K1200LT

[boiserider63]

I went and test rode a 2009 K1200lt this weekend. What a mistake! I think that I have to have one! It only has 30k on the odometer, all options including power center stand and motorad GPS. Can't find much wrong with it, but it might just be the stars in my eyes. I can pick it up for $4800. I'm moving up from a 2000 R1100Rt. Anything in particular that I should be looking for? Known problems? Any input will help. I know boxers pretty well, and am mechanically inclined so maintenance wouldn't be a problem.

 

[lee]

Title shows K1200GT and post shows K1200LT.
Since it's in the Flying Brick forum I'm guessing K1200LT is correct.

 

[98lee]

Title changed.

 

[mneblett]

Check the fluid leveling the clutch reservoir. As the clutch wears on these, the fluid level goes UP -- fluid returns to the reservoir as the clutch plate wears and the slave cylinder piston is pushed back in its bore. A low clutch fluid level suggests a leaking clutch slave cylinder down behind the tranny -- the Achilles heal of an LT. Clutch slipping at such low miles is another indicator. Not a fatal problem, but it requires removing the tranny to replace the clutch.

Also rotate the rear wheel slowly by hand to verify it rotates smoothly -- no crunching or rough spots. BMW had problems with the large crown wheel bearing supporting the rear axle hub failing, likely due to random instances of incorrect bearing preload (as a BMW exec once put it, the final drive issues were not BMW's finest hour). Most never have the problem, but the few that did experience it typically had the bearing race disintegrate, the 17 or 19 balls gather on one side of the hub so the wheel massively "clunked" with each rotation, and the oil seal shredded and dumping final drive gear oil onto the rear wheel. Also check for tale-tell gear oil stains on inside bottom of the final drive housing -- it may only be a leaking seal, but further investigation would be warranted. I should note that his was more of a problem with the earlier LTs; the frequency of failures seemed to go down in later years (i.e., without inspection, I'd guess that a 2009 LT's final drive is likely good to go).

Don't let any of the above scare you off -- these are pretty darn reliable bikes. The LT is an all-time favorite bike of mine. I had four K12 LT's, three with zero problems, one that had two final drive bearing failures. Despite those two bearing problems, I still would not hesitate to pick up a cherry K12LT that was a good deal.

 

[AntonLargiader]

I second what Mark wrote. The only real issue with the clutch or - more commonly - the rear main seal O-ring is that there's so much labor involved in repairing it. The FD is like any other FD... it may fail if not originally set up well, and it's repairable like any other. It is a labor-intensive bike to maintain, make no mistake about it. Anything you do involves pulling off fairing parts and more. But that's just how it is with that sort of bike.

Those 2005-2009 LTs are really nice. They all have the centerstand and eyebrow light, maybe central locking was an option, not sure. Test the reverse before you buy... if it cuts out after a second or two it's usually just a simple sensor, but it may be worth a few $$ at purchase.

If this bike does not have UV fading on the clear plastic parts (stereo display, winglets, windshield) then that's a big plus.

KEEP THE BRAKE FLUID FRESH. I resisted the urge to put this before and after every paragraph but I could have. Learn to properly flush the iABS.