R1100S v R1100SA

[morkm]

The quest for an S continues.

For those following my continuing saga, I punted the Black S in Cali...the lack of service records made me lose confidence in the seller. And I'm taking some advice I saw here, namely to get EXACTLY what I want. There are a LOT of used S's on the market, so I'll keep hunting until I find the perfect one.

So, forgive my babbling, but here's the question:

I've seen some bikes advertised with Raised bars and lowered Pegs. Does this mean that the 'standard' geometry of the bike has been changed by aftermarket parts and/or BMW parts?....and, as I want a sporty riding position, will it be difficult for me to lower the bars and raise the pegs back to the 'standard' positions?

Another quick question, while I'm being talkative...Is there any big signifigance to the distinction of "R1100S" and R1100SA" ??? is the "SA" the 'sports' model (sportier shocks, no center stand, etc)??? any clarification would be greatly helpful, as there doesn't seem to be any rhyme or reason to some of the so-called 'distinctions' between the Ss and SAs, especially from 1999, 2000 and 2001...and I think the 2002's have abandonded the SA distinctions.....or does the SA mean ABS.....ugh!

my little brain is going whir-whir and I can't get around this!

mike

[RAlvidrez]

To my understanding, the SA refers to an ABS bike. Higher bars and a taller windshield are available on the special edition model. These are factory BMW parts that are also available as accessories. I find the higher bars more comfortable on my wrists than the lower mounted bars. The only lowered pegs that I have seen are aftermarket non-BMW pegs. I have never ridden a bike with lowered pegs so I could not comment on them. I don't know they might affect cornering clearance. At 5'10" tall the standard pegs suit me fine. Happy hunting!

[Rootboy]

SA=ABS

High bars: above the top "triple clamp"
Low bars: below

Switching either way is no big deal if you buy either bars, its going to cost you a couple hundred US.

All the peg lowering kits I've see are after market and consist of a few screw and a bracket

Its all preference....as far as the bars go...not a huge difference.
I'm 5' 11" and I have high bars and stock pegs and I feel the ergos are perfect...I could go either way with the bars...no need to change the pegs unless you are at least over 6" otherwise they are fine.

Go for it dude...you will not regret it!!!!!

[716MP]

Mike:
These things get fuzzy after awhile.....to my understanding, the R1100SA
designation is ABS equipped.....my '99 is the SA.....I had to add the higher
windscreen and "high" bars ......as far as I know, the lowered pegs are all
aftermarket.....like the others here, I haven't found it necessary to lose ground
clearance by lowering the pegs....the ergonomics happen to fit me......
As for finding the right bike, go for it.....there are a lot of super nice bikes
out there now.....for reasonable money.....I'm sure you'll find yours....
I, for one, think the S is an instant classic.....it's going to be the R 90 S of this
newer generation.....don't see very many of them anywhere.....and they always
stand out.....
BMW can make a case for the R1150 RS, but it's still lacking the sheer visual
impact of the S....in any of the colors (although I prefer Mandarin)....and
whatever else, the S still has the stiffer chassis, making it a more stable platform
for quick running.....
And after three years, I still get a kick every time I roll it out of my garage.....
It's pretty, it's fast, and it still works well on long runs (when I need to
look at the Pacific and have lunch in Monterey, or take a ride through
Yellowstone)
You've got a lot of good times to look forward to......
good hunting.....

[Rapt]

If you are really looking for "sportier" then don't worry so much about raised/lowered bars/pegs. The bars only make a couple inches difference and the pegs are easily changed back. In any sort of sport riding you're going to be leaning forward over those bars anyways no matter which height they're at.

The real thing is to look at the weight. Going NON-ABS will save you 15-20 lbs, if I recall correctly. This is fairly significant in the grand scheme of things (think equivalent of 3-ish hp) Of course then you don't have ABS to save your bacon, but you also don't have to remember to disable it when doing really hard charging.

Then theres the narrow/wide real wheel thing. Narrower wheel sgives more responsive handling but lessens cornering clearance slightly. Wider wheel has better selection of tires to fit but they cost more.

So many options, so little time.

[nosmo_king]

...and if you're a Steeler fan, the SA colors are perfect.

Tony
2001SA

[Jim Karns]

Greetings,
The "SA" configuration refers the the abs model. It also includes: heated grips, 700 watt alternator and bag mounts...
At least thats how it was explained to me when I purchase mine (manderine/silver). There could be changes since '99, but I doubt it. There is also a "sport version" which has all kinds of carbon fiber, wide rear tire, no center stand & (correct me if I'm wrong here) different suspention components...

[harpeaux]

A: My 2001 sports "light" model, w/ABS is an R1100SAL (A=Antilock, L=Light Edition.).

B: Do not confuse ABS with linked braking.

C: Raising the pegs from an aftermarket solution is fast, easy and free, providing you get the original hardware. (Shorter bolts).

D: Lowering the bars from a factory set up is as easy; you will need the OEM low bar set. Lowering the bars from a Suburban Machine solution is a no cost job. I am unsure about other aftermarket handlebar relocations kits.

E: All this assumes that you will do your own work.

[morkm]

Thanks for the info.

I have a possible bike that I'm dealing on right now. It's a 2001 Silver/Yellow with only 2k on the clock and asking $11.5 firm.

I've talked with the seller. The title is still held by BMW Financial. I'm trying to figure out how i can pay BMW the $11.5 pay out price and get ahold of the title as safely as possible.

Any and all help would be great...any of you out there who have made a deal this way please give me some pointers...

Thanks
mike

[716MP]

Mike:
Congratulations on finding the scoot.....dealing with BMW Financial is pretty
straight ahead....that's who has my paper....and there's always a "pay off" figure
on every statement...shouldn't be too much trouble to arrange that, and get
your clear title......
I am fond of the Mandarin or combinations of Mandarin/Silver.....

Come by Lone Star at 10600 North Lamar.....the Gutter Gang meets on
Thursday nights, starting around 4:00....goes til 7:OO ....the shop's late night....
Roger and I are always trying to round up a herd of S's at Lone Star to get Robert
(one of the owners) to take a picture of all of us for the webpage....he's a rabid
RS fan, and it's always fun to harass him.....
Get by and show us the new bike.....

[morkm]

Thanks Niel

I'll know on Monday if the bike is going to be mine or if someone else snuck in there and bought it out from under me. If it's mine, then I'll get a notorized letter from the seller (so I'll have some bit of insurance in case something untoward happens) and send the payout off to BMW Financial. With work commitments I'll probably have to wait until March to fly out and pick the bike up.

The seller actually was suprised when I told him I planned on flying out and riding the bike back to TX. I don't think he's much of a long distance rider. Doesn't bother me, though, especially since it means such low mileage on the bike.

I'll try to make it out to Lone Star for one of those Thursday night meets. I haven't been by the shop in a while as I feared I'd walk in and ride out on the 2002 S they've got in there. Not that it would be all that bad, but I want to see if the used market can't get me just as nice a ride for a lot less $$$. It would be nice to meet you and Roger.

Again, thanks for all the help from this board
mike

[DavidSoine]

I don't know if anyone mentioned this, but plan on at least 6 weeks for BMW financial to send you the "release of lien" once you've sent them the check. Could be important if you're planning to fly somewhere...

best,

Dave
...riding in Naples, FL this week...Austin in March?...

[Bill Vining]

Hey Mike:

I was looking through the newest Cycle Trader for Texas/Louisiana/Arkansas and saw a '99 R11S advertised in Austin.

Here's the scoop:

Yellow w/ bags, 4K, clean, reduced to $9500, Whiteside Motors in Austin, 512-458-5631, www.whitesidemotors.com

I checked their website. It's advertised there, but no pic.

Hope this helps...

[Supermag]

Tried the High Bars and low pegs one ride and it all came off. It was not the same bike. Only way I would consider the low pegs is if I was going to ride across country and then I doubt it.

[morkm]

Dave-Thanks for the warning about BMW Financial. I called and spoke to someone at BMW F. and was told that if I included a pre-paid Fed-Ex envelope with the payout check that the title would be shipped out ASAP. When Monday rolls around and I know if I'm buying it, I'll be sure to contact BMW F. again and confirm that they can ship the title out the same day they get the payout.

Bill-I too saw the add for an S at Whiteside Motors. I've had dealings with the owner at Whiteside before and know that they often work in conjunction with the BMW bike shop here in town (I traded in a Honda CBR to Whiteside and was credited towards the bike I was buying at Lone Star BMW), so I'm a bit uncertain as to why Whiteside would be selling this bike used and not the BMW shop selling it "pre-owned." Makes me think that there must be some problem with the bike that Lone Star doesn't want to have anything to do with....at least from a sales point of view.

As far as "raised bars/lowered pegs" go, the bike I'm considering right now is a 2001 with ABS and heated grips, but no bag mounts...and it does have a center stand, so I don't guess it's a "Light" model. The owner hasn't put any aftermarket bits on it. Do the 2001's come with higher bars than previous models?...and has anyone found this a problem and/or lowered the bars. I expect to keep the ergos stock...and I'll be putting some miles on it before I have the $$$ for some goodies.

mike

[Bill Vining]

Originally posted by Supermag
Tried the High Bars and low pegs one ride and it all came off. It was not the same bike. Only way I would consider the low pegs is if I was going to ride across country and then I doubt it.

I ride across country with low bars and high pegs and have no troubles. I'm 5'9" and the bike fits me like a glove! Since my last cross country ride I've added the short paralever, which has shifted my weight slightly more forward. I'm looking forward to testing this new riding position in a few weeks.

[TLinuf]

Mike,

Just in case you didn't see it there's a yellow/mandarin '99 S in the Austin paper with 2450 miles on it. Probably somewhat cheaper than the 2001, plus it's IN TOWN!
Just thought I'd let you know.

Tom

[morkm]

I hadn't see that...

I'll try and look at the Statesman and see what they are asking.

Thanks Tom
mike

[morkm]

well, looks like I've got a deal with a guy in FL for his 2001 R1100SA in Yellow/Silver. I'm having him send me a notorized letter saying he's selling it to me, seeing that the title is not clear. If anyone has any other tips for buying out of state like this, please advise.

thanks
mike

[716MP]

Mike:
The ride from Florida will be easier......you might drop in at Bike Week,
just as a perk....and the bike is newer.....two good things right off.....
As to high or low bars....the standard bike now comes with the high windshield
and high bar (above the triple tree clamp)....I'm 6'2", and have done six long
distance trips (Austin/NM/AZ/NV/CA/Flip Flop)....I have installed a Corbin saddle...
hard bags, tank bag....I'm as comfy on it as you can be on a motorcycle....there
comes a point in the day when you just get tired and want to get off.....
But I'm ready to get back on in the morning.....
The great part about all this, is that you'll get to get your bike just right.....
exactly like you like it.....
Come on by Lone Star for the Gutter Gang meetings on Thursday......lots
of interesting characters.....