Concensus on most reliable years/models

I found my pitchfork, CHARGE !!!

61242 said:

Ooooooooooo, now you've done it. The Airhead crew are lighting their torches and searching for pitchforks.

And I have a R90/6 (with odometer failure, I really gotta get that fixed).....

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I rode a 1980 r100rs for almost 30 years without a breakdown; just tune ups, brake pads and new tires. Rode it all over the states and Mexico without one failure. Put over a 100k on it. It sadly burned up in a garage fire and some younger man turned it into a bobber and it's still going. I've had a number of airheads and all have been great. The only problem I ever had was with a 750/5 which the clutch went out on, but I bought all the parts and tools I needed and put a new one in it on the front porch of my home. Two days later I went to Mexico putting about 2000 miles on it before I returned without a problem. Airheads are easy to work on and if taken care of and rode lovingly with last for years.

I bought a k75 which was a great bike also but didn't like the gearing on it and water seem to migrate into the dash and cause problems. The aluminum gas tank had problems of course, not only pin holes which I fixed with some JB weld, but the corn oil turned the in-tank gas pump rubber into goop. With all that, I still liked the bike; very cool bike.

I bought a 2004 r1150rs in 2010 which I always liked the looks of. It ran well and fast ; I put 1100 miles on it in one day riding it back to Texas from D.C. after I bought it. But it broke the first real long trip from Texas to Mt. and back. While in Yellowstone the quick disconnect connection failed, started squirting fuel all over the place. I found out later this was a known problem, plastic. Fixing it there is another story.
Anyway, with all that said, I would choose an airhead if I had to choose one bike to live with the rest of my life, and I have.

Anyway, that's my story and I'm sticking to it.
dwb

I have a 1978 R-80/7; Luftmiester fairing. Love that bike. Reliable, easy to work on, has never let me down. It is also very retro which suits me and it rides and corners great.

I also have a 1990 K-75 RT. Another jewel. Cheap, maintenance free [ well almost ] Fun to ride, corners well.
When ever I go out for a hour, day or a week it is a difficult decision on which machine to take!
I've got top of the line shocks and tires on both, this makes a difference.
When I park both bikes I always find myself looking back for one more look.

Statistics does not work with a sample size of one. Meaning your individual odds are 100% or Zero.

Reliability of individual models tends to increase for several years as improvements are made, peaking usually or hopefully on the last year of production of a specific model.

The much loved K75 is getting quite old, storage, maintenance and miles now determine reliability. They are past their peak.

A individual unit, depending on care, the rider, may still be in the 100% category. Others may need to get caught up.

Just ride it, love it, maintain it, fix if if needed and enjoy it.

If it does not meet your needs, get a different one. Life is too short.

Rod Best

2015 RT here. Best bike I've ever owned. Sold a 6 month old GL1800 at a loss after a test ride of the RT. Problem free. Did my first BBG on it. Commute to work every day on it year round.

Still just as in love with it as I was the day I bought it.

61242 said:

Ooooooooooo, now you've done it. The Airhead crew are lighting their torches and searching for pitchforks.

And I have a R90/6 (with odometer failure, I really gotta get that fixed).....

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As an R90/6 owner I always say that aside from the brakes, suspension, chassis, gearbox, electrical system and frame, they're a great bike. That drives Diann crazy, she doesn't understand that all those points are valid, and I still love the bike.

Now that said, I've had so many fail to start issues with my F700GS that I even had to call 1-800 come get my bike again, as I was attempting to drive to the dealership for a recall

regards, Rod.

jconway607 said:

For what it's worth, I would second Paul's post on the earlier models. I can't speak about the newer bikes. Personally, I believe airheads are now simply putt-around-town, short ride display pieces. They are old, most need a lot of work to be reliable, and have too many disadvantages as far as safety goes. Poor brakes, no ABS, weak charging systems, usually worn out original shocks, and actual mileage often unknown due to odometer failure at some point. They have usually been through several owners, few of whom past the original cared to maintain them that well.

The 1100s, of which I have to say I own one, have always seemed to be excellent on reliability. Very little fancy electronics, few input shaft problems that seem to plague the 1150s, no whizzy brakes, fuel gauge, heated grips, etc. I view mine as pretty much a greatly improved airhead.

The k75 models are legendary in their durability, although they too are getting up there in years. But unlike the airheads, when overhauled, they will be pretty trouble-free.

Everyone now wants the most gadgets possible on both their cars and motorcycles. It's the IPhone generation. Of course in both cases, no one can fix them except the dealer, making them rather costly to own. If I won the lottery and had money to burn, I "might consider" throwing $25,000 at a dealer for a new one. But probably not. Why bother? My 1100 runs fine.

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I rode my 1982 R100RS from Vancouver BC to Harleysville PA last September without any show stopping problems. A bag latch problem fixed in Winnipeg, a minor brake fluid leak fixed at the rally with a 10mm wrench which was my fault for not tightening it enough after replacing the freshly painted fairing for the trip out east and a minor fluid leak from a bad crush washer on the final drive. 8,500+ miles on a month long trip is hardly a "putt-around-town, short ride display" ride. And I do it all the time. The year before that bike covered nearly 3500 miles on another month long trip to two rallies in California without a single problem. It has over 125,000 known miles on it now. It may have turned over once before it came to me! I don't know... The point is with good maintenance and half decent riding skills that do not abuse the machine constantly these old airheads are extremely reliable long distance road eating machines. Yeah, I have a '00 RT and I think the oilhead is a massive improvement in handling, braking and the suspension is nothing short of wonderful. Also incredibly reliable with proper maintenance. But my old airheads will take me where I want to go anytime I want to go. For bikes nearing 40 years of age that is pretty amazing by any measure.

PGlaves said:

Best late model bikes: R1200 "wet head" water cooled.

Most troublesome = the more gadgets and gizmos to go wrong will go wrong.

YMMV

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Most gizmos = R1200 LC. How to be the best late model and most troublesome at the same time?

crucian said:

Most gizmos = R1200 LC. How to be the best late model and most troublesome at the same time?

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Yes. Performance and major components (engine, transmission, etc) make these the "best", but problems with high tech components - GPS, audio, keyless fobs, anti-theft features - also make them the most commonly troublesome.

PGlaves said:

Yes. Performance and major components (engine, transmission, etc) make these the "best", but problems with high tech components - GPS, audio, keyless fobs, anti-theft features - also make them the most commonly troublesome.

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In agreement of this, and add to the list: the "electronic fork lock" (not just the anti-theft alarm system).

My pet peeve: The Keyless Fob = Troublesome

"travel'n" john

My pet peeve: The Keyless Fob = Troublesome

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oops... misread that. Thought it read, "Keyless FOP".

PGlaves said:

Yes. Performance and major components (engine, transmission, etc) make these the "best", but problems with high tech components - GPS, audio, keyless fobs, anti-theft features - also make them the most commonly troublesome.

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Laughing as I type: My much loved 2017 GSA is a computer that incidentally carries an internal combustion engine along for the ride. There are occasional hiccups with "accessories" but god help us if the bike goes all "HAL":

A Space Odyssey, HAL (Heuristically programmed ALgorithmic computer) is a sentient computer (or artificial general intelligence) that controls the systems of the Discovery One spacecraft and interacts with the ship's astronaut crew.

crucian said:

Laughing as I type: My much loved 2017 GSA is a computer that incidentally carries an internal combustion engine along for the ride. There are occasional hiccups with "accessories" but god help us if the bike goes all "HAL":

A Space Odyssey, HAL (Heuristically programmed ALgorithmic computer) is a sentient computer (or artificial general intelligence) that controls the systems of the Discovery One spacecraft and interacts with the ship's astronaut crew.

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After pressing the start button: "Start the engine please HAL."
HAL (or in this case the BMW's computer): "I'm sorry Dave, I just can't do that."

Based on many replies, I picked up a 2012 1200GS. The last year of the series and hopefully after all the previous years bugs were worked out. Appreciate everyone's input, the last year in a series seemed to make sense to me.

As the bike is heading to Ak. in mid July on an 8K round trip to the arctic circle after having it's 12K service performed a few weeks beforehand, the bike will be tested. Time will tell.

brownie0486 said:

Based on many replies, I picked up a 2012 1200GS. The last year of the series and hopefully after all the previous years bugs were worked out. Appreciate everyone's input, the last year in a series seemed to make sense to me.

As the bike is heading to Ak. in mid July on an 8K round trip to the arctic circle after having it's 12K service performed a few weeks beforehand, the bike will be tested. Time will tell.

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Excellent choice IMO. Only thing I'm aware on these (and it's not real common) is keep an eye on the rear engine and counterbalancer seals. If they're going to start seeping/leaking it usually happens early on.

milo said:

Excellent choice IMO. Only thing I'm aware on these (and it's not real common) is keep an eye on the rear engine and counterbalancer seals. If they're going to start seeing/leaking it usually happens early on.

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Goes to my mechanic June 4th for 12K service. They are aware of the potential leaks you mention and will go over the bike with a fine tooth comb for me including checking the throttle connections for cracking and replace if there's any sign of a future problem. They know the bike is on a 2 year full warranty like new, so the service is on me and if they find even a hint of potential for the trip, it's fixed without my having to spend the money. They've worked with the warranty service contractor before and took my contract, made a copy and know how to submit for warranty payments.

Thanks for the heads up.

More data-points:

Most reliable bike I've ever had- 2012 R1200GS

Least reliable bike I've ever had- 1995 R100R

crucian said:

HAL (Heuristically programmed ALgorithmic computer)

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What it stood for was an after-thought. HAL was just IBM with each letter moved one place up the alphabet.

Great years for the GS...2007 and 2009

I have had great luck with the 2007 GS and the 2009 GS. My friends had 2008 and 2006 models and had problems with their bikes that I never had. If you ever need a super low seat for a oil head GS I have a super low seat that was on my 2009 GS. The previous owner was very short - 5' 6" or so. She is the top East Coast GS rider for 2017

GSRedd said:

I have had great luck with the 2007 GS and the 2009 GS. My friends had 2008 and 2006 models and had problems with their bikes that I never had. If you ever need a super low seat for a oil head GS I have a super low seat that was on my 2009 GS. The previous owner was very short - 5' 6" or so. She is the top East Coast GS rider for 2017

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Pics? Would it fit the 2012GS? PM with price if you like.

GS year?

Let's muddy the water. I've had every year from 2004 (late) when they came out to 2012 which I recently sold. All had between 32 and 40k miles on them. I had a flat tire once on the way to Alaska. Oddly I was towed to a Harley dealer who installed the right sized tire and off I went. My fave was always the newest one.