Is there a better bike for me?

[Guest]

I'm thinking of adding another bike to my stable. I'm looking for a standard bike from 900-1200 cc's. Something about late 80's mid 90's, Yamaha, Kawasaki, Suzuki or Honda I don't care. I'd like watercooling, a fairing & a upright riding position (no clip-ons, I'm 61 years old)

Suggestions please

Paul

 

[LarryJ]

the newest Concours that you can afford. I've seen 1400 abs ones for as low as $5K! The 1000's aren't bad ones either, although a little top heavy.

 

[Baatfam]

I'm thinking of adding another bike to my stable. I'm looking for a standard bike from 900-1200 cc's. Something about late 80's mid 90's, Yamaha, Kawasaki, Suzuki or Honda I don't care. I'd like watercooling, a fairing & a upright riding position (no clip-ons, I'm 61 years old)

Suggestions please

Paul

BMW K1100RS...comfortable, handles great, good brakes, looks good, parts are avalible, reliable.
You can get a very nice one for 5K...
Our '95:

 

[rphillips]

Everyboly' has different likes & dislikes, & I kind of like them all. I now have 2 Suzuki Bandit 1200 "S"'s. I traded for a 1999 model & liked it so good, I went & baught a 2005 model, just cause it, in my opinion, looked a whole lot better. The only thing I would change about the B-12's, would be to have a shaft drive. In my later yrs, 59, I really have learned to dislike the dirtyness of the chain oil. I also have a Kawasaki ZRX, a lot like the bandits, but with a smaller fairing. Both are sporty bikes, but with a comfortable riding position. Just my opinion.

 

[Guest]

I have to admit, I absolutely love the ZRX.

 

[rphillips]

yeah !!! but the Bandit is a "SUZUKI"

 

[850 Combat]

I have never tried a BMW K model RS, but I have ridden Airhead RS models. The riding position is far to forward leaning on short stubby bars for me. If looking at BMW, I would be more inclined to the RT, or even the nekkid version.

 

[BigD_83]

I'm not 61 (44 actually), but I do like the ST series of sport-tourers from Honda. The 1200 was the first of the bunch to have an adjustable windscreen, and it actually makes a difference in riding comfort. I might not go as old as the 1100 though.

The Connie is not a bad choice, either, and quite popular with people over on the ADVrider forum.

 

[Jethro]

Mmm-hmm, sounds like a Concourse fits the bill. Or the aforementioned K-bike, also a nice option.

Bob, is there anything funky with maintenance of your K-bike? Like $45 oil pan drain bolt washers that you HAVE to use or something like that? How long between suggested valve adjusts? I'd love one for a distance touring rig someday.

 

[Baatfam]

Mmm-hmm, sounds like a Concourse fits the bill. Or the aforementioned K-bike, also a nice option.

Bob, is there anything funky with maintenance of your K-bike? Like $45 oil pan drain bolt washers that you HAVE to use or something like that? How long between suggested valve adjusts? I'd love one for a distance touring rig someday.

Pretty low maintenance, but a few odd ball things.
Valve check every 12K, but since the motor is sideways, it is very easy to do.
The oil filter is inside of the oil pan, so you have to drain the oil, remove a cover and use a filter wrench to change it.
A new clutch is many hundreds of dollars in parts and whole lot of labor, but that is a once every 80-100K kind of job.
Biggest pain would be the transmission input spline lube, which is every 40K...
I shared the process here:
http://www.thegsresources.com/_forum/showthread.php?t=204062

Over all they are reliable, and most parts are easy to get. Part prices can be high, but not too bad.
There are two or three good forums to help you out.

I think the riding position is wonderful...

If mine is totaled, I will highly consider another one.

 

[Guest]

Honda V65 Sabre, fairly cheap, reliable (if basic maintenance is done), powerful and can cruise all day long at 80 mph and 4K rpm. Guys that own em', love em'..........

 

[Ecklund]

Honda V65 Sabre, fairly cheap, reliable (if basic maintenance is done), powerful and can cruise all day long at 80 mph and 4K rpm. Guys that own em', love em'..........

Seems like there is a lot of hand ringing on the forums about a cam or oiling issue with the early Honda V bikes.

But I see that you have two so I'm guessing there is a fix or remedy?

Fast bike in its day...

 

[Guest]

Seems like there is a lot of hand ringing on the forums about a cam or oiling issue with the early Honda V bikes.

But I see that you have two so I'm guessing there is a fix or remedy?

Fast bike in its day...

Those cam issues are HIGHLY overstated, I've restored 50 V65 Magnas and only had cam issues on a couple, and they were HIGH mileage bikes, over 100K. There is an oil mod that you can do to take oil up to the top end, that's the likely "cause" of the premature cam failure. What I think happens is that they are notorious for low oil pressure at idle. So during the winter, guys start them up and let them sit and idle for long periods of time, and this causes the excessive cam wear. I have NEVER installed an oil mod, I don't believe in them, and boy do the guys that support them take issue to this! Is it a good insurance policy? Absolutely, but so is lightning insurance, and I'm not rushing out to buy that either, I'll take my chances and from my PERSONAL experience, it's not that big a problem. Granted, most of my bikes were from Texas too, where there really is no "winter", so that might explain why I haven't seen the issue very much. The REAL issue is 2nd gear, those are notorious for going out, just like the VMAX, and repair can cost 2K or more, not worth it based on the bikes value. You can get a NICE V65 Sabre in the 1500 dollar range, I've gotten decent ones for 500 bucks before. The gauge cluster is also a big issue, they have a tendency to fog up, and there's really no good way to fix it, the good ones are few and far between, and can bring 300-500 bucks on eBay. That all being said, they are GREAT touring bikes, especially if equipped with the Hondaline fairing. For the price, they are pretty hard to beat!

 

[alke46]

BMW K1100RS...comfortable, handles great, good brakes, looks good, parts are avalible, reliable.
You can get a very nice one for 5K...
Our '95:

Looks a lot like my ST 1100. Riding position looks about the same also. My favorite thing about the bike though is it's 7.4 gal tank which equates to 300+ miles without a stop if that's what you are inclined to do. I used to do those kinds of distances but today at age 67, I sort of like to get off a little more often to stretch the legs.

 

[storm 64]

So far I love my R1100RSL. I'm new to BMW's. I've owned it for about 4weeks.With the adjustable seat and bars you can make it fit anyone. I'm a short guy (30"inseam) the bike fits me perfect. I've put on 2600 miles so far. I rode up to Buffalo, NewYork for "Buffalo Wings" I'm heading to Chicago in two weeks for pizza...

 

[Ecklund]

Those cam issues are HIGHLY overstated, I've restored 50 V65 Magnas and only had cam issues on a couple, and they were HIGH mileage bikes, over 100K. There is an oil mod that you can do to take oil up to the top end, that's the likely "cause" of the premature cam failure. What I think happens is that they are notorious for low oil pressure at idle. So during the winter, guys start them up and let them sit and idle for long periods of time, and this causes the excessive cam wear. I have NEVER installed an oil mod, I don't believe in them, and boy do the guys that support them take issue to this! Is it a good insurance policy? Absolutely, but so is lightning insurance, and I'm not rushing out to buy that either, I'll take my chances and from my PERSONAL experience, it's not that big a problem. Granted, most of my bikes were from Texas too, where there really is no "winter", so that might explain why I haven't seen the issue very much. The REAL issue is 2nd gear, those are notorious for going out, just like the VMAX, and repair can cost 2K or more, not worth it based on the bikes value. You can get a NICE V65 Sabre in the 1500 dollar range, I've gotten decent ones for 500 bucks before. The gauge cluster is also a big issue, they have a tendency to fog up, and there's really no good way to fix it, the good ones are few and far between, and can bring 300-500 bucks on eBay. That all being said, they are GREAT touring bikes, especially if equipped with the Hondaline fairing. For the price, they are pretty hard to beat!

Thanks for the short history on the issues with the V bikes.

Is the second gear issue a milage thing or would it just be a matter of paying attention during a test ride?

The Sabre does look like an interesting bike for the money.

 

[Guest]

2nd gear issues generally happen on the bikes that have been ridden hard, which is most of them, but obviously they are going to wear with age, so the higher the mileage, the better the chance of it becoming worn out. Basically, get it in 2nd gear and take it up to redline, if it doesn't jump out of gear, you're golden. Be careful though, 2nd gear at WOT and redline on a V65 is about 80+ mph!

 

[Ecklund]

2nd gear issues generally happen on the bikes that have been ridden hard, which is most of them, but obviously they are going to wear with age, so the higher the mileage, the better the chance of it becoming worn out. Basically, get it in 2nd gear and take it up to redline, if it doesn't jump out of gear, you're golden. Be careful though, 2nd gear at WOT and redline on a V65 is about 80+ mph!

Reasonable advice; thanks again.

Although, I'm really thinking a bike like your B-king or a K1200R would be the right answer for the next bike. I saw a B-king on ebay with exhaust for $7K...

 

[Guest]

The one on eBay for 7K isn't a bad deal, but with the miles and cosmetic issues, I would think you'd be better off finding one in the 7500 range in better shape, they are out there if you look hard enough.

 

[bbjumper]

When I bought my R1100RT two years ago I was actually looking for a K1100RS and just happened to see the RT on Craigslist here one Friday morning. It had 12k, was a one owner and looked like it just rolled off the showroom floor, plus it was my favorite color "Black".

Never had a BMW before but have grown to love this one. I've ridden it 20k since then, 3k last month on a round trip to Austin and it is a mileage eating machine. Fairing provides excellent protection from wind, weather and with an electrically adjustable wind screen it is just the $hit. I average 45 mpg which is a tick better than what I get on my "G" and with better than seven gallons I too can get 300 mi between fuel stops.

Most of the regular maintenance items, valves every 6k along with oil change, are easily done with the exception of the fuel filter, every 24k, which is time consuming but as long as you take your time it's no big deal. Alternator belts are replaced every 36k.

Valve adjustment and throttle body sync are key to having a smooth running engine. Taken care of they go forever, I ran into a local guy shortly after I bought mine up in Skull Valley, AZ, his was a 99 but identical to mine. With 172k on the clock it looked great and he said other than the regular maintenance he hadn't done anything else to it. With the "R" models 300k on the clock is fairly common, although you'll probably need to overhaul the gear box and final drive somewhere in there. The engine is unbelievable and almost capable of perpetual motion.

On the "R" bikes the spline issue is something that happens most commonly to the early 1150's when they went to the 6 speed box for some reason. I have spoken to several high mileage 1100 owners and none have experienced any issues with it and don't lube it with any regularity.

A good low mileage well maintained bike can be had anywhere between $ 3.5 - 5k.

Good luck