Show us your Oilhead!

[szurszewski]

16 hours ago, SANTA said:

So i've upgraded this yr. sold my 03 r11s, bought a Duc st3s... what a mistake, sold that and then bought this nice 04 r11s, red like the "Baron"  70k km

 

 

I had been casually looking for a Ducati ST for several years since they seemed to be at their nadir, price-wise, and came upon a great deal on one via ADV. I had also been looking in the same casual way for R1100S for the same reasons. Happened that I broke the Ducati and then almost immediately found a similarly great deal on an S. I found them to be similar in a lot of ways and liked them both. If I had to choose between them, the S - it feels more planted and comfortable and is "easier" to ride (for me). The ST did feel lighter and sportier. I think the are maybe equally pretty. I guess it's notable that I liked the S enough to buy another one (but then sold it) and didn't bother to fix or replace the Ducati (though, I sold it broken for only about a thousand less than I'd paid for it working, full serviced, w/new tires...I put 6k or so on it, so not a bad deal!).

 

 

 

[SANTA]

 i found this really nice 06 ST3s and had it out for one hard trip (lots of miles in a short time) it wasn't happy until it was over 5k rpm it was really high strung and  not that comfortable. and with all the usually gofast ducati dudads it was way over rich until 9000rpm+. i dont ride there.  when i got it i called it the italian princess, by the time i sold it, it was called the italian bitch. I guess i just got no Italian genes in my pool....

[9Mary7]

12 minutes ago, SANTA said:

 i found this really nice 06 ST3s and had it out for one hard trip (lots of miles in a short time) it wasn't happy until it was over 5k rpm it was really high strung and  not that comfortable. and with all the usually gofast ducati dudads it was way over rich until 9000rpm+. i dont ride there.  when i got it i called it the italian princess, by the time i sold it, it was called the italian bitch. I guess i just got no Italian genes in my pool....

Unfortunate that a "Tuner" f'ed up the bike.  While a little high strung, the ST3 is a sweet ride in stock trim....you probably would love a stock one.

[SANTA]

the original owner of the st3s rolled it from the showroom into the shop and added every gofast /DP part available, but when you buy it used theres no control over whats been done, it was nice but i prefer my bmw.

[RPG]

15 hours ago, SANTA said:

 i found this really nice 06 ST3s and had it out for one hard trip (lots of miles in a short time) it wasn't happy until it was over 5k rpm it was really high strung and  not that comfortable. and with all the usually gofast ducati dudads it was way over rich until 9000rpm+. i dont ride there.  when i got it i called it the italian princess, by the time i sold it, it was called the italian bitch. I guess i just got no Italian genes in my pool....

Beautiful bike. I had a buddy who had one and three of us decided to do a Track Day together. Me on my '04 RT (with 90,000 miles), my buddy Mark on his R1100s and Tim on his Duc. Mark and I trailered our bikes so we could bring tents, camping gear, etc. Tim ribbed us the whole morning about "old guys on BMW's", "at least I rode mine here", "nothing sounds like a Ducati"........until..........the session after lunch when his bike broke down and we discovered one of the fuel injectors had stuck OPEN. With key on, fuel was pouring into the rear cylinder. So, we had to make room on our trailer for a dead Duc (5k miles) LOL

[King Herald]

This is my old girl somewhere in France a few years ago. I've removed the passenger seat, put a parcel deck on, solid mounted the bags 10" narrower than the Triumph they came from, Air Hawk seat and sheepskin seat cover. 

 

[mrduck]

Oil head # 2……..put 98,000 on the first one, sold it, liked it so much bought another one with 20,000 miles. 
 

Don J

[PopPop]

11 minutes ago, mrduck said:

Oil head # 2……..put 98,000 on the first one, sold it, liked it so much bought another one with 20,000 miles. 
 

Don J

What's going on with those spark plug covers? Haven't seen any shaped like that before.

[taylor1]

Elf pegs ?

[mrduck]

Folding foot rests, for the boring parts of the ride😎

[PopPop]

9 minutes ago, mrduck said:

Folding foot rests, for the boring parts of the ride😎

Well son of a gun. That's the bee's knees. Wonder if anyone is still selling them.

[775R1150R]

Just got this 02' R1150R a few weeks ago. Rides great! Hate the controls on it though. Turn signals and turn signal off switch should both be operated by the left hand. At least that's what I'm used to with every other bike I've owned. Other than that tough, probably the best, most comfortable bike I've owned.

 

[dmsantam]

1 minute ago, 775R1150R said:

Just got this 02' R1150R a few weeks ago. Rides great! Hate the controls on it though. Turn signals should, and turn signal off switch should both be operated by the left hand. At least that's what I'm used to with every other bike I've owned. Other than that tough, probably the best, most comfortable bike I've owned.

 

nice bike mate. I think, you'll come around to the controls, I certainly did even after many years of Japanese bikes with them on the left. enjoy

[PopPop]

7 minutes ago, 775R1150R said:

Just got this 02' R1150R a few weeks ago. Rides great! Hate the controls on it though. Turn signals and turn signal off switch should both be operated by the left hand. At least that's what I'm used to with every other bike I've owned. Other than that tough, probably the best, most comfortable bike I've owned.

 

Great looking machine. Agreed on the signal controls. Still struggling to unlearn 30 yrs of the usual setup. Oh, how many "what's that jerk honking at" have I caused? 

[775R1150R]

2 hours ago, PopPop said:

Great looking machine. Agreed on the signal controls. Still struggling to unlearn 30 yrs of the usual setup. Oh, how many "what's that jerk honking at" have I caused? 

I only honk my horn on this thing if I want to use my turn signal. ;-)

[SANTA]

3 hours ago, 775R1150R said:

Just got this 02' R1150R a few weeks ago. Rides great! Hate the controls on it though. Turn signals and turn signal off switch should both be operated by the left hand. At least that's what I'm used to with every other bike I've owned. Other than that tough, probably the best, most comfortable bike I've owned.

 

in my opinion, it is a more intuitive method to effect the turn signals, stay open minded and it will come.  if you fight it, you will never be happy,  bmw wen to the universla japanese system likely for reduced cost ,  the old saying "if you cant beat em, join em" does not apply here

[Miguel!]

4 hours ago, 775R1150R said:

Just got this 02' R1150R a few weeks ago. Rides great! Hate the controls on it though. Turn signals and turn signal off switch should both be operated by the left hand. At least that's what I'm used to with every other bike I've owned. Other than that tough, probably the best, most comfortable bike I've owned.

Many of us have replaced the BMW flasher with the Kisan Signal Minder flasher which provides a few more useful functions over the original flasher. I like it a LOT better than the base OEM flasher functions, personally. Congrats on the new bike

[Redfoxx]

It winter with salty roads here.  Getting a little work done to  it since I got in August, it was a little behind on maintenance. 

 I hope it doesnt catch cold with no tupperware. 

[terryofperry]

My 2002 R1150 RS

 

 

 

 

Terry

[Danceswithdeer]

Fun thread! Here's my '99 RS enjoying a local canyon..

 

[9Mary7]

I love them RS'

[roadscholar]

16 hours ago, Danceswithdeer said:

Fun thread! Here's my '99 RS enjoying a local canyon..

 

 

used to have one identical, one of my all time favorite motorcycles. 

[johnnyseko]

'04 R1150R purchased 2 months ago.  26k miles total on her.  My first BMW.

 

Was a balmy 42F here yesterday and got out for a little over an hour.   

[Bistro]

From cold and snowy Bristol, Vermont, USA. My 2000 R1100 RT-P.

[fatbob]

On 11/17/2023 at 5:22 PM, PopPop said:

Well son of a gun. That's the bee's knees. Wonder if anyone is still selling them.

Sierra BMW I believe.     

[Paddler]

On 1/2/2024 at 1:01 PM, 775R1150R said:

Just got this 02' R1150R a few weeks ago. Rides great! Hate the controls on it though. Turn signals and turn signal off switch should both be operated by the left hand. At least that's what I'm used to with every other bike I've owned. Other than that tough, probably the best, most comfortable bike I've owned.

 

Nice looking bike!  I actually prefer the turns signal controls on my R1100R.  The new ones feel flimsy and cheap.

[Balibeemer]

My converted

 

 

 

 

R1150 RT P

[DeadEye]

On 1/14/2024 at 2:08 PM, Paddler said:

Nice looking bike!  I actually prefer the turns signal controls on my R1100R.  The new ones feel flimsy and cheap.

Huh, I’ve never seen one of those « up here » , not that I’ve seen every model either… interesting looking ! 
Yes their choice of controls are Special, but you get used to them ;)

[Brodiepunker18]

Wow seeing all these bikes and minus the GS, not a single RT has the spoked wheels like mine. I was told but several people it was pretty rare to have them…and I hate cleaning them but damn I love how they look.

 

also a picture of my son and I after his first ride with me last year. He’s 6.

 

 

[SANTA]

where did they sell them with wire wheels?  or is it a conversion?

[RogerC60]

Wire spoke wheels and scalloped brake rotors!

[Brodiepunker18]

7 hours ago, SANTA said:

where did they sell them with wire wheels?  or is it a conversion?

From what I was told by those who know more than I do, wire wheels were an option. Also a lot of police bikes initially came with them.

 

 Mine came stock with them. Not a conversion. The geometry with the wire wheels is a bit different because the rest is a 17 and the front is an 18. So my tire choices are infinitely better than those with the cast 18 rear.

[Brodiepunker18]

5 hours ago, RogerC60 said:

Wire spoke wheels and scalloped brake rotors!

When I did a bunch of maintenance and preventative maintenance in the spring of 2022 I redid my brakes completely. White stainless lines, rebuilt all 3 calipers with new pistons and seals, rebuilt both master cylinders and I did new pads and rotors.

 

 They are galfer rotors, lines and pads. It stops on a dime. And I love the look of them. Definitely not the norm.

[Cpn Kelly]

Picked her up for £600 not running. She was standing in a garage for 18 years. One owner, now sick. 18k on clock. 

 

£1k on the road with new tyres, battery, fuel pump, plugs, oils, and MOT. 

 

I am now ready to install the cage for the dog, but I think I need to make it a bit smaller?!

 

I plan to tour Europe for 3 months this summer. But, I know that my trailbiking heart will draw me off-road. Any suggestions with tyres? Is there such a thing as a sump guard for her? Is the TET a foolish idea?

 

I have a strange paint bubbling on the front plastic work. Anyone know what it is?

 

By very happy to hear your thoughts on the bike and my intentions...

[Cpn Kelly]

On 10/19/2023 at 3:11 AM, RK Ryder said:

My '98 currently with 251,000 km on the odometre.

Where did you get that trailer? I'd love one of those!

[RK Ryder]

1 hour ago, Cpn Kelly said:

Where did you get that trailer? I'd love one of those!

 

Glad that you like my Amoric trailer; I like it too!

 

I picked it up locally, (used) back in 2014 for very reasonable sum. It weighs 55 pounds and can carry 100 pounds. It is invisible when it comes to braking and acceleration. The capacity is 7 cubic feet. Since this photo was taken in 2014, I've added a spooked wheel, rear flashing LED brake lights and a electrical outlet inside for charging items, as well as some graphics on either side. New, it used to be considerably more reasonably priced than the Unigo. Unlike the Unigo, the trailer sits low and therefore the brake lights and turn signals on the bike are visible, as well as the trailer's. A riding buddy following me informed me that when riding over rough terrain, the wheel never leaves the ground. On a 7,000 mile trip with Bud, a former member of this forum, told me at the end of the trip that he had been checking our fill ups at each stop. My RT is a '98 and his was a '99. Besides my camping gear, my trailer also had his very large tent, his sleeping bag, air mattress and other stuff. Apparently, at every gas stop, my bike took one litre less than his, except twice, when mine took 2 litres less.

 

I have only one dissatisfaction with the trailer and that is the hookup. The hookup is extremely secure and I can not imagine it ever becoming disconnected from my bikes (it also attaches to my K100RT). However it is bit of a pain to to get the trailer piece into the corresponding bike's hitch mechanism (not a ball) on the bike, especially when the trailer is fully loaded. Hence I always leave it attached to the bike when at motels (never had any issues). I do not know if it is legally sold for use in the USA, but I never had any problems and most of my travels with it are in the USA. This model is seen quite frequently when touring in Quebec and the Canadian Maritimes. The company also makes another model as well, styled similar to a Unigo.

 

It is produced southwest of Montreal, Quebec (Canada). https://armoricdesign.com/en/

 

[SANTA]

12 hours ago, Cpn Kelly said:

Picked her up for £600 not running. She was standing in a garage for 18 years. One owner, now sick. 18k on clock. 

 

£1k on the road with new tyres, battery, fuel pump, plugs, oils, and MOT. 

 

I am now ready to install the cage for the dog, but I think I need to make it a bit smaller?!

 

I plan to tour Europe for 3 months this summer. But, I know that my trailbiking heart will draw me off-road. Any suggestions with tyres? Is there such a thing as a sump guard for her? Is the TET a foolish idea?

 

I have a strange paint bubbling on the front plastic work. Anyone know what it is?

 

By very happy to hear your thoughts on the bike and my intentions...

think you need a smaller dog or a side car rig. .   as for the bubbling paint show a picture

[Dutch01R1150RT]

My second BMW.  I drove a K75RT before. And since last summer the R1150RT. I love it.

[jozefschumann]

I have a few machines including another 2003 'S'. This is'my '99 'S'  aka 'Mandy'. 

 

 

 

Edited February 28 by jozefschumann
added photo

[Redfoxx]

I posted one with no tupperware, got work done but now it is amazing to be riding in February in Northern Wisconsin. This ride started out 53 F ended 2 hours later at 36 F and an hour later we had a inch of snow on the ground.  Now I have to wait until sunday supposed to be 60F.  You can see orange diamonds in background, that is the snowmobile trail.

[DCrider]

Forum newbie here but long time oilhead, though sadly not much hair left to hold the oil!   Three in the corral right now, but need to let go of the R1150R soon.

 

 

 

 

 

[Hirnbeiss]

Meet Ludwig the Bavarian, 2001 R1150RT.  Picked him up from a longtime owner who was a lead mechanic at the VW plant in Wolfsburg.
 

 

[SANTA]

5 hours ago, Hirnbeiss said:

Meet Ludwig the Bavarian, 2001 R1150RT.  Picked him up from a longtime owner who was a lead mechanic at the VW plant in Wolfsburg.
 

 

Nice, they are still a very usable motorcycle, and we know how to fix the few issues that happen...

[7873jake]

First time BMW owner, went in search of a late 90's to early 00's R or RT and found Florida to be a place where clean, low mileage units retire to and then languish in a garage buried behind golf carts, RVs, other bikes and the occasional boat/PWC. As I was narrowing my list of picks, a local guy popped up on Craigslist-Daytona and had an '02 RT with 36,000mi, a clean bill of health, lots of bits & kit. He has good knowledge of the bike and it's proper care & feeding and thus far it has been an exceptional discovery! It lives amongst a '76 Bonnie, an '07 Buell Ulysses, an '07 Bonnie and a '10 HD Heritage Softail (last two are dad's rides but he lives behind me so the "fleet" is like a library... check out a book for the afternoon). Somewhere in there is a '67 Triumph TR4 we finished restoring a few years ago in prep for when he wants to stop riding but still needs a fix of sound, smell, wind. He's 86, I'm 54. 

 

Anyway, long ramble over, I have some questions as I learn to speak German and find my rhythm with the RT. I'll post those in separate threads... several "what is this?" with pictures to follow. 

[Red]

Wow, low mileage.  Had the previous owner been riding it enough to keep the gasoline from getting nasty?

[7873jake]

So, the short answer is "yes, kinda".

 

The TL;DR...

The first owner bought it from a dealership in Detroit according to the VIN. They put approx. 10k on the clock and a bunch of money into the bike (electronic cruise control, etc). A couple of years go by and owner #2 buys it and puts another 10k on it in 10 years before friend of #2 expresses interest in the bike. He becomes #3 owner and logs a few miles and years before selling it back to #2 owner who takes it up to the 36,000 mark before selling to me in Feb. I think owner #3 adds a GIVI Trekker (CONEX box! ) as a top case and a Russell day long seat during his tenure. (That Trekker 46L box is a sizeable affair and looks awkward on the RT, currently listed on Craigslist locally)

 

Below are some examples of the PO's attention to the bike:

 

Owner #2 resumes care & feeding of the bike after #3 sells it back to him and appears to have done a complete brake flush annually across both periods of his ownership, most recently in January 2024. (Fluid and both master cylinders look pristine inside.)

I received a collection of organized pictures of work done and receipts for parts (Beemer Boneyard, et al.) like a new clutch, clutch slave, and spline lube service at 32,000 miles (notes reflect it was done with Optimoly TA, "shouldn't need it again until 100K") as well as numerous boxes of tools, filters and a mysterious Martini glass, a carb sync device and a device for the Hall effect sensor, to name a few.

Service logs indicate a regular use of the following fluids:

Spectro 20-50 standard oil. Trans oil: Lucas 90-140 standard gear oil. Final Drive: Lucas 75-90 standard gear oil.

 

Additional comments in the owner's  notes were things like "The 75-90 weight can also be used in the transmission, but the heavier weight oil makes it shift
smoother and quieter. Do NOT use 90-140 weight oil in the final drive as damage to the crown bearing may occur."

"Alternator belt was changed in January 2024 (receipts in the folder). The original fuel filter was changed at 25,000 miles. I also changed all the internal fuel lines to the plastic lifetime ones. I would not bother with changing the filter until maybe 60K miles. I don't think I have ever heard of a clogged one. The fuel lines
were much more prone to failure so no worries there, and the external fuel lines were just changed and the metal BeemerBoneyard disconnects were added in December 2023."

 

It looks like the final drive was sent to someone in NC for inspection and a clean bill of health while the rear end was off for the clutch and slave cylinder work and spline lube.

 

I feel pretty good about the acquisition but I also went into it with full acknowledgement that it's a 22 year old bike and it's going to teach me things I may not want to learn in the moment but will appreciate eventually.

[SANTA]

i have the same givi box,  i find that i can put most anything into it including grocery shopping  and it handles fine, cant really do that with the side cases, also i think it improves the aerodynamic over the  back of the bike. ,  i got rid of the side cases because they are to wide, and kept banging against obsticales with them.  for everyday riding i stick with the top box. and add soft pannier luggage on trips.

[7873jake]

I like the Givi you have! 

 

The one I have has a distinctly "GS" flavor, not that there's anything wrong with that. It definitely has volume!

[SANTA]

people buy Givi because of the high cost of the factory items ie the BMWTAX ahd the restricted space on some items,   your gs style  show work well, go grocery shopping load 4l of milk 2.5doz egss, and a whole shitload of other stuff and then you can see that pretty is not important, when im traveling space counts more.

[DeadEye]

On 2/27/2024 at 6:09 PM, jozefschumann said:

I have a few machines including another 2003 'S'. This is'my '99 'S'  aka 'Mandy'. 

 

 

 

 

Hello,

 

Could you please add a picture from the riders point of view, mine was modified when I got it and looks much different that your, e.g. bar position, angle.

thanks

Don