sjensensr2
New member
I'm finally brand new to BMW. I picked up an 03 r1150rt last week and plan to put probably 7K to 8K on this summer. I'm waiting on a manual and am collecting fluids and parts to start the maintenance program, but not really sure how deep to go at this point. Not my first bike, but first of it's kind.
A little history. I bought the bike from a very honest gentleman in AZ. He had bought it used with 26K on the clock in 2011 and rode one long trip then short hauls to the 33K mark. He did maintenance like oil changes, he replaced the brake pads, but didn't bleed the system - I got the impression not a lot was done to the bike. No oil on the bottom of the final drive. No written maintenance documentation.
I jumped on and rode it 1300 miles home to Oregon. Started every time, shifts well up and down, (occasionally I had to let the clutch out a little from N to first to get it to kick in). Tranny seems a little noisy and clunky, but I assume that is normal. Slight surge at about 3K rpm that would level as it went up, but I had a CX500 that would redline at 9K, so I'm used to keeping the R's up. It seemed to take a lot of effort to crank the bars through high speed corners - like, maybe I need to tune the suspension a little. I didn't have a book and figured, it's running, don't mess with it.
It now has 35.3K. I'm thinking, change all the fluids; crankcase, final, tranny, etc. Flush the brake system, new plugs, valve set - all the normal, (for me), stuff.
Is there anything else I should be thinking about at this point? If I was just going to do some afternoon jaunts this summer, I wouldn't worry too much, but what kind of extra things would you guys do?
A little history. I bought the bike from a very honest gentleman in AZ. He had bought it used with 26K on the clock in 2011 and rode one long trip then short hauls to the 33K mark. He did maintenance like oil changes, he replaced the brake pads, but didn't bleed the system - I got the impression not a lot was done to the bike. No oil on the bottom of the final drive. No written maintenance documentation.
I jumped on and rode it 1300 miles home to Oregon. Started every time, shifts well up and down, (occasionally I had to let the clutch out a little from N to first to get it to kick in). Tranny seems a little noisy and clunky, but I assume that is normal. Slight surge at about 3K rpm that would level as it went up, but I had a CX500 that would redline at 9K, so I'm used to keeping the R's up. It seemed to take a lot of effort to crank the bars through high speed corners - like, maybe I need to tune the suspension a little. I didn't have a book and figured, it's running, don't mess with it.
It now has 35.3K. I'm thinking, change all the fluids; crankcase, final, tranny, etc. Flush the brake system, new plugs, valve set - all the normal, (for me), stuff.
Is there anything else I should be thinking about at this point? If I was just going to do some afternoon jaunts this summer, I wouldn't worry too much, but what kind of extra things would you guys do?