New to the RT

[Auron]

I'm looking at a 2013 with 15K, not sure about maintenance records yet.

 

How much routine work can be done by (me) a mechanic of average ability (and tool availability) and would it hurt re-sale value?   I'd plan on documenting with pictures. 

 

Thanks in advance

[Auron]

What kind of options does it have?

 

[9Mary7]

That looks like it has everything except Nav.... which would have been a dealer installed option in 2013. I may be a little biased but I feel the 2011 thru 2013 Camhead to be the pinnacle of oil cooled 1200RT's.

With your stated ability you should have no trouble performing the routine scheduled maintenance.

Get a manual. With 15k miles it will only have been serviced three times (600, 6k, and 12k) unless the owner did annuals as well. Easy to bring it current in an afternoon of service with engine oil/filter, trans oil, final drive oil and brake fluid flush. Check the brake pads and the air filter, the valve clearances are checked every 6k and usually don't change. Tire date codes need to be within 5 years (although everyone has differing opinions on tire age). Maintenance logs are a good idea when one does their own service. 

Forum guidance is always available, as well as a multitude of suggestions from other owners.

Welcome to the forum!!

[MichiganBob]

Welcome to the world of the RT Auron. I'm on my fourth so naturally I'm biased. This forum has some very skilled contributors who can help you through any basic maintenance that is required. They have made some great YouTube instructional guides for different year RT's.

 

Enjoy the ride.

 

MichiganBob 

[Grouchy]

Welcome to the forum. I'm on my first RT as well, having been only a metric bike owner before. 

The RT was a bit of a shock to me, but I'm slowly learning to enjoy it.  It is without a doubt one of the most comfortable bikes I've owned. It is also not without it's idiosyncrasies that can be frustrating. Give it time, I nearly put mine up for sale after the first couple of weeks, but was councilors by forum members to give it some time. Maybe we are all victims of Stockholm Syndrome?😏

It's not terribly difficult to work on and there are a lot of resources available online and in this forum to help out.

 

[Danny caddyshack Noonan]

Welcome.  You might find that a small, palm sized, cordless screwdriver/kit comes in handy for the body work and other select fasteners.  Mark the most applicable torx drivers for easy acquisition and use.  I avoid my big cordless drivers due to the torque and speed.  A post-it note or small pieced of printed paper under the seat with the sizes for most of the screws also makes hunting for drivers and sockets mostly a non-issue.

A GS-911 will seal the deal on diagnosing and resetting the computer.

Edit: If your wife is on the back seat and tells you her butt is hot, you can agree.  But, it also means you probably have heated rear seat.  

[Grouchy]

9 minutes ago, Danny caddyshack Noonan said:

Welcome.  You might find that a small, palm sized, cordless screwdriver/kit comes in handy for the body work and other select fasteners.  Mark the most applicable torx drivers for easy acquisition and use.  I avoid my big cordless drivers due to the torque and speed.  A post-it note or small pieced of printed paper under the seat with the sizes for most of the screws also makes hunting for drivers and sockets mostly a non-issue.

A GS-911 will seal the deal on diagnosing and resetting the computer.

Edit: If your wife is on the back seat and tells you her butt is hot, you can agree.  But, it also means you probably have heated rear seat.  

Good advice on the torx. VERY good advice on the heated seat!

[VaR1200RT]

I have the JBV dvd which covers most of the standard routine work and as other have said youtube and also the forums have a lot of information. Very easy bikes to work on.  I bought mine with 12k on it and with 52 k on it the valves have stayed in spec and never needed adjusting.

Bemmer bone yard sells a 12K kit with all the filters, sparkplugs and everything needed for that service for less than the dealer.

[dirtrider]

On 12/25/2021 at 1:22 PM, Auron said:

I'm looking at a 2013 with 15K, not sure about maintenance records yet.

 

How much routine work can be done by (me) a mechanic of average ability (and tool availability) and would it hurt re-sale value?   I'd plan on documenting with pictures. 

 

Thanks in advance

Afternoon Auron

 

Being  "a mechanic of average ability" is all you need, mechanical ability wise, for most maintenance & minor repair work. The important thing is in understanding the entire process BEFORE proceeding so costly mistakes are not made.

 

For more than normal maintenance items a healthy dose of mechanical ingenuity & some fabrication skills are a BIG help in making special tools & finding work-arounds for expensive dealer-only tools & special fixtures. 

 

A GS-911 diagnostic tool is a big help for most at-home electronics & complex systems diagnosis but with a full understanding of the onboard systems operation & a good electrical/electronics head on your shoulders it usually isn't absolutely needed, but sure makes diagnostic's a lot easier & a lot quicker.  

 

There is a lot of help on this website to help you & guide you so use that option whenever possible (it can save you a lot of heartbreak)