R1100 RT-P CHP Bike - any experience?

[Bistro]

Hi Folks,

I'm new here - my first post - thanks in advance for any advice.

I just came into possession of a 2000 R1100 RT-p. 76,528 miles - rides smooth, feels rock solid. Anyone know how CHP cared for their bikes? They have their own mechanics do regular service? What would they have done at 60K to ready this bike for sale? Would they have greased the gearbox-to-shaft drive splines? I have service records from the buyer - covering basic fluid, brake, tire, battery servicing. Have the original owners manual and Cyclemer service book. He put only 16K on it since he bought it in 2009. I want to take it cross country - Vermont to California and return - next spring. I'm an old chopper builder and comfortable with a wrench, rebuilt some HD and Honda bikes. Other than the usual scheduled service what should I be looking at?

• Originally titled 06/2000 to CHP
• Sold to Motorcycles of Manchester (NH) 03/04 with 60,217 miles
• Resold 09/2009 with 60,277 miles
• I purchased 9/2022 with 76,528 miles

I've only put a few hundred miles on this bike so far...

Thanks for any input!

Bistro!

[dirtrider]

20 minutes ago, Bistro said:

Hi Folks,

I'm new here - my first post - thanks in advance for any advice.

I just came into possession of a 2000 R1100 RT-p. 76,528 miles - rides smooth, feels rock solid. Anyone know how CHP cared for their bikes? They have their own mechanics do regular service? What would they have done at 60K to ready this bike for sale? Would they have greased the gearbox-to-shaft drive splines? I have service records from the buyer - covering basic fluid, brake, tire, battery servicing. Have the original owners manual and Cyclemer service book. He put only 16K on it since he bought it in 2009. I want to take it cross country - Vermont to California and return - next spring. I'm an old chopper builder and comfortable with a wrench, rebuilt some HD and Honda bikes. Other than the usual scheduled service what should I be looking at?

• Originally titled 06/2000 to CHP
• Sold to Motorcycles of Manchester (NH) 03/04 with 60,217 miles
• Resold 09/2009 with 60,277 miles
• I purchased 9/2022 with 76,528 miles

I've only put a few hundred miles on this bike so far...

Thanks for any input!

Bistro!

Afternoon Bistro!

 

No way of knowing what they did to that bike before sale. Most police departments do nothing to get them ready for sale. In fact most do nothing for quite a while before sale unless it was in daily usage right up to time of sale.

 

I can almost guarantee you that they never greased the splines as that isn't a BMW mandated service. The only time they might have greased the splines is if a new clutch was installed at one time. 

[Scott9999]

Understand that California is a big state, the CHP's territory is immense, and while they do have their own mechanics, for some of their bikes (possibly all of them), they work off a BMW Authority Division contract, which farms the maintenance out to local dealers.

 

As far as what the bike needs, I'd do the due diligence stuff.  Since you don't have a maintenance history or baseline, probably replace all of the fluids, including trans, final drive, engine oil, and flushing the brake lines.  Long trip?  Just replace the rubber and be done with it.  Mid-trip tire changes ... not fun, and you don't really know the age of those tires (i.e. the CHP could have retired the bike a year or two before it was sold, as they sell these things in batches.  Being an experienced wrench, you already know how to check the bike for worn bearings, brakes, and similar.   Things to look up:  brake flush, is a special procedure (i.e. because of the ABS pump).  I believe you can get a peek at the clutch (for wear, or oil contamination) by removing the starter and looking through that port.  Look up rebuilding the HES.  Regardless if it's been replaced previously, the insulation on the wires is probably dust.  Rewind it yourself with aviation grade wire.   Shock rebuilds by one of the companies out there that do that well, would probably change how that bike rids quite a bit.  Yeah, while your changing the final drive oil, dropping the final drive pulling the drive shaft housing, and getting a peak at the splines at both ends of that shaft is probably a good idea.   Can't recall, but I think that year still uses cables, if not for the brakes, certainly the throttle.  Again, look that stuff up, there was some maintenance tips on that too.

 

When I say "look it up", I don't mean in a manual.  Search this forum, bmwlt.com, and bmwmoa.com.  There is tons of info on those oilheads, from which you can benefit.  Used parts should be plentiful and available from beemerboneyard.com (or of course, ebay).  One of the issues you'll run into are the specialized tools required.  Guys on these forum have published ideas on making home made tools that are adequate to the purpose, plus, if you advertise, there's usually someone here willing to loan out a tool to a trustworthy member (least that's my experience).

 

I had a 2001 R1100RT-P.  The transmission lasted about 49,000 miles, or 5K past the day I bought it.   I pulled the trans and sent that it to Tim Cutter in Pennsylvania, who was able to employ used parts in his box of goodies plus a few new ones, to give me a cost efficient rebuild that made that trans shift like a honda, i.e. SMOOTH!  😁  So, while doing that, I R&R'd the clutch, rear transmission seal (frequent failure point, which then contaminates the clutch with trans oil), and every bearing I could reach on the bike.  Every mechanical wear item, plus some inexpensive things like fuel injectors, got R&R'd.   (I mean, I nothing but time on my hands until the transmission got back to me.🙄)   Another little thing:   See if you can pick up a GS air intake cone to attach to the fuel injector.  It'll give you some extra pop on acceleration, while maybe sacrificing a few MPH at the top end that you can afford to lose.

 

Have fun with your little project.  Those oilheads were good, fun bikes.  (At least, mine was.)

[George S.]

I once owned an ex-Napa California RT-P. It actually came with all its service records both by the city and dealer services. All regular maintenance they did in house, but it had a clutch done at a BMW dealer.

[Bistro]

A little update... thanks everyone for your input.

 

I've put a little over 5,000 miles on now - have done the usual: fluids, SS brake lines and pads, full brake fluid flush, fuel pump/filter/lines, starter motor, TB synch, fork seals, cam chain adjustor. Front wheel bearings and rubber happening now. Didn't do the cross country trip this year, but am riding a big loop from VT to Taos, NM to Boise ID and back this coming May-June. I expect all will go well. This old man goes on a major road trip!