Kiishka wrote:Hey guys, I'm brand spankin' new to the forums, and thought I'd stop in and ask you all a question. I currently ride a Kawasaki Ninja 250, which I love to death but am looking to replace with something a little larger and more powerful. My husband and I were at a BMW/Triumph dealership to pick up his new Triumph Daytona, and I spotted an '04 black/lime Rockster in the BMW section. I had never heard of one before, but I absolutely fell in love with the bike. Here's a link to the bike on the dealer's site...
http://www.rfalconepowersports.com/pre_ ... eh=1011013
Issues:
It has 24k miles
The fit is a little off- I'm 5'4, and I can barely touch the ground. They said it's easy to customize the seat or buy a lower one. How accurate is that? I only need about another half-inch to be completely comfortable.
I flipped through the forums and did some reading... there seems to be a decent variance in how long these bikes last. Is it a waste buying a bike at this mileage?
Thanks for any advice you have to offer!
Kat
First of all, the bike doesn't have ABS which is a big PLUS!!! The ABS system of this generation is total junk and the servo-assist...don't even get me sarted on that bright idea.
Secondly even with the low seat, it's still tough for short people. I'm 5ft6 but with disproportionately short legs (26" inseam) and with the low seat on, I still only get a solid one foot down. The problem is that the seat is wide and it splays your legs outward.
Thirdly, ask for a test ride before you buy. These bikes are very awkward in the handling department. They're not only heavy as hell, but also very top heavy. Coupled with the dry clutch and the shaft drive, low speed maneuvering is a big pain. Also if you have to manhandle it in the garage or around, it's quite of a handful. Stopping and start is a pain for us shorties too until you get used to balancing it on the tip of your toes.
Fourthly, at 24K miles, those shocks are deader than dead. So figure new shocks (aftermarket Ohlins, Works Performance or Wilbur and not the BMW junk Showa yet cost more) will set you back $1500 or so plus labor.
Fifthly, have this bike's clutch spline been checked and lubed? If not then figure $600 to strip the damn bike apart to inspect to make sure that the spline's teeth aren't all shorn off and to properly lube it. BMW made a boo-boo that they never admitted to.
Sixthly, these bikes are cold blooded and take some serious cranking to turn them over. Invest in both a good battery (Odyssey brand) and a good Battery Tender.
Seventhly, without knowing the service history of this bike, I don't know if the valve gaps are set correctly and whether or not the throttlebodies are synchronized. I find most BMW dealerships to have less than stellar mechanics. They charge you a good deal, but they are either sloppy or incompetent. So, figure about two hours of labor at a BMW shop (factory or private) that has competent mechanic to check the valves gaps and synchronize the throttlebodies or else your bike is going to run like crap and induces some nasty vibrations into your hands and feet.
So, if I were in your shoes and really want this bike, I'd negotiate down to probably no more than $4000 out the door. Seriously. Hell, unless the rest of the bike is very clean, I would even go as low as $3000 or $3500.
But do yourself a favor and ask for a test ride and really see if it's your cup of tea.
BMWs, especially boxer twins, are not everybody's cup of tea. It's disconcertingly different enough that one must really want it to put up with the idiosyncrasies.
So, now, you ask, with all of the caveats I've listed, why do I still ride the damn thing after four years of ownership? Because once you get it up to speed, it runs nicely. Sporty enough to have fun with and funky looking enough to draw admiring looks. Its behavior at speed is impeccable. Solid, firm, stable yet smooth. It bucks crosswind quite well.