BMW R1200R R1150R/T F800 K1200R R1100R/T R1250R RnineT Message Board

Hi, sorry for the cross post but I posted this in the Rockster area yesterday but there doesn't seem to be a lot of activity there and time is a factor. Since these questions would apply to an R1150R I thought I'd try it here!

Hello all. I'm new to this site, but not to BMW motorcycles. I own an R1200C Phoenix that I love. But I've always loved the look of the Rockster as well. I'm looking at one locally right now, a 2004, black/copper Rockster with 33k miles, Remus exhaust, hard cassette bags, rear rack/bag, windshield and Sargeant seat. The price is great, just over $5 grand. The bike seems solid and well cared for.

I'm looking for feedback from owners of this wonderful bike (or any R1150R of the same year/mileage) as to what I should look for, and what problems if any I can expect to see from a bike with this mileage on it. I know our boxer engines go forever and only start to break in well around this mileage but I'm more thinking about stuff like spline lubrication and that type of thing. We on the Chromehead side generally lub our clutch splines at 25k.

One thing is that the bike sits a little high for me. I'm a 30" inseam and I'm on the balls of my feet. I prefer to sit flatfooted but I have also owned many large bikes that I've sat high on. Can this bike be lowered at all with shocks or some manner?

So, anything else I should be aware of with this bike when I test it out? Anything to look for? How about those owners who are at or have surpassed this mileage. How has your bike been? What things have you done or had to do?

Next to my Phoenix, I think the black/orange Rockster is the most drop dead gorgeous motorcycle I've ever seen!

Thanks,

Methos

I can only speak to the Roadster, not the Rockster, though there are not many differences between the two.

I have a 29" inch inseam and can not quite flatfoot my '03 R1150R. I removed the rubber spacers under the seat which lowers the height by maybe 1/2"; if I were truly bothered I'd get a custom seat which would eliminate the problem completely. In your case, the Sargent seat might actually be the problem - maybe the owner has the stock seat so you can check that out? There are other suspension mods that can be done but you're talking mucho $'s. Not sure if the Roadster & Rockster are the same height but I'd frankly think you won't have much of a problem with either with a 30" inseam at the stock seat height.

As to the mechanical questions, I would check the maintenance records to see if the fluids have been changed regularly. Of course the engine oil is important but so are the trans, FD and especially the hydraulic lines. You can and probasbly should inspect all of the fluids to see if their condition correlates with the maintenance records. At 33k miles, you will likely need a new alternator belt, which is relatively inexpensive and easily within the range of talent for most shade-tree mechanics. I don't believe that BMW has a recommended service interval for the input shaft/clutch hub splines but I do know that lubing them is a fairly tedious job. The good news is that if they've been trouble-free until now, you probabably are past the point where you need to be concerned about premature failure. The same is true for the FD bearings. Both of these are known problems but they affect only a relatively small percentage of R bikes.

It would probably be worth checking the fuel lines, clamps and QDs - these are relatively cheap and fairly easy to replace but can leave you stranded if they fail. You will definately want to check on the wire harness, which will require removing the fuel tank. The harness on some R's has shorted out from wearing through either under the fuel tank or near the battery tray. You will be able to easily spot this and the fix is easy. A search on this site will get you specifics on both of these issues.

If the clutch hasn't been abused, you should be able to get quite a few more miles out of it and as far as the engine, 33k is not really all that many miles. Would be worth paying a bit of attention to the suspension though - by 33k, the stock suspension could be getting a bit long in the tooth.

You will be impressed by the excellent manners of the Roadster/Rockster - it's one of the best all-around machines on the road. Good luck with your potential purchase.

Charlie

At 33k miles I would look at the front shock's rubber bush. Also the outershell of the wiring harness might be starting to develop weaknesses and cracks. Check usual suspects (starter motor, clutch wear) but I reckon at 33k mileage those will be decent. There are some preventive maintenance (e.g. loosening the wires around the steering etc) but these are once off and quite easily done.

The chomehead has a monolever, so you will have to learn to live with the paralever; the R80G/S guys claim that the monolever ls more problem-free than the paralever. Check the rear wheel for sideways play.

Hope the new bike pans out, and do post a pic if you pick it up.

Cheers

what they said

The seat on the rockster sits high. At Bentonville BMW the other day and was told that I have the "rockster seat" which is equivalent to the tall seat. You could put a lower seat on the rockster, but the trade off will be possible knee pain on longer rides because you will be sitting in a more tucked position, unless you lower the pegs.

I mentioned to B'ville that in parking lots, driveways, slow speed turn arounds, etc, I am on tip toe sometimes. They recommended I just deal with that because on long rides, which I freq do, I would pay for flat-footing with knee pain. Even now, on long days--eg >350-400 miles, the inner aspect of my left knee gets sore. It would be worse tucked more. They added that when they were selling the r1150r s they frequently switched out the standard seat for the "rockster" seat just for the comfort factor, and that I should consider my rockster seat an asset.
I will add that because of the tip toe maneuvering, I am very judicious where and how I park, turn around, etc. If it looks hard or feels precarious, I move on. And I sometimes feel a little embarrassed (wrong word) when I can't back her in and line her up with all the bikes parked neatly at a curb facing outward. Tip toe steering does not always allow for that like flat footing does. I have a 31.5 inseam on a tall day.

Stella! has 60 k on her and rides never better. I have done nothing with the clutch splines. I do my own routine maintenance, including tires, and have learned much from this board (become a paying member, please). The next project is to externalize the fuel filter.

Enjoy your ride

John