2003 K1200RS Deep Cleaning

[k547]

In September 2022 I purchased my first BMW, a 2003 K1200RS with 51,000 miles put on by three previous owners and the first thing I did was to remove and discard all of the various aftermarket equipment (LOTS and LOTS of it, saved a bunch of weight, most of it located up high, lol) and returned the bike to factory stock configuration.
During this process I was amazed at how a bike that looked very nice was so dirty upon close up inspection. Despite the good maintenance records the previous owners obviously didn't believe in cleaning much beyond the basic exterior surfaces.
I've already posted on my filthy center/side stands and here is a look at underneath the main fairings and fuel cell. I went thru the same cleaning process under the seat and around the rear fender assembly although I don't seem to have any before and after pics of the rear of the bike.

A solid layer of dirt was crusted on most surfaces and hoses/wiring. Here I had started cleaning the black plastic air intake duct from right to left.



Surprisingly enough under this cover this was a very clean air filter.



Alloy surfaces were a mess



The Fuel Cell was brown and completely covered in dirt before it's warm bath and Spa treatment.



Metal surfaces were the easiest to clean.





The wiring harnesses, hoses, and molded plastics were extremely difficult and time consuming to clean properly without introducing liquids and solvents into electrical connections.
It was weeks and weeks of an hour or two a day, which was all I could stand at any one time, with various small brushes and homemade "swabs on sticks" and a variety of cleaning and conditioning products.
But in the end everything looked good from the front of the bike to the rear.
It really helped that I pulled the front and rear shocks out for replacement and removed the various parts of the rear fender. This gave me a lot better access.

 

[Visian]

Do you have a Dremel tool? Those are very handy.

Looks like this bike was exposed to a lot of moisture. You might also consider cleaning all the electrical connectors and applying a bit of dielectric grease. This might prevent annoying electrical problems which would have you removing that damned bodywork. Again.

 

[lee]

When I had the bodywork and tank off of our 03 K1200RSs I always cleaned everything I could touch.

 

[k547]

Do you have a Dremel tool? Those are very handy.

Looks like this bike was exposed to a lot of moisture. You might also consider cleaning all the electrical connectors and applying a bit of dielectric grease. This might prevent annoying electrical problems which would have you removing that damned bodywork. Again.

@Visian,
I use a Dremel and another smaller and a third larger rotary tool frequently, they are invaluable. See my post about "Fork Legs" for pics of brake rotor cleaning with rotary abrasives.

I pulled apart all the connectors within reach during this process and cleaned them with a tiny diamond "needle" bit in my micro rotary tool and contact cleaner, re-assembled with NO-OX-ID electrical connector grease.
Surprisingly I didn't find anything but the very slightest traces of old age oxidation in any of them.

 

[k547]

When I had the bodywork and tank off of our 03 K1200RSs I always cleaned everything I could touch.

@Lee

I wish my previous bike's owners had done that! When I was shopping for the bike I looked into about, oh, maybe five other K1200RS that had milage in the 18,000 - 28,000 mile range and were in really nice and clean looking condition cosmetically speaking and were priced $500-$1000 lower than the bike I wound up buying. All their ads said "service records" and on all of them when I asked to review the service records all of the owners could only show me some invoices for oil and filter changes and nothing else.

Is it a "thing" for some segment of BMW owners to buy these expensive bikes and only do oil changes for several years and then stop riding them?
Even if they were sloppy and didn't save service invoices you'd see entries into the little BMW service booklet.

I actually started my search looking for a R1150RS and after 6 months I couldn't find any within a reasonable distance (I won't buy a bike unseen) that had any service records beyond oil and filter changes and I expanded my search to include the K1200RS.

 

[k547]

when I first posted this thread all the pictures were properly oriented. now several months later some of them have rotated 90 or 180 degrees (sideways or upside down)

 

[lee]

when I first posted this thread all the pictures were properly oriented. now several months later some of them have rotated 90 or 180 degrees (sideways or upside down)

I had that happen to a couple of my pictures after the forum update.

 

[motormike]

"I actually started my search looking for a R1150RS and after 6 months I couldn't find any within a reasonable distance (I won't buy a bike unseen) that had any service records beyond oil and filter changes and I expanded my search to include the K1200RS."

K547: So I take it you won't buy a motorcycle from someone that does all their own maintenance? (Like me) No official "service records" although I do keep a logbook noting the date, milage and work performed.

By the way, what did you use to clean the bike with? The aluminum frame looks new after your handywork.

 

[k547]

hello motormike,
Well no disrespect but unless I knew you personally or someone else I trusted to vouch for your mechanical experience and ability I wouldn't buy a self maintained bike from you.
haha, I do virtually all of my own maintenance and I understand that this may apply to me selling a bike as well!
Heck on this bike you could track everything the previous owners had gotten into by the trail of grossly overtightened fasteners with distorted and/or ruined heads. I replaced all of them resorting to heat and penetrating oil and drill and Easy Outs and tightened the replacements to standard factory spec. Just one of many examples; I had to use a 2' extension (steel pipe) over the biggest breaker bar I could find and have another person hold the bike to keep from twisting it in circles to break loose the transmission oil drain plug. And this was AFTER multiple applications of both heat and penetrating oil. The plug broke loose with a loud snapping "crack" noise.
Who is STUPID enough to grossly over torque a STEEL plug into an ALLOY crankcase? It made me suspect a leak problem but there was no trace of sealant in the threads and the gently tightened plug has remained bone dry.
I just happened to luck out on this bike that nothing was damaged beyond (relatively) easy repair/replacement. Thank God they (prior owners) had BMW dealerships work on the more "delicate" maintenance tasks.
I use Stoddard Solvent to clean aluminum, non corrosive and leaves no residue. I also used this to clean out my wiring loom and rubber hoses and fuel cell. Aircraft parts vendors usually have it by the gallon at a reasonable price. Judging by the condition of my center stand (haha, I posted a whole thread about cleaning that thing up) which lives in the stream of stuff shed by the rear tire and by what I discovered when I removed the all the fairing/body parts I'm pretty sure that at least one of the previous owners lived on a dirt road or regularly commuted on a dirt road.