I have a deposit on this bike. What do you think?

[PJBrendel]

OK, so I have long wanted an r1150r. I've had a BMW R1200C and a Multistrada 620, but I'm currently bike less. This looks like a really good deal so a put a $200 dollar (non-refundable) deposit on it until I can get up to Brewster next week. Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated. I would like to become a participating member of this forum. (They have the mirrors)

http://newyork.craigslist.org/wch/mcy/1589081862.html

Thanks

Paul

[riceburner]

It's had a low speed drop on the right, but that shouldn't have done any damage. Worth a haggle though?


dunno what the exchange rate is at the mo....

[PJBrendel]

Thanks RB,
That would be about 3650 Pounds Sterling. I saw the cylinder head on the right side and figured it was dropped, but the scratch looks a bit too much for a drop now that you mention it.

[Airman]

OK, so I have long wanted an r1150r. I've had a BMW R1200C and a Multistrada 620, but I'm currently bike less. This looks like a really good deal so a put a $200 dollar (non-refundable) deposit on it until I can get up to Brewster next week. Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated. I would like to become a participating member of this forum. (They have the mirrors)

http://newyork.craigslist.org/wch/mcy/1589081862.html

Thanks

Paul

I think it looks pretty good, unless there turns out to be more to that scratch than the pictures show. I would check to be sure there was no damage to the bar stops. It has ABS as well, which you may or may not want, but in any case was an expensive option when new. 17,000 miles hardly broken in for one of these.

[boxermania]

It looks like a good deal to me.....it’s always good to ask for a little more discount.

Now what I see:

The scratch on the valve cover is nothing to worry about; if you look closely it has no indication of movement, so it was a no speed drop. The headlight is fogged; there must be a way for humidity to get in there. ABS is a plus for some riders and there is a process of acclimatization.

Extra accessories, front to back
Chromed timing belt cover
Chromed front master cylinder cover and clutch cover
Barbacks
Bar ends, cruise control
Corbin seat
After market final drive locator
Additional LED stop light

The above accessories, excluding the bling, will make the ownership more pleasant, as a fair amount of owners go for seat, barbacks and cruise control. The tires seem fairly new.

Most important, get as much warranty as you can, not only for your peace of mind, but because it is transferable and a good selling point if and when you decide to sell the bike.

Good luck and hope for good weather so you can get some miles under your belt. Welcome aboard.

[PJBrendel]

Thanks for the replies along with the list of options. I saw the abs brakes, which I do want but was not aware of the others. I'm going to head up there Monday and if it looks as good in person it will live on Long Island. They offer one of those extended Warranties but I'll have to get the specifics. I've been wanting one of these for a long time.

Paul

[tcm92678]

It's nice in silver. My advice is don't worry about the aesthetics. See if he'll let you test drive. The most importan thing is the engine and transmission. Everything else is pure aesthetics. As for that scratch on the right engine guard, I bought my black R1150R brand new and I've put scratches on mine already from hitting the sidewalls of my apartment complex. I'm sure it's very common. I don't see any major damage. I would pay $3500-4000 range considering the mileage on it. Definitely haggle, and I would definitely get the warranty. I didn't get a warranty and sure wished that I did. Good luck riding and have fun.

[PJBrendel]

TCM,

I thought $5600 was a good price. There aren't a lot of them around here and the Kelly blue book said $6900, which I know is only a very rough ball park figure.

Thanks

Paul

[tlwood28]

PJ, all in all, I think it is a very nice looking bike.

As pointed out before, there are a lot of accessories on the bike. In addition to the previous list, I note the passenger handles and luggage rack which allow you to add side panniers (bags) to the bike.

Also, I see additional bling in the way of a metal oil plug and a few other metal caps. Some like all the bling, others do not, but all can agree that this stuff is not cheap.

Not to niggle with Boxermania who knows allot more about these bikes than me, but so that you don't misunderstand, its not cruise control but a throttle lock. I don't have one, but I would consider it nice to have.

The Corbin seat looks very nice, and I would think much preferred to the OEM seats which most agree are torture. Some complain that Corbin seats can be too hard, others love them. I mention this so that you can be aware of the issue. A replacement seat on the used market by Sargent, the main other aftermarket seat competitor, probably could be had on the used market for what you would get for the Corbin if you decided you didn't like it.

The magnesium cylinder head covers are expensive. I think you are looking at $300-$400 to replace just the one (someone correct me please if I am wrong). It is purely cosmetic damage so most would say not to bother. Another alternative that I would think might work are engine guards ($125) that will cover part of the damage, and it looks shallow enough that you could probably sand and cover with some silver paint and never see it.

I personally don't believe in after market warranties as a rule because they are a kind of insurance that is pricey for the coverage, but others like the peace of mind. Read the warranties carefully before you purchase. Also know who is providing the coverage. The small companies that you never heard of go out of business and your warranty is rendered useless.

I see the fogged headlamp. Makes me wonder why. Can't say I have seen that reported before. Someone mentioned moisture but the shell is open to the outside so how can that be? Is it possible an HID was added and the heat caused it to fog? I don't know, but would want an answer to that.

The LED add on light is a good thing, but the wiring is just left hanging over the side? Looks amateurish to me. I would take the seat off and look at the wiring to the battery and see if it looks professionally done. Maybe it is something that just came out and needs to be tucked back under.

Who ever once owned the bike added a lot of farkles (stuff) to the bike which suggests some TLC at least sometime in its life. I would ask to look at the maintenance records, and many here live and die by them. If they don't have them you have perhaps another haggle point. If I liked the bike though I would still buy it, although maybe there will throw in some limited time warranty.

I don't think the price is bad at all, particularly from a dealer. In fact, I would say it is pretty good even from a private seller. You can search the Buy/Sell on this site and see what you think. Also, Steve Nelson on this forum taught me a way to search all of Craigslist. Go to Google and search this: allintitle: "r1150r" site:craigslist.org/mcy 1..6500 and see for yourself what people are asking for the bikes.

In sum, as far as pictures go, it looks like a very fine bike with a future in Long Island. I can attest (as everyone here) that these are great bikes, and find the prices an absolute steal for what you get.

If you buy the bike you also have available to you one of the best support forums there is.

Good luck on the purchase, PJ.

Tom W.

[snelson200]

tt

[boxermania]

My thanks to tlwood28 for the additional notes as I had one of my senior moments and throttle lock didn't come to mind, likewise, I did forget the aftermarket oil fill plug.

One other thing to do is get the dealer to pull the work on the bike, if they are a BMW dealer, they can pull anything that was done under warranty, they can't pull maintenance work, unless it was done at that particular dealership. Maintenance work is not shared on the BMW network.

Yes, haggle on the price.....and request a road test, weather permitting that is.

[PJBrendel]

WOW, this has been tremendously helpful! The place that I'm buying from took the bike in on trade. They are small parts and Suzuki dealer and not a BMW dealer so they I don’t think they would have any warrantee info. They said the power train has to be warranteed for 90 days due to the NYS lemon law, so that’s a plus. I'll have to see if they can give any additional warranties especially if the roads are going to be as bad as I'm expecting. The Craigslist url is a great way to compare prices nation wide.

I can't say "thank you" enough!

Paul

[boxermania]

You are still OK, get the VIN and call a local BMW dealer, ask them to run the warranty work check for you. It might help if you tell them that you are contemplating the purchase of a bike and are looking for a dealer. Hey, the one you call might have been the one that sold the bike and if any repairs where done there, they will have the records.

[sweatmark]

Bike looks great. As mentioned, there's a bunch of expensive accessorizing.

If you plan to keep the bike and ride the wheels off it, then you're looking at an excellent long-term bargain.

You will have the benefit of this community and its wealth of R1150R experience.

[Team Airedale]

Get it and ride it already! I pulled the trigger on an 03 last Sept, and loving it. For comparison, mine is a 2003 1150R, bought with 29K miles, system cases, bmw tank bag, gel pad in seat, and paid 4500 OTD in oklahoma.

[PJBrendel]

Nice bike there Team Airedale. Me thinks you got an awesomely good deal!
Now I really can't wait to get there and see the bike on Monday!

PJB

[TicTac50]

Nice bike there Team Airedale. Me thinks you got an awesomely good deal!
Now I really can't wait to get there and see the bike on Monday!

PJB

Good deal. Nice bike. Go for it.
By the summer she will be your best friend and will take you to Redmond, OR
Good Luck.

[R1150Rclean]

MAKE sure the ABS works properly, otherwise it is an expensive repair. Also check the front/rear shock seals for leaking oil (in addition to the forks). Take it for a ride, a hard ride, and then pull the plugs to see if they are clean. All before you buy it.

[tlwood28]

MAKE sure the ABS works properly, otherwise it is an expensive repair. Also check the front/rear shock seals for leaking oil (in addition to the forks). Take it for a ride, a hard ride, and then pull the plugs to see if they are clean. All before you buy it.

Great point but for PJ's benefit now, and perhaps mine one day, how exactly do you go about doing that?

I could see getting the bike up to speed and then hammering both the front and rear brakes to see if the bike throws you off as a surefire indication whether ABS is working or not, but maybe not such a good idea

So what is the safe way to do that?

[PJBrendel]

Thanks, for the advice RClean. TL, I was thinking I would break hard from about 40 mph and then when I got down to about 15 mph try to lock up the back wheel, then I would try the same for the front wheel on the next run. Hopefully the ABS will kick in and it won't "lock up" I want to have enough momentum so that I don't come to a dead stop when I apply the death grip. Hope it works! Full gear of course!

Paul