Thinking of buying 1200gs

[manybikes]

Hi all
I currently have a Ducati Multistrada and am thinking of selling it to buy a 2004 R1200gs with full Vario Cases.
The GS has 50k km (about 30k miles)
New tires and dealership offers limited warranty.
1. what is a reasonable price
2. is there big differences between the 04-08 etc.
3. is the final drive drama worth worrying about, if so does BMW still replace them?
4. are the 1200's better than the 1150's (loaded question maybe)

I love the Duc but am looking for a more rugged bike that I can take on back roads.
I have also considered the Buell Ulysses. I have ridden the 12XT with the luggage and I was actually very impressed. I can buy a 09 Uly XT slightly used (still on warranty) for the same money as the 04 1200GS. Things that make you go Hmmm.
All opinions including insults will be appreciated
Thanks

[ToddSchaefer]

I don't have a GS (yet) but I did own a 2008 Buell Ulysses and was disappointed. I test rode one for a few hours and really liked it but once I owned it I couldn't stand how rough it idled and how it "skipped" when running at 60mph. I brought it back to the dealer and they said that is how the Ulysses is supposed to run. They said it would need 5 - 10 minutes of warm up before I should start ridding it. The cooling fan that runs for 6 - 10 minutes after you turn off the engine is really annoying too. I sold it after 5 weeks of ownership.

Don't make the same mistake as me - go for the GS.

[deilenberger]

1. Depends on year/miles/condition (Motorcycle Consumer News has a price guide - better info than I'd be able to give. Google it..)
2. Yes and no. Brakes change for the better in '07. Engine changes for the better in '08. There is also an "Adventure" model in various years.
3. No and yes.
4. Absolutely better if you consider better handling, lighter weight, less engine vibration and more power "better." They do cost more though.

BTW - you might take a look at http://www.chitownrider.com/adventures/Welcome.html - you don't actually need a GS to go off-road.

[ghostrider1964]

I rode the Duc MS along with the Buell and several others before I settled on my GSA. The Duc and the Uly are too short coupled for me. I am 6'5" and 325. I liked the old style Triumph Tiger better than those two. Did not care much for new Tiger. I have personally encountered 2 Uly riders undergoing technical difficulties. I have 20,000 miles on my GSA in a little over a year and I love it!!!:thumb

[david46]

I traded a R1150R for a 04 G.S. I like the bike. If you rode a high dirt bike in the past then for sure you would like the G.S. My riding friend has a Mulit-strada (620); that bike is lighter and quicker then a G.S until we get to a highway. My only problem with the bike was the transmission output seal. Check to see if this seal was ever replaced and when. Good Luck it is a good bike.

[Polarbear]

A large jump occured between these years for GSs. The 1150 was superb and a great buy for the right price? The '05s+ went to the 1200 and a ton of other changes in body and frame and design. These two bikes have the same agenda, but are totally different in a lot of ways. BOTH are considered the best in class, for their time. Read up, take a good deal as the price dictates. I'm rid'in the GSA1200'07, with no turning back and a long list of GSs in my past. I love BIG gas tanks and my 9g's is just my thing:)....Randy:thumb

[manybikes]

Interesting.
The GS I am looking at is a 1200 and looks just like the 05+ models.
I tried to look up average price and they do not show the 1200GS until 2005.
This must have been a first release model or something.
Still, it does look good.
I am finding that no one is exactly giving away their 1150's or 1100's.
They are sometimes priced higher than some of the 1200's I have looked at (I guess some value their farkles higher than others).
I am convinced that the 1200 is the way to go....now...finding one at a reasonable price, that is not so easy a quest.
Just so you all know, I am no stranger to BMW. I currently have a 83 R100s and also owned a K75 and a K100lt.
I love the airhead and am still considering buying a good 90's airhead Paris Dakar.
However....they are getting real hard to find in good shape at a good price, although I do have a line on a few. I am just thinking I might miss the power that a 1200 offers.
I have toured on my R100S and enjoyed it, after a few week on the S I jump back on my Duc and it feels like a rocket ship!!

[manybikes]

BTW
Appreciate the comments on the ULY.
One thing about them that I have read (and believe) they are pretty much maintenance free except for oil changes etc.
The motors do shake at idle but they are pretty much tried and true like my old airhead.
During test rides I have noticed the fan running after stopping but, oh well, I very seldom hang around the bike once I get off anyway.
Lots of low end torque and the ones I rode smoothed right out once you got going.
I also rented a 1200gs for a few days down in Arizona, I was also very impressed.
The seat height didn't seem much different than my Multistrada (I am only 5'10 but was still able to put both feet down.
I think the 1200's hold their value very well (as I have found out), the Ulys really take a beating in the first couple of years.
I have read varying opinions on the durability of the belt drive on gravel etc. Some ride them in very harsh conditions with no problems and others claim one rock will take the belt out.

[david46]

The R1200G.S was introduced in Canada in 2004. It is the same bike as the 05 that was sold in the U.S.

[mistercindy]

I bought a used '05 12GS in October of 2005 with 12,000 miles. As somebody else said, the early USA '05 12GS was the same as the Canadian '04 12GS. Mine was sold to the original buyer in August of 2004, so its a very early '05 and ought to be the same as a Canadian '04. I now have 61,500 miles which, other than normal maintenance, have been largely trouble free. My only two mods have been an Aeroflow screen and a Sargent seat. I love it and plan to ride it well past 100,000 miles.

Some thoughts:

I like your getting some kind of warranty.
New tires are always a plus. What kind are they?
30,000 miles ought not be a big issue. Like I said, my '05 12GS has 61,000 miles and runs great. I have a friend who rides an '06 12GSA with around 120,000 and its running well.
When all is said and done a new set of Vario cases will be over US$1,000. They're very convenient and generally work well. But they aren't as sturdy as the price would indicate. I bent the internal mechanism of my left Vario bag with a super slow motion parking lot lay down. If I had it to do over I wouldn't buy the Varios. I'd get Micatechs. Again, just my $0.02.
Who has done the servicing? Is it documented in the owner's manual?


As to your questions:


1. what is a reasonable price
Don't know. I'd do 'net research and figure a nice median type price.


2. is there big differences between the 04-08 etc.
I don't know that there are big differences. Here's some that I'm aware of:

The cluster was changed for the '06. The '05 and earlier clusters didn't have all the computer functions of the '06 clusters and those that followed. Its not a consideration for me, but it might be for others.
Not sure when they got rid of the servo assist brakes. Either for '06 or '07. They servo assist brakes bother a lot of people, but I've never had an issue with them other than a whine when stopped and depressing the brake. The whine bothers some folks. It bothered me, at first, but I'm used to it. IMHO they're great brakes.
I heard the gear ratios were changed slightly for the '07 12GS. Not sure of that, though.
Gas tank hardware was changed was for '07 or '08. The new one can't use some of the tankbags that screw into the top of the tank (like the Marsee Corona system, which I have).
There has been a lot of noise about EWS warnings when the bike won't start. EWS, as I understand it, is the German acronym for the security encoded key and transponder. After the '05 models the system was changed that seems to make them more susceptible to a failure. I don't know much about it, but I've never heard of it happening to a pre '06 bike. Hopefully somebody reading this can shed more light on it.
BMW put a drain plug on the '07 final drives.
Some cosmetic stuff like colors, etc...




3. is the final drive drama worth worrying about, if so does BMW still replace them?
Not for my bike. Its my understanding that the failures result from bearing failures. My tech recommended the FD bearings be replaced as a preventive measure, so I had it done at my 60,000 mile service. I know one guy personally who had a final drive failure in Chile (same 12GSA that now runs well with 120,000 miles). But it was barely in warranty (35,000 miles) and the Santiago BMW dealership came through, so he was lucky. I also know that there seemed to be more R1150 FD failures in the IBA Rally two years ago, than there were this year with the R1200 bikes. My suspicion is that internet traffic makes it appear that there are far more FD failures than actually exist. That may not be true, as my opinion is influenced by my never having a FD issue.



4. are the 1200's better than the 1150's (loaded question maybe)
I think so. I traded in an R1150R for my 12GS. IMHO the R12's powerplant is vastly superior. Smoother, faster, less clunky, etc..., and etc.... The R12 is also much lighter and nimbler than the R1150. And, for the American bikes (I'm assuming its true for Canadian and US), the 1150's tall 6th gear isn't very useful for anything but 80 MPH cruising. Shifting up from 5th in the R1150R felt like a shift from 5th to 7th, so on urban highways there never seemed to be a good gear. I prefer the R1200's 6th gear since its much better at nomral urban highway speeds, and is just fine for 85+ MPH. Again, just my $0.02.



Also, do a search at the GSpot forum at ADVrider.com. Lots of stuff there, too. Also, check out R1200GS.info.

Good luck!

[rjzinc]

I like the GS. I also rented a couple of times before purchase, put 3,000 miles on a rental in South Africa earlier this year. I found this '08 at a local BMW dealer. It is a recent trade-in on an 09 GSA. Do you have a picture to post of the '04/05 you are considering?

19715

RJ

[ridewv]

Hi all
I currently have a Ducati Multistrada and am thinking of selling it to buy a 2004 R1200gs with full Vario Cases.
The GS has 50k km (about 30k miles)
New tires and dealership offers limited warranty.
1. what is a reasonable price



In the US I'd think under $9K for sure. Not sure how that converts to your market though. I just bought an 05 with what your dealer is including for under $8K. I just took it out for my first ride and I *love* it! I have owned a GS1100 and 1150. As much fun as they were, I feel the 1200 is a giant leap forward. (Now I know what all you Hexhead people have been gloating about) :D