New Bike - R1200 GS 2005
Discussion
So...Transalp is now on the road and fully fettled. Time to start looking for my next project.
I wanted a big bike to take me to europe and was open to pretty much anything. Then this this popped up for about £1500 less than it should be (alot of bike for £2k)....
MOT just lapsed, flat battery but assured it was a good bike. 74k, full BMW history and after an hour of fiddling/jump starting, running lovely on the sellers driveway. It's done 1000 miles in 3 years so clearly in need of a good run.
Money changed hands, bike insured, MOT booked (in case I got stopped by the Rozzas) and then 3 hour drive home (over the Brecons) in the pitch dark and snow/ice. Fun and games!
Lot's of poke, this bike is fast and handles well. Motorway work is super....like an armchair. Heated grips are insane!
Pulled battery off to charge when I got home - fully charged, looks like it just needed a good run.
Few little things to investigate, but bike looks solid. Maybe not a project - MOT tomorrow so will find out if the basics are all good.
All in all, chuffed. Nice bike, can see why they are so highly rated.
I wanted a big bike to take me to europe and was open to pretty much anything. Then this this popped up for about £1500 less than it should be (alot of bike for £2k)....
MOT just lapsed, flat battery but assured it was a good bike. 74k, full BMW history and after an hour of fiddling/jump starting, running lovely on the sellers driveway. It's done 1000 miles in 3 years so clearly in need of a good run.
Money changed hands, bike insured, MOT booked (in case I got stopped by the Rozzas) and then 3 hour drive home (over the Brecons) in the pitch dark and snow/ice. Fun and games!
Lot's of poke, this bike is fast and handles well. Motorway work is super....like an armchair. Heated grips are insane!
Pulled battery off to charge when I got home - fully charged, looks like it just needed a good run.
Few little things to investigate, but bike looks solid. Maybe not a project - MOT tomorrow so will find out if the basics are all good.
All in all, chuffed. Nice bike, can see why they are so highly rated.
Great project, bargain at two grand! Look forward to seeing it come on. Plans for the Transalp?
Just as a caution for the future, if you were stopped by the filth they make take umbrage with you not being directly on the way to your MOT, and that it's 3h away. A friend of mine did similar, and when stopped they didn't do anything about the MOT, but spent half an hour crawling over the car looking for as much as they could to issue a FPN. He got away with it, but they were very unpleasant.
Just as a caution for the future, if you were stopped by the filth they make take umbrage with you not being directly on the way to your MOT, and that it's 3h away. A friend of mine did similar, and when stopped they didn't do anything about the MOT, but spent half an hour crawling over the car looking for as much as they could to issue a FPN. He got away with it, but they were very unpleasant.
Save yourself, write off the 2k and push it in a river 
They're great when they work and the one I had was a bad one. Hopefully you'll get a lot of use from yours because they're great distance bikes.
If you have problems with the ABS then remove it. I didn't experience any problems but was going to junk mine just in case. I didn't keep it long enough as my patience wore out.
The power delivery and throttle response can be a bit snatchy. Don't waste your time on a plug in device. They work for a bit but the ecu simply retrims the map and it gets as bad as it ever did before. Hillside do a remap that I was going to do but I sold it. Opinions differ on this but this is my experience.
Build yourself a simple manometer out of tube, a bit of plank and some oil and use that to balance the throttle bodies. It makes the bike run a lot more nicely.
If the horn goes off in the rain as mine did then it's possessed and the only way it to burn it to death.
They're great when they work and the one I had was a bad one. Hopefully you'll get a lot of use from yours because they're great distance bikes.
If you have problems with the ABS then remove it. I didn't experience any problems but was going to junk mine just in case. I didn't keep it long enough as my patience wore out.
The power delivery and throttle response can be a bit snatchy. Don't waste your time on a plug in device. They work for a bit but the ecu simply retrims the map and it gets as bad as it ever did before. Hillside do a remap that I was going to do but I sold it. Opinions differ on this but this is my experience.
Build yourself a simple manometer out of tube, a bit of plank and some oil and use that to balance the throttle bodies. It makes the bike run a lot more nicely.
If the horn goes off in the rain as mine did then it's possessed and the only way it to burn it to death.
Thanks guys, good info.
Transalp will be daily runabout (when not in the car) as it's more nimble through traffic.
The GS is more for long distance
Both very different bikes - The Transalp is much more capable lower down - 1st gear is so much more useable and chuggier than the GS (I believe the GSA has a shorter 1st). I don't plan to play in the mud, but reckon the transalp would be a lot more manageble. Let's face it, they are both soft off roaders! The Transalp is nicer in slow moving stuff through as the BMW dry clutch can be a little snatchy and obviosuly doesn't appreicate being slipped.
Transalp will be daily runabout (when not in the car) as it's more nimble through traffic.
The GS is more for long distance
Both very different bikes - The Transalp is much more capable lower down - 1st gear is so much more useable and chuggier than the GS (I believe the GSA has a shorter 1st). I don't plan to play in the mud, but reckon the transalp would be a lot more manageble. Let's face it, they are both soft off roaders! The Transalp is nicer in slow moving stuff through as the BMW dry clutch can be a little snatchy and obviosuly doesn't appreicate being slipped.
Ah this makes me miss mine.
I had a 2004 R1200GS - sold it with 60k miles on it.
Carried me, pillions, luggage etc without fail for years.
That was until the day I listed it on ebay and the fuel pump controller died without warning....
It's a known weak spot as the area it sits in can let water in. A quick google will show you where to check it, what you need to carry in the top box to get you out of trouble if it randomly fails, or just order a new one and forget about it.
A friend sold his 2008 R1200GS with 148,000 miles on it. Still ran just fine and he rode it like a sports like 99% of the time.
I had a 2004 R1200GS - sold it with 60k miles on it.
Carried me, pillions, luggage etc without fail for years.
That was until the day I listed it on ebay and the fuel pump controller died without warning....
It's a known weak spot as the area it sits in can let water in. A quick google will show you where to check it, what you need to carry in the top box to get you out of trouble if it randomly fails, or just order a new one and forget about it.
A friend sold his 2008 R1200GS with 148,000 miles on it. Still ran just fine and he rode it like a sports like 99% of the time.
guitarcarfanatic said:
Both very different bikes - The Transalp is much more capable lower down - 1st gear is so much more useable and chuggier than the GS (I believe the GSA has a shorter 1st). I don't plan to play in the mud, but reckon the transalp would be a lot more manageble. Let's face it, they are both soft off roaders! The Transalp is nicer in slow moving stuff through as the BMW dry clutch can be a little snatchy and obviosuly doesn't appreicate being slipped.
The clutch might just need a service/bleed/whatever... it wasn't something that stood out on mine so it's fixable. Mine was superb at filtering despite the size and the horn blaring uncontrollably.dern said:
Save yourself, write off the 2k and push it in a river
They're great when they work and the one I had was a bad one. Hopefully you'll get a lot of use from yours because they're great distance bikes.
If you have problems with the ABS then remove it. I didn't experience any problems but was going to junk mine just in case. I didn't keep it long enough as my patience wore out.
The power delivery and throttle response can be a bit snatchy. Don't waste your time on a plug in device. They work for a bit but the ecu simply retrims the map and it gets as bad as it ever did before. Hillside do a remap that I was going to do but I sold it. Opinions differ on this but this is my experience.
Build yourself a simple manometer out of tube, a bit of plank and some oil and use that to balance the throttle bodies. It makes the bike run a lot more nicely.
If the horn goes off in the rain as mine did then it's possessed and the only way it to burn it to death.
The last line just made me laugh.They're great when they work and the one I had was a bad one. Hopefully you'll get a lot of use from yours because they're great distance bikes.
If you have problems with the ABS then remove it. I didn't experience any problems but was going to junk mine just in case. I didn't keep it long enough as my patience wore out.
The power delivery and throttle response can be a bit snatchy. Don't waste your time on a plug in device. They work for a bit but the ecu simply retrims the map and it gets as bad as it ever did before. Hillside do a remap that I was going to do but I sold it. Opinions differ on this but this is my experience.
Build yourself a simple manometer out of tube, a bit of plank and some oil and use that to balance the throttle bodies. It makes the bike run a lot more nicely.
If the horn goes off in the rain as mine did then it's possessed and the only way it to burn it to death.
A lot
I can picture the scene...
king thing. I looked a right tReminds me of an amusing phone call I once had - my wife had smashed her shed of a Subaru up another ruined, rutted track looking for a client (horse vet), and in the process a couple of things had happened. A relay in the engine bay had partly dislodged, leaving her wipers on maximum attack... And her steering wheel had fallen apart behind the airbag, leaving the horn stuck on.
Queue much embarrassment as she reversed back down the track (to avoid scaring the horses), with the clients watching, to the main road and tried to fix it by the roadside - with me on the phone dealing with her epic rage.
Queue much embarrassment as she reversed back down the track (to avoid scaring the horses), with the clients watching, to the main road and tried to fix it by the roadside - with me on the phone dealing with her epic rage.
Great bikes.
Had mine 10 months and have done 12000 miles. Mainly commuting but also a run to Switzerland and Italy last summer.
They have their quirks and mine has had an odd issue here and there but nothing I haven't fixed myself.
Set the tents up at one camp site then a run down the local supermarket for some supplies:
Had mine 10 months and have done 12000 miles. Mainly commuting but also a run to Switzerland and Italy last summer.
They have their quirks and mine has had an odd issue here and there but nothing I haven't fixed myself.
Set the tents up at one camp site then a run down the local supermarket for some supplies:
Flew through the MOT today - treated to a thorough wash and polish, followed by ACF-50 treatment.
Ordered all the bits for a full 20k service, plus some extra bits. It's been 7k since last service (albeit 3 years!). Oil isn't looking a healthy colour through the sightglass! Looking forward to getting the big german a little more fettled!
Ordered all the bits for a full 20k service, plus some extra bits. It's been 7k since last service (albeit 3 years!). Oil isn't looking a healthy colour through the sightglass! Looking forward to getting the big german a little more fettled!
guitarcarfanatic said:
Flew through the MOT today - treated to a thorough wash and polish, followed by ACF-50 treatment.
Ordered all the bits for a full 20k service, plus some extra bits. It's been 7k since last service (albeit 3 years!). Oil isn't looking a healthy colour through the sightglass! Looking forward to getting the big german a little more fettled!
Good news on the MOT Ordered all the bits for a full 20k service, plus some extra bits. It's been 7k since last service (albeit 3 years!). Oil isn't looking a healthy colour through the sightglass! Looking forward to getting the big german a little more fettled!
Motorworks are a great source of spares. I source the 20/50w oil from eurocarparts, meets the specs and after online discount is ~£20 for 5 litres. Oil filter are mahle 0C 306 (ebay). Worth changing the oil in the final drive, make sure you use the now recommended reduced amount of oil in it :https://www.r1200gs.info/howto/reardrive.html
Advrider forum -https://advrider.com/f/forums/gs-boxers.3/ has some real experts if you need help with a particular problem and is a great resource for your knowledge.
jjones said:
Good news on the MOT
Motorworks are a great source of spares. I source the 20/50w oil from eurocarparts, meets the specs and after online discount is ~£20 for 5 litres. Oil filter are mahle 0C 306 (ebay). Worth changing the oil in the final drive, make sure you use the now recommended reduced amount of oil in it :https://www.r1200gs.info/howto/reardrive.html
Advrider forum -https://advrider.com/f/forums/gs-boxers.3/ has some real experts if you need help with a particular problem and is a great resource for your knowledge.
Thanks for the info - ordered a selection of seals, o-rings and washers from Motorworks. And used Ebay for all my bits, plus Eurocarparts for Oil - Great minds!!Motorworks are a great source of spares. I source the 20/50w oil from eurocarparts, meets the specs and after online discount is ~£20 for 5 litres. Oil filter are mahle 0C 306 (ebay). Worth changing the oil in the final drive, make sure you use the now recommended reduced amount of oil in it :https://www.r1200gs.info/howto/reardrive.html
Advrider forum -https://advrider.com/f/forums/gs-boxers.3/ has some real experts if you need help with a particular problem and is a great resource for your knowledge.
Also, found the alternator belt for £8 from Mister Auto so ordered one of those. Final drive on the agenda - seems straight forward enough (shame they didn't have the proper drain on the earlier models though - 5 min job becomes a 30 min job!).
guitarcarfanatic said:
Thanks for the info - ordered a selection of seals, o-rings and washers from Motorworks. And used Ebay for all my bits, plus Eurocarparts for Oil - Great minds!!
Also, found the alternator belt for £8 from Mister Auto so ordered one of those. Final drive on the agenda - seems straight forward enough (shame they didn't have the proper drain on the earlier models though - 5 min job becomes a 30 min job!).
there are 2 types of alternator belt, i went with the elast one (stretch) 4PK592ELAST , went on relatively easy. Also, found the alternator belt for £8 from Mister Auto so ordered one of those. Final drive on the agenda - seems straight forward enough (shame they didn't have the proper drain on the earlier models though - 5 min job becomes a 30 min job!).
Hardest part about the final drive job is when the lift the drive back up and it lines up with the splines. If you have a nice big syringe it makes getting the gear oil in slightly easier.
jjones said:
there are 2 types of alternator belt, i went with the elast one (stretch) 4PK592ELAST , went on relatively easy.
Hardest part about the final drive job is when the lift the drive back up and it lines up with the splines. If you have a nice big syringe it makes getting the gear oil in slightly easier.
After copious amounts of reading, the elast is the correct one. 592mm unstretched, 611mm stretched for the 2005 model year.Hardest part about the final drive job is when the lift the drive back up and it lines up with the splines. If you have a nice big syringe it makes getting the gear oil in slightly easier.
Is yours a GSA or later model? As my model number is different.
It's confused by BMW quoting the unstretched size (as per the above), whereas industry standard (and continental model system) quote stretched!
Edited by guitarcarfanatic on Friday 25th January 23:05
Odd one with the battery - passed the drop test and holding a charge better than the almost new battery on the other bike! It's an odyssey - led to believe they are good? It was new in 2017 so maybe OK.
Will monitor and press bike into a little more action over the new few months to test. I have a little lithium jump pack too so will take that on the trip for security!
It's a little rough round the edges, but happy with the deal! Just a few rusty bits to sort (brake pedal, foot pegs) - I am guessing she has lived near the sea.
Will monitor and press bike into a little more action over the new few months to test. I have a little lithium jump pack too so will take that on the trip for security!
It's a little rough round the edges, but happy with the deal! Just a few rusty bits to sort (brake pedal, foot pegs) - I am guessing she has lived near the sea.
guitarcarfanatic said:
It's a little rough round the edges, but happy with the deal! Just a few rusty bits to sort (brake pedal, foot pegs) - I am guessing she has lived near the sea.
Ridden in winter, mine is the same @ 67kIf you can be bothered the trellis frame on the back can be removed and painted, quite a lot of work for not a lot of benefit.
Rear shocks are a weak point, i put an R&G shock sock on mine as they get covered in all the crap that flicks off the rear wheel.
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