Time to share my bike with you all as I get stuck into some more servicing and fixes and general tinkering, and I look forward to getting through the 100K milestone over the next year.
She's a year 2000 1150 GS, with 93,000 on the clock. I brought her from a far too well known tosser advertised here, and the history passed onto me was it was owned by a tosser and serviced by Steptoe for the previous 5 years, a new clutch about 25k previously, had just had a basic check over and oil change, a new tyre and needed a clean... I zipped her up the road and back, it all worked and I bought it without thinking or worrying about anything at all. She had 72,000 on the clock, and to be fair looked like it, but the engine was smooth and even, pulled well in all gears and didn't smoke. The brakes were crap and squeaked, ABS non - servo, and the other tyre had maybe another 1000 miles on it, the spotlights fitted didn't work and the grips were paper thin with splits in, but heated up ok. Plus some other stuff, nothing major, just age related wear... All easily fixed stuff...
A quick bit of my history to give perspective - my last beemer was an '06 R1200RT which I did about 43K on and traded in.... I loved the ride and engine and year round weather protection but my god it needed so much warranty work... Got rid of it a few months out of warranty... Before that was a '99 ( I think ) R1100S - sold that on ebay after a about 3 years solid use and had 58K on the clock... great bike... I only replaced a headlight bulb and learnt lots about basic beemer servicing through this site and just having a go myself. Really great bike... Back in the late 80's early 90's I did some despatch riding on a R75/7 with no fairing. I think it was ex police with a zillion miles on her but just such a trusty workhorse... No idea what happened to that one...
Time for some visual stimulation, in case you've all forgotten what I'm waffling on about...
Me and the wife on one of our frequent blasts around surrey / sussex b roads, stopped off for a chat with the locals...
Things I've done in the 18 months or so of ownership, in whatever order I care to remember:
Ride her all year round. Commute to central London, trips to New Forest, Lake District and other pretty places. Got 93,000 on the clock now, so about 20K with me.
Changed rear shock for a Kais. Great when new but now needs servicing as damping shot - I'm going to call ABE http://www.allbikeengineering.co.uk/index.php this week for a quote on servicing both the front and rear shocks as they're well spoken of here.
Replaced the knackered grips with new genuine BMW ones in about 11 minutes. A gem of a tutorial on this parish edjumicated me in The Way... Hairspray worked a treat. I really like the shape of the BMW grips, the thicker central portion just fits, and the heated elements work so well with muffs fitted.
Two indicator bulbs failed and before buying new ones I had a look at the state of the connectors and mating surfaces... Corrosion, dry surfaces, age and road salt meant shit all chance of elasticktrickery doing its business, and spent some time with fine wet and dry reclaiming all electrical bits, then using ACF50 spray and corrosion block. The same bulbs are still working one year later.
Decided one sunny and warmish day to have a rummage and do some preventative work...
A clean up and some tape, then re-routing to ensure they'll be good for another 80k. Gave her a clean while the tank was propped up, and checked around for any pinched, worn or brittle pipes etc, but pretty good all round.
And yes I've done this plenty times... confused me the first time...
Then I decided to tidy up the paint work. The usual applies - fork legs looked awful, as did the rear subframe and pillion footrest hangers, so as I had a can of black spray paint left over that was the colour decision made for me. In fact I think it was Hammerite. I worked on the worst areas first, rubbing them back to bare metal before generally scoring the rest of the paint, no primer, then applying about three coats, or until the can ran out. No before photos, but here's mid way through...
And after. Celebrated my happiness with some tea while waiting for it all to dry, then put it all back together, using cable ties for the two bottom holes keeping the under tray in place. Not stress bearing or under load so cable ties perfect...
What else... new pads front and rear, cleaned the callipers and they come up so well, they've obviously been looked after in the past, and fresh fluid front and rear. The front brake fluid reservoir had one screw with no face left - had to drive it out and use a random allen bolt from the bottom of my toolbox. The brake and clutch reservoir covers were both corroded and tatty, so I rubbed them down and gave them some Hammerite magic, I'll have a look for some pics as they look great now.
The screen mounting bolts were loose on one side which turned out to be cracked plastic in the housing so I drilled through the housing behind and used a short section of tube and washers to create a new mount. Solid now and rattle free.
Rubbed the fork legs back and sprayed them black with you know what. Much tidier.
Fitted an Autocom - I've used in - helmet coms at work for years but this is the first time in one of my own bikes and I love it. It's changed our riding time together and makes it a much more enjoyable experience for my wife and I, especially as she is partially sighted and I can share where we are and what she sees and feels. Really great.
More stuff? Fitted a new battery and spark plugs recently and what a difference. Now she starts like a brand new bike, no matter how cold or wet, and ticks over so smoothly. I should have done the plugs a couple of months ago when I last took them out as i noticed then that the ceramic was cracked and the threads were starting to get some surface rust. Done now though, and just in time for the really silly cold / wet to hit us.
I've changed the engine oil, filter, bevel box and gear box oils about every 3,000 or 4,000 miles depending on if we're going away. I buy my oil in 25l barrels and the filters from Vines or Bahnstormers, depends where we are on our travels. For the sake of an extra £1 or so over an ebay filter I know I have a decent / approved filter. Super cheap servicing when you consider BMW may charge £80 or more an hour. Also do the valves at the same time and there has been very little adjustment needed, though I always triple check, then loosen all and reset from fresh.
Parked up somewhere around the New Forest I think. We park up then go wandering in the mud with a thermos and a snack. She eats and I take photos, then a zoom home. In this photo you can make out the home made mud flaps or 'Wally flaps' I have fitted. I made some cardboard templates and showed them to a fitter at work to ask him if he had any sheet ally I could have, then had to go out on a call and when I came back he'd already made them up for me in 5mm ally and painted them black! What a gent... I love the flaps, my boots stay warm no matter how wet, and my feet are so much warmer as they cut out wind chill.
I have a spot light bar fitted, but the spots are in the front room. I have an HID conversion for them, just need to finish fitting the bulbs in, then fit the ballasts and bits to the bike and then find someone to help me wire it up. There is a switch already in the dash that works, just need to tap into the positive somewhere. I'll be asking for help here when ready!
The pillion seat is tatty, but she says it's comfy ( even after some long days out, 400 miles or so ) so I'm only going to recover it, but my seat is knackered and squashed and needs fresh padding and a new cover. I've read lots about the likes of Tony Archer here, but really want to source the materials and have a go myself... Any reccomendations very welcome!
That last statement reveals what this bike is all about to me. It's done a lot of miles for the average bike, but average miles for a boxer, I love looking after my bikes and being involved with their maintenance and standard of roadworthiness, and this is a Tonka toy that rewards solid maintenance.
Turning 90 a few months ago...
My wife and I are saving money to emigrate, and this is probably the last bike I'll ever own in the UK, so I'm looking after her and looking forward to 100,000 miles on the clock.
Never had a bike with that many miles before...
She's a year 2000 1150 GS, with 93,000 on the clock. I brought her from a far too well known tosser advertised here, and the history passed onto me was it was owned by a tosser and serviced by Steptoe for the previous 5 years, a new clutch about 25k previously, had just had a basic check over and oil change, a new tyre and needed a clean... I zipped her up the road and back, it all worked and I bought it without thinking or worrying about anything at all. She had 72,000 on the clock, and to be fair looked like it, but the engine was smooth and even, pulled well in all gears and didn't smoke. The brakes were crap and squeaked, ABS non - servo, and the other tyre had maybe another 1000 miles on it, the spotlights fitted didn't work and the grips were paper thin with splits in, but heated up ok. Plus some other stuff, nothing major, just age related wear... All easily fixed stuff...
A quick bit of my history to give perspective - my last beemer was an '06 R1200RT which I did about 43K on and traded in.... I loved the ride and engine and year round weather protection but my god it needed so much warranty work... Got rid of it a few months out of warranty... Before that was a '99 ( I think ) R1100S - sold that on ebay after a about 3 years solid use and had 58K on the clock... great bike... I only replaced a headlight bulb and learnt lots about basic beemer servicing through this site and just having a go myself. Really great bike... Back in the late 80's early 90's I did some despatch riding on a R75/7 with no fairing. I think it was ex police with a zillion miles on her but just such a trusty workhorse... No idea what happened to that one...
Time for some visual stimulation, in case you've all forgotten what I'm waffling on about...
Me and the wife on one of our frequent blasts around surrey / sussex b roads, stopped off for a chat with the locals...
Things I've done in the 18 months or so of ownership, in whatever order I care to remember:
Ride her all year round. Commute to central London, trips to New Forest, Lake District and other pretty places. Got 93,000 on the clock now, so about 20K with me.
Changed rear shock for a Kais. Great when new but now needs servicing as damping shot - I'm going to call ABE http://www.allbikeengineering.co.uk/index.php this week for a quote on servicing both the front and rear shocks as they're well spoken of here.
Replaced the knackered grips with new genuine BMW ones in about 11 minutes. A gem of a tutorial on this parish edjumicated me in The Way... Hairspray worked a treat. I really like the shape of the BMW grips, the thicker central portion just fits, and the heated elements work so well with muffs fitted.
Two indicator bulbs failed and before buying new ones I had a look at the state of the connectors and mating surfaces... Corrosion, dry surfaces, age and road salt meant shit all chance of elasticktrickery doing its business, and spent some time with fine wet and dry reclaiming all electrical bits, then using ACF50 spray and corrosion block. The same bulbs are still working one year later.
Decided one sunny and warmish day to have a rummage and do some preventative work...
A clean up and some tape, then re-routing to ensure they'll be good for another 80k. Gave her a clean while the tank was propped up, and checked around for any pinched, worn or brittle pipes etc, but pretty good all round.
And yes I've done this plenty times... confused me the first time...
Then I decided to tidy up the paint work. The usual applies - fork legs looked awful, as did the rear subframe and pillion footrest hangers, so as I had a can of black spray paint left over that was the colour decision made for me. In fact I think it was Hammerite. I worked on the worst areas first, rubbing them back to bare metal before generally scoring the rest of the paint, no primer, then applying about three coats, or until the can ran out. No before photos, but here's mid way through...
And after. Celebrated my happiness with some tea while waiting for it all to dry, then put it all back together, using cable ties for the two bottom holes keeping the under tray in place. Not stress bearing or under load so cable ties perfect...
What else... new pads front and rear, cleaned the callipers and they come up so well, they've obviously been looked after in the past, and fresh fluid front and rear. The front brake fluid reservoir had one screw with no face left - had to drive it out and use a random allen bolt from the bottom of my toolbox. The brake and clutch reservoir covers were both corroded and tatty, so I rubbed them down and gave them some Hammerite magic, I'll have a look for some pics as they look great now.
The screen mounting bolts were loose on one side which turned out to be cracked plastic in the housing so I drilled through the housing behind and used a short section of tube and washers to create a new mount. Solid now and rattle free.
Rubbed the fork legs back and sprayed them black with you know what. Much tidier.
Fitted an Autocom - I've used in - helmet coms at work for years but this is the first time in one of my own bikes and I love it. It's changed our riding time together and makes it a much more enjoyable experience for my wife and I, especially as she is partially sighted and I can share where we are and what she sees and feels. Really great.
More stuff? Fitted a new battery and spark plugs recently and what a difference. Now she starts like a brand new bike, no matter how cold or wet, and ticks over so smoothly. I should have done the plugs a couple of months ago when I last took them out as i noticed then that the ceramic was cracked and the threads were starting to get some surface rust. Done now though, and just in time for the really silly cold / wet to hit us.
I've changed the engine oil, filter, bevel box and gear box oils about every 3,000 or 4,000 miles depending on if we're going away. I buy my oil in 25l barrels and the filters from Vines or Bahnstormers, depends where we are on our travels. For the sake of an extra £1 or so over an ebay filter I know I have a decent / approved filter. Super cheap servicing when you consider BMW may charge £80 or more an hour. Also do the valves at the same time and there has been very little adjustment needed, though I always triple check, then loosen all and reset from fresh.
Parked up somewhere around the New Forest I think. We park up then go wandering in the mud with a thermos and a snack. She eats and I take photos, then a zoom home. In this photo you can make out the home made mud flaps or 'Wally flaps' I have fitted. I made some cardboard templates and showed them to a fitter at work to ask him if he had any sheet ally I could have, then had to go out on a call and when I came back he'd already made them up for me in 5mm ally and painted them black! What a gent... I love the flaps, my boots stay warm no matter how wet, and my feet are so much warmer as they cut out wind chill.
I have a spot light bar fitted, but the spots are in the front room. I have an HID conversion for them, just need to finish fitting the bulbs in, then fit the ballasts and bits to the bike and then find someone to help me wire it up. There is a switch already in the dash that works, just need to tap into the positive somewhere. I'll be asking for help here when ready!
The pillion seat is tatty, but she says it's comfy ( even after some long days out, 400 miles or so ) so I'm only going to recover it, but my seat is knackered and squashed and needs fresh padding and a new cover. I've read lots about the likes of Tony Archer here, but really want to source the materials and have a go myself... Any reccomendations very welcome!
That last statement reveals what this bike is all about to me. It's done a lot of miles for the average bike, but average miles for a boxer, I love looking after my bikes and being involved with their maintenance and standard of roadworthiness, and this is a Tonka toy that rewards solid maintenance.
Turning 90 a few months ago...
My wife and I are saving money to emigrate, and this is probably the last bike I'll ever own in the UK, so I'm looking after her and looking forward to 100,000 miles on the clock.
Never had a bike with that many miles before...
