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BMW - Would You Buy It?

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tshelfer

tshelfer

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Tim
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Shelfer
OK, Beemer experts, and I know you're out there -

A buddy of mine, Brian, is interested in buying this bike. I'm not real BMW-savvy, so am asking those of you who are. This appears to be a sport tour. So:
- Comfortable on the highway?
- Any known major service issues?
- What's great about it?
- What stinks about it?

Here's a link to the particular bike up for sale: http://www.cleanharleys.com/vehicles/2542/2009-bmw-k1300gt-premium

If you know big Beemers in general and this bike in particular, I'd value your opinion. If you don't.... well, you know.....
 
That's why I won't ride it. I'd come home with a BMW and my wife would kill me. :duck:
 
PM Not Dave on the board. He has either a 1200GT or 1300GT, I can't remember, but very much the same bikes. He rode on a long eastern loop trip and can tell you how it was. I rode one many years ago as a loaner while my GSA was in the shop, but only had it a few hours. I was surprised at how docile it was at low rpm. It does rev to the moon, but I didn't test that.
 
As K bikes go, bullet proof engine, wet clutch rather than the single disk dry nightmare, decent ergos, more power than a minor god.

Down side to consider: if for some reason the ABS pump goes out ( I ruptured a brake line on my K bike and it took the ABS sensor diaphragm with it ) then repair is a new and extremely expensive pump. These can't be rebuilt.
 
it is a K1300GT, stock with ESA suspension, cruise control, heated seats/grips. 6 speed about 150 HP.

Feels heavy under 5mph but give it a bit of speed and it is a rocket on rails. maintance is a bit hard because of the plastics and filling the radiator is a bit different.

see if you can get the VIN number and call a BMW dealer to see what recalls have or have not done.

I had my 07 abs pump rebuilt a couple of months ago for $250

I had a 06 and now a 07
 
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Thanks for all the good info, guys Looks like Brian has made the decision to make an offer on it tomorrow.
 
one thing to keep in mind is that at 37K miles it is about due for shocks.

Front ESA is $1560
Rear ESA is $3350

if he wanted to go with non-ESA I have a set of lowered Wilbers coming next week and the pair are $1500 or so.
 
I'm was just looking. Surprised that Wilbers doesn't have an ESA replacement for that bike. They do for several others. But you are right, aftermarket are way cheaper than BMW replacements.
 
WoodButcher said:
I'm was just looking. Surprised that Wilbers doesn't have an ESA replacement for that bike. They do for several others. But you are right, aftermarket are way cheaper than BMW replacements.
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I know but as I am constant on riding and have not found anyone crazy enough to ride 2 up with me and when I get the bike back I will load it like taking a light trip and set the sag and count the turns and then write it done on the inside of a side case so I wont really need ESA.
 
Yep, preload is the main reason I've liked my ESA. I'm pretty sure I'd be too lazy to manually crank it up and down.
 
I have to do the manual adjust with my GS so I am used to it. with a 28" inseam I have to get lower shocks any way.

I have to call BMW OKC at 9 so I will ask them to check this VIN to see if recalls are up to date and if there is a maintenance record for it.
 
Waco said:
Sounds like the kind of bike that makes anything remotely close to legal speeds boring. I try to avoid such bikes.
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My FJR is a road rocket. That said, it's still a ton of fun at legal speeds, but if you are in a hurry, well, you can get yourself in trouble if you choose to do so. I'd bet this one is very similar in that regard.

This looks like a comfy mile/curve eater for sure.

I see in the description that they added optional heated seats. Are those BMW heated seats? The design looks a lot like what a few of the aftermarket guys put out.
 
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part of it is advertising hype, both of my GT's had heated grips and seat, the chrome luggage rack is the one on the top case.
 
Jason, it does have heated seats, according to the ad. Oddly, when I found a road test of an '09 K1300GT standard (not the premium edition), they compared it to an FJR. The magazine called it pretty much a draw for performance and handling.

Like I said, this isn't even for me; it's for my buddy Brian, who has a TWT logon but lost it years ago, and is following this read-only. Are you reading this, Brian? Time to find your logon id, Brother.

Okay, shocks. Other than leaky seals, what telltale stuff should we be looking for? Bad shocks are tricky to identify even on modern cars, since gas shocks don't get wallowy like old-fashioned oil shocks did.
 
Oh, one other question: How much "fun" is it removing the rear wheel for tire changes?
 
Tire changes are not to bad, I do mine on a lift table.

All recalls have been done up to date and the bike is from Atlanta, ga
 
tshelfer said:
Jason, it does have heated seats, according to the ad. Oddly, when I found a road test of an '09 K1300GT standard (not the premium edition), they compared it to an FJR. The magazine called it pretty much a draw for performance and handling.
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Well, then just throwing this out there, unless he's smitten by the roundel, he could also take a look at an FJR as well. Price will likely be similar, and will likely need suspension work, but would be much cheaper to do. Aftermarket shock on the rear and a rebuild of the front end. Similar year is a good year for the FJR.

Not necessarily trying to sway him from this bike as it's a beauty, just letting him know that similar options exist to look at, or to keep in mind if this one falls through.
 
No expert by a long shot.

But since I bought my first BMW in May, an RT, its been quite the learning curve.

- Comfortable on the highway?

Get the bars set, get the height set, get the pegs set, the shifter and brake lever set ... OMG, yes, they are comfortable ... hours long comfortable.

I lifted the bars, lowered the pegs and bought an extended shifter and it made a huge difference in comfort.

I added a Russell Day-long and was set.


- Any known major service issues?

Can't speak to the K.


- What's great about it?

If you've ever had a bike with a real, works well cruise control, then you know what's great about it. It adds miles and hours to a trip simply from the lack of driver fatigue.

On my RT, kick the screen up while riding in a rain shower, at 35+ mph, I stay amazingly dry. Fairing and screen create a bubble of air the rider sits in. The rider may get pelted, but ...


- What stinks about it?

Parts are freaking expensive. My RT is amazingly basic, once the tupperware is stripped away. Plenty of room to work and well engineered layout. But, if it's for a BMW, double the price.

And you can't pass a Starbucks. Mine will cough and sputter every drive-by. And unless I park against the red curb while ordering the vanilla latte, it won't start. :rofl:



As a reference point, I paid just over $9K for my 09 R1200RT with 9200 miles on it.
 
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TX White Knight,
Who rebuilt the unit?
My disaster was two years ago and at that time no one could perform the service. It's what keeps me from buying another beemer with ABS II.
New unit was $2350.00 + install at the time.
 
tshelfer said:
You must have checked the VIN, Steve. Thanks.
Click to expand...

Yes sir they just need the 2 letters and the numbers after that.

when I found my 07 I asked why it was so cheap and they said it rattled so i had the VIN checked out and found that none of the recalls or service bulletins had been done. So I got and had some of them done here but had to send it to OKC for the service bulletin work. that is where it is now ;-)
 
mitchntx said:
- What's great about it?
On my RT, kick the screen up while riding in a rain shower, at 35+ mph, I stay amazingly dry. Fairing and screen create a bubble of air the rider sits in.
Click to expand...
FJR is much the same, but....

- What stinks about it?
Whenever it rains you'll put up the screen and then all the morons in their cars will slow down to about 10mph and you'll get soaked anyway. :rofl:

tshelfer said:
You called it, Jason. He's smitten.
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Gotcha, it happens. Good luck to him.
 
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