Buying advice for lowered 1999 R1100RT

[168477]

I'm seriously considering buying a fairly local bike, about an hour away with an asking price of $2,800. It has some early records, but out of the 3 PO only the first had it serviced at the dealer so the records are pretty scant. Red flag number one. It has about 50K miles on it, which seems reasonable to me. Cosmetically fine except on the fairing where it looks like somebody spilled some brake fluid (not horrible), Corbin seat, and has the top box. No evidence of new brake lines or HES wiring upgrade, so that will have to be done I know. The dealer did work on the final drive at about 24K miles; seals, fluid, etc. The biggest question for me is that he has a receipt for a "Lowering Kit" and the receipt shows a BMW part number, which is actually for a F650 center stand and side stand, but the parts break down suggests that it also fits this bike! "MODIFICATION KIT F LOWER CHASSIS (33532337029) R1100RT Parts" The receipt is from 1999, so it was done when the bike was nearly new. No receipt for shocks though! That could have been lost however. The current shocks are all silver body, black springs but I have not seen a brand name on them. Could these be Wilbers? Are there OEM short shocks? What's are the downsides from such a lowering modification? Are the shocks old enough to be replaced anyway? How can I tell how much it was lowered without the stock seat? I could get stock center and side stands from a breaker and new shocks I suppose, but would not do so unless it fixes a problem. Could the original owner have also owned a F650 and misfiled the receipt?

What do you advise? Keep looking? No bike is perfect, much less one with 50K miles. I don't mind wrenching on it, but don't want to spend a bunch of money on it if there are major drawbacks to lowering it. I trust the original design and specs, the mods? Not so much.

 

[jagarra]

I lowered my 94 RS model about a year after I bought a new set of Wilbers the standard height. I then bought another set of Wilbers and selected the lowered (30mm) option, love it as I can reach the ground with a bit more stability. I had to lower the center and side stand myself. I ride mostly on the mountains in the Nevada- California Sierra area so i have had ample opportunity to see if I bang things through corners, I can honestly say no, I have knocked my foot off the peg, but i seldom have done that. It seems to set up better and faster in the corners after I lowered it, a bit more solid than before. The biggest issue was getting the lift arm properly positioned and figuring out how to relocate the bump stop when the stand was retracted so it provided plenty of road clearance.

The Wilbers are either blue or black body. If the shocks are silver I would suspect they are stock units, you could check marketplace to see if anyone is selling a set to compare to yours.

 

[168477]

Thanks, but still have a question

I lowered my 94 RS model about a year after I bought a new set of Wilbers the standard height. I then bought another set of Wilbers and selected the lowered (30mm) option, love it as I can reach the ground with a bit more stability. I had to lower the center and side stand myself. I ride mostly on the mountains in the Nevada- California Sierra area so i have had ample opportunity to see if I bang things through corners, I can honestly say no, I have knocked my foot off the peg, but i seldom have done that. It seems to set up better and faster in the corners after I lowered it, a bit more solid than before. The biggest issue was getting the lift arm properly positioned and figuring out how to relocate the bump stop when the stand was retracted so it provided plenty of road clearance.

The Wilbers are either blue or black body. If the shocks are silver I would suspect they are stock units, you could check marketplace to see if anyone is selling a set to compare to yours.

Nice to know the bike still handles and no major issues, thanks! I live just over the mountains from you in N. Cali, so I ride the same sorts of roads, probably the very same roads on occasion.

Did the Wilbers lower the bike by 30mm or a bit less since they are angled a bit?

The stock shocks that I recall seeing have a silver band around them with the part number printed on them, so I'm thinking, that, since these don't have that they are aftermarket and short as I wouldn't think that the shorter center/side stands would work with the stock shocks. I don't know that however.

I was wondering if somebody could measure their stock center and side stands for me. I could then measure the ones on the bike to compare. Thanks!

Will the Wilbers hold up for more than 50K miles?

 

[gsaddict]

Nice to know the bike still handles and no major issues, thanks! I live just over the mountains from you in N. Cali, so I ride the same sorts of roads, probably the very same roads on occasion.

Did the Wilbers lower the bike by 30mm or a bit less since they are angled a bit?

The stock shocks that I recall seeing have a silver band around them with the part number printed on them, so I'm thinking, that, since these don't have that they are aftermarket and short as I wouldn't think that the shorter center/side stands would work with the stock shocks. I don't know that however.

I was wondering if somebody could measure their stock center and side stands for me. I could then measure the ones on the bike to compare. Thanks!

Will the Wilbers hold up for more than 50K miles?

The stock *center* stand (R1100RT) I have here measures 9 1/4" from the floor to the center of the pivot.
If you end up needing one, PM me.
Sorry, I do not have a side stand to measure

*corrected

 

[168477]

Stand

The stock side stand (R1100RT) I have here measures 9 1/4" from the floor to the center of the pivot.
If you end up needing one, PM me.
Sorry, I do not have a side stand to measure

GSAddict,

Thanks! But I'm a bit confused; you say the "stock side stand" is 9 1/4", but then say that you don't have a side stand to measure! I'm thinking that you meant "stock CENTER stand" is 9 1/4". Right? Thanks for your help!

PM sent about the HES wiring btw.

 

[gsaddict]

GSAddict,

Thanks! But I'm a bit confused; you say the "stock side stand" is 9 1/4", but then say that you don't have a side stand to measure! I'm thinking that you meant "stock CENTER stand" is 9 1/4". Right? Thanks for your help!

PM sent about the HES wiring btw.

BRAIN FART! I meant centerstand.
Corrected.

 

[168477]

Center stand

Thanks! I figured that's what you meant, but had to double check. I appreciate your help!