BMW R1200R R1150R/T F800 K1200R R1100R/T R1250R RnineT Message Board

I've just joined this board because recently I've fallen in love with the "Rockster". Two guys belonging to a motorcycle group I belong to have them - one yellow, the other green. I've not ridden one, but I love their design. I currently have a '07 XB12R sportsbike that I love, but there is something I can't explain whenever I see these bikes!

I've never owned a BMW, just the usual Jap bikes, etc. My brother thinks I'm crazy to be looking at them. I've explained to him that I don't really care about top end speed, I'm not in racing mode any longer, and other stuff that I believe.

My questions for you guys that have them are: how reliable are they, are they maintenance intensive, are they still suported by BMW, or do the dealers look funny at you if you have one? Were they only made until '05? Do you think I'm making a correct decision, or should I just stick to my "v-twin"?

I appreciate any info you guys would think appropriate.

Thanks,
Paul

I love the BMW's. The K bikes are not nearly as maint. intensive as the R's. I must say, I ride with mostly Harley owners, and the bikes do have their own ups and downs. But you will not find a better handling "sport tourer" than the R series. That is just my own opinion. I have owned around 25 bikes,(in the last 32 years) and BMW's are the only bikes I have owned for the last 13 yrs. Only 4 bikes in that time.(2 "K's" and 2 "R'"s) But, that is only me. So, maybe some other riders on this website who can write better than me will post.

Hi Paul...Welcome...Reliability is what I love about these bikes...They just need an oil change and a valve adjust every year and you can do those yourself.

I've had mine since 01 and couldn't be happier...I would recommend them to anyone...I'm sure the two guys that you know with them will say the same thing.

Hope we see you on one soon and posting here often.

DJ

Before I bought my Tigerstripe Rock I had a Ducati M900 monster.
I test rode an 03 XB12R and it was good fun but it made my M900 feel and sound silky smooth on the way home.
The next week I test rode the Rockster, the M900 felt and sounded like a bag of nails on the way home.

Also the XB12 had 1500? or 2500 mile service intervals
BMW recommend 6000 miles.

In 4 years I have had no trouble with the Rock, only had to replace the battery.

Thank you guys for the info. I've never owned a BMW motorcycle, so I know nothing of their reliability, etc. I love my 12R, but this summer I plan on doing a major road trip with some other guys. In reply to 478cc, maintenance wise on my bike is pretty cheap, I think - once every 5K mile.

Paul

Sunfire, is that you from BadWeb and the YouTube vid clip that I keep playing (audio track) on my iPod? Small world - pleasant surprise to find ya here. If you haven't ridden an R1150R yet, then differences 'tween the XB12R and Beemer will be interesting!

In addition to my XB, I ride an '04 Rockster and wife inherited my beloved '02 R1150R Roadster, kinda the His & Hers deal, hopefully without a giant beer falling on me. We've had 5 "oilhead" boxers now and really like the platform. We intend to keep the current bikes for many years to come.

For road trips and general moto-use, the R1150Rs are pretty darned capable & comfortable machines, and good deals can be had if you find a clean used bike. Choose classic Roadster or edgy Rockster - either way you're getting a road-focused version of the famous R1150GS machines that propelled Charley Boorman and Ewan McGregor in "Long Way Round"... same basic bike in many respects. Get yourself the BMW side cases, a comfortable seat, a few electronic gizmos, and enjoy a long road trip!

My questions for you guys that have them are: how reliable are they, are they maintenance intensive, are they still suported by BMW, or do the dealers look funny at you if you have one? Were they only made until '05? Do you think I'm making a correct decision, or should I just stick to my "v-twin"?

1. Reliability - at least as good as the XB platform, whose simplicity is something I appreciate, having my XB in pieces right now inthe garage. The list of known R1150R reliability issues is short, and lots of members here have ridden their bikes long distances without issue.

2. Simple maintenance... you're trading the XB's Sportster motor and self-adjusting valves for an engine that requires valve adjustment and throttle body sync at 6k intervals (both easy DIY), but the jugs are right out there for all to see, no need to rotate the v-twin to get to plugs, etc.

*Only reliability/maintenance issues that might be a pain: Paralever/transmission spline lube, and ABS system if R1150R so equipped.

3. Dealer support - definitely. And better than Buell support by H-D dealers.

4. Rocksters are kinda rare... seems most used bikes are '04s. Remember that the "guts" are shared between Rockster and Roadster (and R1150GS plus parts from R1100S), so there's lots of parts support due to higher numbers of Roadsters produced.

5. Your decision's a tough one... depends on how you're gonna ride. That XB12 will be a solid machine, great sound, serious torque, good looks, fun trackday and half-day ride bike. The Rockster's capabilities shift towards better rider comfort and road trips. Best option is one of each!

Mark
Oregon

Hey Mark, what a coincidence! Have you seen the little webpage I created for the XB? Thanks for all the info on the BMW - I really appreciate. As I said, I have never owned a BMW, but the more I look at the Rockster, the more I like it. It has a somewhat agressive look to it, and I think it will be a great bike for long trips. On Saturday I stopped at my local BMW dealer, and they found a brand new Rockster in the citrus green color, but I would prefer the copper color. He quoted me more or less $12K - what do you think?

I love the XB, and now that I have installed the Drummer, it's a magnet. Unfortunately I think I'm going to sell the Drummer in the classifieds - I leave to work at 530am, and my "nice" neighbours have complained about the noise. It's not loud, but it is very deep. Bummer... but in the interest of being a good neighbour, I'll do it.

Paul

Paul - Haven't seen your webpage yet... is there a link from YouTube? Played a couple of your XB12R vid clips yesterday at home, listening to that righteous rumble in the neighborhood!

Speaking of the neighbors, you'll have no problems with early morning rides on an R1150R equipped with OE exhaust - quite quiet as you've probably heard in person via friends' Rocksters. Aftermarket R1150R cans haven't proven to provide much extra oomph, but "can" provide a deeper exhaust note for aesthetics and some weight reduction. My wife (beautiful rebellious hooligan that she is) removed her OE muffler last season for the sound, keeping the cat converter to do most of the muffling; this modification is pretty well documented here in the site.

$12k for a "new" old stock Rockster seems high when compared to a brand new '07 R1200R, which by most accounts is a better machine: more power, less weight = "Tastes Great, Less FIlling". You can also get yourself a clean used Rockster for $7-9k according to a quick search on CycleTrader... 12 bikes listed right now in that range.

If it were me, I'd negotiate with the dealer for the following bike!

2004 BMW R 1150 R ROCKSTER, Pristine 80th Edition R1150 RA Rockster, appx. 4800 miles, Includes saddlebags, cover, BMW windshield. Not a scratch, fully dealer serviced, ridden easy. Includes all dealer documentation, including certificate -- 1 of only 200 sold in the US. Call Amanda, or email $9995, 6465737825

http://adcache.cycletrader.com/5/6/0/88097960.htm

Get all this for $9500 and call it a good deal. Especially if you plan to ride the bike for 3+ years. Maybe I'm biased since I ride an Edition 80 Rockster myself!

Give me a call sometime if you wanna chat about the Beemers. Left you a PM via this board. And surf this board for all the info - good and bad - about the R1150R. Lots of obviously happy BMW owners here for various reasons.

Mark
Oregon

Paul,

I have had my Rockster for about a year now. I really like this bike. I too have owned Japanese bikes and the BMW's have a whole different feel to them. Kinda agricultural, but a extremely solid and overbuilt feel. What opened my eyes to BMW was test riding an older R1100RT that had about 100K miles on it. That bike felt more solid than my Kawasaki ZX1100 with 20K on it that I owned at the time. Not a shake or shimmy or anything that felt loose or worn out.

After test riding several models, both K and R bikes, I settled on the Rockster. It also helped that I got a super deal on the bike. Brand new with ABS, center stand, heated grips, hard bags, touring shield, cylinder head guards, accessory socket (that's all I can think of), let's say pretty much every accessory and option available on the bike. My out the door price was $11,000. So, the dealer that has the new one has some room to come down or throw in a lot of accessories.

These bikes are super easy to maintain. You can do it all yourself with a minimal investment in tools. Most you probably already have. I can perform a 12K mile service in a couple of hours and a 6K mile service in less time than that. The only thing I plan on taking to the dealership for is the ABS service. I may even try that myself.

There is a huge supply of info online for BMW service and troubleshooting. Anything you can think of can be found about these bikes online. Take some of the "final drive failure" stories with a grain of salt though. Don't let them scare you away from a great bike. Also, I think BMW is better than any other bike brand for supporting older models with parts and service. Don't worry about needing an obsolete part. Won't happen with BMW.

The best thing about the Rockster or the Roadster are their versatility. This truely is the do it all bike. I can remove the sheild and bags and it is a mean looking street fighter ready to hunt down and destroy the squids in the twisites. I can put the bags on and commute to work taking along everything I need, even a change of clothes for the gym. Add the touring shield and GS handguards, load up the bags and I'm ready for a cross country tour.

I was really surprised by the handling abilities of my Rockster. A lot of other people are too. I love to see the looks on the faces of the sportbike riders when they keep pushing harder in the turns, trying to lose me, but are unable. I'm sure it would be embarrassed at a track day, but at a fairly sane street pace the Rockster will hang with anything out there. It is a bike that makes riding fast easy. Feels very secure and well planted at peg scraping lean angles. By the way, my center stand scrapes before the peg feelers or cylinder heads. When I hear a little scrape, I know to back off a bit. The heads are probably not far behind.

My advice would be to look for a low mileage used 04-05 bike. I don't know that I would get the ABS again. It's nice to have it waiting in the background for an "Oh Crap!" moment, but I would prefer the simplicity of the standard braking system. Make your own call on that. Get the heated grips and hard bags from BMW. Windshields may be better bought in the aftermarket. I'm not crazy about the BMW touring screen for the Rockster. I wish it was either taller or shorter. I prefer to ride without a screen at all.

Good luck with your research. Try to get a test ride on one and see if you like it. I think you will.

Chris

Chris, thanks for all the info you provided - very informative. I'm trying to hook up with a friend that has one, but he hasn't replied to my e-mail yet. I really would like to test ride one, but no one locally that I know has one. My friend lives in the Poconos (PA), about 2 hours away.

Thanks again,

Paul

So where do you live? I'm just Baltimore . . . (NW of).

P

I'm about 15 miles from Philadelphia - on the NJ side.

The past couple of weekends I have spent some time on ribbons of asphalt that were less than glass smooth. They were a patchwork quilt from repairs over the course of many years (I'm sure), and seemed to have had as many dips in them as there were curves. As I was bombing down sections of esses at around 60mph I couldn't help but think about how sportbike riders must deplore roads such as this. There was about a 3 mile section so twisty that 25mph was tops (and barely over one lane wide). I even began suspecting that there was an enduro rider within me, altho' I have never done any dirt riding in my life. However, my Rockster was also a comfortable ride to and from these less than "ideal (read: smooth)" roads. It's all about each individual's preference, and my ear-to-ear grin is a dead giveaway as to mine.

I do not do track time; my riding is in real world conditions where I need a real world bike. My Rockster allows me to get out there to explore and soak up the environment, in comfort, yet with still enough mechanical zing to keep me entertained. These are between 150 to 250 mile days.

Happy riding!
Alan

dragonmojo wrote:I do not do track time; my riding is in real world conditions where I need a real world bike. My Rockster allows me to get out there to explore and soak up the environment, in comfort, yet with still enough mechanical zing to keep me entertained.

I don't want to speak for everyone on this board, but I think Alan has it pretty nailed for probably the majority of the people I read posting here - thanks!

I agree. I can't thank you all for all the info you have given me - now to top it off it would be nice if my friend who owns a Rockster would reply to my e-mail!

This weekend I'm going to stop at BMW and inquire again about the last Rockster in stock they found. There are some used ones with low miles that I wouldn't mind buying, but that leaves my bike to sell before, as I can not have both in my development. If they gave me a good trade-in on my bike, it would be ideal. We'll see.

Hopefully everything will go fine. Thanks again,

Paul

You hear one of each but I've owned plenty of everyone else's (SUzuki, Motor Company, Honda) and I've owned 5 Beemers (mostly old school airheads and an older GS.) This is my first modern oilhead and I' have to say I'm very pleased with it. THe bikes got way more high performance than a 40 something should be using and way more handling capability than anyone should expect.

From what I've seen, the dealers are very supportive. My personal dealer is very friendly and bends over backwards to please me just because its fun. Maintenance is no different from any bike. If you want to keep it safe you need to change fluids, adjust valves and keep an eye on things. One option is to learn to some of it your self (at least the valve adjustments and fluid changes.) I am a complete mechanical reject and manage these tasks on my BMWs. Get the ABS and spend the money to have them maintain it.

THere is no more reliable motorcycle than a BMW boxer, IMHO. You'll read scads on the internet but fact of the matter is I've ridden a couple hundred thousand miles on one and have yet to be stranded.

Well, still haven't been able to try out a Rockster. Tomorrow I'm off from work, so I'll stop by BMW to test ride a new '07 R, but I just don't "feel" this model.

I love my Buell12R, but beginning to think about selling it is a nightmare! Maybe I should just keep it and then buy the BMW later on the year...

There's a Rockster near DC that is just calling me so badly...

The Rock is a fun bike. Not too fast, not too maneuverable but pretty decent overall.

Paul, I can't believe I just "chanced" on this thread. I have an 80th Edition Rockster..and I think that I mustn't be too far from you (I'm right outside of Philly on the Jersey side). I was also contemplating selling the bike...not sure yet...I have another I want to test ride. E-mail me if your still interested. [email protected]. Drew

Drew, I sent you a pm.

Paul