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Any high mileage wetheads out there?

High Mileage Wet Head

Anybody got alot of miles on their wetheads yet?

How has the reliability been for those high milers?

I assume most of those were replacements for older beemers. Do you like your wethead better?

Not a troll, still considering a 2017 r12rt (would want the abs pro). I haven't ridden a new RT yet although I did ride a r1200rs. Naturally I would spend some time on one before I pulled trigger.

(One of my current bikes is a 2000 r1100rt, fwiw)

My 2014 R1200RTW is approaching 60 k. No real issues other than water pump, leaky seal ( coolant from weep hole) and 4th headlamp low beam bulb. The bike has been trouble free.
2014 R1200GSA has 19k w/ zero issues.
 
My High Mileage '15 R1200 GSA is for SALE

I have a couple of posts in this thread about the reliability of my GSA. It has been a really great performer, but, its time has come........for us to part ways. I'm 78, and have used my R 1200 RT and R1200 GSA extensively over the past 10 years. The RT, with 125,000 miles on it, was traded for the GSA. It was love at first sight. Until the '15 models came out the only thing lacking on the GSA was electronic cruise control. When I saw the new ones on the floor I was hooked. That's when I switched. Do I have any regrets?

Maybe one or two minor ones. The first is that the RT with its after market windshield was absolutely quiet. The GSA, with its louder exhaust and smaller windshield is noisier. The other regret is that when I drop the bike the first thing I have to do is look for some young stud-muffin to help me pick it up. I never had that problem with the RT. I keep telling myself that it's because the bike's CG and weight just make it harder to pick up. But in reality, my relative age while owning the 2 bikes may have something to do with it.

Anyway, both the RT and the GSA have been very reliable. I used the RT for mostly hard surfaced road travel. When I ran out of new places to visit with it, I shifted to the GSA for a little more dirt/gravel capable bike which enabled me to go beyond the end of the paved road. It served me well when I rode the Iron Butt Lighthouse Challenge Tour, and has now just been ridden for the Key West to Prudhoe Bay, AK ride and the National Parks GOLD Tour. That's ten years and 170,000 miles with no interruption to any of the rides due to failed equipment. I think that says a lot. If you look around, you may find an ad for my GSA "For Sale". Look for me on my '09 G650GS.
 
I have a couple of posts in this thread about the reliability of my GSA. It has been a really great performer, but, its time has come........for us to part ways. I'm 78, and have used my R 1200 RT and R1200 GSA extensively over the past 10 years. The RT, with 125,000 miles on it, was traded for the GSA. It was love at first sight. Until the '15 models came out the only thing lacking on the GSA was electronic cruise control. When I saw the new ones on the floor I was hooked. That's when I switched. Do I have any regrets?

Maybe one or two minor ones. The first is that the RT with its after market windshield was absolutely quiet. The GSA, with its louder exhaust and smaller windshield is noisier. The other regret is that when I drop the bike the first thing I have to do is look for some young stud-muffin to help me pick it up. I never had that problem with the RT. I keep telling myself that it's because the bike's CG and weight just make it harder to pick up. But in reality, my relative age while owning the 2 bikes may have something to do with it.

Anyway, both the RT and the GSA have been very reliable. I used the RT for mostly hard surfaced road travel. When I ran out of new places to visit with it, I shifted to the GSA for a little more dirt/gravel capable bike which enabled me to go beyond the end of the paved road. It served me well when I rode the Iron Butt Lighthouse Challenge Tour, and has now just been ridden for the Key West to Prudhoe Bay, AK ride and the National Parks GOLD Tour. That's ten years and 170,000 miles with no interruption to any of the rides due to failed equipment. I think that says a lot. If you look around, you may find an ad for my GSA "For Sale". Look for me on my '09 G650GS.

Chuck

The best post I have read in a long time. I'm 64 and you give me hope that I can ride for a bunch more years. I ride about 17-20,000 miles / year and hope to do that for a bunch more years. I recently sold my RT for GSA. I may just have to get another RT to compliment it.
 
50,000+ on my 2014 R1200RT and other than the stupid low beam bulbs, it's been just fine.

I'll be needing a battery by New Years though.

AD
 
88k on my BMW paint code BLACK 2015 rtw

While at last years swamp scooter rally( great gumbo)I had a intermittent charging problem.The guys at Baton Rouge BMW couldn't find a problem but i bought a voltage regulator anyway and never had the charging light come on again. Low beam bulbs only last about 14k so i have them replaced as routine maintenance.Checked the valve timing recently with Lee Farling and they were in time .Still have not had to adjust the valves.Even with the oil level 1/16" above the dot it doesn't always seem to shift as nice. At 80k I had my dealer install new Tractiv shocks from Ted Porter and can feel the difference.My old ones didn't leak or feel terrible,I just didn't want to have to have them go bad at an inconvenient time. I LOVE this bike.MY 7th BMW and by far my favorite. If I go more than 2 days without riding it I get grouchy.
 
I've had my 2015 for 18 months. It was a demo before I bought it. I am at 22,000 km (14,000 miles), almost all in trips of a few thousand km each. No problems.
 
At 80k I had my dealer install new Tractiv shocks from Ted Porter and can feel the difference.My old ones didn't leak or feel terrible,I just didn't want to have to have them go bad at an inconvenient time.

I wonder how long u-joints are expected to last. With the one report here of front u-joint failure at 73,600 or so miles it made me want to look up the cost of replacing the entire driveshaft w/ 2 u-joint sets which came out to around $1,150 or so as an assembly. Problem is, I have no idea what to expect on u-joints service life in a wethead RT w/ very little exposure to rainy weather or high humidity, ridden one-up w/o luggage most of the time.
 
Anybody got alot of miles on their wetheads yet?

How has the reliability been for those high milers?

I assume most of those were replacements for older beemers. Do you like your wethead better?

88,326 miles on my 14RT which I purchased new in November 2014 the only problem I have had is the front universal joint on the driveshaft went out at roughly 73,000 miles , other than that 14RT is one magnificent machine especially for long rides and agile enough to play in the twisties. Hands down the best bike I've ever owned. My first Beemer was an 04RT that I traded in for the 14RT (108,000 miles ).
 
So Far

I have about 53,000 miles on my 2014 1200GS and starter motor started to hang and replaced under extended warranty $600 and then my low beam went. My low beam turned out to be LED and the whole unit needs to be replaced at $2000, but covered under extended warranty!
 
I have about 53,000 miles on my 2014 1200GS and starter motor started to hang and replaced under extended warranty $600 and then my low beam went. My low beam turned out to be LED and the whole unit needs to be replaced at $2000, but covered under extended warranty!

What extended warranty do you have?
 
50,000 Mile R1200RS

One member I know, Darrell, has 50,000 miles on his 2016 R1200RS.
i passed the 50,000 mile mark the last day of the mileage contest this fall. The only 2 items that have been addressed and both under warranty were the replacement of the pannier mounts for leaking rust and the right fork was replaced at 23,000 miles when a seal change earlier did not address the oil weep (not leak). Other than premium gas (alcohol free if I can find), regular maintenance by my preferred dealer, and 7 sets of tires so far there is nothing that should prevent this bike from reaching a quarter million miles.
 
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2016 RT 53,000 miles

I purchased a 2016 R1200 RT in April 2016 from Tytlers in DePere Wisconsin. I currently have 53,300 miles on it. Love this motorcycle. I did experience a drive shaft failure at 29,000 miles. I was without the motorcycle from May 2 to June 4 2017. I was in Florida attempting an Iron Butt 50 CC. That ride is Coast to Coast in under 50 hours. The repair was covered completely by BMW under warranty including some trip interruption reimbursement. After a little research, I found out this is not totally uncommon.
 
Thats a great 1st post 20317...

... in relation to, " I ride a bit & don't care much about posting stuff". And congrats on approaching your 3yr MOA tenure!
Better luck wished for your future adventures and endeavors.

John
 
107k

I checked cam timing and valves on a 15 RT with 87,000 on it. Cam timing and valves were perfect. The owner reported no issues to me. That is the highest mileage I have seen first hand on a LC RT.

I'm at 107,000 miles on my 2015 rt now and have a couple things to report.

1st-At 98k I discovered both fork seals were leaking badly.About 1000 miles before that I followed a gs riding friend on a washboard road going up to Tortilla Flats
north of Phoenix.I feel that road had something to do with those seals going bad.Both going bad at the same time doesn't seem right but I'm not complaining .
2nd-After doing some ,shall we say higher than normal cruising in the Death Valley area about a month ago I discovered my bike is using oil.I try to keep the level
1/16" above the dot.At the rate I'm adding oil I predict I will have to have had to add alittle more than 1/2 quart when i change it again{6k intervals,always bmw oil and filter}
3rd-The valve noise was always loud on this bike.I suppose that is because of the valve clearances and 5w40 oil.My valves have always been in spec but it seems the engine noise is getting louder.I will check them again and if they haven't changed live with the noise but I have a feeling they may need to be adjusted this time
4th-I am VERY happy with the Trac-Tive shocks I had installed at 88k.
Lastly,I still love this bike even though my06 rt has more low beam light output than it.I said when I got this bike I would like to put 200k on it and still plan to.That
should give BMW time to get the bugs worked out of the next generation motor also which I know I will want
 
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