A bit of advice needed…

[Bugsy]

Hi everyone. I wonder if I can get a bit of advice from you.

I’m looking at buying a 23 plate R1250GS with 15,000 miles on the clock. The bike seems to be in good nick, has a full service history with 4 services in total, the last being the only one not done by BMW. I’m told the valve clearances were done on the last service.

However, since October 2025 the bike has seemingly only travelled 300 miles.

I am wondering if, in order to keep its service record intact, the bike will need a 12 month service this coming October and should I take this into consideration when making my offer?

I should add that I am planning on buying BMW’s extended warranty at £357. I’d imagine there may be something stipulated in their terms and conditions that says it’ll need to be serviced annually.

Thanks in advance.

 

[littleade]

The BMW service schedule is every 6,000 miles or 12 months which ever comes first

 

[Bugsy]

The BMW service schedule is every 6,000 miles or 12 months which ever comes first

Thank you. In that case it will need a service in October so that will be explained when I make my offer.

 

[wessie]

I suggest you raise this as a query with the seller and invite them to amend the price.
You need to be armed with some prices of similar bikes with a better service record for that price. Unless you have this evidence, the seller may have already factored this into their pricing.
If the bike is a good one, is it worth haggling over a service an independent might do for £150?

 

[littleade]

Thank you. In that case it will need a service in October so that will be explained when I make my offer.

Here's the service schedule for my 2023 R1250RS which is the same. Big service at 12 , 24 36k etc with minor services in between, so for people like me who do 3k a year or less you can have several minor services between the major ones as those (the majors) are based on milage, not age.

 

[Nick Marshall]

Please be aware.

If you buy from a BMW dealer you will get 2 years BMW Warranty included in the asking price.
I currently own a 2023 R1250GS TE.

Without giving too much away. What is the price and the full spec?
Is it a dealer or private sale?

Is the bike still covered by the BMW 3 year warranty.

I’ve looked at lots. Worth lying on your back and looking for corrosion. Particularly around the front of the barrels and heads near the exhaust. Check centre stand. Plus exhaust where the cat is.

These bikes are very expensive with a lot still selling up to around £15,000 with similar age and milage.

 

[Bugsy]

Please be aware.

If you buy from a BMW dealer you will get 2 years BMW Warranty included in the asking price.
I currently own a 2023 R1250GS TE.

Without giving too much away. What is the price and the full spec?
Is it a dealer or private sale?

Is the bike still covered by the BMW 3 year warranty.

I’ve looked at lots. Worth lying on your back and looking for corrosion. Particularly around the front of the barrels and heads near the exhaust. Check centre stand. Plus exhaust where the cat is.

These bikes are very expensive with a lot still selling up to around £15,000 with similar age and milage.

It’s a private seller and it’s seemingly very competitively priced given its age, condition and mileage. The bike has just turned 3 years old and the chap wants £11,500. It’s a TE model with full Vario luggage and upper and lower crash bars. No heated seat, instead it has a lowered one which I would probably need to change to a standard seat.

Of course, private sellers offer no warranty but I was going to take BMW’s extended option at just under £380.

The only minor blot is the service history. As I mentioned above, the bike has covered 15k and it’s first 3 services were done at a main BMW dealer. The last one, the big one, wasn’t. I don’t know if I should be too concerned about that, but everything I see suggests that the 12k service requires equipment, tools and knowledge that only BMW dealers have.

Of course, BMW may just want to give the impression that it’s too hard for others to complete competently in order to allow them to charge a good chunk of cash for something that many could actually do very successfully, but I am slightly concerned about it.

It’s only done 300 miles since its last service and it’s due another service in October.

 

[Scubaregs]

Have you checkeds that BMW will sell you a warranty without full BMW service history?

 

[wessie]

Some independent service agents have BMW approval and can log details on the BMW system.
You need to see the invoice for the service and then check back here to see if it was done by a recognised workshop

 

[Nick Marshall]

I think I have seen the bike you described.
Obviously not sure.
It looks very nice and I would consider it a good buy.

No idea why the owner did not get the 12,000 service done by BMW. Possibly just to save £150?!

For a comparison. I have been offered £12,000 by a couple of non BMW dealer for my Immaculate 31/07/2023 Trophy TE with gold spoke wheels. FBMWSH. No crash bars. No Luggage. No Accessories. 12,000 miles. BMW warranty till 13/05/2027 Half worn tyres. In a non BMW px.

 

[Bugsy]

Have you checkeds that BMW will sell you a warranty without full BMW service history?

Yes I have - and they will, as long as the place that did it is vat registered and used approved BMW parts.

 

[littleade]

Yes I have - and they will, as long as the place that did it is vat registered and used approved BMW parts.

Have you seen an itemised invoice for the 12000 mile service done by the indy including the cost of the replacement plugs, air filter, oil and oil filter so yiu know it's been done to the service scedule I posted for you above? Also the page I showed is from the owners manual and when I traded my GS in when I first used my current dealer (Cotswold Motoradd) they checked to see if my manual had all the stamps in it from the services it had, maybe down to GDPR as many no longer pass receipts on for work done previously.

 

[Bugsy]

Have you seen an itemised invoice for the 12000 mile service done by the indy including the cost of the replacement plugs, air filter, oil and oil filter so yiu know it's been done to the service scedule I posted for you above? Also the page I showed is from the owners manual and when I traded my GS in when I first used my current dealer (Cotswold Motoradd) they checked to see if my manual had all the stamps in it from the services it had, maybe down to GDPR as many no longer pass receipts on for work done previously.

No, but that’s a good suggestion. Thank you.