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Considering an R1200RT, either 2007-2009 models..


johnhunter44

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I really love the looks and ergos of the R1200RT. The only thing holding me back is the final drive issue. Has this problem been corrected by BMW in the newer models? The other option for me is the ST1300, but the BMW is the one that turns my crank. Has anyone here heard of final drive problems in model years 2007 to present?

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I think it's hit or miss. I think you will find on a site like this you will here a lot of complaints, but if you look at the big picture it shouldn't be a major concern.

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I don't disagree w/ brianbmw BUTT think about the parameters that might impact a FD failure - how much do you weigh; are you packing double - and that person's weight; are you carrying heavy loads of camping gear et al; how many miles are you riding per year; slab, highways, mountain roads that can put a lot of strain on the bearings and FD parts?

 

I have a lot of miles on my beemers - I ride pretty hard, one up, don't carry a lot of weight and do a lot of Ironbutt rallies. I believe the key is proper maintenance - change the FD lubrication every 12,000 and do the personal check while it is on the center stand.

 

Can't say what has been done on the '09 models. Good luck and I love both my bikes and would buy either one again in a heartbeat!

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no problems at 10000 mls on my 2006. I believe the problem has been overrated and the actual numbers are pretty small. Also it may be as said the way those biles are ridden.

 

Just go for it and enjoy the bike, if it fails fix it and ride again.

 

 

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If you are that concerned about it, buy an extended warranty for the bike that covers the final drive. This is my second BMW and neither bike has had problems with the final drive. Check the bike for symptoms and change the rear drive oil and inspect.

 

The RT doesn't have the amount of failures that other bikes like the LT have.

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Welcome on board. You can't go wrong with the R12RT. There are a very small percentage of bikes with an issue, but the newer models have more warranty time remaining. I purchased an extended and so far that has scared off any issues at all.

 

Go for it. ans, there is a world help here, if you want it.

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Hello John and welcome to the board. I have 33K miles on Ruby and no final drive issues at all. I check the FD and change the oil every 12K miles. At 20K miles I had to get the tranny seals and a new clutch due to seal leaks and it was repaired under warranty. The R12RT is one fine bike. Good luck on your search.

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A month or two ago, the BMW CEO issued a press statement in Europe saying that due to record productin volumes in the motorcycle plant, they had suffered from some quality issues which were now being addressed. They also extended the warranty for the FD to (I think) five years. I would buy without hesitation.

 

Andy

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I really love the looks and ergos of the R1200RT. The only thing holding me back is the final drive issue. Has this problem been corrected by BMW in the newer models? The other option for me is the ST1300, but the BMW is the one that turns my crank. Has anyone here heard of final drive problems in model years 2007 to present?

 

 

John, difficult to say for sure..

 

The later R1200XX have a dedicated final drive drain plug & fill plug (you do have to remove the wheel for the fill plug access though)..

 

BMW has also changed the filled-for-life final drive to NOW include a drain & re-fill at first service (owner pays though).. Can’t say for sure yet but I know of a couple R1200RT final drive failures in my area on the early (filled-for-life) final drives (both at fairly low mileage) but not heard of a single failure on the later serviceable final drives..

 

Not real sure on the cause of the failed final drives but on one person I know with a failed R1200 final drive he is an all weather long distance rider that rides very fast & very far & never looks at his equipment.. I’m pretty sure he had a seal seep & ran his final drive out of gear oil.. On the other one,, he failed his while on a trip so no idea what went wrong as BMW kept the final drive & sent it back to the fatherland..

 

BMW has a good warrantee history on the R1200 final drives & I haven’t ever heard of one not being covered under warranty but there might be a towing cost if you are a long ways from a dealer as most have a limited towing distance..

 

 

Having owned both BMW’s & Harley’s I would say you have a lot less chance of failing a BMW final drive than failing a rear drive belt on a Harley..

 

Twisty

 

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I happen to be one that had the final drive go at 5,500 miles. The bike was never over-loaded. I do ride on the gas at times. However, I would just buy the bike. There is nothing else out there that I would trade mine for. You can worry too much in my opinion. I just ride, and I will fix it if it breaks. Get the 2009 with warranty.

 

Ron

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Loved the RT since my first test ride - drive like i stole it and it is a blast.

 

Have an 08, as part of regular maintanence i replace the final drive fluid at regular oil change intervals.

 

If you are still concerned get an extended warranty - but get the bike!

 

Happy Thanksgiving

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A month or two ago, the BMW CEO issued a press statement in Europe saying that due to record productin volumes in the motorcycle plant, they had suffered from some quality issues which were now being addressed. They also extended the warranty for the FD to (I think) five years. I would buy without hesitation.

 

Andy

 

can anyone CONFIRM the warranty has been extended to 5 years on the final drive for the 09?

 

PS....buy the bike. I put 24,000 on my 06...and yes I have had some problems with the bike. With that said...I would buy the bike again in a nano second. I looked at other models...but came back to the RT.

 

 

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can anyone CONFIRM the warranty has been extended to 5 years on the final drive for the 09?

 

PS....buy the bike. I put 24,000 on my 06...and yes I have had some problems with the bike. With that said...I would buy the bike again in a nano second. I looked at other models...but came back to the RT.

 

 

 

Tetz, I sure haven’t been able to find that in writing but on the other hand I can’t find ANY evidence of anyone ever paying for final drive repair on the new design R1200XX final drive..

 

Anybody hear of an out-of-pocket cost for final drive repair on the R1200XX machines?

 

Twisty

 

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can anyone CONFIRM the warranty has been extended to 5 years on the final drive for the 09?

 

 

Tetz, I sure haven’t been able to find that in writing but on the other hand I can’t find ANY evidence of anyone ever paying for final drive repair on the new design R1200XX final drive..

 

Twisty

 

I read somewhere (can't remember where) that U.S. dealers were advised of this policy at a dealers' meeting. I don't think it's been made public (I presume it's like "hidden" warranties on cars). I recall that it applies to bikes sold (built?) after 1 January 2007.

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I read somewhere (can't remember where) that U.S. dealers were advised of this policy at a dealers' meeting. I don't think it's been made public (I presume it's like "hidden" warranties on cars). I recall that it applies to bikes sold (built?) after 1 January 2007.

 

Mark and others,

The info on the unstated warranty was buried in the MCN article, "The Tarnished Roundel" a few months back

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I read somewhere (can't remember where) that U.S. dealers were advised of this policy at a dealers' meeting. I don't think it's been made public (I presume it's like "hidden" warranties on cars). I recall that it applies to bikes sold (built?) after 1 January 2007.

 

Mark and others,

The info on the unstated warranty was buried in the MCN article, "The Tarnished Roundel" a few months back

 

Thanks, Bill. :wave:

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In the November 2008 issue of "BMW ON", a magazine given to me by a BMW dealer, it says on page 64 of an article written by Bill Shaw that "While not publicly disclosed, BMW Motorrad decided in a dealer meeting held in January 2008 to extend final drive warranties for five years on bikes sold after January 2007". Has anyone's dealer acknowledged this?

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If you plan on buying the bike, regardless of the issue with final drives, BUY THE EXTENDED WARRANTY !!!!!!!!

 

All major repairs on BMW motorcycles are very expensive. It will pay for itself multiple times with one repair. I have a 6 year (beyond warranty) policy that cost me 895.00 .. That is 9 years of total warranty.

 

Chances are it will be used for something. Worth the piece of mind for sure. But, do not buy it from a BMW dealer. You will overpay.

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Dick_at_Lake_Tahoe_NV

Did you get your extended warantee through BMW or some "aftermarket" company?

 

I have 33,000 miles on my R1200RT and it goes out of warantee in about 3 weeks. It's been in the shop with the cylinders off for the past 2-weeks--looks like one of the pistons "siezed" and I've been getting questions like this from BMW Motorrad: (1) Send us the record of maintenance that has been done on this bike--I do all my own maintenance and keep records. :clap: (2) What kind of Oil do you use--Is it "Car oil" or "Motorcycle specific Oil"? ( I use Amsoil Motorcycle Oil--I guess I'm lucky), Have you ever run the engine without oil? Gimme' a break! (3) Do you fill the new Oil filter before you install it? (No, but fortunatly that's not a requirement). From my past expereience, Honda would just fix it under warantee and not screw you over with all these questions.

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I purchased the extended warranty through an aftermarket company. I purchased it through Erico Motorsports in Denver, CO. It is administered by Interstate National Dealer Services (Marketed through the Erico dealer by RPM One.).

 

It is an all inclusive policy with a 50.00 deductable for each occurance. It covers everything but wear parts.

 

Here is the contact information for you:

 

Erico Motorsports

Ron Baird, Finance Manager

RonB@ericomotorsports.com

3 0 3 . 3 0 8 . 1 8 1 1 P

3 0 3 . 9 9 6 . 4 2 1 9 F

http://ericomotorsports.com

 

I haven't had to use it yet, but I did have to use one for my LT and it more then paid for itself several times.

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Did you get your extended warantee through BMW or some "aftermarket" company?

 

I have 33,000 miles on my R1200RT and it goes out of warantee in about 3 weeks. It's been in the shop with the cylinders off for the past 2-weeks--looks like one of the pistons "siezed" and I've been getting questions like this from BMW Motorrad: (1) Send us the record of maintenance that has been done on this bike--I do all my own maintenance and keep records. :clap: (2) What kind of Oil do you use--Is it "Car oil" or "Motorcycle specific Oil"? ( I use Amsoil Motorcycle Oil--I guess I'm lucky), Have you ever run the engine without oil? Gimme' a break! (3) Do you fill the new Oil filter before you install it? (No, but fortunatly that's not a requirement). From my past expereience, Honda would just fix it under warantee and not screw you over with all these questions.

 

Your dealer should be your friend here. When my former RT [03 1150] seized a piston and threw a rod under warranty at 16K, the dealer called me and asked questions about gas, oil, travel outside country, etc. They did not know the cause but later told me that they took my case up with BMW and fixed everything with a new top end and matching pistons, [although I had to pay for trailering charges as BMW did not recompense them for a one-way $150 trip]. During this time, another member of this board in NorCal [Couchrocket, I think] had the same grenade, as well as another 1150 with the local PD here in Bend.

 

Bottom line: 1--seized cylinders are not unknown. 2-BMW likes asking questions. 3--The dealer will prolly fix, but be prepared to pay trailering charges. 4--You'll get a free valve adjust and oil change thrown in :Cool:

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Hi Bill,

 

I see by your signature that you have an ST1300, 2007 model? If you got this one after the RT, do you have any regrets or do you like the ST as much?

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Hi Bill,

 

I see by your signature that you have an ST1300, 2007 model? If you got this one after the RT, do you have any regrets or do you like the ST as much?

 

Its funny, I sold mt BMW to go to a ST1300. I ended up with a ST1300 after looking around. Not nearly the same level of bike so I sold the ST and bought another beemer. This time an R1200RT. Night and day. The RT flat out performs. Take a look and you will find the ST still has problems too. It may be more reliable than the beemer but it cant handle well and the suspension is like a truck. My ST scraped pegs on nearly every turn I made as it ran out of ground clearance quick. Look at the beemer and ST side by side and see how low the honda sits. You will also find yourself spending alot of dough on poor aftermarket solutions for features the beemer already has well integrated into the bike. The RT has better wind protection, better airlow over the rider (although the ST had descent wind flow), gets better fuel econmy, handles better by far, suspension atleast 10x smoother as well, has better ergos as well although thats a bit personal. The ST has a wicked throttle response to it and mass amounts of driveshaft lash atleast compared to the beemer. The ST gets to be very hot. Words of advice, dont leave anything can melt in the glovebox. I found the handlebars to be too low and way too narrow. This allowed my arms to get very fatiguesd on long twisty roads even with the riser plate. The dispaly of the beemer is great and easy to read while the ST digital dispay is neet at night, its impossible to read on a bright day. There is no gear indicator on the ST which can be agrivating. The side cases arent as user friendly on the ST and the keys honda provides are skinny and flimsy. Using the key in the ignition isnt very nice as the key gets jammed easily. Some ST owners have even broken the key in the ignition. On the positive side, the ST has nice wet clutch and has a smoother engine. I found the motor to be uninspiring as there was no progressive feel to the power. It never did roll ons as well as you would think with a V-4 and I attribute this to how heavy it is. The ST weighs in at over 700lbs. The RT is a lightweight comared to the ST and it shows while riding. Filling the ST with gas was a bit easier with a wide mouth opening. The turn signals and controls I find easier on the BMW but your preference may be different. The RT is a heck of alot easier to get on the centerstand but then again your lifting about 150lbs less. The brakes of the honda are nice and I must say a bit better than the BMW, however the ABS of the beemer will kick in sooner and I have been told by CHP officer that in their tests the beemer stopped significantly quicker. I have nothing to prove that and only going off his word. I dont find it hard to believe as the beemer brakes grab harder by feel and its again alot less weight to slow down. The ST has a very low weight capacity. If you ride 2 up you will want to think twice as you will need to make some suspension improvement right away to handle a passenger. Overall the beemer also flat out offers more. Things not available that my RT has are heated seats. heated grips, gear indicator, electronic cruise control. Well I will stop but you get my point. Personally wont go back to an ST, too many irritating things and not enough perfomance for my liking. I talked myself into it thinking it would be a good bike but I am happy to be back on a beemer. I should also note that one of the ideas I went into the Honda thinking turned out wrong. The service costs to maintain the ST at my local dealer are alot higher than the BMW. Its not by a small amount either. Some of the services of the Honda are almost double that of the beemer. The service intervals on the beemer are further than the honda as well. I was shocked to find that my local honda dealers wanted close to 1000 dollars to performa a 16k mile service and that was assuming it didnt need the valves adjusted. If they did that was an additional 300 bucks. I was shocked, holy cow! One other thing I get a kick out of. Many peopl comment about how many honda dealers there are, but I will say that most of them dont even know how to work on an ST. One honda dealer I called didnt even know what model it was and dont think any parts will be standing by at a dealer for an ST.

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Hi Bill,

 

I see by your signature that you have an ST1300, 2007 model? If you got this one after the RT, do you have any regrets or do you like the ST as much?

 

Short answer, johnhunter44: I love the ST after 13K miles. At first, I moved over for reliability: my RT was not a well-made motorcycle. I found some things I miss about the RT, but I find lots of qualities I really enjoy on the ST. For me, it's been a great move. I plan to draw up a comparo, as cali-beemer's list makes a good place to start. I'll post in a day or two when I get time.

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Well it's been a little over a year since I posted this poll question on final drive question. As some other members have said it's not a totally scientific poll but none the less it's better then nothing...

 

Feel free to vote if you haven't already.

 

http://bmwsporttouring.com/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=240631&page=1

 

 

Thats intresting but even before seeing that poll it has seemed to me that the R1200 bikes seem to have feweer final drive failures. It definately doesnt seem to be a big issue popping up on the boards, other than those worried it might happen. I will say a friend of mine in a BMW club I ride in has over 60k miles on his 1200rt with no final drive failure. I have notices the FD failure is more prevelant on the LT's especially and K bikes. It appears weight and power have a roll in the failure so it seems. This is just my guess. The previous owner of my bike never had it go out after 21k miles. I confirmed that too since I ran the service and warranty records on it. I was told by the dealer that it seemed like a very clena bike.

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John:

 

I have an 07 R1200RT with 21K "ish" miles. My heated grips developed an intermittent malfunction that was difficult to diagnose and treat. My dealer finally decided the grips themselves were drawing more power than the Canbus thought they should causing them to shut down. The problem appears to be fixed now.

 

I replaced the shocks at 21K because I couldn't get them set up correctly for my weight and because wanted to lower the bike an inch.

 

Warning: These bikes eat tires! :grin:

 

 

 

 

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I had an 05 GS and put 24K on it w/out any issues. I took an 7K trip last May/June; if it was going to fail, it would most likely have happened then, 300 or so hard miles almost every day.

I now have an 07 RT, w/5K miles on it that I ride just as hard and no problems. BMW has extended the final drive warranty for bikes from 07 on I think. I would not worry about it, there are always things that can go wrong, this one just happens to keep popping up because it is happening on the drive train. My bikes computer had to be updated all the time - yet you never hear of that issue.

John

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Well it's been a little over a year since I posted this poll question on final drive question. As some other members have said it's not a totally scientific poll but none the less it's better then nothing...

 

Feel free to vote if you haven't already.

 

http://bmwsporttouring.com/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=240631&page=1

 

I agree it is not a scientific poll. I also agree it is better than nothing in that it can be entertaining to look at the responses. I think it is worse than nothing if people who look at the results think it tells them anything at all about the incidence of the problem.

 

A poll of this type is know by the acronym SLOP, Self Selected Listener Poll, although in this case SLRP might me more approriate, Self Selected Reader Poll. It is well know that such polls can be strongly biased. The people who choose to respond are not a random selection by any stretch of the imagination. And their responses tell you very little about the population as a whole. I don't what the rate of final drive failures actually is. A poll of this sort will not tell us.

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"bump"

 

What do you want to know. PM with any questions and I will answer as in depth as I can. Others can chime in with any issues they have had. If your looking for a more in depth comaprison between a R1200RT and ST1300 then let me know. When I have some time I will do an in depth comarison. Otherwise you can check out bamarider as he has both and rides both back to back. I would agree with most of his comparison between the 2 although there are some areas that are a bit more grey like the dealership issue. I agree there is a honda shop just about any town that has a mcdonalds but I wouldnt ever have faith in one working on an ST. Most honda dealers dont have a clue when it comes to one. Bamariders website comparo is: http://www.bamarider.com/The%20Motorcycle/rt_or_st.htm

 

 

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"bump"

 

Bamariders website comparo is: http://www.bamarider.com/The%20Motorcycle/rt_or_st.htm

 

 

Minor hijack - great link i disagree only in the brake review going to the Honda

 

I would agree with Bamarider on the brakes but I would disagree on the ABS part. The ABS of the BMW is better. Good luck on getting the Honda ABS to kick in. I have seen more than one complain tincluding my own on the lack of sensitivity of their ABS. The actual brakes are smoother, quieter and feel as if they stop close to as quick as the BMW. The hard part for the Honda is that the bike is trying to stop another 150lbs.

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Regarding brakes and stopping distance, MCN December 2007 found the ST stopped 60-0 in 126.4 feet, much better than the FJR and Concourse, and which they termed a "statistical tie" with the RT's previous best of 125.' I don't recall how they evaluated the ABS operation.

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I really love the looks and ergos of the R1200RT. The only thing holding me back is the final drive issue. Has this problem been corrected by BMW in the newer models? The other option for me is the ST1300, but the BMW is the one that turns my crank. Has anyone here heard of final drive problems in model years 2007 to present?

 

I’d go ahead and get the RT.. Been the best cruise missile I’ve had, especially if you want to do some long range touring.. Mine has been ridden solo and 2-up, loaded to max.

 

I agree the numbers are small, however I did experience a failure at 73,000 miles (grungy noise, NOT catastrophic) on my ’05.. Short story is, crown bearing started to spin due to lack of interference fit and allowed the ring gear to walk back and forth.. BMW fixed the drive and bike is back on the road.. Mine had the lube changed @ 600, then every 6000 miles. Final drive gave plenty of warning (noise) never did anything scary..

 

As in all things mechanical, some fall on the plus side and some fall on the ,minus side of the curve..

 

YMMV

 

TinMan.

 

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