senseamidmadness
Neglected Bike Adopter
Dear forum braintrust: what do I address and look out for as the new owner of two early Hexhead GSes? I am moving from a pair of 1996/1997 Oilheads and would like to know what's similar and what is not.
Bike #1 is named Grackle and is a 2007 R1200GS with less than 33,000 miles on it. Purchased from very kind MOA member Robert in Texas, he unfortunately met with a deer and ended up worse than the machine did (he did eventually heal up alright). It's been sitting since about 2018. The obvious broken stuff from the deer meeting and subsequent slide will get repaired or replaced as possible but beyond that I'd like an idea of what to expect in getting it back on the road. There is no structural damage beyond the bracket holding up the whole nose section.
#2 is Bluebird, a 2005 with somewhere over 150,000 miles. Initially purchased as a running and riding parts bike from former MOA member (and original owner) Dan in east Tennessee last Friday, a 140-mile day in the mountains convinced me that this bike is too noble and well-behaved to part out. The one Big Issue is that the speedometer and odometer no longer work due to a swapped final drive unit. Original was included off the bike and the pinion shaft is uncomfortably loose. Also came with an original-model Hexcode GS911 which I think will prove useful.
I wasn't originally intending to buy two, but both were deals too good to pass up and now that I've ridden one I am wanting to get them both up to a good riding standard. The obvious stuff like fluids and tires I will definitely be doing, but what else should I know about?
Bike #1 is named Grackle and is a 2007 R1200GS with less than 33,000 miles on it. Purchased from very kind MOA member Robert in Texas, he unfortunately met with a deer and ended up worse than the machine did (he did eventually heal up alright). It's been sitting since about 2018. The obvious broken stuff from the deer meeting and subsequent slide will get repaired or replaced as possible but beyond that I'd like an idea of what to expect in getting it back on the road. There is no structural damage beyond the bracket holding up the whole nose section.
#2 is Bluebird, a 2005 with somewhere over 150,000 miles. Initially purchased as a running and riding parts bike from former MOA member (and original owner) Dan in east Tennessee last Friday, a 140-mile day in the mountains convinced me that this bike is too noble and well-behaved to part out. The one Big Issue is that the speedometer and odometer no longer work due to a swapped final drive unit. Original was included off the bike and the pinion shaft is uncomfortably loose. Also came with an original-model Hexcode GS911 which I think will prove useful.
I wasn't originally intending to buy two, but both were deals too good to pass up and now that I've ridden one I am wanting to get them both up to a good riding standard. The obvious stuff like fluids and tires I will definitely be doing, but what else should I know about?
