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

I suspected this day would come that trusty Stella! may not be as trusty as I needed her to be. I still don't know if that day has come, but there have been rumblings, mostly minor, until a recent trip to Arkansas for a few days of R&R&R(iding).
On that trip, as I pulled into The Arkansas House in Jasper, the brake warning light started to flash, fast. Everything "felt" fine. First day of three on the best motorcycle roads in the US--ymmv--and my brakes are suspect.
The next morning, I turn on to hwy 74 from 7, and the slow flashing goes off at 11mph and I think God's in His Heaven and All's Right with the World...until I apply the brakes...flashing again.
Everything felt fine, though I did not test the anti-lockness of the system. I did two things: I did three days cavorting on the roads of NW Arkansas, and I made a trip to Bentonville BMW.
They couldn't get their computer to talk with my diagnostic plug for some reason. but they had long faces.

While up there I check all bulbs and saw there was a problem with one of my turn signals, changed that, no difference.
I got home and tore all the turn sugnals apart. found some corrosion, cleaned all that new bulbs all around. Still, the flashing continued.
Rode up to Baton Rouge to the dealer--no longer Hebert's Cycles, but now BMW Motorcycles of Baton Rouge. Good news, bad news.
The good news was that they could get my diagnostic plug to speak with their computer. The bad news was what it told them.
Stella! has a bad problem. Her ABS pump is out. You know how much that costs to replace? Just south of $3000. I am not going to do it myself. I am not going to remove the ABS remains.
How much is a 2004 RR worth, with nearly 100,000 miles on her, no matter how well cared for she was, or what farkles, or how good she looks? Not a whole lot more than that. Financial and emotional distress. Not end of the world stuff, but food for thought that chokes you on the way to being ill-digested.

Ugh

How much in trade..yada yada yada yada yada, We'd have to repair it...100,000 miles. Let's just say that when all would be said and done, I'd be pocketing something in 3, yes 3 figures. And how could I sell her on my own, knowing the anti lock brakes are out? the front servo still works, but that is without anti-lock.

Choices are fix an 8 year old motorcycle and still depend on her to carry me in the middle of uninhabited grasslands of Montana at a price close to the value of the bike, preserving the emotional attachment, or, stop riding, give it up, or get something new and part her out???
Nothing was particularly appealing. Then I found out that there is an outfit in Idaho that rebuilds the BMW abs units, for a reasonable price, with a 5 year guarantee. A plan emerges.
Repair the unit and sell Stella! and get something new.
The pieces fell into place, except for one thing. ModuleMasters in Idaho will not be working on the 2004 servo units until the first on the year. But, I am now on their list.
And a good friend in Texas is VERY interested in purchasing her, so I could visit, and I'd know she's going to a good home. But what to get?
As I looked around, again, just like with the purchase of Stella!, The BMWs were the bikes I found myself consistently comparing all others to. And the BMWs always came out on top.
My first interests were either the F800ST or the R1200R---new for the 800, used for the 12. I wanted a 2011, if possible, just because of the newer engine technology, but then this baby fell into my lap on a visit at the dealer.


Black was not my favorite color, but it was always 2nd favorite in any year, and it is classic for BMW, though not the white striped "Classic" of 2012.
What turned my head? Check out the stuff on this bike, the previous owner (14000 miles) put on
yes, those are Ohlins
yes, that's a complete set of Givi bags--Monokey--painted to match the bike
yes, that's a Cee Bailey windscreen in showroom condition
yes, that's a Corbin seat, off here, but right under the bike by the rear wheel
yes, those are SW Motech engine guards
yes, those are 800 GS rear view mirrors
yes, hard to see, but there is a widened footpad for the sidestand
yes, that is a Remus muffler (and it sounds great; it "burbles" just so fine)
yes, those are black powder coated wheels
yes, those are handguards, from a GS??? I don't know
yes, that is an Bags-Connection tankbag--just a larger size from wht I have on Stella!--Read, plug and play
There is a K&N airfilter on it (yes, I know, pluses and minuses on that)
and there is an installed throttlemeister
It has the OBC and the tire pressure monitors
It has LED turn signals on the rear
PR3s with lots of tread

It was move in condition.
I negotiated a deal and picked her up and rode her home last week. A friend and I rode up to NE Alabama this weekend, and she rode just fine. A very similar feel to the 1150, but smoother, more powerful, faster, and more of a refined feel.
That said, had I not had the abs problem with Stella! this bike, who does have a named but so far is not christened, would not have entered the picture. I would have happily gone forward with Stella!
But it was kismet.
I add to those of you that will say that these bikes can go hundreds of thousands of miles, I say that's true; but, on all of my last five trips I would wind up visiting a BMW dealer for something. This was my third visit to Bentonville BMW, Been to both Sandias, Been to Max's, Been to the shop in Birmingham.
I never broke down, never towed, but though Stella! may have hundreds of thousand of miles left in her, I don't, and I want to minimize possible hassles, and this black beauty looked to be made for me.

Congrats, Beautiful motorcycle!!!! There is so much truth in what you posted, Enjoy the new ride!!!!!!!! Can't wait for a ride report! mnn

Now that is a very, very pretty motorcycle!
Kismet! may be a good name for this one....sort of dark and mysterious.
So glad you like the ride she gives you too.
Mines black and in her case BMW stands for Black Magic Woman!
I took the bike out today with temps around 45 degrees and did a fairly fast
50 mile run. Nothing by your standards I know!

Wow, nice pictures. Stella looks terrific, love the bike in red, love the funky looks. Seems to me one could go either way, no blame. You keep the old one, take precautionary care of it and it likely continues to serve you well for twice the miles. I ride with a friend who has 160k on his '02 and it looks way uglier than Stella. Not a tidy fellow. Or you buy and enjoy the new harder edged BMW for its speed and sharper handling. And carefree riding, likely no visits to dealers. "Teach us to care and not to care" TS Eliot wrote. He was thinking about the sublime and attachment, and carefree riding sounds like a step in the right direction. I'm three score years and twelve this month, lots of bikes, and while I'm tempted by the r12r model, my 02 fits me just right in every way. If anything I look back and regret selling a number of great bikes because I was tempted with the new (which I often sold off). An original V7 Sport Guzzi, for instance, a Norton Commando Fastback, a Velo Thruxton, and a '96 BMW 1100 GS, all of which fit me perfectly too. Don't want to add the RR to that melancholy list.

Enjoy your black beauty!

That's a sweet new ride! A true black beauty.

Would you consider an ABSectomy to save Stella!?
I've heard this procedure has been successfully performed in the past at much less expense than a repair.
Did Stella!'s ABS ever save your BUTT?

Thanks for the replies
Kismet IS a good name and appropriate, but will not be used, name already chosen, but she has to EARN it first. I'll know that when it happens. For Stella! it was on, I think, Co133 north of Grand Junction, at a spot where I turned around on an afternoon ride. I remember the moment when I thought she deserved a name. Kismet is good, esp considering the circumstances.

Would you consider an ABSectomy to save Stella!? ...
Did Stella!'s ABS ever save your BUTT?

I did consider it and asked if the dealer could do it. They knew it could be done, but had never done it. That was as close as I came to it. And yes, it did save me once on I 59/20 outside of Birmingham, left laft at pretty good speed, middle lane driver swerved right in front of me and I grabbed a handful of ABS. I don't know if there were other times, but that one stuck in my mind.

And Stella! will be saved by the rebuild, I am confident, but what will happen next. She already has a new starter and a new clutch, and probably will be fine for weekend rides, daily local rides, but not for 4-6 k miles out to the Burr Trail or Spirit Lake or Area 51.

Thanks again, and red does look good.

John
PS Obviously I'll still be around here. The 1150 section of this forum is one of the best forums on motorcycles on the net.

John,

Great pickup! Now, let your "OWN" farkling begin ... I am sure Don has some suggestions.

Looks like a nice bike! The PO obviously had some extra money after the purchase of the R12R. Gotta love the extras! They certainly found something else that interested them more after a brief ownership. Good for you! Keep us updated on the new ride! I also always "look" for my possible next bike, but still love my R.

Doc - I understand the thought process you have been going through. My immediate bike before the current R1150R was a 'temporary' ride, a K75S that I picked up cheap with the ABS not working and a piece of electrical tape over the permanently flashing light. I never fixed it either, as repair approached value to the bike and the brakes worked fine, except the ABS. However, just as I was approaching the time to make the move to the Roadster, the clutch gave up the ghost and that had to be fixed!

I ended up getting a dealer repair with a year's warranty so I could sell with a clear conscience. Sold it for a tiny post-repair profit and moved on.

Although my own Roadster does not have quite your mileage, I will roll over 70K miles soon. I plan some preventive intervention on the clutch this winter, in hopes for a long trip next year. But after that . . .well let's just say I might have to end my self-imposed ban on test rides on bikes that I might really like! And a R1200R is at the very top of the list. In black, because after all . . . see my sig line!

Doc - nice R1200R. Near perfect setup, just needs driving lights, probably LEDs to match the high-spec-tech motif.

Your upgrade reminds me of an old friend, who successfully dated all three sisters in a prominent southern family during his college days. He's been married to the eldest sister for 25 years, and - I assume - happily exchanging Christmas cards with his in-laws. Moral of the story: it's perfectly acceptable to upgrade models within a marque in order to find the optimal balance of aesthetics, performance and reliability.

Well, SweatMark, my Easternbeaver fusebox came in today, so I can transfer my motolights from Stella! to the 12. No LEDs, except for the rear turn signals, and I think the brake light.
And Buckster, it is very similar to the 1150. But I miss sticking my hands into the oil coolers to warm them up. I looked at a number of bikes, but they were either too expensive or too heavy, or had no advantage over the RR, or the RR did a particular thing better. I did consider the F800ST, but thought the r12r would be less fatiguing on the road because of its greater heft, and I did not want to "learn" a bike without telelever front suspension. I'm too old for that.
And Vann, You told me once you had your eye on sort of "inheriting" (for a price) an R12R that an older rider you knew might part with at some time?
And Angellr, I've been frequenting the 1200 section, mostly lurking and I saw Don's mods and they caught my interest. I find though that I had Stella! just the way that worked for me for the long distance touring, so I am trying to recreate a winning combination.
I don't see a lot of farkling on the 12 s like we see on the 1150 section, with the exception of Joe Finn. It could be that the 12 just fulfills so many riders' expectations that there is not much on which to improve??? Or the 1150 and its mods are a more mature topic?
I see little mention of things like horns, or accessory lights; there are the windscreen threads and seats threads, but it seems that the 1150 crowd was more adventurous in their farkles.
But at any rate, this one's gonna travel! And it's gonna be farkled.

Alas, Doc, the R1200R my friend had slipped away from me. He asked me a while back if I was interested and at the time I said I didn't think it was in the cards financially. Before I could talk to him again, he had traded it in for an outrageously low trade in value. If I had known he would take that low a price, I would have bought it off him!

Anyway, I am heading toward high mileage territory with mine!

ah, too bad.

May the hi-mileage gods and goddesses smile on you.

I don't understand why you feel that "Stella" wouldn't be good for longer rides, but only for weekenders.

Plenty of accessories- some of which appeal. The downside is that hideous and exposed single oil cooler. Regardless of what has been said, they get covered with salt, bovine produce, mud etc regardless off the number of fender extenders and mudflaps fitted. I've ridden an R1200 and the apparent lightness was really impressive.

I guess I like the beak, curved A arm and integrated oil coolers too much. Looking better at every rub of the polishing cloth.

If I was to change it would be for a (shhh) R1200 GS.

acejones wrote:I don't understand why you feel that "Stella" wouldn't be good for longer rides, but only for weekenders.

I am saying that I could be wrong about that, but, with the age and wear on bearings, hoses, wire harnesses, etc something is going to fail. Of course, "when" is the question. I know it will happen. Just when.
It is not a pleasant feeling to be riding on some New Mexico backroad, where no cars have passed in a long time and where there is no cell service, SPOT or no SPOT, to suddenly see some light on the dash go on, and know it refers to engine or brakes. That has happened and it's a real down, and it can be dangerous. Many of those things can be maintained, and I try to stay ahead of the curve on all that, but machines can and do fail, and humans can misjudge. I don't feel it prudent, for me at my age and with probably limited riding years left, to prove any point that a BMW roadster can live forever. I know I won't live forever and I know I want to still ride long distances for weeks at a time. My ride has to be as reliable as possible. And, for me that means the R12R.

Yours, I admit, is a very valid question and one I had to wrestle.

gregor wrote:Plenty of accessories- some of which appeal. The downside is that hideous and exposed single oil cooler. Regardless of what has been said, they get covered with salt, bovine produce, mud etc regardless off the number of fender extenders and mudflaps fitted. I've ridden an R1200 and the apparent lightness was really impressive.

I guess I like the beak, curved A arm and integrated oil coolers too much. Looking better at every rub of the polishing cloth.

If I was to change it would be for a (shhh) R1200 GS.

I had the same feeling about the accessories, but the critical ones were there and saved me lots of cash. I wouldn't have done the Remus or the powder coat wheels, but, know what? That Remus sounds so fine! Accelerating at speed and it's low rumble is totally melodious. And the powder coat looks cool. In real life the wheels are not so apparent, but blend in more.
As far as the oil cooler. I have to believe you're right about road hazards, but those who have ridden them for thousands of miles say don't worry about it. Because it is black it blends in with the rest of the bike. No sore thumb effect.
What I do miss is the placement of the coolers on the side where I can stick my hands in and warm them.

I too like the beak, I like the dash's retro look on the 1150, I like the "textured" A arm on the 1150, and yes it does look better with every swipe of the polishing cloth--no argument there. That said, the 12's sleeker look and the techno dash have grown on me. And it is getting better looking with every swipe of the polishing cloth.
And it rides just fine. I can feel the lightness getting off the centerstand and in parking lots and making U Turns. I am not a big guy and that's important and a definite improvement over the heft of the 1150.

Doc that is an absolutely stunning bike. Looks like you did very well. Ride safe!

With the exception of the head protector and the topcase I fully agree .... Its a great bike and will give you loads of fun!

Brgds
Oliver

And, Wayne, I want to assure you the first thing I checked was the anti-freeze level. In the showroom.

Happy Thanksgiving all

John