buying r1100rt

[ghostridery2k]

Im planing to buy 2000 r1100rt in next week or so,what i need to look for.what i must check to make sure im buying good bike.Thanx for any help,martin

[alien_hitchhiker]

Martin, 2001 was the last year for the 1100RT. Generally speaking, the '99 through '01 bikes are the pick of the 1100 litter as they benefited from several years of development. The following link will give you some ideas to think about:

http://bmwsporttouring.com/faq/new_or_used.htm

Questions that come to my mind are:
- How many miles are on the bike and what is its history?
- Does it look like it was well cared for? (most BMWs are)
- Is there a service record available for it?
- How does it run & how does it shift?
- What's your impression of the current owner?

There are really not many issues with these babies. It is possible to trash the clutch if you ride it like a wet clutch (let it slip a lot). There have been spline failures where the transmission shaft mates with the clutch. There have been final drive bearing failures. These are all fixable problems, of course, but I understand the splines can be pricey. These bikes are old enough now that boneyards are starting to carry used parts and of course everything is available from BMW.

I ride a 2000 R1100RT with 60 thou on it and I plan to keep it for the long haul.

[kitze2]

Martin,
I bought a used 2000 rt last fall. I really love it. Great handling (for it's size) good power, tons of after market support and the most important thing...It's low tech and super easy to work on.
My advice would be to take your time and find one with a spotless service history. Good suspension bits (ohlins or penske) are a real plus since the stock shocks really are crap. Be careful of overvalued accessories and farkles. Don't sweat the mileage too much as long as the proper services have been done. There are a lot of 'em out there with around 40-60k. I looked at 11 different RTs before I bought mine. What sold me on it was the clean condition, fairly low mileage and minimal non oem parts. But the best part was he had every receipt and scrap of paper relating to the bike. Now is the time to buy. Crappy weather everywhere...New models coming out...tax time coming...Christmas bills coming. Yeah baby, it's a buyer market. Just look until you find the perfect one for you. Oh yeah...get a black one. That's the sexy color!

[RJM2096]

I just went through the same process. I used www.cycletrader.com.

I looked for a cool color and milage that was acceptable (Under 40,000 miles)

I looked for a full set of luggage (SE model) , and handlebar relocators and foot peg lowering blocks. If you live in the north make sure it says it has heated hand grips. Having a radio or intercom is old tech so ignore that.

If it has a custom seat, I want both seats to match.

I ask the seller to send me close-ups of any damage/scratches to the bike. Especially important is the body area behind the forks and the valve covers.

Ask the seller if he knows of any chronic problems or any recent repairs the cycle has had. Get the answer by email. If he lies that is fraud and gives your recourse if you can prove he did knew and failed to disclose. If he will not document his answer, look out. Phone calls do not count.

Goto to Kelly blue book:
www.kbb.com/kbb/Motorcycles/Default.aspx?linkId=hp_mc_text
and make an offer closer to wholesale than retail, depending on the condition.
Do not be afraid to trailer a cycle a 1000 miles or so if it is the one you want. My wife and I enjoy the trips.

Remember, if your really love it, you wont mind fixing it up if your have to.

[jingdog]

Remember, if your really love it, you wont mind fixing it up if your have to.

Love is never having to say youre sorry.

[Rollifahrer]

I bought a '99 in '05 w 68K.

Upgrade shocks by all means. I just put Wilbers on, and wish I had done it in '05.

Watch FD pivot bearings. If it (only one is adjustable) requires frequent adjustment then the bearing is probably going bad. I would encourage anyone to replace the tapered roller bearings with bronze bushings available from Tom Cutter at Rubber Chicken Racing. They are around 120.00.

Due to various FD threads, I had the dealer open mine to inspect the big bearing while they had it to replace original pivot bearing races (you get races with the bushings from Rubber Chicken). No signs of problems so it went back in.

I regularly ride with Gold Wings. Due to the large fixed windshield, the wing guys I ride with stop frequently to add or remove layers of clothes and/or change position of manual windshield. The electro adjustable wind screen can be set for noise, temp, visability priorities on the fly. The 1100RT fairing wraps around the toes and keeps boots an dlower pants legs dry. The wings and I think the 1200RTs are open below the heads. Not a huge deal if you wear water proof gear, but all in all the 1100 stackes up well as a tourer against the bigger heavier bikes...

Sorry if I got off track on features you already know about, but after riding it 40K , I'm still impressed with the features I got for the money I paid. As far as the mechanical side, now that the suspension has been improved and I caught a potential problem with the FD pivot pins/bearings, I feel i like I have a go anywhere bike.

good luck with your choice,

[jingdog]

I bought a '99 in '05 w 68K.

Upgrade shocks by all means. I just put Wilbers on, and wish I had done it in '05.

Watch FD pivot bearings. If it (only one is adjustable) requires frequent adjustment then the bearing is probably going bad. I would encourage anyone to replace the tapered roller bearings with bronze bushings available from Tom Cutter at Rubber Chicken Racing. They are around 120.00.

Due to various FD threads, I had the dealer open mine to inspect the big bearing while they had it to replace original pivot bearing races (you get races with the bushings from Rubber Chicken). No signs of problems so it went back in.

I regularly ride with Gold Wings. Due to the large fixed windshield, the wing guys I ride with stop frequently to add or remove layers of clothes and/or change position of manual windshield. The electro adjustable wind screen can be set for noise, temp, visability priorities on the fly. The 1100RT fairing wraps around the toes and keeps boots an dlower pants legs dry. The wings and I think the 1200RTs are open below the heads. Not a huge deal if you wear water proof gear, but all in all the 1100 stackes up well as a tourer against the bigger heavier bikes...

Sorry if I got off track on features you already know about, but after riding it 40K , I'm still impressed with the features I got for the money I paid. As far as the mechanical side, now that the suspension has been improved and I caught a potential problem with the FD pivot pins/bearings, I feel i like I have a go anywhere bike.

good luck with your choice,


What are the symptoms of bad pivot bearings? Mine are 86k old and I understand they can go bad long before that. Oil looks good every time I have changed it. Thanks!

[bikerfish1100]

if they're original, with 86K on them, they are (almost definitely) bad. typical life is 20-30K.
get rear wheel off ground. grasp wheel at 3 and 9 o'clock and attempt to move wheel only (try to isolate swingarm assy, a 3rd and/or 4th hand would help). if it moves, it's most likely the pivot bearings.
these are not the bearings that sit in the FD oil bath- they are located forward of that, at that large nut several inches forward of the FD fill/drain plug area. their lubrication is from grease (during installation), not oil.
symptom is somewhat vague handling, as if the rear wheel is not attached quite properly (cuz it's not).

[jingdog]

Hmmmm. I know where they are but I thought they were oiled by the FD oil. So the wear wont show up in the used oil like I thought. I better go over the receipts from the PO. You know maybe they did them when they replaced the transmission at 66k.

[Rollifahrer]

In addition to what Bikerfish1100 noted, the needle bearings imbedded into the races to the point the bearing stopped pivoting inside the races, and the fixed pivot pin was pivoting inside the race. It ruined the pivot pin (36.00 for new) and the FD got stuck at an odd angle when the shocks compressed more than normal. Of course it happened 3 days riding time away from home, so I had low speed handling issues for the rest of the trip. The symptom of that particular problem was the FD was "kicked up" in the rear and not in line with the CL of the swing arm. (They might be designed to be a couple degrees off center). I saw another 1100RT during that trip with the FD kicked up like mine and thought maybe that was normal, so I think the issue with the bearings binding and preventing the suspension from resettling might be fairly wide-spread. Definitely a red flag when buying.

Due to our winter weather right now I've only been out for a short test ride. It seems a whole lot better.

Paul Glaves addressed the pivot bearing prob in one of the FD threads, which is what put me on that track. Once again, well worth the 120.00 for bushings and the shop labor to swap races and visualy inspect the big bearing.

[jingdog]

I dont notice handleing issues just every once and a while I feel a thump like I hit a hole or seam in the road. Only I never seem to see any hole. The bike seems to ride fine though.

[ghostridery2k]

I got f#%^.I made arrengments with seller on the phone,agree on the price,got official check from my bank,had install hich on my car($280),rent a trailer($50 deposit)and plan to pick up my new bike on saturday but NO GO.Got E mail from seller trying to bump me to orginal asking price.I wil not point my fingers at him but i think this was NOT COOL!!!! I will not pay higher price then i agree to NO WAY! This deal cost me $330 so far and i got nothing.I may use new hich some day.
I GOT F@#K!
:banghead

[jingdog]

When he calls back offering what you agreed to in the first place low ball him!:rocker

[bikerfish1100]

wait on him. this is NOT prime selling season, and won't be for another few months.
Unless can he significantly sweeten the offer of what you get for more money, tell him you're not happy with his "new deal"- and offer the price you agreed on (if it was a good deal to you a few days ago, then it's still a good deal today). let him know that if he doesn't take that deal today, YOUR offer won't be so generous if he tries again in Feb or March. and then go shopping for someone else's soon-to-be-ex-bike.

[alien_hitchhiker]

Martin, hang tough!

The guy just demonstrated that his word is worthless.

He is not to be trusted and you need to question anything and everything he has told you about the bike..

I would take this to mean you are going to find a better bike and a better previous owner.

The best seller is the guy who delights in knowing that the buyer will enjoy and pamper the bike just as much as he did, because that means the bike was well cared for.

[ghostridery2k]

I start this post to get some input from bmw owners what to look for when buying rt .
Thanx for all your help by my deal gone south.
You can fallow in (got s%#@ buying RT) post in campfire.
Ijust think the was the right place to post it.
thanx you all,ride safe,martin

[jingdog]

Martin, hang tough!

The guy just demonstrated that his word is worthless.

He is not to be trusted and you need to question anything and everything he has told you about the bike..

I would take this to mean you are going to find a better bike and a better previous owner.

The best seller is the guy who delights in knowing that the buyer will enjoy and pamper the bike just as much as he did, because that means the bike was well cared for.


All true every bit of it! If he would welsh on a done deal who knows what else he will do. I would look elsewhere!