Just Bought a 2002 K1200RS

Found it on eBay, and contacted the seller to ask a couple questions. He responded with satisfactory responses, so I looked harder at the ad, which was "Buy It Now / Make Best Offer". Someone had already made 6(!) offers on the bike, But since it was still up for sale, I figured the dude was low balling, or.... well, something.... I mean SIX "Best" offers and it was still there.

I made my own "Best" offer, and POW! Instantly, I got a Note saying my offer had been accepted; I'd "won" the bike.

At first I had a pang of guilt, but then realized the seller had pre-set his acceptable dollar figure, and I'd gotten to it in one shot, where the other "buyer" hadn't, in six tries. SO hurray for me and too bad on him.

Far as I'm concerned, it doesn't pay to mess around lowballing a guy on something that's really priced well within the range of acceptability, for a 02-04 K1200R or GT. I've been watching these bikes for a month or more and this one was about the same price as any I've seen, and a bit less than some. And this is a one-owner bike with only 45K on the clock!

Now, all I have to do is find the time to go get the thing.
And ride, ride, ride.

Woo Hoo.


PS:
(Thanks, mods! Sorry about that.)

Incidentally, I've seen where folks replaced the stock exhaust on these K12s with a Remus Exhaust, or other after-market brand. Any merit to this? Or should I Just stick with the stock exhaust?

http://dallas.craigslist.org/ndf/mcy/2966908582.html

http://dallas.craigslist.org/dal/mcd/2969676318.html

I am looking at these two similar bikes. How do they compare to the deal you got? I am looking for a bike for my brother who just totaled his 2000 Sprint. Some yahoo pulled a u turn, from the curb on him and he t-boned the car. The dude tried to accuse my brother of trying to pass on the left. It was a two lane residential street and my brother saw him parked at the curb and slowed down accordingly in anticipation of a total screwball move. The guy pulled the u turn just as my brother was almost right up to him and he had nowhere to go. He is banged up but nothing too serious. So I am trying to help him into a bike. Something like these in the 6-6500 dollar range. I need to get him something before the insurance settle because it is his only means of transport. Any insight would be appreciated.

As with any closed loop system, the aftermarket exhaust will change the power band a tad, lean iny out in some places, fatten it in others, and make it louder. I went with a Rhinewest cam gear and chip kit that requires the stock exhaust. With the miles I put on that bike at the time, I did not want it louder. The cam gear and chip was less expensive than any aftermarket pipe and provided better real world torque improvements where I wanted them. Fairly easy install for the mechanically inclined. As far as performance gains, most if not all the pipe vendors will have power curves available to compare. The best gains are with a combination of pipe and chip from what I have seen. But most are higher horsepower in the higher end where you rarely live with this bike....

Good on ya.I was a dedicated airhead(am once again) but when I rode my friend Phil's K12rs I was hooked and went to the Dark Side with a new 04 GT.Never looked back.I would say replace the suspension with Ohlins if it is still stock rather than the exhaust.
Welcome to the dark side!

Moralem:Those both look like good buys,subject to a mechanical inspection.On my 04 I had some disturbing seal leaks,all covered under warranty and nothing since.But if I had to pay for that now,it would have been big bucks.Check the repair history on both as best you can.Good luck.

I am an RT guy so I am not sure what to look for on these bikes. Any recalls that I should look for or other known failures. Thanks.

moralem said:

http://dallas.craigslist.org/ndf/mcy/2966908582.html

http://dallas.craigslist.org/dal/mcd/2969676318.html

I am looking at these two similar bikes. How do they compare to the deal you got? I am looking for a bike for my brother who just totaled his 2000 Sprint. Some yahoo pulled a u turn, from the curb on him and he t-boned the car. The dude tried to accuse my brother of trying to pass on the left. It was a two lane residential street and my brother saw him parked at the curb and slowed down accordingly in anticipation of a total screwball move. The guy pulled the u turn just as my brother was almost right up to him and he had nowhere to go. He is banged up but nothing too serious. So I am trying to help him into a bike. Something like these in the 6-6500 dollar range. I need to get him something before the insurance settle because it is his only means of transport. Any insight would be appreciated.

Click to expand...

That 02 is the exact bike being offered at the exact price, tho that silver and red one you're looking at has lower miles on it. Mine has 45 K. I've been looking pretty hard at these, K1200 RS & GTs (02-04 mostly)- I've seen them anywhere from 5000.00 at the low end to as high as 7500.00 for a pristine model with very low miles, and added farkles.

Sorry about your brother's luck, but hey- sounds like it could have been worse.
One note about these bikes- folks seem to snatch them up when they come up for sale, they are hot right now. If you really want one, jump while you know the bike is available, because it'll probably be gone tomorrow. This added to my final decision to buy one- everyone seems to want them, so i took that as a positive indicator.


And yeah, jgr451-
I love the airheads, too, and have a 93 R100RS. I had my old K100, but was thinking over the last year, that I'd like to have a newer bike to replace it. Somehow it was never a question of which bike to trade up on! I was really seriously looking at a new Triumph Sprint GT myself, but the bike seems more representative of the "sport" side of "sport touring", rather than a true sport touring bike. More like a crotch rocket with saddle bags on it. So, for half the cost of a new Sprint, I now have a pretty darn nice K12! One of the major considerations for me is whether my GF will like to ride behind me on the bike- so I REALLY hope she likes this one! I'm about 99.9% certain she'd be averse to riding on the back of the Sprint.

Anybody have a pillion rider on their K12RS?

jgr451 said:

Good on ya.I was a dedicated airhead(am once again) but when I rode my friend Phil's K12rs I was hooked and went to the Dark Side with a new 04 GT.Never looked back.I would say replace the suspension with Ohlins if it is still stock rather than the exhaust.
Welcome to the dark side!

Click to expand...

The suggestion to replace the suspension with Ohlins instead of replacing the exhaust is a great one! I have Ohlins (rear) shocks on both my BMWs now and love it.

That 02 is the exact bike being offered at the exact price, tho that silver and red one you're looking at has lower miles on it. Mine has 45 K. I've been looking pretty hard at these, K1200 RS & GTs (02-04 mostly)- I've seen them anywhere from 5000.00 at the low end to as high as 7500.00 for a pristine model with very low miles, and added farkles.

Thanks for the feedback. I am going to check these out this week. One is local in the DFW area and the other down in Austin. I will make a trip down there to inspect for oil leaks. And possible records since that is about the extent of my knowledge.

jgr451 said:

Good on ya.I was a dedicated airhead(am once again) but when I rode my friend Phil's K12rs I was hooked and went to the Dark Side with a new 04 GT.Never looked back.I would say replace the suspension with Ohlins if it is still stock rather than the exhaust.
Welcome to the dark side!

Click to expand...

I replaced my exhaust with the Remus system and really like it. But I did the replacement because of several cracks/breaks in the stock exhaust. (My '02 RS has 65k+ miles on it and still runs strong) If the stock exhaust hadn't developed some nasty cracks, I would have stayed with the stock. I concur, replacing/upgrading the suspension would prob. be a better investment that the exhaust.

moralem said:

Thanks for the feedback. I am going to check these out this week. One is local in the DFW area and the other down in Austin. I will make a trip down there to inspect for oil leaks. And possible records since that is about the extent of my knowledge.

Click to expand...

Call before you drive, to make sure it is there and you don't waste your time. I'm telling you, these bikes gather no dust! Don't delay too long or they'll be gone.

One thing I was told about in my "K1200RS V GT"? thread was that these bikes came from the factory with plastic fittings in the gas lines, ask if they've been replaced with the metal (factory recall, I think) another possible point of inquiry might be on the ABS and its history RE the specific bike you look at.

Here's the most informative answer I got to my question about the diff between the K12RS & GT. If you're looking at the K12s, there's some pertinent info for you here, from member RBEmerson:

"The difference cues are in the model letters: RS = rennsport (racing sport) and GT = grand touring

What MysticRed said: the GT riding position is a little more upright. Additionally, the windshield is a little bigger and electrically adjustable. With the RS it's smaller and has two positions (changed by skilled grabbing and yanking ).

Additionally, the mirrors are little larger and have a rounded rectangular shape (the RS mirrors are ...ah... lacking - which is why so many RS' have GT mirrors). There are four added pieces on the tupperware - handgrip and leg wind deflectors.

GT's can have heated seats (not, AFAIK, standard, but I could be wrong on this point), RS' don't. Some folks have converted to the GT heated seat, although managing the switching adds to the fun of swapping saddles.

Past that, these bikes are pretty much the same (e.g., both will have cruise control). The GT series continued on after the RS ended. The overall vehicle changed significantly at the point. As to "the best year(s)", I'd say the '02 on versions are preferable. The ABS works better (yeah, yeah, yeah... some people claim the ABS II system is s*** - haters gotta be hatin') and generally the design was well matured at that point. Past that, you get into a more expensive ride. Nice if you have the money, but I honestly can't even sell myself on moving up.

I have an '03 RS and find it quite suitable for both short and long haul riding. However, I ride solo. If SWMBO ever decides to ride again, I'd rather do it with a GT. I think the RS tends to favor the solo rider slightly. YYMV.

Down side: OK, there are gripes about the ABS. Agreed that, if the brain goes, it's probably going to run close to half of what you might pay for an '02-'03 K1200xx. OTOH, they don't all die.

BMW used two quick-disconnect fittings near the fuel tank - one line feeds fuel the fuel injection system, one line returns excess fuel back to the tank. Unfortunately, BMW used plastic fittings that fail - often dumping raw fuel in the process. Not Good. There was a recall to replace the plastic fittings with metal fittings. If they're not on your GT or RS, change them ASAP!!!

Idling, the bike sounds like there's a box of rocks in the crankcase. They all do that. Once you're moving at a fast walk, the noise goes away and from there on the engine is turbine smooth. For laughs, demo an RT "boxer" and then demo a GT. Which is smoother?

Up side: Either bike handles well and goes like stink. I have never heard anything about the wheels being offset. That doesn't make a lot of sense. Ya can't believe everything ya hear on the Interweb, ya know..."
__________________

Wow!!!! Thanks for the detail. That really helps. I spoke with the guy selling the bike in Austin. And he says that he can get the records and that it has been serviced at the local dealer. Unfortunately I can't get down there until Friday or Satirday due to work. He has even offered to take it in to the dealer for a PDI. So we will see.

+1 on BMWRider88.

On the pipes, if you just have to tinker, sobeit. But, honest, ride the bike for a while before you start making changes. These things have ripples (throw a stone in water, you get ripples) and they can be exciting on occasion. OK, change the pipes. Oops, gotta change the ECU. Hmmm... the bike's a lot twitchier than it used to be.

I think you'll find that even a box stock KRS will move you down the road quite briskly.

Two after-market changes I think deserve some effort are 1) replacing the tinny Roadrunner "beep-beep" horn with a Stebel Nautilus air horn, and 2) replacing the low beam halogen lamp with a DDM Tuning HID kit.

The stock horn is ...ah... barely adequate. The Stebel horn is loud and pitched lower. It speaks with authority. Ripples... figuring out a good mount for the horn will take a little effort, and you'll need to wire up a relay to let the stock horn button (rated for the lower current demand of the stock horn) control the Stebel. This stuff is all well documented but it still takes a bit of time to get it right.

The stock lighting is simply inadequate for speeds much above 40-50 MPH. There is not enough light far enough down the road above about 40 MPH. The conversion of the low beam to HID is relatively simple, although you will have to drill a large hole in the back of the headlight housing (once done, it's filled with a new cover supplied by DDM) and mount the ballast assembly. Again, this stuff is documented but will take some time to do. (FWIW, I also converted the high beam to HID - much harder job!).

But first, do those quick disconnects!!!

Hi RBEmerson, glad you didn't mind me quoting your post from my other thread!

I'm not that much of a tinkerer, per se, but if there are a couple tweaks, I could put on the bike, I am more than happy to do them (or have them done at my local dealership).
The HID bulb for Low-Beam is a good one, as is the horn- my older BMWs have all had LOUD horns- car horns, or so they sound. The Stebel, then, is a no-brainer. A pair of PIAA 1100X's will almost certainly be added at some point.
Someone above suggested that instead of messing with the Stock Exhaust (i get the ripple effect concept), Maybe an Ohlins shock is $$$ better spent?

Anyway, I will ride the bike for a while to see how it suits me, and also find out just what has or has not been done already. Since it is a one-owner bike, I'm hoping ( and feel pretty sure already) that the PO has taken good care of it, and modded things on the bike that either were factory upgrades or things he took it upon himself to do or have done. Time will tell, and I'll file a report here when I get the thing in my possession- it's scheduled for pick-up on May 5th!

Cheers guys!

k1200rs

I have a 2000 krs and am totally in love with it. The bike doesn't gather much dust under it. It is plenty fast. I have ridden numerous 800 mile days on the bike and while the heat of the day might be a little much, the bike is a thrill to ride. I changed the rear suspension to a wilber and also added a staintune exhaust. I remapped it by turning the key on and twisted the throttle from closer to full open three times and then turned the key off. This takes care of remapping. The bike is a little more throaty but speaks with authority. Sounds great.....Ride the bike. It wants to be ridden. The bike still turns heads wherever I go. The front dampner might need to be replaced and if so, replace it with a Hyperpro. Enjoy. It is a fantastic bike.

PIAA... Meh. Lotsa sizzle, not so much steak IMHO. (Lots of ad hype but I simply don't see them doing anything really great)

Do the DDM conversion and you'll be brighter to oncoming traffic without being a problem. The HID is brighter than the stock light; the headlight lens keeps the brightest part of the beam down lower. However, when, for example, I pull up behind a pickup or school bus, where I can see the front of the bike in reflection, the headlight's pretty hard to miss, but it's not glaring.

One of the other pluses for HID is the lamps have about 4-5 times the life expectancy of an incandescent (i.e., halogen) bulb. Since the low beam is on full time (even in high beam mode), extended life is a Good Thing. And HID's don't demand as much power has brighter incandescent lamps (no added relays and high current wiring needed).

?ûhlins... understand they're seriously spendy. You really, really, really should do the front and back at the same time and that's not cheap. Additionally, setting them up correctly takes some skill and experience - they should be installed by someone who knows what they're doing. Get it wrong and, at best, the bike handles poorly, particularly for what the shocks cost. At worst... don't go there.

The PO for my bike very nicely had them installed by a pro. I did a little fiddling to get them closer to my personal feeling for how things should be (the PO seemed to think harder is better) and... eh. They work. Would I go out and drop ~$2K (IIRC that was the total bill) on the project if they hadn't been there? Nope. I've ridden another K1200RS, that was box stock, and found the ride quite acceptable. Bottom line: unless you're taking the bike to the track, I'd wait until the stock shocks demand replacement.

DISCLAIMER: I have no connection with DDM (or ?ûhlins) save as a customer. Ditto for Stebel and BMW, for that matter.

bandman said:

[...]I [...] added a staintune exhaust. I remapped it by turning the key on and twisted the throttle from closer to full open three times and then turned the key off. This takes care of remapping.[...]

Click to expand...

Er, that procedure resets the throttle position sensor but, AFAIK, doesn't do anything for remapping anything. OTOH, the Staintune may well be designed so the ECU doesn't need remapping. Or not. It's your motor... [/shrug]

remapping

The staintune exhaust doesn't need anything done to the fuel injection. If was suggested by the dealer to turn key on, twist 3 times and turn key off. This can also be done if you change elevation in land. ie. mountain riding. My bike works great and it did make a big difference. The was 25,000 miles ago and still doing strong. I trust my dealer with my bike and I listen to him for advice. Has not cteered me wrong yet.

Fine. Keep in mind, though, why the throttle twist trick is done: to reset the throttle position sensor. This is something you want to do if the battery is disconnected (the TPS setting is lost when the power goes out). As for changes in altitude, nah. The FI system handles that issue just fine as it is. Resetting the TPS has no effect on altitude compensation.