looking by buy 2003 R1150R

[lguardiola]

hello everyone, im new here and I've been reading a couple of posts here and i really enjoyed what im readying....well, im looking to buy my first motorcycle and right now im looking at a 2003 R1150R with 5,700 miles on it...im getting through a dealership in Houston, and they are giving me an out the door price of $6,500....since its basically a 10yr old bike, my question is; is this too much money for this bike...below you will find the like to the bike....its in great shape, except for a scratch on the fuel tank.....hope i can get some responses since im looking into getting this in the next couple of days.....


http://www.gulfcoastmotorcycle.com/new_ ... ov=2976365

[elemental]

I can't comment on the price but whatever it is, if it was me, I'd have the scratch fixed and the first sevice done by the dealer as part of the deal. 5700 miles is riduculously low for a ten year old vehicle and may not be such a good thing. The bike has spent much of its life standing around. Fuel system would be my first worry. And then rubber parts. If it's your first bike get them to throw in a decent warranty too maybe. Don't feel rushed, plenty of fish in the sea. Is my 2 cents anyway. (after 25 years of regularly paying too much and getting too little from dealers).

[Dr. Strangelove]

I agree. I think it is too much by as much as 1500, or more.
That scratch on the tank is one thing, but that works out to 570 miles a year. And a scratch on the tank does not equal great shape, good shape maybe, but great shape is showroom condition. Look for scratches on the cylinder heads, and say, "What's this?"
I'd keep looking. I didn't like my touring windscreen when I got it, and no side cases with it? New tires are worth $300 if they're good tires, that's it.
That red is beautiful though. Still, other fish in the sea. Be patient, you won't have to wait long.

When I got my Stella! in Dec 2005, she was a 2004 (double spark) w touring screen and 5200 miles for $8000. In showroom condition, too. She is now 100k miles young.
John

[lguardiola]

hey guys, thank for you input....its kinda of what i was thinking, good thing i decided to ask first...the only thing is that i have to get it through a dealership because i have to get it financed, and cant pay cash right now, and all the 2003-2004 i've seen in dealers are between 5k-7k....but i'll keep looking around to see what i find...thanks for your help

[milehighboater]

Don't let the financing stand in your way. I just went to my bank with the VIN of the bike I wanted and they wrote a check to a private seller, the whole process only took about 3 hours. I was able to pick up an 04 with 10Kmi for just over 4000. It only had a few scratches on the tank.

[lguardiola]

man, where do you guys find these deals....that sounds like a great deal

[lguardiola]

does anyone know of good websites or where i could find R1150R's....this i've been looking around but the one i do find are out of state (I'm from Houston, Tx) and i don't think its a smart idea to buy one without at least looking at it....

[milehighboater]

I found mine on Craigslist. I just went city to city narrowing my results in the motorcycle section with "BMW" and price. It only took about 2 weeks before I found mine. As far as prices go the dealership tried to sell me a 1999 1200C for 9K with 30K miles on it when NADA only had the valued price at 3,900. Private sale was the only way to go. If you find one out too far away just get a one way plane ticket, most sellers will work with you. I have met alot of questionable people but never one riding a "R".

[echo42kp]

I bought a 2002 r1150r about six months ago. I paid $6,000.00. The bike was and still is in pristine condition cosmetically and had 10k miles when I bought it. Came with side cases as well, some chrome upgrades, and a windscreen. The previous owned died and the maintenance record was sketchy. I took it in and got the 12k service early just to touch all the bases and have it completely ready to ride without any hesitation.

The bike rides great and I haven't regretted a thing about it. I found it on eBay with local pick-up. It was about a hundred or so miles from my house. I don't really know if I paid too much, most of the bikes I looked at were in this price range and this was by far the best looking one. The owner wouldn't budge lower past six grand and I gave in.

[lguardiola]

echo42kp, most of the ones i've found (2003-2004) are between 5k-7k....i was going to get one that was in great shape with about 7k miles on it, but my credit union only valued the bike at $4,000 and the seller was asking for $6,500....

so this is where I'm having the problem, finding one cheap where my credit union can give me the loan.....

[elemental]

Be open with the seller. Tell him they value it at 4k, see if there's a deal to be done. Scrape together another thousand in cash and you might be in with a chance. But I'd look for higher mileage examples myself (I just did in fact). Condition and history way more important than low miles, especially if your budget is tight.

[billbeemer]

i just bought an '03 r1150r with 4700 miles in august. i paid $4500. new tires, no shield or cases. looked in different cities in south on craigslist. had to go to valdosta, ga from tampabay to get it. i have since put around $1500 into it, all work myself .....can't afford dealer prices

air cleaner, fuel filter, battery, battery tender, accessory port, kisan signalminder, upgrade cam chain tensioner, soft kuryakin bags, parabellum 26" shield, right front fork seal, 1"X1 1/4" barbaks, russell seat, highway pegs. checked valves, synched throttle bodies,

i had no problem with tank rust or anything like that. the fuel filter, however had an '02 date on it, so it was original and needed changing. the bike used a bit of oil until 10k miles, then consumption went way down. i'll keep 10w40 in until 25k, when i'll go to syn.

the bike runs great, most fun bike i ever owned. every week or two, it need to be run up to 6k or so to keep it cleaned out. don't forget if u pay upwards of $6k for the bike, most of the things i did were necessary for an older bike.

[Buckster]

These bikes seem to hold their value pretty well. I don't think 6,500 is bad, but I would want alot of extras included for that price. I wouldn't pay that for a bone stock bike. A windshield, system cases, aftermarket seat, auxillery lights would be some of the things that would increse the value. You can also check http://www.cycletrader.com/find/ for that bike and some of the prices folks are asking. I also would beware of the very low mileage as well. Too many things not moving for a very long time and fluids being unchanged can be a bad thing.

[Dr. Strangelove]

Condition and history way more important than low miles

so very true.

There is a comfort factor buying locally, but many many many buy off various sites, including this board. Look around at various sites.
I found mine on Ebay, but it was being sold by a dealer in Chicago, Cyclewerks in Barrington. I called them, negotiated the price and they handles shipping to nNew Orleans. I paid for that. It was under $700 iirc. Came in in a week or so. The bike was as advertised and the rest is history. The first time I rode it was when the 53' 18 wheeler off loaded it at a shopping center parking lot near my house and I rode her home. The whole experience was a non issue of buying from 1000 miles away w a credit card, though I understand your concern.
Recently, when I got my new to me 1200, I was looking nationwide, and planned on negotiating a price, giving a deposit, flying wherever and riding back. I would include that if the bike was NOT as advertised or there were prev unknown issues with it the deal was off. I would have had to fly back, and risk losing my deposit, but that is cheaper than buying somthing you really don't want. Anyway, that didn't happen. I ultimately found a bike at the local dealer that just came up. That happens.
Point is, be patient and do your homework as best you can and don't paint yourself into the "buy local" corner unnecessarily.

What you can do is get the VIN from the seller and call BMW Motorrad North America, give them the VIN and ask if any issues with the bike. They may or may not give you the info, though they have it. They will tell you the name of the dealer who sold it and you can call them, tell them you are thinking of buying the bike and want to be sure you're not buying bad goods. Ask if timely service, when was the last time they saw it, recurrent issues, etc etc etc. They will tell you. It is good information that can make or break a sale. I personally had a very good conversation with a dealer in Cape Girardeau, Mo during my recent purchase efforts that swayed me from a bike I was really interested in.
An advantage is that most owners are not kids who are going to abuse their bikes; most are seasoned riders, though I was not--first real motorcycle, had a Vespa before--and because of the investment most riders take care of that investment in that services are done timely and most often by the dealer. There are some who do their own work, BMW s are easy to maintain as a DIY. So, I would feel comfortable, though not 100%, that a BMW in Bangor and a BMW in Phoenix and one in Tampa are likely well maintained and good to go once a price is reached.

[lguardiola]

Dr. Strangelove, so you just bought it without seeing the motorcycle???....

I think thats kind of risky, because what if when you get it, something is wrong with it, and now your stuck with it...

[shards]

Just a tip (for those who don't know) for using Google to search an entire site (ie craigslist). I used this to locate my 2 Rocksters last year. Example..to find all R1150R strings put the following in the search box.. site:craigslist.org R1150R

[lguardiola]

shards...thanks, great info

[ROXTR]

I paid $5700 about a year ago for my 05' Rockster which had 15K on it. The bike was in pristine condition and had excellent maintenance history. Of course I probably have north of $10K into it now with all the farkles I've added. But it still puts a smile on my face every time I ride it and I love the reaction I get from non-BMW riders, i.e. "THAT's a BMW?!?"

Good luck with your search. These are great machines, just find one that's been taken care of and it'll take care of you.

[Ol' Jeffers]

I bought my 2001 model a couple of years ago and like that one it had low mileage (7850)
and a small scratch on the side panel also like that one it had the BMW hard cases and a rack.
I insisted on new tyres to replace the original rubber then having bought it I took it (as suggested above)
to a local BMW independent repairer for a 12,000 mile service. It's a great ride and it ain't going to
be sold until I'm unable to swing a leg over it! (Although I'm sorely tempted by an R1200R!)
The price is a shade high I suppose but I expect a lower one can be negotiated or a warranty of some sort
provided.
Personally I'd give it serious consideration unless there something as good elsewhere at a lower price.

[Dr. Strangelove]

Dr. Strangelove, so you just bought it without seeing the motorcycle???....

I think thats kind of risky, because what if when you get it, something is wrong with it, and now your stuck with it...

yep, that's what I did. It was coming from a dealer; it was still in warranty.
It's risky no matter how you do it.