2007, R1200RT Ex-Police Bike purchase

[JochenWoern]

Good evening All, how are you?

Yes, it is me and I again found what I consider a bargain for an R1200RT, but of course I want to run it by my experienced friends.

Ok, here are the stats:

YEAR: 2007
MILEAGE: 11,400
ASKING PRICE: $7,900.00
EX OREGON POLICE BIKE: Nevada Reconstructed title (which I assume is the same as a California Salvage title?????)
NO CRUISE CONTROL

Bike supposedly used to be a Oregon State Police bike which was dropped and according to Oregon State Police procedure, bike was sold as "reconstructed/salvaged".

Bike was purchased by a Nevada Highway Patrol Motorcycle Officer and was completely rebuilt by him and sold by him to the current owner.

Current owner claims that prior to purchasing the bike, he took it to the authorized BMW dealership in Reno, Nevada, (Sierra BMW) who checked the bike out prior to the current owner purchasing the bike.

I did verify this and Sierra BMW stated the following:
"We test rode the bike and assessed a grinding noise. The notes on the repair order were as follows:
REAR DRIVE BEARINGS ARE MAKING SOME NOISE, SHOULD BE INSPECTED & REPLACED AS NEEDED.
SIDESTAND BENT, COOLING FIN ON BOTTOM OF ENGINE HAS BEEN BROKEN. OIL RETURN HARDLINE DENTED. INSTRUMENT CLUSTER COVER BROKEN. EX POLICE BIKE.

The customer later brought in the rear drive only and we replaced the large crown wheel bearing.

That is the only work we have done on the bike. That was over 1 1/2 years ago at 11000 miles."

The current owner states the following:
"I thought I could hear something that I wanted Sierra BMW to check out and inspect the bike for safety at the same time. After riding it they could not hear anything and could find nothing wrong. Said it might be a carrier bearing that I thought I was hearing so Sierra BMW disassembled the final drive and found absolutely nothing wrong, being as we had it apart I had them put all new bearings and seals in it just to be sure as I did not want to take a chance".

Current owner is easy to deal with and sent quite a few pictures which I will post here for you to review. Seems honest, claims to be a diesel mechanic for 40 years and says there is nothing wrong with the bike.

The bike will need new tires and the 12K service will be due. If I can get it for 7K, is this a good deal or would you all advise me to stay away from the "reconstructed/salvaged" police bike?

I have noticed the following in the pictures:

- R1200RT stickers are missing

- Plug missing below drivers seat on right side of bike.
-----> I assume some of the police equipment/crash bars may have mounted there?

- Left side does have the plug in place which is missing on opposite side.

- Small crack on right side of instrument cluster Plexiglas cover.
-----> Can this plexiglas cover be replaced?

- Some of the police switches are still installed on the top right handle bar.

- In the pictures there is no license plate, owner claims that in Nevada one keeps the plate when selling a vehicle.
-----> CAN ANYONE CONFIRM THIS PLEASE?

Thanks, I would appreciate your input.

 

[JochenWoern]

Pic 2

 

[JochenWoern]

Pic 3

 

[JochenWoern]

Pic 4

 

[JochenWoern]

Pic 5

 

[JochenWoern]

Pic 6

 

[JochenWoern]

Pic 7 - Here you can see the crack in the plexiglas cover on the right side

 

[JochenWoern]

LAST PIC

Thank you ALL!

 

[dwestly]

Most police bikes lead a hard life. If the bike was salvaged and sold off, it was more than just "dropped". We've got several motorcop friends, including one who has the only RT police bike in a motor dept full of Harleys (long story on how he got that). He uses the RT in police motor rodeos (competitions). They are great bikes, but in your case there is a history of crash and mechanical issues. Additionally, the lack of cruise control could be an issue, as its one of the premium features of an RT. Anyway, the KBB retail value on an 07 RTP is about $13.5K. Getting it for 7K is basically half-price, but do you really want to potentially also buy the issues along with it? A quick search on eBay found at least one nice 07 RT with about 20K miles for about $11K (with an extended warranty), and you could probably walk in with cash and knock some off of that, as the trade-in value is about $9k. http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/2007-R1200RT-/300509548531?pt=US_motorcycles&hash=item45f7c3cff3

It's always a personal decision, and sometimes a bike just calls to you, but be careful when you start talking bikes with a bad history. Good luck!

 

[WalterK75]

I bought a K75 police bike and had a lot of problems with it. If you buy this bike you should have a good, trustworthy mechanic check it out for you before buying. It may cost a bit, but it could cost more not to do this.

If there are extra switches then you could use these to wire in additional lights.

 

[RSPENNACHIO]

I can only add that I always keep my license plate when selling a motor vehicle in Michigan.

 

[Stig]

dwestly makes some good points. I would be leery of purchasing anything that war used in police service without a very thorough mechanical review. Remember, the type of riding that a motor officer does on a daily basis is much different than what most civilian riders are subjecting their bikes to (ie: heavy acceleration and braking during traffic enforcement, idling at emergency scenes, drops during training, heavy clutch slippage, etc).

Also, is that bike an RT-P or a "standard" RT that was used for police service? All of the RT-Ps that I've seen have the BMW crash bars, narrower side cases, light mounting brackets, etc. Other than the switchgear, this bike looks like a standard RT.

 

[R80RTJohnny]

The conversion from an RT-P to an RT would be expensive. This bike, for all intended purposes, looks like a civilian RT. Why is the price so low and the mileage so low after repair so many repairs.

From the VIN are you able to confirm with BMW USA if the bike was indeed an "Official User" vehicle.

Try looking for the instrument panel on an official bike. I would venture to guess that it's different. Do police bikes need an accurate speedometer for "tracking purposes"

The plot, as they say, thickens.

Take a look at: http://www.totalmotorcycle.com/photos/2007models/2007models-BMW-R1200RTPolice.htm

 

[Ponch1]

Jochen:
As I have said before, search through the powersports network for a used RT. You may have to travel, but it will be worth it to avoid the mystery theatre with these bikes you have found. There are tons of cliches...there is no free lunch, no short way around the barn, and it's like a dollar chasing a dime. The market is what it is for any bike out there and if you cannot afford what would be customary for a given model and year, then wait. Going for the "incredible deal" is flirting with misery and woe. You'll just pay for it in the end.

 

[bradbauer]

Disclaimer: I own an 1150RT-P that is my daily driver and love it.

The conversion can be done - but - its a pricey proposition on the 12's. No, wait, its a pricey proposition on the 1150's - its a REALLY EXPENSIVE proposition on the 12's. The price of a converted / cared for bike should be much higher than that of a fresh-out-of-service Authority motor.

The entire rear sub-frame needs to be changed, the paniers and the mounting systems are completely different and the trunk has to be replaced with the proper body work. Not to mention that bike must have been painted ($$$$) as most are either all black, black and white or all white.

Who did the conversion?

Also, to touch on the "hard life" commentary from many people: sure, they lead a hard life but, what does that actually mean in your context? Are you a casual rider that does some leisurely hiway miles each weekend or are you a rider that commutes in big city traffic and uses your bike as primary transport, rain or shine?

I fall into the latter category and suspect that my former Sheriff's bike sees harder duty with me on a daily basis - commuting in Chicago in all weather (rode every day this week, temps in the 20's) two up touring duty, fully loaded on the weekends and generally being ridden hard and put up wet - than patrolling at high speeds on the roads of the Pacific Northwest.

Sure, there were some mechanical issues that needed sorting (and have been - my bike is now mechanically perfect as a 60K bike can be) but, the bottom line is - know what you're signing up for.

YMMV

The conversion from an RT-P to an RT would be expensive. This bike, for all intended purposes, looks like a civilian RT. Why is the price so low and the mileage so low after repair so many repairs.

From the VIN are you able to confirm with BMW USA if the bike was indeed an "Official User" vehicle.

Try looking for the instrument panel on an official bike. I would venture to guess that it's different. Do police bikes need an accurate speedometer for "tracking purposes"

The plot, as they say, thickens.

Take a look at: http://www.totalmotorcycle.com/photos/2007models/2007models-BMW-R1200RTPolice.htm

 

[Theo]

Well, to answer your instrument cover question, it can be bought for about $165 plus shipping through BMW Motorrad parts. You may want to look at the factory parts catalog available on the MAX Online Catalog for other parts info.

Jochen -- pardon my candor, but it seems like you are really trying to get an RT "on the cheap". As with many technological devices, the true cost of a purchase usually cannot be determined until it is put into use over time, AKA "total cost of ownership" (TCO). A bike like this may be acquired for substantially less than market value, but I'll wager that 3 years from now your TCO will much higher than if you bought a pristine used bike. An extended warranty on a used bike is a real pot-sweetener, too!

Take a look at the cost of parts on MAX's online catalog. You will notice that most common major replacement parts are quite dear. Oh, and that's without paying the labor for installation! Yes, we all do some maintenance ourselves (to a varying degree) but unless you have all the equipment, tools, BMW Service Computer, and knowledge, you may need a BMW tech for some things. Most labor rates are in the $80-90/hr range. And, major items are usually not 1-hour fixes.

IMHO, skimping on the acquisition cost should never blind you to the realities of what you are buying. It sounds like all the warning signs are raised by this bike's characteristics -- why take a chance only to go poor during the next 3 years!

BTW -- it may be that another way to tell if an RT is an ex-RTP is to look for an electric oil cooler fan...or evidence of it's removal. I've looked at a couple of converted RTPs and neither had its oil cooling fan removed. Not sure if this is a hard and fast rule, however.

 

[roborider]

Police bike--wouldn't touch it.

 

[Ponch1]

Jochen:

http://tinyurl.com/2w4m3n9

and also http://tinyurl.com/2cjm99m

 

[SteveAikens]

I'd be very hard pressed to consider this machine for a variety of reasons, many of which have already been brought up. One major consideration is the clutch. I'd also question how the Authority Equipment was removed from the bike. If it was done correctly [if it is, generally the switchgear is also removed] it's not a problem - if not done correctly - it can be a huge electrical nightmare. Also the legal/insurance issues with a salvage or similar title.

I recently sold my R11RT-P to one of my closest friends. Only issue I had with it was a final drive replacemetn - which cost me 4 arms and seven legs. I loved the bike and had nothing but good experiences with it. Under the same circumstances, I'd buy another in a heartbeat.

That said - this one - I'd pass on in less than that heartbeat.

In the end - it's your decision. However, I wouldn't discount the advise you're getting here. It could say you some heartache, money and problems. There are good deals out there - find one that will at least offer some warranty of some kind.

 

[JDOCKERY132445]

No way

There is no way I would ever shell out good money for anything a cop had ridden/driven. I spent too many years training them.