K1200S cost of ownership

[levine98]

I'm shopping for a used K1200S and there are lots of of 2005, 2006 and 2007s out there.

Can I get some feedback on what to expect with respect to regular maintenance costs? I put on 15K to 20k miles per year, and the used bikes I'm looking at all have over 10K miles them already. Just want to know what post acquisition costs to factor into my bargaining.

Thanks for the help!

Jay

[john1691]

Besides speeding tickets??

[119113]

Jay,

I own a 05 k12s, so I can give you some insights.

1) Oil changes are easy, so do your own to save a few bucks.
2) Unless you are an experienced mechanic, not much else on the engine and transmission can be serviced by the owner (think of BMW cars).
3) The 18,000 mi service interval is the expensive one, when spark plugs are replaced and valves are checked/adjusted.
4) ABS maintenance interval is 4 years, so that isn't a big worry.
5) Replacing the ESA shock absorbers is reported to be ~$3000, though I don't think there is much solid data regarding when (mileage/years) before they need to be replaced.

One piece of advice. Buy one that is still under warranty. I'm guessing that many of the 05s coming onto the market are from buyers nervous about paying for repairs. If not under warranty, the work performed on my bike would have cost me several thousand dollars.

I have a .pdf of the maintenance schedule for the K12 series bike. PM me if you would like a copy.

good luck,

peterh