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New to BMW, a bit disappointed.

H

hucknbuck

New member
Hello from NC. I'm an older gentlemen, thought my cruising days were over, however, decided one more trip to the Rockies was in order. I have a handful of trips to the west coast and Canadian Rockies, and still at age 70 I'm a devoted camp cruiser. Still look forward to more cruising and camping.
I bought my first BMW in May in Denver, a one-owner, 2012 R1200RT, from a private owner; fellow my age who has had four BMW's and buying his 5th . Bike had 20K miles and 'spot-on' maintenance, with every 'on-time' maintenance service record available, including the full 18K service. Turns out it had a rear main seal leak. So, yes, I'm disappointed in the coveted BMW brand. I've always heard, 'if you service them, they will run forever'. I may get over it...or not.
Looking forward to connecting with fellow riders as I continue to ride and explore.
 
Welcome aboard, hucknbuck.

Sorry the rear main seal went. I get your disappointment, we don't expect that sort of failure so early in a bike's life. But...stuff happens.

So tell us: what's it like to ride? What'd you ride before?
 
I do enjoy riding the RT. My first bike with heated seats/grips and cruise. How do you not like that? I'm not a hard core touring rider, 300-400 miles a day is the norm, however, the RT was much more comfortable on the occasional 500+ mile days. My previous touring bike was a 2001 Kawasaki Nomad, (44K miles) which was a great bike. My everyday bike is a 2011 650 VStrom , which is a fun, rock solid bike, but definitely not for touring with an aging body. In fact, the decision to buy the RT in Denver was based in part on not wanting to ride the VStrom across country. Looking forward to a ride to from NC Arizona after the first of the year on the RT.
 
Thanks for the background. :thumb

It actually is possible to not-quite-like an RT. I'm a lifelong rider, now officially a geezer at 70. I've ridden a series of mostly BMW twins since the early 70s. My ride now is a massaged R, which provides me quite good weather protection and a bunch less weight than an RT. Mary and I rode a new LC RT in Norway last summer, and I found its weight (well, we were two-up) challenging, especially in the situations where we had the combination of low speed and poor traction — hilly city cobblestones on a rainy evening, for instance. Anything above, say, 15 mph was OTOH quite glorious: comfortable, protective, and so on...'tho the shifting was not nearly so smooth as my R.
 
Welcome aboard. I get the disappointment, I think most of us have had one or another with this brand. With the seal repaired, you should be good to go, see you in Iowa.
 
So perchance the nice gentleman seller knew the bike had a $1,500 seal leak and unloaded it. One might consider towards whom the disappointment might be best directed.
 
disappointed

PGlaves said:
So perchance the nice gentleman seller knew the bike had a $1,500 seal leak and unloaded it. One might consider towards whom the disappointment might be best directed.
Click to expand...

Paul, I am shocked, even appalled, that you would suggest some nice BMW riding gentleman might consider doing such a thing. :dunno Certainly not anyone I know from the Big Bend area where every rider is either a gentleman or gentlewoman. :wave

Friedle
 
No machine is bullet proof. Seller should have informed you though. BMW is a well made, well engineered machine. The Germans make stuff to last, as with any tool or machine they make. I would fix the seal and move on, it will be worth it.
 
Thanks for the comments. Regarding the oil seal leak, I flew into to Denver on a Sunday morning from NC, inspected the bike ,saw no oil on the engine casing or garage floor and checked out the maintenance records. I had previously talked with the two BMW dealers in the Denver area who serviced the bike since new and they confirmed the maintenance records and gave a 'thumbs up'. Owner , a Vietnam era vet, says he did not know the bike had a main seal leak and I'm not going to impugn a man's character by saying otherwise (which is an issue on social media). I bought the bike at a very fair price, have had it repaired and I'm over it. I just want to ride it.
Look forward to meeting new folks. Merry Xmas all, it is Dec 23.
 
hucknbuck said:
Thanks for the comments. Regarding the oil seal leak, I flew into to Denver on a Sunday morning from NC, inspected the bike ,saw no oil on the engine casing or garage floor and checked out the maintenance records. I had previously talked with the two BMW dealers in the Denver area who serviced the bike since new and they confirmed the maintenance records and gave a 'thumbs up'. Owner , a Vietnam era vet, says he did not know the bike had a main seal leak and I'm not going to impugn a man's character by saying otherwise (which is an issue on social media). I bought the bike at a very fair price, have had it repaired and I'm over it. I just want to ride it.
Look forward to meeting new folks. Merry Xmas all, it is Dec 23.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the clarification, and I'm glad it is ready to ride.
 
Never had a vehichle that did not broke. That goes for motorcycles, cars, boats and airplanes.

Motorcycles seems to be the cheapest to repair and I don’t fall out of the sky if they fail.
 
hucknbuck said:
Thanks for the comments. Regarding the oil seal leak, I flew into to Denver on a Sunday morning from NC, inspected the bike ,saw no oil on the engine casing or garage floor and checked out the maintenance records. I had previously talked with the two BMW dealers in the Denver area who serviced the bike since new and they confirmed the maintenance records and gave a 'thumbs up'. Owner , a Vietnam era vet, says he did not know the bike had a main seal leak and I'm not going to impugn a man's character by saying otherwise (which is an issue on social media). I bought the bike at a very fair price, have had it repaired and I'm over it. I just want to ride it.
Look forward to meeting new folks. Merry Xmas all, it is Dec 23.
Click to expand...

Well stated, good attitude. I’m glad your here. I too am an RT guy, look forward to meeting you. I’ll be at the Blanding rally next month, the Fontana getaway, and national. Hope to see you at one of our events. Again, welcome to BMW’s and welcome to the MOA.
 
PGlaves said:
Thanks for the clarification, and I'm glad it is ready to ride.
Click to expand...

I am also new to BMW and the issue with the rear ball bearing seems to an issue from my study and experience. I knew up front there was an issue and mine is the more common at 45 to 50 thousand miles. That said if you can turn a wrench it is not that technical of a fix. You can do it for under $300 yourself. I did my own, took my time everything torque to factory specification. No metal on the magnetic drain plug after 2500 miles. Actually helped me understand the bike and learn some new stuff. The ABS light also went out after everything was thoroughly cleaned and washed up. Killed two birds. I love the ride, and also planning a cross country trip. I think we both are in for the rides of our lives. Safe Journey.
 
I am older guy in NC like you.

hucknbuck said:
Hello from NC. I'm an older gentlemen,

I am in New Bern, NC and ride a 2008 R1200RT with almost 20K miles. If your trips take you this way, I have a free place for you to stay. I run an AirBnB, so have plenty of room and a garage. I turn 80 in March and am planning a cross country trip with my son in the Spring. It's nice to connect with another senior. Jerry Scott
Click to expand...
 
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