Just bought a Rockster what do I need to know?

[cgguy09]

Hey boys,
I posted in the Rockster forum, but I didn't get any replies. So this is just an updated post from there in the hopes I get some input.

I've been creeping on this and a couple other forums like mad clown for the better part of 4 years. I wanted to get into riding so I bought a cheap cb350 and turned it into a cafe racer, but I've always loved the BMW bikes. The R1150R Rockster was the bike that made me want a motorcycle. & today I just bought one.

The bike I bought is an 04' BMW R1150R Rockster ABS. ~13,000 miles on it, clean title, from a gent up in CT who claims to have taken expert care of it. I plan to have it shipped to Missouri (my current local) Here is his description:

"This is probably the best example of the R1150R Rockster you will find. The bike is flawless. I bought it with 5k miles and have enjoyed it for 5years. It now has 13k miles. I have used only Amsoil synthetics in the motor, tranny and final drive since I bought it. Last year I added Wilbur’s front and rear shocks ($1400 upgrade) but that was well worth the money. Bike handles and rides much, much better. I also added a quick release tank bag and a Luminar windscreen. The bike also comes with a set of BMW side bags , which I never used.

The Rocksters were only made a few years, but are basically an R1150R with an attitude. BMW reduced the gear ratio in the final drive , so it’s a little snappier than the plain R bike , added some carbon fiber parts , and gave it an eye catching paint scheme with powder coated wheels. I get comments on it everywhere I ride. This is a dual spark motor (very smooth) and it has ABS. (wouldn’t ride a bike without that !)

The bike is PERFECT and needs nothing , so I won’t “give it away”. But if you are interested, come and try it, you won’t be disappointed."

I was curious if you wise sages could tell me what the hell I just got into...(other than the best looking bike BMW has ever made) What should I ask about/ what to look for/ and what to do when I get it?

Shocks: I've done some research, the Wiber Shocks are pre-set, but I'm lucky they are set for my weight 190...I weight roughly 195, praise the motorcycle gods! Additionally they are adjustable so there shouldn't be an issue.

Brakes: New pads, with less than 2000 miles on them (bought from beemer boneyard). However, It was recommended I change the brake fluid. I can do this myself, correct? At this point, I have only worked with drum brakes, so I'll need to research how to do that, maybe buy some tools?. If anyone has any good sources (preferably with pictures cause I'm dumb) I'd appreciate it!

Oil: He put amsoil in it, a very reputable brand. I don't like to fix things that aren't broken, so I think I'll leave that for another 5,000 miles. Any objections?

Tires: Not original tires, only 3,000 miles on them. No concerns.

I know the following are common problems, am I able to inspect these parts myself?
Clutch slave cylinders can fail from corrosion. The regular fluid change can delay this onset. Clutch hubs and transmission input shaft splines experience premature failure on 1-2% of the models. Little known about the failure mode, but inspection can predict failure.

Final drive small bearing races, big main bearings, and seals fail at a 3-5% rate. Transmission rear main seals can fail and contaminate the clutch facing. Starters, batteries, shocks, coils, front headset wiring all experience failures from bad parts, wear and tear, etc. While aggravating, these are within expected wear rates.

Beyond those things, what things should I look for as far as basic maintenance? I'm pretty comfortable around working around a bike. & I'm a fairly competent mechanic around cars. Although, I'll admit the CB350 is about as simple as the come. I've never worked with fuel injectors, modern disc brakes, and the like. If I need to go to a shop, just tell me. But I have a ton of tools and know how to use them.

I won't say I'm a "noob" but perhaps more at the sophomore level (a wise fool).

Gents, any help you want to give I'm open to. The link to the bike is below.


Thanks team.

cFogs out
BT
NNNN

http://www.ebay.com/itm/BMW-R1150R-R...p2047675.l2557

[MarkShelley]

Jesus.....after reading that list I am surprised you bought one! The failure rates are so small it isn`t worth worrying about.
If the bike you have bought is as described just do normal scheduled maintenance and ride the thing
Oils are an immotive issue and everybody has an opinion. Mine is that I wouldn`t waste money on fully synthetic oils in a boxer. Just get something that meets the recommended spec and change at the correct intervals.
Most of the other faults you mention are unlikely to manifest themselves unless the bike is either not used for very long periods (seals failing) or after very high mileage.
You tend to hear a lot about the problems on BMW bikes. My theory is that it is because they actually get ridden by their owners and cover much higher mileages than other makes. You don`t see many other bikes coming up for sale with over 70K on them because they have already been scrapped! My 1100GS went past 110K last weekend and still runs sweetly. I have owned my bike for about 50K of those miles and have got to know it pretty well. I now only adjust the valves every 10K (should be 6K) because I got fed up with checking them only to find they were still in perfect adjustment!
Check your oil on a regular basis so you get to know how much, if any, it uses. General opinion is that oil useage only settles down after around 16K, so yours hasn`t reached that yet. Mine uses virtually none, no matter how it is ridden. Others seem to use a bit. Hopefully you will be lucky!

[Buckster]

I bought a Mityvac off amazon to do the brakes and clutch. Some do it without it. I also do both every year rather than just the brakes like it's called for. Make sure to use Dot-4 for brakes and clutch that's from a new unopened bottle!
Do a search on the forum and you will find more help on the "how to".
I've learned just about everything on this forum about these bike. I bought a Clymer's and hardly ever use it. It is nice to have to refer to though.

[Buckster]

Hope this helps too.
http://r1150r.org/board/viewtopic.php?f ... ead#unread

[billbeemer]

super critical on just purchased bike. flush the clutch fluid TWICE to get gunk out of slave cylinder. age is the enemy instead of mileage and the slave will take the clutch out ($1800). just trust me, i know a guy who didn't and had to have a new clutch.

[AZBMWRIDER]

One easy thing you can do now, is to remove the cable ties from the wiring harness around the steering head area. the harness is pulled too tight and you will get broken wires eventually .
If I get a new to me pre-owned vehicle, I replace all the fluids and filters before I do anything else .
Seeing as how the battery is a pain to get to, I would check to see if the battery is a serviceable type, or a sealed type, if the battery is old, I'd think about replacing it .