Edumucate Me - BMW K1200RS...or talk me down...

[Laneco]

I've been jonesin' REAL hard for another motorbike. When the economy started to go south, we sent both motorbikes down the road. Steve got a Harley about a year ago which I have recently begun sneaking out of the garage for rides!

I've always loved the BMW K1200RS. Years ago, a fellow let me sit on his at the Parts Obsolete campout. Just fell in love with it. I know they are heavy but so is Steve's Road King and I can wrestle that around in/out of the garage, etc., so I really don't consider that an issue. The seat on the BMW K1200RS is actually lower than my old sport bike. I had to slide off the seat to put my left leg down at stop lights (right leg across the top of the seat). Made that work for years. So even though it's a pretty big bike, there's nothing here either height or heft-wise that concerns me.

A couple of bikes are in my area for sale in a price range that I can afford. Looks like $4000 to $5500 will buy a pretty solid one around here. By solid, I mean clean title, maintenance records present, undamaged bodywork, strong mechanicals.

In particular I've found one in this color scheme (this is not the bike, just the same color scheme) that I'm quite taken with. It's a 99 with 35K on the clock, throttle-meister and hard bags included.

What should I look for as far as mechanical issues? I've read up about rear seal leaks, shafts, etc. What is the best way to see them (e.g. remove a plate and use a mirror, etc)? What else to be wary of?

And most important...for those of you who have had or ridden these, would they be a bike you would own again?

angela

[javadog]

Bought one new in 2000, or 2002, can't remember now... Had it a few years, sold it with no regrets. Too heavy, front end doen't feel like it has enough tire, doesn't particularly like to turn into corners on the brakes, or carrying a lot of speed. None of the adjustable seat positions seemed to suit me. I couldn't do any more mileage in a day than I could on a sport bike. Engine has a lot of flywheel; it feels more like a car motor than a bike motor. Gives it a lazy feel when accelerating.

Had a ' 98 1200 Bandit before the BMW for general riding, riding in town, hauling the wife on the back, etc. after selling the BMW, I bought another Bandit from the '01-'05 era. You might want to give that a try before buying the BMW.

JR

[crownarch]

Owned a 2004 for several years and crashed it big time in 2011. It is a heavy bike and very front end heavy. Handles poorly in high speed tight turns. Most uncomfortable seat I ever sat on and servo assisted brakes can be a major wallet drain. I also owned a R1200GS from 2008 thru 2012 and probably best all-around bike I ever have owned. Another great bike is the
R1200R which is a lower to ground bike but, handles fantastic.

[BigAl64]

I had sold a Triumph Sprint ST to get the BMW, and did regret it. I had modded the front suspension on the Sprint, so handling was great.

Had a 2002 that I thought was my dream bike, loved the way it looked. Heavy, front end was not as "connected" as the Sprint ST, needed a different seat.

Pedal caught and broke on a high speed turn, results were less than favorable.

[speeder]

No experience with this bike but another vote for an R model in the BMW line. There is an R1100, (or 1150 or 1200, depending on year), that is an RS and set-up similarly to this bike with a lot less weight and mass I think.

[911SauCy]

I know nothing about these... However, coincidentally saw one, exact to the one pictured, on my way to work this morning and thought it was pretty sweet looking.

[BlueSkyJaunte]

They ARE nice-looking. I have yet to find a BMW that fits me, however.

Apparently I'm a Honda and/or HD guy.

[Rick Lee]

I have a 2006 K1200R, which is just insanely fast and nimble. It handles a lot better than the other K-bike models. I've ridden it to CA twice recently and it was comfortable the whole way. I don't know what they did to make it steer the way it does, but it is just as flickable as my GSs were. GSs are for tall people. Even the newer ones with the low-suspension mod. would seem (IMHO) too tall for most women. I started out on an R1150R and it was much lower than a GS. I still find myself looking at R1200Rs now and then. They handle great and are fast - not K-bike fast, but you won't ever think it's too slow for you.

[greglepore]

I had one, a 2000 which was taxi but with a darker orangish/yellow. Loved that bike. The rear main seal is a major issue on these, but regular oil changes and good syn seems to go a long way. Disagree with comments, fwiw, regarding the handling-yes, they're not flickable, but they are super stable high speed sport touring platforms. They are heavy and not really a sport bike, but that's not their niche, they're a gt. As far as the engine goes, they feel like turbines, super smooth and responsive from 2k all the way up-no "peakiness" to the powerband, but they never feel off the band either-again, a super sport touring platform, but not a sport bike motor. Smoothest motorcycle powerplant I've experience, though.100k miles plus is common.

Negatives? I'm only 5'5, and the stock seat made it a stretch to the ground. Stock bar height and angle suck for some-I got a set of gt risers which made a big difference. Bike is not very stable on the sidestand-mine fell over more than once being bumped or even just unloading a bag, just a poor design. And yes, they are a pain at parking lot speeds. The aforementioned RMS. Final drive issues are overstated if you change oil.

However, for longish rides at 8/10's they are a total joy. In the envelope in which I liked to operate, damn near perfect. I'd buy another in a heartbeat.

Rick is right about the R bikes as well, even the RT's handle and go surprisingly well for what they are, the Ks are just a little more sport and the R's a little more tour.

[ledhedsymbols]

How about a Kawasaki concourse?

Kawasaki Concours - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[Laneco]

Kawi's Concours was one of three bikes I'm considering. The other is Honda's ST1300.

Seems to be a big jump in the Kawi between the older liter and newer 1400 bike (price wise). The 1400 Concours and Honda ST1300 seem to be pretty competitive with each other price wise ,but they seem to be BOTH consistently more money than the BMW. I like the looks of the BMW better than either Japanese bike as well. So the BMW winds up being less money and I prefer the looks (though obviously there are many reasons to buy a particular bike).

Not looking for a light flickable bike. My Honda CBR 600 F3 fit that bill very nicely but it is just not the type of riding I want or am cable of doing. I actually disliked that bike for long highway rides. Very buzzy after a few hours. I just have gotten old enough or boring enough that I have that out of my system. Now I want a good looking, stable as a couch at highway speeds, capable handing even when loaded bike that if you drop the bags, could hustle respectably on a windy road. Want a flat power band, I'm over the 13,000 RPM redline with useful power coming on at 7grand. Over it.

Don't want an HD. Don't want a gullwing. Don't want a Vulcan. Do not want any naked bike of any brand. But maybe I need to move the Concours and the ST1300 up further on my radar and just be willing to pay a little bit more...

angela

[LakeCleElum]

Originally Posted by Laneco

Kawi's Concours was one of three bikes I'm considering. The other is Honda's ST1300.

Seems to be a big jump in the Kawi between the older liter and newer 1400 bike (price wise). The 1400 Concours and Honda ST1300 seem to be pretty competitive with each other price wise ,but they seem to be BOTH consistently more money than the BMW.
angela

Well, I was gonna keep my mouth shut, as I've only owned a few BMW's and just the air cooled single and twins. BUT, Since you bring up Concours and ST1300, here we go:

Concours C10 - 1986-2007 (1,000 cc)......I've owned 3 and put a total of over 200,000 miles on them....Great weather protection and very reliable. Some buzz a little in the bars, some don't. Depends on how well the piston weight was balanced. Weak point: Petcocks and carb needle seats are a constant problem. Sometimes, fuel will seep into a cylinder and cause hydro-lock. There are cases where owners have bent a rod trying to crank it over. Brakes and suspension could certainly be better. Plan for an after market seat and windshield......Cheep, can buy a good used one for $3K or so. I loved the 7.5 gallon fuel tank.

Concours C14: 2008-present (1400 cc).....I rode one for over 3,000 miles in Australia last year. Owned by a friend of mine.....Great bike, very fast for sure. Improved brakes and suspension over the C10. Only things I didn't like: 1) not a fan of the key FOB system, quirky 2) Windshield was cheap and flimsy 3) every time you turn it off, the electric windshield goes down. You have to reset each time.

Honda ST 1300: 2003-2014: I have a 2004 with over 118,000 miles.....I bought it in 2005 with 6,800 miles....Brakes, suspension, and torque much improved over the Concours C-10.....Also has a 7.5 gallon tank......Excellent weather protection. I've checked the valves every 16,000 as recommended. I've yet to actually "Adjust a valve", still within spec. (Impressive)......Problems: 1) One of the 3 rear wheel bearings was going bad, replaced all 3 2) Secondary master cylinder in the front caliper stuck - $12 kit to repair......That's it......I change spark plugs and air filter every 50,000 miles....At 100,000 miles, put on a fresh rear shock and aftermarket Sonic fork springs, now rides better than new.....Aftermarket mufflers to get rid of that "sewing machine" sound.......Was my main street bike till last year and still ride it a lot.....Will never sell it, it's my fav and not worth anything with that mileage.....

My vote: Find a ST 1300 that an 2004 or newer with less than 15,000 miles.....Will last you forever..........G'luck

[Laneco]

There's an 04 ST1300 for sale locally, w/19,000 miles on it. It's only a little out of my budget. I think I'll go take a look at that bike (and will obviously check for maintenance/valve adjustments). Thanks Bob!!!

angela

[Gogar]

Ill be riding one exactly like your pic to Sturgis in a few weeks, I'll let you know!

[Steve Carlton]

I bought a 2000 K1200RS new and sold it with 28,000 miles on it to get a 2002 R1100S. Totally agree with greglepore's comments. I had Ohlins on mine and did a track day on it at Thunderhill. It did great and surprised a lot of people. It's a bit of a pig, but at medium to high speeds it's a rock. I think in 2002 it got updated and then there was a GT model. Check them out!

[BlueSkyJaunte]

Originally Posted by LakeCleElum

Concours C10 - 1986-2007 (1,000 cc)......

I had one for a while, put several thousand miles on it. Was a bit buzzy but otherwise a very solid bike. The new ones are pretty sexy - and one of the local PDs is using them.

Angela, I'd suggest also looking into a VFR. I'm not sure about your seat height situation (I'm 6'2", seat height has never been a concern for me) but I'd put it in the same category as the K-bike: on the sportier side of the sport-touring machines. I think the Concours and the ST are more towards the touring side.

[Laneco]

Definitely love the VFR. We've had three of them and I'd buy an 800 in a minute (w/FI but before VTEC). When I got my endorsement, I started riding my husband's VFR every single day that the pavement was clear. He finally started griping about "am I EVER going to get my bike back..." The solution was to buy me a bike! That's when I picked up the CBR. The CBR seat was TALLER than the VFR...

VFR is about as sporty as I would be interested in going. Looking for a little more on the "GT" side. If I came across a 2000 VFR800 (that's the only year in yellow) the discussion would be over. Fat stacks would cross the table and I'd ride off into the sunset. Problem is that these are just about as much money (for a very nice example) as the ST1300. If I'm taking the time to research and look, I really want to look into my 3 luxo-touring kinda sporty bike choices. If they don't suit me on the ride, then I'll move back into the sportier VFR and be done with it.

angela

[ledhedsymbols]

How about a Sprint GT? A friend from work has one, and he constantly raves about it!

[LakeCleElum]

ST-Owners.com Forums

Includes "For Sale" section and many tips.

[BlueSkyJaunte]

Originally Posted by Laneco

Definitely love the VFR.

Cool! I have an '86 700cc tariff-beater that was my commuter for a while. I've been thinking of getting into a later model but I (and my funds) keep getting sidetracked by kids, Shovelheads, and sundry other distractions.