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Imminent K1200S Purchase

B

BC1100S

Left Coast Rider
Hi Folks,

After many years on an R1100S, I'm looking at a lightly used (5,000 miles) '05 K1200S. Its got new tires and a new battery and has had all its vital fluids changed prior to being put on the market. Is there anything specific I should keep my eyes open for? Were there factory recalls about which I should enquire?

Thanks in advance for your input!
 
I would recommend not buying it until you have spent a lot of time reading up on the wedge hedge K bikes. I owned an '07 GT. Fun to ride and a lot more power than the boxers but hard to sell even when heavily discounted. For instance, to change the spark plugs, the radiator had to be removed and could only reserviced with a pressure pot. Lot's of opinions on the forum, the is just my experience.
 
Do they come in Pathetic Blue?

Curious minds need to know...

PS. Hope the firefighters in BC get a handle on all those darned fires soon!
 
SeabeckS said:
Do they come in Pathetic Blue?

Curious minds need to know...

PS. Hope the firefighters in BC get a handle on all those darned fires soon!
Click to expand...

They do come in that most desirable of all colours. :laugh

And yes, those fires are causing issues everywhere. The skies in Vancouver have been tinged red from ash and smoke for a week. :mad
 
BC1100S said:
They do come in that most desirable of all colours. :laugh

And yes, those fires are causing issues everywhere. The skies in Vancouver have been tinged red from ash and smoke for a week. :mad
Click to expand...

The last club meeting I attended had a gent with a white/blue K1200s, fabulous looking machine. Good luck with the search!

Sunset came about 20 minutes early on Hood Canal a couple of days ago. Made me somewhat glad that I don't fight these fires anymore. Heckuva fire season out here on the Left Coast. IMG_0531.jpg
 
Dang it, Steve, you're making my life difficult! :laugh . I've got a line on one in that exact colour combination. It has 38,000 miles on it. Longevity-wise, are they similar to the oilheads if properly cared for?

Rode one today which quite disappointed me. Really bad lean stumble off idle and a lot of intake noise. Made me think it didn't have an air filter in it. And the Laser slip-on it had didn't have the db killer installed so it was a tad noisy as well. PLUS, it took a gallon and a half to go about 45 miles and I wasn't abusing the speed limit THAT badly.

I did like the way it handled. Not nimble but perfectly serviceable for my intended use. And yes, sir, I got into seize-your-bike-and-licence territory pretty damn fast. :blush
 
Maybe that one has the air box issue + idle control valve + PCV...?
That exhaust "may" cause a loss of some low-end.
And you don't really need to shift to 2nd if you're looking for a ticket... I've been lucky (so far)...
 
They are a bit more...a lot more actually, difficult to do a major service compared to Oilheads.
The valve check has you removing a LOT of pieces to access the valve train. At least the service intervals are further apart as far as that task and haven't found one to be far enough out of spec after all the work.

The warped airbox and idler valve is a concern as Paul mentions and causes idling and throttle roll off dying. The newer box has a much larger idler control valve. The S has two intake snorkles and filters compared to the GT having only one,but it is possible someone removed/altered the filters:banghead Seen more GT's with airbox issues than S's for some reason...but maybe more GT's out there.

H's early run 05 had the death rattle at start up before the cam chain tensioner upgrade came around and replacing it did not get rid of it completely.I ended up replacing cam chain and rails to solve problem...which is now a recommended service at higher mileages. My later run 05 never had any issue before I traded a fellow for my KTM.

H's also came with a two bros exhaust(LOUD)...I preferred the stock on mine as it didn't need more attention drawn to it. It's large, but so what.
One other issue that pops up on some is a failing ball joint on the duolever forks..at 30 mph, the bike will wander about making you think you have a flat or riding on grooved pavement.Neither of ours presented that, but I rode a few that did.

They are fun bikes, but do require a bit more effort to service IMHO
 
henzilla said:
One other issue that pops up on some is a failing ball joint on the duolever forks..at 30 mph, the bike will wander about making you think you have a flat or riding on grooved pavement.Neither of ours presented that, but I rode a few that did.

They are fun bikes, but do require a bit more effort to service IMHO
Click to expand...

We had to replace the ball joints on both of our K1300Ss around 40,000 miles.
Parts and labor was around $800 on each bike.

Valve checks with plug and coolant changes was around $450. (Not a full 18,000 mile service.)
That includes changing valve cover gaskets.
 
Thanks guys. I really appreciate the ongoing input. I'm THIS CLOSE to pulling the trigger on a clean blue and white one with service records.

What can you guys tell me about ESA? Good, bad, indifferent? Adjustable via GS-911?

Lastly will the K1300S (much smaller) muffler fit the K1200S?
 
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The muffler/cat looks the same, the 13's added a flapper valve at the coupling but the interface flared couplings look the same on both. I think, w/out going out to look, the belly strap on the muffler is adjustable if any movement is needed

There is a factory option sport muffler from Akropovic...for "only" US $ 2100!

ESA is a nice option, some love and some think not enough personal adjustment. For me, it was enough change to warrant a button push when changing road/riding conditions. I rarely used Comfort unless on a very straight rough road.In Sport mode it's stiffer but nice in technical stuff.

You can't change any preset values with GS 911 as far as dialing it in

At 38K, they may be near their prime, there are options to keep the ESA function if you ever upgrade. I would just ride it and see how it works for you. Shocks/struts are like tires and oil:whistle and I'll stop.
 
It is done. I am the proud purchaser of a K1200S - in the colours which Henzilla tells me are the fastest. :laugh

Due to my busy travel schedule, I won't be picking it up for three weeks. :violin Pictures will be posted then.

In the meantime, I can go online and start ordering more "stuff" for it. For those of you who are good at spending other people's money (I'm a pro), I am open to suggestions.
 
BC1100S said:
In the meantime, I can go online and start ordering more "stuff" for it. For those of you who are good at spending other people's money (I'm a pro), I am open to suggestions.
Click to expand...

This spring Henzilla's wife Helen had some K1200S carbon fiber pieces for sale.
PM Steve to see if she has any remaining.

If the bike does not have panniers, I would start there as the first purchase.
The K1200/1300S bags are small but they blend in with the style of the S well.

You can check the classifieds on the i-BMW forum. It will have mostly K1200/1300 stuff.
There's a Carbon Remus for sale, $600 and Helen's carbon is listed there also.
http://www.i-bmw.com/classifieds/showcat.php

Pirate is a good vendor to deal with on K1200 accessories.
http://pirateslair.net/ProductS.htm
 
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