beemer noob (experienced rider) looking at a good deal?

[amayes]

2004 R1150R, 20K miles, servo-assist ABS
$4,000

Do I buy?

Seems like a helluva deal, but concerned about all this negative chatter over the servo-assist breaks.

Anybody out there, give me your thoughts... test ride tomorrow.

[NoRRmad]

I'd say...

On your test ride, checking the ABS servo-assist, be very careful activating the brakes at low speed, particularly if turning. If you feel you can modulate the brakes to your satisfaction, under those conditions, then you're OK. Some find it a bit scary, some don't.

[garr2]

As a noob to BMW there are certainly quite a few things to get used to and in time come to appreciate.
As NoRRmad suggets it wouldn't be a good idea (on any modern bike with any type of braking system) to jam on the brakes during a tight low speed turn.
When it comes to the servo-assist brakes of the 2004 R1150R a less obvious but potentially more expensive concern is whether they have been serviced each year (in the case of the wheel circuit) and every two years (in the case of the control circuit). Remember this is totally unrelated to how many kilometres the bike has done in that time. If the DOT 4 fluid gets contaminated (as it will over time) by absorbing water from the atmosphere, that contaminated fluid can damage the workings of the servo unit so that is doesn't .... well work! If that happens you simply throw the old servo unit away and buy a new one - which costs thousands of _ _ _ _ _ _ (insert currency of your choice).
Documentary evidence of servicing - including annual/biennial services - being done would be very reassuring.
If the PO doesn't have those records you could take the tops off the front & rear brake master cylinders and have a look at the colour of the fluid. You must realise that in doing so you are only looking at the brake fluid in the control circuit. The other half (wheel circuit) of each complete circuit is not as readily accessible.
If the brake fluid looks more like mud than honey it's contaminated. A least you then have a better idea of the risk you're taking.

Having said that though, I bought my 2004 1150 without any service records and without checking the colour of the brake fluid have not come to regret it.

[slowrider60]

I too had the same reservations you have. I just bought an 02 with 21k. There were no service records. The seller only had it for about a year and was the second owner. I was very reluctant about buying one with ABS. I had looked on Craigs List for weeks and could not find a non ABS bike. I finally gave in bought it. I did the basics before buying. I took it on a test ride for about a half hour and tested the brakes under many different scituations/conditions and they worked fine. It took me a while to get used to them and now love them. They add another layer of confidence in the bike.
Good luck.

[Xdot]

Bought my '02 with minimal service records. Didn't check fluids on the brakes. Have had no problems. That said, there are some fixes for ABS gone-bad that involves removing the ABS components. Seems to be about 10x cheaper than the ABS fix and leaves you with easily maintainable brakes that are in many ways superior to the complicated ABS brakes. I think sweatmark has the procedure listed somewhere. Just involved pulling the assist servo-unit and replacing a few of the lines with OEM standard. One or two other things but nothing too terribly difficult as I recall. If mine ever go Tango-Uniform that's what I'll do.

john

[snave]

Sounds like a deal! I like the ABS. Let us know how it turned out.
Paul
Lawrenceville, Ga