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First K bike = K1200GT
- Thread starter Tbdomenz
- Start date
Welcome to the MOA and Forum
That's two different machines for sure. Have had a K12S and a few R12 GS's
You can scroll thru this section back a few pages for some talk about various potential issues. Some folks of course have no issues, others have had a few.Never any major issues on either of our K12S's
If the cam chain tensioner and jumpguard campaign was done, that's a plus...the rear wheel spider was also redesigned from an aluminum billet to a forged steel unit and was a recall. The fuel pump flange on the fuel tank, and a suspension link in the rear are all campaigns. If not documented, any dealer can run your VIN for status.
A rocket of a bike compared to the GS, be careful with heavy wrist in second gear...ticket worthy quickly! My wake up on a GT came in heavy cross winds...compared to every other model, it moves around a lot until you get used to the reactions you can prepare for...like large trucks and seeing a dust devil spinning your way in the desert
All in all, after confirming all those issues were adressed..go ride it and have some fun
That's two different machines for sure. Have had a K12S and a few R12 GS's
You can scroll thru this section back a few pages for some talk about various potential issues. Some folks of course have no issues, others have had a few.Never any major issues on either of our K12S's
If the cam chain tensioner and jumpguard campaign was done, that's a plus...the rear wheel spider was also redesigned from an aluminum billet to a forged steel unit and was a recall. The fuel pump flange on the fuel tank, and a suspension link in the rear are all campaigns. If not documented, any dealer can run your VIN for status.
A rocket of a bike compared to the GS, be careful with heavy wrist in second gear...ticket worthy quickly! My wake up on a GT came in heavy cross winds...compared to every other model, it moves around a lot until you get used to the reactions you can prepare for...like large trucks and seeing a dust devil spinning your way in the desert
All in all, after confirming all those issues were adressed..go ride it and have some fun
Tonyfr
Are we there yet?
Don't know what will break first, but I went from an '05 RT to a '09 K13GT and it killed my knees! Very different riding position on the K bike, so that will be something to get used to. I found a guy who is making highway pegs for the GT's and he is doing a run of 30 sets now (they're not cheap though). Ken Estrada Designs on Facebook.
2008 K1200GT Impressions.
Our 2008 K1200GT now has about 116,000 miles on the odo.
It has had all the previously mentioned maladies (cam chain jump, fuel pump housing leak, etc.), yet is still our bike of choice for long hauls.
Several years back we tried to ride through an haboob and packed the bike with sand. Ended up getting into the rear drive. At about 92,000 miles our extended warranty picked up the $2,300 for an updated rear drive.
We keep the electronics at two up with bags and in the normal suspension setting. The sport setting is not too tight, but the comfort setting will cause some wallowing in turns for us.
Routine maintenance is time consuming. Getting to the plugs requires a lot of body work removal and the removal of the radiator. Nothing real difficult, just takes time.
Even after the cam chain jumped two teeth on our bike, the valves are still within spec. Checking them is a bit of a hassle, so far none have need adjustment.
I've heard that some bikes will leak from the valve cover gasket after it is removed the first time. I reused the original several times before I bought a new one. No leaks.
The real hassle in my opinion is getting the coils off the plugs. Even with a puller it's tough to get them off without chipping the tops.
Some of the early K44s had power assisted brakes, ours doesn't. Flushing the system is pretty basic and with a GS911 easy enough to test.
The clutch and clutch basket can be problematic. One of the symptoms is not being able to get into neutral at a stop with the engine running.
Our clutch didn't slip, but became increasingly hard to shift and would not go into neutral at a stop with the engine running.
Unfortunately the clutch basket was also damaged and need replacing. About $2,000 with oem parts. Extended warranty didn't pick that one up...bummer.
There is a thread about a guy in England I believe who has studied the slant engine clutch extensively and can do a rebuild. Still a bit pricey but with a better design.
This bike will haul the mail with two up and bags full. Hitting the ton is just a twist of the wrist away. A bit cumbersome around town, awesome on the road.
Be sure to have a BMW dealer run the vin to make sure everything is up to snuff.
Good luck.
Deryle & Wanda Mehrten
Sierra Vista, AZ USA
Our 2008 K1200GT now has about 116,000 miles on the odo.
It has had all the previously mentioned maladies (cam chain jump, fuel pump housing leak, etc.), yet is still our bike of choice for long hauls.
Several years back we tried to ride through an haboob and packed the bike with sand. Ended up getting into the rear drive. At about 92,000 miles our extended warranty picked up the $2,300 for an updated rear drive.
We keep the electronics at two up with bags and in the normal suspension setting. The sport setting is not too tight, but the comfort setting will cause some wallowing in turns for us.
Routine maintenance is time consuming. Getting to the plugs requires a lot of body work removal and the removal of the radiator. Nothing real difficult, just takes time.
Even after the cam chain jumped two teeth on our bike, the valves are still within spec. Checking them is a bit of a hassle, so far none have need adjustment.
I've heard that some bikes will leak from the valve cover gasket after it is removed the first time. I reused the original several times before I bought a new one. No leaks.
The real hassle in my opinion is getting the coils off the plugs. Even with a puller it's tough to get them off without chipping the tops.
Some of the early K44s had power assisted brakes, ours doesn't. Flushing the system is pretty basic and with a GS911 easy enough to test.
The clutch and clutch basket can be problematic. One of the symptoms is not being able to get into neutral at a stop with the engine running.
Our clutch didn't slip, but became increasingly hard to shift and would not go into neutral at a stop with the engine running.
Unfortunately the clutch basket was also damaged and need replacing. About $2,000 with oem parts. Extended warranty didn't pick that one up...bummer.
There is a thread about a guy in England I believe who has studied the slant engine clutch extensively and can do a rebuild. Still a bit pricey but with a better design.
This bike will haul the mail with two up and bags full. Hitting the ton is just a twist of the wrist away. A bit cumbersome around town, awesome on the road.
Be sure to have a BMW dealer run the vin to make sure everything is up to snuff.
Good luck.
Deryle & Wanda Mehrten
Sierra Vista, AZ USA
dealer says all recalls up to snuff.
Maybe someone can direct me to a thread that covers all the suspension manual and ESA adjustments.
What I discovered riding in a severe cross wind is that the ESA setup at 2riders+sport
made a major difference in a positive way!
tom in 60193
Maybe someone can direct me to a thread that covers all the suspension manual and ESA adjustments.
What I discovered riding in a severe cross wind is that the ESA setup at 2riders+sport
made a major difference in a positive way!
tom in 60193
A great reference ! Thanks for that! So my question is ............
Does the bike suspension need to be set up manually first, then the ESA is the quick easy way to reset for different loads and 3 different damping modes?
Or
Suspension is set manually by factory and then ESA is the only adj required by the driver?
Or
????????????.
thanks
Tom in 60193
