practices to follow based on his drive to Arunachal.
• DBHPian Sheel who provided his inputs on route planning.

Table of content:

As this is going to be a very long travelogue, I have split it into posts with links below. Please skip to the topic of interest:

• The plan.
• The company.
• The people.
• The food.
• The places of stay.
• The car.
• Preparations for the trip.
• Bodh Gaya
• Kalimpong and Dooars.
• Pasighat – Pongging Hanging Bridge and Sirki Waterfall.
• Kaziranga Safari.
• Tura – Pitcher plant, Waterfalls, Rock formations and Siju caves.
• Tura – Hoolock Gibbon sanctuary, Fish sanctuary and Daribogkre.
• Mawphanlur natural lake.
• Cherrapunji – Wei Sadong waterfalls, Nohkalikai falls, Arwah caves.
• Sunrise in Cherrapunji and the Mawryngkhang trek.
• Nohwet - View of Bangladesh, Umngot river and Phe Phe waterfalls.
• Barapani Eco Resort, Umiam lake.
• The final leg and conclusion.

The plan:

It all started with a talk about taking part in the Gumball Challenge that TBHPians Robimahanta and Megazoid were planning to do. This challenge involves driving 4000 kilometers from Koteshwar in Gujarat to Kaho in Arunachal Pradesh within a time frame of 90 hours.

I and Dr.AD wanted to do this challenge. But after opposition from my family for the continuous drive with lack of sleep, I and Dr.AD decided to do a relaxed drive from Bangalore and meet the Gumball challengers near their destination and explore Pasighat and Kaziranga. As Dr.AD and Robi did not have enough leaves, they decided to fly back from Guwahati while Mrs. Megazoid joined us in Guwahati for the next leg where we toured Meghalaya for a week and Mrs. Megazoid flew out of Siliguri. I and Megazoid then drove from Nagpur to Bangalore and then I proceeded to Coimbatore. So this road trip can be split into four parts.

Part-1: graaja and Dr.AD driving to Namsai to meet robimahanta and Megazoid.

This part is the trucker's life that AD has mentioned in his travelogue. Most of the days we were driving from morning to evening and halting for the night. We usually started the day early morning anywhere between 5 am to 7am and targeted to complete the drive before 7PM. There were some exceptions where some days we had miscalculated the road conditions and ended up driving till late in the night or started as early as 3 am as we had to cover a lot of distance that day. Below is the itinerary for this part.

• Day #1: I drove from Coimbatore to Bangalore and AD joined me in the evening.
• Day #2: Drive from Bangalore to Nagpur.
• Day #3: Drive from Nagpur to Mirzapur.
• Day #4: Drive from Mirzapur to Darbhanga and visit Bodh Gaya en route.
• Day #5: Drive from Darbhanga to Kalimpong.
• Day #6: Spend a day in Kalimpong.
• Day #7: Drive from Kalimpong and Dooars and some sight seeing.
• Day #8: Drive from Dooars to Tezpur.
• Day #9: Drive from Tezpur to Namsai and meet Robi and Megazoid.

Part-2: graaja, Dr.AD, robimahanta and Megazoid in Pasighat and Kaziranga.

In this part, I, Dr.AD, Robi and Megazoid spent time in Pasighat and Kaziranga and drove to Guwahati where Robi and AD took a flight to Bangalore.

• Day #1: Drive from Namsai to Pasighat (This day overlaps with Day #9 of Part - 1).
• Day #2: Sight seeing in Pasighat.
• Day #3: Drive from Pasighat to Kaziranga.
• Day #4: Safari at Kaziranga in the morning. Drive to Guwahati in the afternoon.

Part-3: graaja, Megazoid and Mrs. Megazoid in Meghalaya.

In this part Mrs. Megazoid flew in from Bangalore to Guwahati and joined us. We travelled in Meghalaya and visited many places. We stayed mostly in homestays, experienced Meghalaya hospitality, culture and food. Most of our activities were also adventurous like treks to waterfalls, rock formations and caves.

• Day #1: Drive from Guwahati to Tura. On the way, met a guide who showed us pitcher plants, a waterfall, huge rock formations and Siju caves. Reached Tura late in the evening and checked into a homestay called Dongrama.
• Day #2: Moved to another homestay called Huro A Song in the morning. Visited Hoolock Gibbon sanctuary, fish sanctuary and orange orchards. Spent the evening around camp fire.
• Day #3: Drive to Cherrapunji (also known as Sohra). On the way we took a detour and visited the Mawphanlur lake and spent the evening watching sunset and taking lots of pictures of our cars. We checked into Jiva resorts in the evening.
• Day #4: Local sightseeing in Cherrapunji. We visited the Weisawdong falls, NohKalikai falls, and Arwah caves.
• Day #5: Drive to a village called Nohwet. On the way we took a detour and did the Mawryngkhang trek and in the evening reached the Na I Mei homestay.
• Day #6: Sightseeing. Went to Dawki village from where we saw the Bangladesh plains, drove along Bangladesh border, went boating, kayaking and swimming in the Umngot river known for its crystal clear water, and visited the Phe Phe waterfalls which required some offroad driving.
• Day #7: Drove from Nohwet to Umiam lake. Took a speed boat to reach the Barapani Eco resort and spent the rest of the day resting in the island.
• Day #8: Drove from Umiam lake to Siliguri and checked into Sinclairs retreat in the evening. The next day Mrs. Megazoid took a flight from Siliguri to Bangalore.

Part-4: graaja and Megazoid driving back to Bangalore and Coimbatore.

In this part, I and Megazoid drove from Siliguri to Bangalore and I then proceeded to Coimbatore.

Day #1: Drive from Siliguri to Mirzapur. This was one of the toughest drives. We had to drive through 120km of broken roads and roads under construction. We started our drive at 7:30 in the morning and reached Mirzapur after 11 in the night.

Day #2: Drive from Mirzapur to Nagpur. This drive was a fast drive all through 4 lane roads.

Day #3: Drive from Nagpur to Bangalore. This drive was also a fast drive through 4 lane roads. The second part of the drive after Hyderabad was a little slow due to lot of truck traffic. I and Megazoid said our goodbyes in a tea shop in the evening about 100km from Bangalore.

Day #4: I drove from Bangalore to Coimbatore and reached home by noon.

Dr.AD has beautifully written about Part-1 and Part-2 of this journey in his travelogue at this link in his own unique style.

Robi has given a detailed update on his Gumball experience in this post.

Below table summarizes the complete trip:

The Company:

If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together - An African proverb.

I got to spend 24 days with some amazing people who are a bundle of energy and joy. I derived lot of energy from them to power through those long days behind the wheel and the adventures.

Dr. AD: Though Dr.AD has been a very close friend the past few years, this is the first time we got to spend so much time together. He is a man who is brimming with energy and is passionate about anything he does in life – driving, cars, photography, artificial intelligence, chess to name a few. As he mentioned, the first few days, we were like truckers: drive from 5AM (we even started at 3AM one day) to 7 or 8PM, eat at dhabas and enjoy tea at small tea shops. After a tiring day’s drive, it would be dinner and conversation – cars, food, health and fitness, artificial intelligence, photography and many more. AD is also a great photographer who easily identifies framing opportunities for car and landscape photography. He tells you to park the car in certain angle in a certain location and gets some fabulous pictures (you can see these in his travelogue).

Robimahanta: Robi is another close friend who is a fantastic driver and photographer. From the energy levels he showed during the sightseeing in Pasighat and Kaziranga, no one would believe that he had completed a 4000km drive in 90 hours just the previous day. He is a fantastic photographer and I learn lots of new things in photography from him. As Assam is his home turf, he took us to awesome places and got us local delicacies like thukpa, momos and pork. Though I had his company only for three days in this trip, we had lots of fun and made lots of memories in those three days.

Megazoid: I had met Megazoid only a year back in a couple of WDM (windows down motoring) drives he used to organize. After spending more than 2 weeks with him in this drive, it feels like he is a friend of many years. He is another bundle of energy. When I used to be tired after those long treks and activities in Meghalaya and doze off in the car, he would be driving the car through bad roads for hours. We share a lot of interests like travel, health and fitness, cars and farming. Loved the conversations we had ranging from cars, driving techniques, farming, health and fitness and life in general. Through this road trip, I have gained a good friend for life.

Mrs. Megazoid: Mrs. Megazoid is an avid traveler, and she planned our complete Meghalaya itinerary. She took us to off-beat locations away from regular crowded tourist spots, booked our stays in homely homestays in villages which helped us explore more of Meghalaya’s interiors and culture. She is also an excellent photographer and captures lots of great images of nature and the cars. I would like to thank her once again for the wonderful time in Meghalaya.

A few pictures with this wonderful company:

With Dr.AD:

Picture Credit: Dr.AD.

With Dr.AD, Robi and Megazoid:

With Megazoid:

Windows down motoring with Megazoid. In Meghalaya, we did most of the drive with windows down and sunroof open, inhaling the pure air:

With Mr. and Mrs. Megazoid:

A selfie with happy faces:

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