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

I love the style and feel of this bike, but seriously isn`t this machine a bit of a lemon
So may tales of bad clutches and input shafts
Someone change my mind before I sell this money pit

Good morning,

these BMWs have been sold in large numbers and it is common wisdom that there is always a certain percentage of technical equipment which can go wrong. And the majority of posts in a forum like this will be dealing with the cons rather than the pros. In that respect no manufacturer of motorbikes is better than the other.

I would not bother as these BMWs are very fine bikes and give us a lot of pleasure and bearing in mind the large numbers sold it is relatively few which go wrong. And lets be realistic, isn't wrenching part of the fun?

Brgds
Oliver

Most people who take the time to complain have a legitimate gripe and a head of steam. The rest of us are riding well sorted, low maintenance machines. Posts without drama aren't really worth writing.

What woes are you dealing with that maybe the board could help you make it through? I have an R-Bike and a BMW-era Land Rover and with both machines it seems as though they have a low tolerance for neglected maintenance (as well as horrendous reputations of you listen to the internet herd). Well maintained, they're both things of beauty to use and live with.

CDNBOY wrote:I love the style and feel of this bike, but seriously isn`t this machine a bit of a lemon
So may tales of bad clutches and input shafts
Someone change my mind before I sell this money pit

No not at all! There are no more inherent problems with the R1150 than with
any other bike , old or new. Oliver (above) is 100% correct.
Go to any bike or car forum and you'll read of nightmare problems. People join forums
if they encounter problems so it's normal that a predominance of forum posts relate to
an owner with a problem. There are many members here with bike well into six figure
mileage and if these bikes were 'lemons' most people would steer very clear of them.

I bought my '02 1150R after searching for a bike that had had all the problems. Took a year almost, but got an ABS-free bike whose owner had spent nearly the selling price over the previous two years having the transmission and final drive rebuilt after failure. The gearbox input splines failed as did a major bearing in the rear drive. These are known problems, but what percentage of machines are affected I do not know.
This bike is the most delightful motorcycle I have owned and a keeper.
Don't know if this helps, but, hey, my two cents-worth.
Cheers,
Tony

I have had my bike coming up on a year now and I must say I love it. I am just getting into doing some of the maintenance myself. I am not very mechanically inclined so I am taking baby steps. I have not had a problem since I've owned it. When I bought it, the service history was unknown, so I took it into get a 12K service early and have changed the oil several times since. I am meticulous on keeping my car running well and treat this bike the same. I want to get as many miles as I can on both my car and bike...better than buying new and having a payment..etc.

I chose the R because it is versatile and really does a little of everything. I commute, cruise, and tour on this bike as well as going toe to toe with the sport bikes in the twisties.

My goal is to ride this bike until it is just not economically feasible to fix anymore.

Bought a 1999 R850R, (which I'm sure most will be aware is identical to the 1150 except for stroke length), almost a year ago and can't imagine a more suitable all-rounder. It had 110,000 kms on the clock and detailed service records from the previous owners who I deduced had mainly ridden longer distances and had kept the bike in immaculate condition, far better than many younger bikes I'd inspected whilst shopping.

Included in the AU$5,000 price: almost new Dunlop Roadsmarts, Beemer panniers and tank-bag, windscreen, RJays top-box and Staintune exhaust, not fitted.
With all the touring dag off and the Staintune fitted, (noise suppressor out), it's a bit of a hooligan bike when you want it to be but purrs when just cruising. Great for getting around town or going for a blat through the hills alone or with my girl behind. I've had more fun on this bike than any other I've owned.

I just returned from a 5,700 km trip, Brisbane to Hobart and back, for the Wooden Boat Festival. With all the gear on she makes an excellent touring bike, so comfortable I was easily doing 4-6 hour legs with only fuel stops. I rode 1,300 kms, Melbourne to Brisneyland almost non-stop apart from a 4 hour sleep on grass waiting for a servo to open and a couple of food stops, the last 300 in constant rain.
She returned a little over 19 kms/litre average on highways at 120-130 klicks, (ssshhh). Even loaded she revelled in the twisty Tasmanian roads, much thanks to those excellent dual-compound tyres. Needed one repair; parked the bike in my mates old apple shed on arrival in Cygnet and woke the next morning to find a flat rear tyre. Valve stem had perished or seal was broken, a $10 replacement.

Still coming down from this fabulous trip and I never tire of that throaty Staintune-enhanced twin note.

Thanks for the comments guys.....maybe you're right, you always hear the bad.....I will keep the bike and enjoy every minute of wrenchin when needed.
I'm planning on an aftermarket clutch with torsion springs and an updated input shaft if it ever needs one. Hopefully not having to tear it apart for many years. It has 33k miles, and I expect to have it for 30 more.
I have had Jap machines in the past and they never let me down and know of a few Beemer owners who swear by them.

this is a great forum

cheers