R1200C

[Skywagon]

I know everybody on the planet except me thought these were super ugly and a bust.  Heck...I actually like the way they look.  I'm following one on an auction.  I don't know squat about them.  What are their issues?  What goes wrong with them?

 

 

 

900-Mile 2004 BMW R1200C Classic for sale on BaT Auctions - ending September 20 (Lot #84,934) | Bring a Trailer

[wbw6cos]

https://www.chromeheads.org/

 

 

I will say, for now, that a lot of parts/accessories are unobtanium.  You can find used on Chromeheads, as there are a few that part them out.

 

I can give you more info later on.   Time for breakfast.

 

Perhaps @The Rocketman will chime in; he has a better thought process than me and can pull up a LOT of info that would be beneficial to ya.

[TEWKS]

I will admit I scratched my head and proclaimed they to be the ugliest looking things to ever roll out of Berlin! But, as BMW has shown over time, it often takes me a while to see the value in what has been created in their own unique vision.
 

Or in other words, I’m starting to like them too! 

[wbw6cos]

Welcome to the Club, y'all.    

[dirtrider]

9 hours ago, Skywagon said:

I know everybody on the planet except me thought these were super ugly and a bust.  Heck...I actually like the way they look.  I'm following one on an auction.  I don't know squat about them.  What are their issues?  What goes wrong with them?

 

 

 

900-Mile 2004 BMW R1200C Classic for sale on BaT Auctions - ending September 20 (Lot #84,934) | Bring a Trailer

Morning David

 

I haven't personally worked on many, mostly maintenance & some fuel control issues. 

 

The few 1200C riders that I know just don't put a lot of miles on them.

 

As you will see in most pictures there are no throttle bodies mounted to the cylinder heads, the throttle body setup is kind of a centrally located nightmare mix of throttle cable control & electronic/electrical control (somewhat difficult to work on & set correctly if you are not fluent in 1200C fueling controls).

 

Check your PM's on this site as I sent you a throttle body assembly picture.  

[wbw6cos]

Typical issue common to bikes of that era.  I see OEM rubber brakeline on the rear; needs to be s/s braided.  Tires look like the low miles, but age.....?  

 

It runs real lean, so vacuum leaks cause issues.   Rubber parts get dried out; intake boots, vacuum nipple covers.  A lot of wire harness loom will start flaking.

 

Adding to dirtrider, the bike needs to be split for access to the air box, but not an issue for routine maintenance.

 

Access to the battery and air filter requires removing the fuel tank, but with metal quick connects for fuel lines, not an issue for me.

 

Another issue could be ABS, but I have ABS II on mine (not the whizzy brakes) and the one you are watching has ABS III on it.  If needing rebuild, that may be a problem.   Plenty of folks have by-passed ABS III.   I did have my ABS module re-built before MM added ABS III to their service and got swamped.  Supply chain also caused them to quit accepting new business.   Check their web site first.   

 

I have 116, 6xx miles on mine.  Electrical issues crop up every now and then, but for the most part no worries.

 

......... for now.

[The Rocketman]

Yeah....so maybe I'm a bit biased. Beauty (and ugliness) has always been in the eye of the beholder. I happen to think of the R1200C as rolling art. Certainly way more form over function from a design standpoint. That said, I've done 550 mile days on my cruisers. With the right seats, bar backs, etc., they can pretty comfortably munch up miles. I've been to Europe twice and did about 2,500 miles each time on a cruiser without difficulty. The 120-150 mile tank range kind of sucks. The 60 +/- horsepower is nothing to write home about, but using the gears correctly gets me moving pretty quickly, and with a top speed of about 105 mph I won't be setting any land speed records, but that's plenty fast most of the time, and there's gobs of torque. If I feel I need more performance, speed or a bit more comfort I'll take out my RT. Not much to look at, but it does all things very well. Over the years, one of the biggest benefits to owning my cruisers are the people I've met because of them. Pull into a parking lot filled with bikes on your RT or GS and you'll get a nod. Pull in on a cruiser, and a crowd gathers, asking a million questions, not sure if its old or new, or exactly what it is or how it works. BTW, I have friends with in excess of 200,000 miles on their cruisers. With routine maintenance you know boxers can last forever.

These bikes have eventually landed me as the Administrator of the www.Chromheads.org Forum, where I have made lifelong friends all around the world.

I think the newish R18 could be the next opportunity to see if a somewhat odd bike creates a cult following years later.

 

 

 

 

[Skywagon]

Thanks all...I've written to the seller to ask a few questions about ABS maintenance/flush, Tires original, any maintenance at all.  With only 900 miles it may not have had anything done at all which would scare me off.

 

DR....thanks for info and picture on TB setup.  I didn't know it would be that much different than my former 2005 1150RT.  

 

I've always liked those bikes (I know rare) but just assumed it was de-tuned oil head RT engine.  I'm still watching.

 

Rocketman....Those are awesome looking.  I see you have a Russell seat so assume the factory seat is the typical 2x4 covered in vinyl.

[The Rocketman]

The stock cruiser seat isn't terrible and some folks love them. They actually made an R1200C comfort seat (flatter, wider and more cushion) but hard to find these days. I have a bony ass so needed some cushioning. At 6'2" I also have a 34" inseam and although the somewhat forward controls allow me to stretch out, the Russell seat gives me about another 1-1/2" inches of height. I use a Russell on both cruisers, and changed from Russell to Sargent on my RT. 

Can't imagine anyone flushing or doing any maintenance on the ABS of a 900 mile bike, nor would I assume anything would be wrong with it with that low mileage. But nothing is guaranteed with a used bike.

[TEWKS]

1 hour ago, The Rocketman said:

 

 

 

I remember the story on this bike being somewhat of a fishing expedition, or, at least not as easy as going down to the local dealership and plopping down your money. 

[The Rocketman]

Correct. You have a good memory. This one is the "Holy Grail" I picked up in Etobicoke, Ontario, Canada. Took me 11 years to find it. Months of headaches and red tape getting it over the border and registered in the US. Only 350 commemorative models made worldwide when BMW decided to bail from the cruiser market; only 6 made it to North America-all in Canada. All were built in late 2004 and are the only cruisers registered in 2005. I have the only one in the country. Was elated to get my hands on one.......

 

 

[Skywagon]

Rocketman...do you know if there were any recalls on those?  If so I wonder if BMW would still cover it.

[The Rocketman]

There were a few NHTSA recalls early on for fuel line quick disconnects, head bolt bearings, break lever service & the back rest flip up seat. These bikes are approaching 25 years old now, and as most of these recalls were from 1999, the chances are slim to none you'll get a BMW dealer to do these for free anymore. After 2000, they pretty much worked out all the kinks. They did improve them in 2004 by adding twin-spark and a few other upgrades. Now we just buy these and fix whatever's broken ourselves. As a matter of fact, you'd be hard pressed to find any factory BMW dealer who would even work on these anymore. Best to learn how to fix it yourself or find a good, local independent mechanic.

 

Over the years our Forum has grown to be perhaps the most comprehensive, one-model bike-related Forum in the world. Through generous technical contributions from our worldwide members we have documented most every way to break, repair, upgrade, modify and enjoy the cruiser. One of our main goals (with rare exception)  is to actually keep you out of the dealer.

[Skywagon]

Thanks Rocketman....I'm a pretty good BMW wrench.   Did all my work on airhead and oilhead.  Haven't had to do any work on wethead so far.

[The Rocketman]

Owning a cruiser is like stepping back in time. GS-911 is pretty useless. No tach (except on the Montauk or CL). No fuel gauge. If you like clunky bikes that get attention, shake, rattle, blow wind in places you didn't know you had, and put a smile on your face.....it's a great, fun bike.

[Skywagon]

Well....Im out.  The bid is now $4500 with a day or so left so likely to go higher.  By the time I go from Housto to Philly to get it and return it, change out a few critical parts like stainless brake lines, new tires etc, I would be over $6000-$7000 into it.  That is more of a chance than I think I can take on a 19-year-old bike with 900 miles.  Oh well....wasn't sure how I was going to explain to the wife it had been in the garage the whole time, you just didn't see it.

 

Post Auction:  High bid was $6750 and reserve not met. Interesting