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Non-BMW rider needs your wisdom before buying.....


JohnnyRide

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Hello All,

 

I am contemplating buying a 2002 R1150RT, Here is what I know about it..

2002 BMW R1150RT, Silver with 42300 miles. ABS, heated grips, saddlebags and top case with liners, BMW tank bag, Russell Day-Long seat, throttlemeister and more. Just serviced and ready to travel. Being sold by a KY BMW dealer.

 

Now, a couple of prequalifiers. If the bike has been maintained and serviced according to the factory guidelines, if the dealer can back that up via paperwork, if it hasn't been wrecked and if I am ok with the price, if you were in the market for a pre-owned and you were me, would you buy this bike?

 

What are things is should be concerned about at 45k miles, or should I be concerned? What should I be wary of with regards to any mechcanical issues, recalls, etc. What questions would the collective wisdom of the forum ask the salesperson?

 

Thanks in advance for any responses.

 

John

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Shocks are most likely due for replacement ($1000-$1300).

Have the dealer check for final drive and pivot bearing looseness.

Take it for a 'good' spin and check for ease of downshifting, this may help spot clutch spline issues.

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BMW transmissions are clunky and noisy compared to bikes with a wet clutch. You have to get used to them. Since this is at a dealers, ride several bikes to compare the shifting.

 

I bought my bike used from an individual. I rode a new bike at the dealers first. If I had not done that I would have considered the transmission suspect on the used bike. It shifted as good or better than the new one.

Good luck.

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Hello All,

 

I am contemplating buying a 2002 R1150RT, Here is what I know about it..

2002 BMW R1150RT, Silver with 42300 miles. ABS, heated grips, saddlebags and top case with liners, BMW tank bag, Russell Day-Long seat, throttlemeister and more. Just serviced and ready to travel. Being sold by a KY BMW dealer.

 

Now, a couple of prequalifiers. If the bike has been maintained and serviced according to the factory guidelines, if the dealer can back that up via paperwork, if it hasn't been wrecked and if I am ok with the price, if you were in the market for a pre-owned and you were me, would you buy this bike?

 

What are things is should be concerned about at 45k miles, or should I be concerned? What should I be wary of with regards to any mechcanical issues, recalls, etc. What questions would the collective wisdom of the forum ask the salesperson?

 

Thanks in advance for any responses.

 

John

 

John, shop around a little before deciding on a bike with 45K on it.. When I went looking for a used RT I found a low mileage (under 10K) for close to what much higher mileage same year RT's were going for.. There are some good deals on low mileage RT's out there.. In the mean time read the past 4 pages shown on this site at that should pretty well show what kind of problems you could encounter on a used RT.. 45k shouldn't be a big deal but should lower the asking price a fair amount.. You didn't say what that dealer was asking but usually a dealer will want top dollar for about anything they push..

 

Twisty

 

Twisty

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John, also keep in mind that you read here about bikes with problems but rarely see any posts about problem free BMW's, which account for the majority of BMW's on the road. While it is wise to check for the problems listed, keep in mind the long life of most BMW's and the many many satisfied riders, often having had several bikes over the years. Also, there are a lot of routine maintenance items easily completed by anyone with just modest mechanical ability, which will save you a ton of $. IMO of course.

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Price wise....I sold a mint 2002RT with 48K miles two years ago for $7700.00.

If your credit is good,why not buy new and finance.

After two/three years sell and upgrade!

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One comment on the '02 RT, the early production ones has overly sensitive linked brakes. Ours was one of those and I easily got used to it, but some people despised them. Be sure you can adapt to them before you make the plunge.

 

As mentioned, the '02s in particular, but not exclusively, have been known to have dry transmission output shaft spline issues. One of the earlier signs of a potential problem is difficulty down shifting.

 

Also the '02s and '03s are single spark plug heads, the '04s are dual spark, a significant improvement.

 

All things considered, although we loved out '02 RT, if I was shopping for a R1150RT, I'd look for an '04.

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John, also keep in mind that you read here about bikes with problems but rarely see any posts about problem free BMW's, which account for the majority of BMW's on the road. While it is wise to check for the problems listed, keep in mind the long life of most BMW's and the many many satisfied riders, often having had several bikes over the years. Also, there are a lot of routine maintenance items easily completed by anyone with just modest mechanical ability, which will save you a ton of $. IMO of course.

 

+1 thumbsup.gif

 

John, I bought my 02 RT just 16 months ago with 29K on it for $9,000. It had a lot of farkle on it, and I was very happy with the price. In 16 months, I have put 25K miles on it myself and have LOVED every mile I've ridden it. Beemers are quirky, or as some have said here before, they have their own "character". I believe I could find another bike as good as my RT, but I firmly believe I'll never find a bike I love as much as my RT (although the new GT sure could become a homewrecker). My bike and I are one. I have been riding for 33 years and have never had a bike that I enjoyed more than my Beemer. Also, never had a bike with the safety features of my RT either. Others will surely disagree with me, but that's my .02 worth.

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but I firmly believe I'll never find a bike I love as much as my RT

 

Same here. But I bought my '02 new and now have 80,000 trouble free miles on it. Only serious downtime was to inspect / lube the splines at 70,000 miles.

 

My hopes are that it will last until BMW brings out a replacement for the 1200RT. With care and a few repairs 200,000 miles should be doable. 300,000 miles has been reached (with some major work) by at least one R1100RS.

 

Stan

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The 48K service will be due shortly, you should discount this in the price you pay. The servicing dealer should have run the VIN for recalls. If the battery hasn't been replaced, it is getting close. The engine, valves, rings, etc. are all seated in. The transmission should be shifting as good as it will, it takes 50 to 60K to break them in. Things like light bulbs, and seals will be your biggest maintenance items.

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John, welcome. Lots of good advice to be found here. I've just bought my first BWM also. An 04 RT. I'll pick it up in a couple of weeks in San Diego then ride it home. I started watching ads on this forum and others, as well as CarSoup, back in June. It wasn't untill around September that I felt I knew the market enough to tell what was a good price or an outright deal. Just my .02 worth.

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I owned a '02 1150RT and sold it 2 years ago for $8500. The bike had just fewer than 50K miles on the odometer.

It was in perfect condition and included Works shocks, Cee Bailey windshield, Sargent seat and a couple of other items.

 

The final drive on the bike you considering may last for another 50K or may go next week. I'd factor in the cost of replacement into your decision. I replaced two items during the first 50K on my '02RT; pivot bearings and a new slave cylinder--minor stuff all things considered.

 

You didn't mention your budget, but if you have wiggle room on what you are willing to spend, I'd look for a 2 year old 1200RT with low miles. There are some bargains out there right now.

 

I'm not sure what a '02 1150 is worth right now (book price), but I would not be willing to part with more than $6-6500 for one given all the good values in used 1200RT's.

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Johnny

Do you have a budget for this new addition to the family? If you can afford to spend between $10K-$12K I would absolutely take Ken's advice and buy an 04 R1150RT. It has 2 spark plugs per cylinder (no surging), 6 speed tranny, and better headlights. When I started looking for an RT two years ago everyone I know said to get an 04 twin spark. Now if you can afford $12-$15K ABSOLUTELY GO OUT AND BUY AND 05/06 RT. It does everything better than any previous RT model IMHO. More h.p., 45 lbs. lighter, CRUISE CONTROL, heated seats/grips, functional saddelbags where you can put a full face helmet in the bags.FINALLY after 10 model years!! Not so for the earlier models. If you can afford the new hexhead RT (05/06) all you have to do it test ride an 04 or earlier version and then ride the 05. No contest. Their is the argument over which one looks better but from a performance standpoint it is absolutely no contest. And if you plan to keep the bike you buy for a long time the 05/06 is the ticket. It is a no brainer. I have had my 05 RT for a year now and I just love it. So far I have put 13K miles on it in 12 months so I must enjoy riding it. NADA value for an 02 R1150RT-low retail of $6.5K or high of $8.5K. Good luck with your search.

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