Life expectancy on a GSA

[apbehnen]

I am thinking about buying a used 2014 GSA with 67,000 miles on it. The bike is currently owned by the manager of the BMW motorcycle dealership where I live. I am told it has been well maintained. I am looking for feedback regarding if this is a lot of miles for this bike, and how many more miles can I expect to get out of it if I maintain it well.
Thanks

 

[dukekaboom]

GSA Life Expectancy

While I can't speak from personal experience, I do know plenty of folks who have piled well in excess of 100K miles on these bikes -- with proper maintenance, of course. I would probably want to get the maintenance records, check the valve clearance, the final drive oil and the front and rear driveshaft splines for lube and make sure there's no rust due to water ingress.

 

[apbehnen]

Thanks

 

[wbrownell9]

I traded a 2016 GSA that had 150K on it. Wonderful bike, reliable as a hammer. New-bike-itis, no real reason to change.

 

[apbehnen]

Thank you

 

[skibum69]

It will go longer than you will with proper maintenance. Buy it!

 

[rick601]

I have the ORIGINAL axe that has been in my family for 7 generations!! The head has been replaced 8 times and the handle six times...but wow- it's gonna last forever at this rate.

 

[pglaves]

I have the ORIGINAL axe that has been in my family for 7 generations!! The head has been replaced 8 times and the handle six times...but wow- it's gonna last forever at this rate.

Actually not a good example. Voni's R1100RS went 400,000 miles before I had to replace the engine.

 

[alegerlotz]

I have the ORIGINAL axe that has been in my family for 7 generations!! The head has been replaced 8 times and the handle six times...but wow- it's gonna last forever at this rate.

With 8 new heads and 6 new handles, there are lots of original parts left there...

 

[oldcamper]

Any bike will probably run as long as it isn’t crashed and the owner is willing to spent time and/or money repairing it. Some repairs on a BMW can be expensive. At 67k i’d be a little concerned about ESA shocks, ABS, fuel pump, throttle bodies and TPS, and the rear drive u-joints, bearings and seals. I’ve never owned a water cooled BMW boxer and can’t authoritatively comment on the life expectancy of these components but they can be expensive to replace, especially if you need to take it to a dealer.

 

[bigjohnsd]

Check his records to see if the driveshaft has been replaced.

A fair number of U-Joint failures have been noted on these bikes.
New driveshaft is $1,500 installed.

Mine needed one at 50K miles.

Ted Porter/The Beemer Shop is just about to release a replacement shaft for much less $$ and the U-Joints are lubricatable.

 

[rick601]

Actually not a good example. Voni's R1100RS went 400,000 miles before I had to replace the engine.

It's a "concept". A little extreme but useful. I'm not ridiculing the idea of a well maintained bike but hinting that the idea of something lasting a long time is a comment on both the object and its owner.

 

[pglaves]

It's a "concept". A little extreme but useful. I'm not ridiculing the idea of a well maintained bike but hinting that the idea of something lasting a long time is a comment on both the object and its owner.

I understand. In the larger cosmos, to many owners motorcycles are like toasters or DVD players. Use them till they break and get a new one. Kymco owners and BMW owners do not necessarily think alike on this subject.

 

[EUGENE]

Are we talking F or R models?

 

[pglaves]

I interpreted GSA to mean R models (and not the Girls Scouts of America). But I am reminded that I used to puzzle and laugh at Harley Davidson nomenclature , FLXKPDQ, etc. Now we, on this forum, have lapsed into abbreviations almost as bad.

 

[HSVPhil]

Mr apbehnen: Here's my 2 cents and worth every penny!

Mrs HSV now has 166K on her 09-F650GS-twin, which says that a 'well-maintained' BMW ought to go pretty dang far... But they are all individual machines, so sh!t can & does happen to every one. IF U feel that the bike is a "good deal," then Go for it! Life is a crap shoot. Jump at such an opportunity, and then appreciate the gifts you've received!
Ride it like you stole'd it.....

There U have it. Roll the dice if you will....
Ciao!
HSV-Phil & HSV-Karen
'14 K-GT -- '09 650GS-twin
'75 R90S -- '82 R100CS

 

[oldcamper]

I understand. In the larger cosmos, to many owners motorcycles are like toasters or DVD players. Use them till they break and get a new one. Kymco owners and BMW owners do not necessarily think alike on this subject.

I put quite a few miles on a Kymco. They are long lasting machines, but rear tires, belts and rollers are frequent maintenance items and are a primary running expense. No oil filter so i changed synthetic oil about every 1,000 miles but it only took 1 quart and about 5 minutes! Based on the Honda Helix/Reflex engine, they can go 100,000 miles if maintained properly.

Again, just about any bike can be kept running as long as the owner is willing to spend time and/or money to maintain it.

 

[beemerchuck]

Check the build date. If it is before may 2014, it has the early stator that has had a higher than normal failure rate. I changed one last summer on 2014 RT. $250 for an aftermarket part and 18 hours to replace since you have to remove the motor and trans to split them.

 

[r0ckrat]

"Thread: Life expectancy on a GSA" - Depends on how you ride it!!!

 

[cycleman2]

I am thinking about buying a used 2014 GSA with 67,000 miles on it. The bike is currently owned by the manager of the BMW motorcycle dealership where I live. I am told it has been well maintained. I am looking for feedback regarding if this is a lot of miles for this bike, and how many more miles can I expect to get out of it if I maintain it well.
Thanks

I would like to know if it was a loaner bike, when somebody with service issues needed a bike. That would steer me away from it. Buying a used bike is always going to carry some risks. A good maintenance history helps and this bike is certainly at the stage where a few things are going to need some attention.