R1100R vs R1150R vs R1150Rockster

[Xdot]

I'm searching for a BMW R right now and given prices, have confined my search to late 1100's and early 1150's. There are four bikes 'near' me that more or less fit my requirements.

The closest is a '98 R1100R with 8k miles, ABS, and BMW luggage. I've ridden it and like it. Asking $5000. Bike is local but *might* be sold. This bike does not have heated grips - an option I think I'll want.

There is an '00 R1100R with 8k miles, ABS, heated grips, and luggage about two hours away. Asking $6,800 but I think he'll drop a little.

There is an '02 R1150R with 21K miles, ABS, heated grips, and luggage the other direction, about 2 1/2 hours. Asking $6,400 but will take $5,500. Opposite direction of the '00 1100.

And there is a '04 Rockster 80th Anniversary Edition with 7K miles, ABS, heated grips, and luggage, asking $6,500. (This bike is very close to the location of the '00 R1100R.)

All these bikes appear to be well-cared for and in excellent condition though I've only had eyes on one of them.

As far as styling, I like the R1150R the best. The 1100 looks good but is a little... disproportionate. The Rockster is sleek but I prefer the more traditional single, center light. Styling is not a show-stopper for me. I'm an engineer and like to do my research and meet my requirements. I'm not going to get something ugly but all these bikes look great.

Ergonomics are *most* important to me. Now I've done a little research on Bikez.com and it lists the seat height on the 1100 as around 29.5 (lowest setting), the 1150 as 31.9, and the Rockster as 32.5. I'm guessing this means that the 1150 is a bit more lean-forward than the 1100 and the Rockster even more so. I want an upright riding position - neither lean forward nor lean back. This is the only requirement I will not compromise. I was able to ride the 1100 and it fit this requirement well. With the seat on the center setting I could flat-foot comfortably. Legs felt a little cramped so I'd probably go with the top seat setting - though I'm only 5'8" so I don't want a real tall bike.

For those of you who've been on multiple bikes, even if you didn't own them, can you shed a little light on this for me? Are the 1150 and Rockster considerably taller? Do they have adjustable seat height? How do the ride positions between these bikes vary? Does the headlight configuration on the Rockster put a lot more light on the ground or is it more safe - or is it 100% styling? Are there other differences with the Rockster that make it a must-have? This is starting to ramble so I'll close it out and let the experts weigh in. Thanks.

-john aka Xdot

[boxermania]

Are the 1150 and Rockster considerably taller?
Not really, maybe within 1/2", once the suspension has setled

Do they have adjustable seat height?
Yes on the 1100, no on the others. However, the 1150 and Rockster have low, standard and high seats

How do the ride positions between these bikes vary?
The 1100 and the R1150 are very similar, the general consensus is that the 1100 seat design is better than that of the 1150/Rockster. Rockster handlebars are flatter than the other two.

Does the headlight configuration on the Rockster put a lot more light on the ground or is it more safe - or is it 100% styling?
IMO, nothing to set them appart

Are there other differences with the Rockster that make it a must-have?
The Rockster has the R1100S front suspension and SS brake lines. The one you are looking at is, for the most part, a desirable model and price wise the best of the bunch, IMO.

Good luck and keep us posted as to your selection.

[riceburner]

The 1150R & Rockster seat doesn't have different positions - you can get lower/middle/higher seats instead.

The Rockster's wide bars (wider than a GS I think) tend to pull you forwards.

What kind of riding will you be doing?? The wide bars on the Rockster give you faster steering for small back roads (IIRC even BMW said it was the best "back-roads" bike they had at the time), and the lower top gear (same as GS Adventure) allow the engine to rev-out in top. (but high speed cruising is slightly more tiring).

IF the riding position is the most important thing for you, I'd recommend having rides on as many bikes as you can manage to find the position you prefer.

Oh - the Rockster full beam is the same as the much maligned GS full beam - auxiliary lights to fill out the pattern on full beam are recommended if you do a lot of (relatively rapid) night riding. Dipped beam spread is good though.

[Xdot]

Mostly I anticipate commuting, riding some back roads, and doing some light touring with my wife on the back.
Looking forward to it.

-john

[iowabeakster]

From the way you talk about ergonomics...I would think the r1100r and r1150r are the seating position that you would prefer the most. The Rockster may be a bit forward. I realize that travelling might pose a hassle for you, but riding them in the only sure-fire way to tell.

A couple of other thoughts...

All of the bikes listed above have ABS. Doing the ABS fluid change on a 1150 is...well...a chore. I didn't realize that before I bought my bike. It isn't brain surgery...but it is a hassle. I have successfully done it several times now, without any major problems. There is nothing wrong with taking it to the dealer to have the service, but the cost of that motivated me to learn and do it myself.

I'm not positive about the 1100's... servicing them might not be as bad. Although, I've read reviews that said when the ABS kicked in on the earlier BMW models (in this case the 1100's) that the bike bucked like an angry horse (rather crude).

The Rockster would be the bike that has the best ABS system, of the bikes listed above (2004 had a small improvement over the 2002). A panic stop is truly astounding. You might need to press your eyeballs back into their sockets after testing it out.

The 1100's had a 5 speed transmission. The 1150's have a six speed. That may make a difference to you.

[DMM]

I'd agree with what has been mentioned above. I have been told repeatedly that the Rockster's headlight is weaker than the Roadster, and it does appear to be so to me. That said, there are after-market light options. As to ergonomics, I'd recommend the Roadster according to your specifications - more upright seating than the Rockster, heated grips, and better motor and gearing than the 1100R (which is still a fine bike). As others have mentioned, test ride the others (at least the 1150R) for comparison.

[Xdot]

Well, I've decided to wait until after the summer to buy a bike. Really need to do a couple of things before I get one. First is build a garage for it since I'm currently supporting a fleet of cars with driving teens. I've got plenty of space on my property, I just have to do it and would rather have the crib ready before I bring the baby home. I also need to wait until the right one comes along. I'm in no hurry and haven't been looking that long. And if this seems like waffling, the real driver for me is ACL-knee reconstruction in six weeks (Taekwondo accident ). I won't even be able to push the bike for two to three months, much less ride it. So, I'm going to sell off my other bikes (before instead of after), and start collecting high quality riding gear (again, before not after). Kind of bums me out but I think it's the plan that makes the most sense given my knee. I'm going to remain on the list and keep reading and learning and if anyone comes across a super deal*, let me know. If it is The One, I can always stick the bike in a storage unit until I can walk again.

I'm enjoying the list and will continue to lurk and learn.

John

* R1150R with ABS, heated grips, luggage, and a windshield, with low miles and service records within a couple of hundred miles of North Alabama (Nashville, Atlanta, Chattanooga, B'ham, etc.) neighborhood of $6,000. The closer to Huntsville the better.

[NVMIKE]

Hi.....this is my first entry.

I just bought a 2004 R1150R
. It has only 1200 miles on it.

I never owned a BMW, but I love this bike.

I am having it serviced. Can anyone suggest potential problems?????.

[brem]

John,

I'll chuck my two cents in as a Rockster rider. I've had it long enough to mess around with the ergonomics to some extent. I'm 6'2" so I use the tall seat, but I don't see any reason why you wouldn't be able to get the seat height that works for you. As far as I know there are people down to 5'7" or so who get along with the low seat without any hassles.

As to the other ergos, the Rockster bars in stock setup are really nice for backroads riding and not really nice for anything else. I originally bought my bike used with some other bars on it (didn't realize it at the time) but after a stupid low-side they were replaced with the stock units. Even with my pretty long arms they were a little too low and a little too far away for casual riding, so I wound up with some sore wrists and a stiff neck after a fairly short period of time. I've since installed some risers that put the bars up 1" and pull them back 7/8", and it's made a big difference. However I have also ridden an R1150R and it's pretty much the reverse situation - for everything BUT backroads riding those bars are much superior. You can modify the Rockster bars to an extent fairly cheaply (I think the risers I bought were $40), but in general I'd say, if you don't have any strong aesthetic opinions, start from the end of the spectrum where you're going to do most of your riding and get the bike that makes more sense for that more of the time. That probably won't be the Rockster if you insist on having a bolt-upright seating position, because it will be pretty hard to make that happen.

Otherwise the differences aren't that extensive. Based on a not-that-thorough comparison between the two, the bars & R1100S suspension on the Rockster definitely improve the handling when you're riding more aggressively than normal. The headlight on the Rockster isn't awesome, but neither is it particularly terrible.

The only other things that make sense to me to think about are the foibles peculiar to the 1150 models vs. the 1100s, whether an R1150R or Rockster. I know from personal experience that the servo brakes on the later models are a bit weird in their operation - they take some getting used to and also have some unlikeable characteristics at very low speed (they don't do anything, then grab too hard, etc). In addition, if you're looking at a model that has the servo brakes, you will want to pay very close attention to the maintenance records - apparently brake fluid left in the bike too long (past the recommended flush intervals) can kill the seals in the original unit and thus you may need to replace the whole thing to the tune of $1500-$2000, which I have experienced. Don't be scared off by that since it certainly doesn't happen to everyone, but it's worth checking the records for. Just in general the ABS/powered brakes situation on the 1150 models is unnecessarily complex for no real benefit, in my opinion (although I wouldn't buy an bike without ABS). There's plenty to read on that subject in other threads.

Hope that helps.

Brem

[Xdot]

Which years have the servo brakes? I'm looking at a
'96 R1100R, 7,100Miles, ABS (no tach?!?) $4,100
'98 R1100R 7,800Miles, ABS $5,000
'00 R1100R 7,500Miles, ABS $7,800(!)
'02 R1150R 21KMiles, ABS $5,500
'04 R1150 Rockster, 8,900Miles, ABS $6,000

Are you suggesting I avoid the servo brake models or just be aware of their characteristics? Is the brake fluid change problem you cite only for the servo models or all models? As a life-long mechanic I'm sure I can do it. I just don't feel too good about someone else getting it done right...

I built a place to store the bike today. Long day but rewarding.

John

[brem]

Standard boilerplate: other people here have forgotten more than I will ever know about oilheads, but as far as I know the only two models of those on your list with servo brakes are the '02 R1150R and the '04 Rockster.

I don't suggest avoiding them- but just be aware that they're more complex than the earlier system and have some odd characteristics. If I can summarize it quickly BMW decided to add powered servos to the braking system to reduce effort at the lever during the 1100-1150 transition around 2001, and the system survived until the transition from oilheads to hexheads in 2005/6, when it was dropped again for a conventional setup (in no small part because the customer base didn't like paying for expensive fluid flushes).

I would recommend reading the following threads for far more valuable information than I can provide:

Sweatmark's detailed explanation of his removal of ABS from his R1150R
viewtopic.php?f=3&t=13571&start=0

And another thread about ABS/brake systems with some solid info
viewtopic.php?f=2&t=18676&start=0&hilit=abs

And last, a thread about the actual task of changing the brake fluid:
viewtopic.php?f=2&t=10073&hilit=abs

Some more research here would probably turn up more information on the subject - use the "Advanced search" option to search only the R1150R board and switch your output to "Topic" rather than "Post" and you should have some good luck.

In terms of what it's like to ride one of the models with the powered system, essentially it means these four things:

1) With the ignition off or in the event of a failed pump, braking performance is significantly reduced and requires a hard squeeze to make anything happen
2) With the ignition on and the system functioning, braking power is applied kind of abruptly compared to non-boosted braking systems
3) Anytime the brakes are applied with the ignition on the system makes a medium-pitched whining noise that changes pitch depending on how hard you're squeezing the lever
4) Low-speed braking is a bit of a learned art initially since the brakes can grab hard with the initial pull on the lever

All of these things are filed under "eccentricities" as far as I'm concerned. None of it really does anything to make the brakes function better than a non-boosted setup, but it doesn't take anything away from owning the bike, either.

Best of luck with the search - of the choices you have there I'd say either the '98 R1100R or the '02 R1150R seem like the best. My personal lesson from owning German machinery for the first time with my Rockster is that everything will be golden if the maintenance schedule was adhered to rigorously, so that alone might be the best arbiter for making the final decision.

Brem

[sweatmark]

FWIW I need to update my iABS Removal thread over in Rockster section.

As for R1100 vs R1150:
We've owned R850R, R1100R, R1150R Roadster, and my current Rockster. Info above covers many good points. Best to discuss many nuances of these machines over the phone, so PM me if you want to chat sometime.

Will say this though: if your principal criteria are focused on upright riding posture, then your options are 1100 or 1150 Roadsters, with windshield for higher speed use. Fiddling with R1150R handlebar position - via risers or barbacks - might be needed, along with selection of "right" seat for your needs.

The Rockster headlight sucks unless you install HID bulb.

[iowabeakster]

I found the servo brakes (1150's) a bit quirky for the first week or so. I quickly and easily got used to them.

The only thing that really bugs me about the system is the fluid change. Here are the instructions I wrote up last year...

I spent more time writing it up then I did doing the work. Although, I had done it few times already.

viewtopic.php?f=2&t=18725

[Lion_Lady]

Hi.....this is my first entry.

I just bought a 2004 R1150R
. It has only 1200 miles on it.

I never owned a BMW, but I love this bike.

I am having it serviced. Can anyone suggest potential problems?????.

Hey, mike, are you in Northern Virinia? (fill in your profile ).

P

[spoon]

See, this is the thing I like about a Harley. I ride my Sportster for a day and then get on the Rockster and its like I've died and gone to heaven. The head light comment cracks me up.

[BMWEW1]

Xdot- I think the prices for the R1100R's were a bit too high anyway, even with ABS. They are a 10+yr old bike, but really a 15 yr old model since came out in 1995 I believe. My buddy switched from riding an R1100R for 5yrs to the 1150 and is very happy.

[Xdot]

I've found a '02 Yellowjacket R1150R with 21K miles for $5,200. That's a pretty good price around here and it's been well taken care of. Comes with BMW saddlebags and a factor rear luggage rack. I'm probably going to take this one over the '04 Rockster with 8,900 miles. I've got him down to $5,500 and I think I could get a few hundred lower but I have zero confidence that the Rockster has been properly maintained.