New Member - New R1150R owner - Nervous as hell !!

[rasp77]

Hello

I have just bought, as a first big bike, a 2003 R1150R Silver with ABS and 10,600 miles, in what seems exceptional condition. Lots of extras.
I am due to collect from a BMW dealer in the South of England next week.

Having joined and spent hours pouring over current and old posts I've been rendered a nervous wreck.
Is there anybody out there, whose really enjoying their bike and having no problems at all?
I've read that people are nervous riding long distances in case of getting stranded.
There must surely be some good stories out there - problem free.

Although the dealer has fully serviced the bike
First thing on Monday, I'll be ringing the dealer to insist on the following

1) Inspection & replacement of Fuel QD/Clamps/Hoses
2) Inspection of wire Harness on Left side under the seat and near the battery tray area
3) Check for excessive vibration above 4000rpm
4) ABS flush

Is there anything else, apart from normal servicing, I should get the BMW garage to check before I collect?

Then in the future, it would appear I can look forward to

1) Final Drive failure
2) ABS failure
3) Clutch Spline input shaft failure

etc etc etc

As this is my first bike for many years, is all this normal and to be filed under the joys of motorcycling, or is this model flawed?

I would be really grateful for any replies

Luckilly I do have 12 months warranty - but I'm not sure what this covers.

Wanted to buy the F800ST but too expensive at this moment

[bikermeow]

I have ridden the bike about 1100 km over 2 days without a problem.

Raise the bike onto centrestand, see if there is sideway play of the rear wheel. Check for leaks along the transmission/engine border. Hall sensor, so long as the wires to the sensor is waterproofed, or it is a new sensor, you are fine.

Ride. You will then know what other mods you want.

Welcome

Cheers

[towerworker]

rasp77---welcome to the fold!

I put 42,000 relatively trouble free miles on my silver 03 prior to totaling the bike in an accident. The only time I was stranded was when one of the QD's failed and that fortunately was a few miles from home. Otherwise it was extremely reliable. I currently have an 04 with 35,000 miles and again no serious issues. Sounds like you have a good handle on some of the troublesome issues (qd's, too tight zip ties on the wiring harness and so on) Ride it and enjoy it!

Wayne

[timl]

I've got an '04 with nearly 36,000 miles. I've had absolutely no problems but like you, I worry a lot from what I read here. I only use if for commuting so if I do get stranded I won't be very far from home.

[Remow2112]

I went through the same kind of worries. You have to make a decision, enjoy the bike or worry about what MIGHT happen. I started looking at it from the perspective of every motorcyclist I meet. "If you ride a bike you will crash, it is just a matter of when." That line drove me nuts at first.

Do the maintenance and then ride her till she bucks you. I have an 04 just hit 14800 on it last night and next weekend we are driving all over the state of Arizona.

The only item on here that I have found to be guaranteed is the quick disconnects. That I would change on the spot. The rest, people come to the internet for information and to complain. How boring would all the post be if they all said, "This is the greatest bike in the world and keeps running like a Timex."


Enjoy the bike.

Dan...

[R1150Rclean]

Make sure they replace the QDs with metal ones, not the plastic OEMs. I have not had my bike for long, so to keep an eye on the inside of the bike I placed chrome plated high energy magnets on the three drain plugs, FD, transmission, engine (ACE hardware has them in the US, they are ~1/8" think by 1/2" round). They will let me know if any metal is coming off the gears.

When I looked through the FD failures (http://www.bmwfinaldrive.com/) I only found one R115R and one rockster. I think part of the problem is that people do not change the FD oil regularly, the previous/original owner of my bike never had the FD oil and transmission oil changed (bike was six years old with 6 k miles, but they should have been changed every 2 years OR 10 k miles). Now he was taking it to a BMW shop to do the engine oil changes, they should have told him about changing the FD oil and transmission oil too, right? But if they did not, or he ignored them (which I doubt he would do) and the FD fails the BMW shop makes money on fixing it

The bike did not even have the over tight wiring harness ties cut off by the dealer, so when I got it the wiring harness cases were cracked and water could get into the wires.

Take care of it and do not beat it and it should be fine.

[owldaddy]

I have a 04 R1150R with 34,446 miles on it now. The only problem was with the QD's. I had planned to change them (lessen learned on this forum), and had the metal replacements ready to go, when I broke the plastic one trying to disconnect it. I also took the advice as to the wire ties. The bike has had no problems, it just runs. I still love riding this machine, and I ride it often, only for pleasure. If it comes down with one of the dreaded problems I will deal with it and move on. I do notice now though, I take care to shift smoothly............ Lots of good advice can be found here, take the good stuff and you will be fine. The majority of these bikes don't have issues.

[Flashdog]

26,000 miles with NO problems. I broke a quick disconnect while replacing the battery and air filter. I was in the Duffy mountains of BC in February on a logging highway in hours from anywhere and in between snow storms. My one piece of comfort was the fact I was on my R1150R.

We all come on these type of websites to get answers, swap stories, and mostly to bitch about this failure or that. My "Black Bomber" has a Corbin Dual Canyon saddle, bar backs, touring screen, Staintune lowered pipe, head guards, hand guards, luggage rack, and the hard bags with deep lids and no cut out for the exhaust. (HUGE!).

If I had the time and money to do the four corners of our great nation and then include Canada and Mexico the "Bomber" would be loaded up today. Not only that, I would choose it over all but a few made today.

[macx]

Good advice from all -

I did notice on the QD's no-one really clearly specified that it's probly a good idea
to also replace all the fuel injection hose external to the tank with good quality
efi specific high pressure hose and new good quality efi clamps.

There are also a fair number of problems posted on the stick coils going bad,
I've seen a number of posts saying folks carry spares. But they're expensive.
And if yours is a dual spark, it'll at least run on the bottom plug and not leave
you stranded.

i noticed someone mentioned to check the rear wheel lug nuts for tightness (torque
per the spec'd procedure) - be sure to also check for loseness in those pivot bearings
at the front of the final drive.

Not a "strand you" issue, but lots of folks report smoother running and better mileage
if they synchronize the throttle bodies - apparently the oem specs have a wider range
of tolerance that the mechanics usually go by but the bike runs smoother if you
zero it in more closely. Mine does.

Same with close attention to the rocker arm end play and valve lash. Factory has a
fairly wide allowance or tolerance range there, they do run better if set more
carefully and especially the same side to side.

And you might want to seriously consider doing the cam chain tensioner change
on the left side to prevent possible eventual damage or failure due to the chain
flopping around inside at startup.

By all means change the final drive (especially) and trans oil fairly frequently.
I don't know if every engine oil change is really absolutely necessary, but probly
at least midway thru the riding season and at the end. There's a certain amount
of debate on how heavy of a lube to use. If you use synthetics, especially,
you can use a lighter weight (like 75W90 versus 75W140) which gets into the
tiny spaces between bearings etc better and doesn't thin out under heat like
conventional oil does. Also the molecular chains are longer and don't break
down under heat and pressure as quickly as conventional, and they almost always
have better additive packages that last longer and perform better. You get what
you pay for, and lube is cheaper than rebuilding or replacing a final drive!

For all lubrication, speaking from experience with heavy trucks and equipment
that get hard use and put on a terrific amount of miles, I'd seriously think about
using synthetics. In heavy truck use, they add at least 1/3rd to the service life of
differentials and transmissions and run significantly cooler on long trips.

Periodic flush and replacement of brake fluid - both the ABS and the wheel circuits -
will definitely prolong the life of those expensive parts. And don't forget the clutch
hydraulic circuit at the same time. I'd say yearly no matter the miles - it's accumulated
moisture sitting inside the system that does the damage as much as the actual mileage.

I've installed and wouldn't be without bar setbacks, course I'm old with a bad back, so
sitting more upright increases my comfort level. And my next upgrade is absolutely
replacing the stock seat with a Rick Mayer seat - nothing but rave reviews about his
seats and they're not much over 1/2 of some of the big name brands that can get
awfully expensive. I'm old and a wee bit on the stout side, but I can't sit on mine
more than 1/2 hour or so without getting the uncomfortable feeling I'm straddling
a log. I want a seat I can sit IN rather than something that firm that I have to straddle.

I've read many good reports of the benefits of a better wiring system - with a fused relay -
for the headlight, plus using at least a Zenon bulb, wattage of your choice. I've got one
ready to go on.
http://www.easternbeaver.com/Main/Produ ... _kits.html

Welcome aboard and enjoy your bike! I bought mine - first BMW - last summer.
An 04 r1150r. It's not without things I'd like engineered differently and it's share
of mechanical problems that apparently happen a little more often than one would
expect from a BMW, but all in all a good riding and handling bike that is enjoyable
to ride.

[sweatmark]

As this is my first bike for many years, is all this normal and to be filed under the joys of motorcycling, or is this model flawed?

As you've spent some time here reading owner comments about the R1150R, you've noticed that we sometimes bitch & moan about the shortcomings of the Roadster/Rockster, including those potential problems that some have experienced. Most of the problems are universal to rhe R1150** range, so we're not alone in our misgivings about "fine German engineering".

But good news is also widespread here on the board. These particular bikes do a lot of things well and provide an able mount for many a paved adventure. In fact, the reason for this message board's existence and longevity was the uniqueness and (at the time) unsurpassed overall capability of the R1150R as "Renaissancemotorrad", plus the quality of the bike's ownership group.

So don't worry. You've got the benefit of a supportive global owners' group, and lots of know-how specific to the bike you now own. And don't forget that these machines are particularly easy to work on and maintain.

Enjoy your bike. Feel free to proclaim its wonderfulness, and occasionally rant about the factory's failures. But most of all, get out and ride and tell us about it.

[AirForceDirt]

I've put around 17,000 miles on mine in less than a year and the only problem I've had is that I still have a job and have to stop riding long enough to go to work. I took the month of June off this year and did a 6000 mile road trip. The majority of the mileage was within a 2 week span. The bike performed flawlessly and never once had me worrying that I wouldn't be able to ride it back home. My RR has over 36,000 miles on it and I couldn't be happier with it.

[Arbee]

The Boxer engine is a great engine and very reliable, and wont let you down, but they
are heavy on batteries in cold climates however there are other accessories which dont
stand up to the same amount of ruggedness... ABS, Clutch Splines, Quick disconnects.

[Dr. Strangelove]

Over 50k miles, front wheel abs sensor went out, and nothing else. Have gone on many LONG solo rides--last one was in May and over 6300 miles. She just purrs.

[wncbmw]

rasp77 - remember one internet rule. For every single problem posted, there are 100 happy owners too busy to post because they are out riding.

In spite of the fact that I was a victim of a final drive bearing failure, I knew what to look for (because of this board) and caught it before the bike left me stranded. And the repair was less than I would have spent on routine sprocket and chain replacement on a chain drive bike with similar mileage.

My bike is an '02 with 50,000 miles on it. I would not hesitate to load it up and take it around the country tomorrow. It is without a doubt, the best of the 5 BMWs I have owned. Great all around bike for everything from hooligan riding or touring. And looks great doing it. Just on my riding yesterday, I had 3 compliments on my bike from people I had never seen.

Ride the hell out of it and enjoy! And welcome to the board! It is a great community for information.

[MattPie]

Coming up on 30k, no mechanical issues. The bike pings from time to time, but I think that's gas quality related.

I know someone who has over 70k on her 2005. As someone mentioned, the 1-in-100 rule about the internet is likely valid, so you're only betting that your machine isn't in the 1% that has catastrophic issues.

[rasp77]

Thankyou very much to everone who responded.
My nerves have been somewhat soothed

I look forward to a long relationship with this forum and contribute when, I feel, I can.

Picking my bike up on the 14 September - Cant wait


NOTE
Disapointingly the BMW Dealer informs me that they dont consider the QD an issue. However I have instructed them to replace for metal ones/and hoses at my cost.
He did say that the wiring harness is subject to a Service Bulletin and has been modified where required.

[Flashdog]

[quote="rasp77"]Thankyou very much to everone who responded.
My nerves have been somewhat soothed

I look forward to a long relationship with this forum and contribute when, I feel, I can.

Picking my bike up on the 14 September - Cant wait


NOTE
Disapointingly the BMW Dealer informs me that they dont consider the QD an issue. However I have instructed them to replace for metal ones/and hoses at my cost.
He did say that the wiring harness is subject to a Service Bulletin and has been modified where required.[/quote I hope you are too busy riding to hear from you for the first few days after the 14th.! Come back, and tell us all how wonderful your new R bike is. Most of us with the same exact bike as your will insist that our particular one is better! Mines black, so it's the best. Well, at least it's the best BMW color!

[machew01]

I put 33,000 miles on a 2004 R1150R. I had no problem whatsoever.

mac

[riceburner]

Hello

I have just bought, as a first big bike, a 2003 R1150R Silver with ABS and 10,600 miles, in what seems exceptional condition. Lots of extras.
I am due to collect from a BMW dealer in the South of England next week.

Having joined and spent hours pouring over current and old posts I've been rendered a nervous wreck.
Is there anybody out there, whose really enjoying their bike and having no problems at all?
I've read that people are nervous riding long distances in case of getting stranded.
There must surely be some good stories out there - problem free.

Although the dealer has fully serviced the bike
First thing on Monday, I'll be ringing the dealer to insist on the following

1) Inspection & replacement of Fuel QD/Clamps/Hoses
2) Inspection of wire Harness on Left side under the seat and near the battery tray area
3) Check for excessive vibration above 4000rpm
4) ABS flush

Is there anything else, apart from normal servicing, I should get the BMW garage to check before I collect?

Then in the future, it would appear I can look forward to

1) Final Drive failure
2) ABS failure
3) Clutch Spline input shaft failure

etc etc etc

As this is my first bike for many years, is all this normal and to be filed under the joys of motorcycling, or is this model flawed?

I would be really grateful for any replies

Luckilly I do have 12 months warranty - but I'm not sure what this covers.

Wanted to buy the F800ST but too expensive at this moment

I have done a total of well over 100,000 miles in the last 5 years, on 2 Rocksters (well, 3 actually, but the first was written off avter 2 weeks). In the UK. My dealer is Vines, and they're very good (if expensive).

I have had 1 clutch spline failure; at about the 30,000 mile mark (IIRC) on the first bike. It WAS the day after I'd been trying to pull wheelies..... The second bike now has over 60,000 with no issues.

I've had more rear suspension units fail than clutch splines.

I have never changed the Fuel disconnect parts, the o-rings and plastic QDs are still ok. I belief issues listed on this board may occur in climates that vary more than the one than we have. ie where it gets a lot hotter in summer, and a lot colder in winter in the UK we have a temp range of maybe 30 degrees over a year - some places have a range more like 40-50degrees.


basically - only worry about the issues if they occur.

[BMWEW1]

24K fun miles on mine so far, so GO RIDE, do the usual required rountine maintenanace, have FUN and if something should happen don't sweat it.