Thursday 21 November 2013

Re: [emrat:3209] Digest for emrat@googlegroups.com - 3 Messages in 1 Topic

Good points that Curtis and Smitty bring up regarding the final drive failures.  I know that there have been a couple of people in the RMMRC that have traded their BMW's for that reason. One had the FD fail twice.  That guy moved to a Triumph Explorer the other moved to a Kawasaki Concours. I am not sure of the model year of either bike that was having FD issues, but I do believe they were both post 2005.

- Sean




On Nov 21, 2013, at 11:10 AM, Curtis Graves <ikonoklass@gmail.com> wrote:

Martin, 

Steve is correct about final drive failure. It is documented extensively on advrider and elsewhere. However, I'm not sure the issue existed prior to 2005, so you'll want to look into that, too, if an 1150 is on your radar screen. Regarding maintenance, you would want to have it serviced by Pete Homan, not a dealer. With Pete, a major service on my GS was the same as on my Sprint RS, around $800. My GS has been flawless, BTW, which suggests that Smitty is not riding his properly. ; )


On Thu, Nov 21, 2013 at 10:14 AM, Steve Smith <shmitty74@gmail.com> wrote:
Martin,
 
I agree that the R-Rs are nice looking bikes, and if they are anything like the GS I have I'm sure that it will handle great. They look to be fantastic machines, and I've tread a few reviews that praised them highly. However, I feel that I must mention a couple of things that I have noticed during my 4 years of ownership that you may wish to consider.
 
First is that the cost of ownership is considerably costlier than with any of the other bikes I've owned. Parts and accessories along with maintenance are a fair bit higher than most bikes other than H-Ds. Cult status has something to do with that I suppose, but it exists just the same.
 
Second, and most bothersome to me, is the well documented final drive failure rate among these bikes. While there are plenty of them that have never had a problem, there are way more than there should be. My own BMW is showing signs of leakage at the rear drive, and it has only 32k on it. I haven't determined what the cause or repair will be yet, but it has me concerned. My Yamaha has over 65k and never leaked a drop. If you search the web for final drive failure stories, you'll find a ton of them. Not trying to scare you off of them, but you should be aware that it is not uncommon.
 
Whatever you decide to do I hope that you get a great bike that gives you a ton of memorable miles!
 
Steve S 

On Thu, Nov 21, 2013 at 7:29 AM, <emrat@googlegroups.com> wrote:

Group: http://groups.google.com/group/emrat/topics

    Martin Albright <martinjmpr@yahoo.com> Nov 20 07:22AM -0800  

    Manuel:  I agree about the V7.  I really, really wanted it to be "the one" but the more I read,  the less I like.  Gorgeous bike, but I think there are scooters that put out as much HP!  There are also numerous reports of quality control glitches - enough of them to not be able to dismiss them as mere bias on the part of reviewers. 
     
    And yes, the Rockster is a variant of the R1150R, and is high on my list.  There are actually a couple on CL right now, I'm just restraining myself from going to look at them because I need to focus on selling the Scrambler before I start shopping in earnest. 
     
    Erica's certainly welcome to check out my Scrambler if she's interested.   It's a little bit tall compared to other classics but she's riding a V-Strom now, isn't she?  If so, the height shouldn't be an issue.  If the weather's nice for the December RAT meeting I'll ride the Scrambler to that, and I hope to be able to ride it on the Toy Run on December 8th as well. 
     
    From: Manuel Baca <mjbaca900@yahoo.com>
    To: "emrat@googlegroups.com" <emrat@googlegroups.com>
    Sent: Wednesday, November 20, 2013 7:52 AM
    Subject: Re: [emrat:3204] Selling my Scrambler...
     
     
     
    I think your Scrambler is a better tourer than that V7 Guzzi.  There are a couple those BMWs that I would like to have.  I don't remember the model that Ron has, but I really like that one; or the one they call the "Rockster". 
     
    I'm surprised the mileage on your Scrambler isn't higher.  I think Erica is exercising some self-restraint from looking at your bike further. 
     
     
     
     
    On Wednesday, November 20, 2013 6:42 AM, Martin Albright <martinjmpr@yahoo.com> wrote:
     
    The Super Tenere, Trophy and Tiger Explorer are all more than double my budget for a bike, so they're off the list for that reason alone (one big advantage that BMW has for me is that there are plenty of examples on the used market that are priced very reasonably.  You can't say that about most of the other bikes people are recommending )
     
    Also, I don't need an "adventure style" bike since I don't plan to go off road with it, so all that extra suspension and those meaty tires would be wasted on me.  Finally, I believe the Trophy is a touring bike with a full fairing - I simply don't like faired bikes and never have. 
     
    Believe me, I've gone over this in my head over the past several weeks and no matter how many other bikes I look at the BMW RXXXXR keeps coming back as the only one that meets all of my requirements. 
     
    I've considered Moto Guzzi as well (the V7 Stone  is a gorgeous bike), but high cost, small dealer footprint, and reports of less-than-stellar reliability and low power (at least on the V7) has kept them off the list. 
     
     
     
    From: Brandon Hinds <hinds169@gmail.com>
    To: emrat@googlegroups.com
    Sent: Tuesday, November 19, 2013 8:32 PM
    Subject: Re: [emrat:3200] Selling my Scrambler...
     
     
     
    Yeah the Trophy would have been my next idea...I'd take that over the BMW any day... Don't forget the Icelanders like the Triumphs over the BMWs... Not that that matters or anything... That Tiger explorer is a bad ass bike though...you feel like you could rule a kingdom from the seat of that thing
    On Nov 19, 2013 8:16 PM, "Sean Donnelly" <seandonnelly1@msn.com> wrote:
     
    The 800 does.  The Tiger Explorer is of course a shaft drive, as is the Trophy.
    >To post to this group, send email to emrat@googlegroups.com.
    >Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/emrat.
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    "Jay Clawson" <jayclawson@att.net> Nov 20 08:36AM -0700  

    I moved from a 2007 Bonneville to a 2009 BMW R1200RT four years ago and
    added a 2006 R1200GS later for my trip to Alaska with Garth Webb in 2011.
    After a combined 35,000 miles, I couldn't be happier with either bike. I
    typically take one or two long trips every year. Overall, I find the wind
    protection (electric-adjusted windshield), heated seats and grips, and
    cruise control on the RT to be a great benefit on long rides, which is why I
    have preferred it overall. However, I recently added "wind wings" (for a
    mere $50) to the GS, and this has greatly reduced buffeting and makes for a
    quieter ride.
     

     
    Either bike is surprisingly light (fueled weight 575 lbs for the RT and 525
    lbs for the GS). On trips I typically average 46 mpg for the GS and 52 mpg
    for the RT. Although the RT is heavier, and both bikes have the same
    engine, I believe the more aerodynamic fairing/luggage on the RT contributes
    to the better mileage. I have travelled up to 325 miles on the RT on a tank
    of gas before fill-up. I usually camp out on these trips, so the bikes are
    fully loaded with hard-sided luggage, a top case, large tent, and extra
    gear. The GS is actually easier to pack with the square-ish Caribou cases I
    added for the Alaska trip. Even loaded, the bikes still handle like a dream
    on twisty roads and can cruise comfortably at 90+ mph (Yeah - those long
    stretches in Canada/Alaska can induce one to open the throttle a bit more).
    High speed passing is easy with plenty of acceleration to spare.
     

     
    In reality, I would probably be just as happy with any of the newer Triumph
    equivalent bikes. However, at the time I was looking, those bikes weren't
    available. The BMW's still have the advantage of better gas mileage and
    longer distances between fill-ups from all reviews I have read.
     

     
    Jay
     

     
    From: emrat@googlegroups.com [mailto:emrat@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of
    Manuel Baca
    Sent: Wednesday, November 20, 2013 7:53 AM
    To: emrat@googlegroups.com
    Subject: Re: [emrat:3204] Selling my Scrambler...
     

     
    I think your Scrambler is a better tourer than that V7 Guzzi. There are a
    couple those BMWs that I would like to have. I don't remember the model
    that Ron has, but I really like that one; or the one they call the
    "Rockster".
     
    I'm surprised the mileage on your Scrambler isn't higher. I think Erica is
    exercising some self-restraint from looking at your bike further.
     

     
    On Wednesday, November 20, 2013 6:42 AM, Martin Albright
    <martinjmpr@yahoo.com <mailto:martinjmpr@yahoo.com> > wrote:
     
    The Super Tenere, Trophy and Tiger Explorer are all more than double my
    budget for a bike, so they're off the list for that reason alone (one big
    advantage that BMW has for me is that there are plenty of examples on the
    used market that are priced very reasonably. You can't say that about most
    of the other bikes people are recommending )
     

     
    Also, I don't need an "adventure style" bike since I don't plan to go off
    road with it, so all that extra suspension and those meaty tires would be
    wasted on me. Finally, I believe the Trophy is a touring bike with a full
    fairing - I simply don't like faired bikes and never have.
     

     
    Believe me, I've gone over this in my head over the past several weeks and
    no matter how many other bikes I look at the BMW RXXXXR keeps coming back as
    the only one that meets all of my requirements.
     

     
    I've considered Moto Guzzi as well (the V7 Stone is a gorgeous bike), but
    high cost, small dealer footprint, and reports of less-than-stellar
    reliability and low power (at least on the V7) has kept them off the list.
     

     

     

     
    From: Brandon Hinds <hinds169@gmail.com <mailto:hinds169@gmail.com> >
    To: emrat@googlegroups.com <mailto:emrat@googlegroups.com>
    Sent: Tuesday, November 19, 2013 8:32 PM
    Subject: Re: [emrat:3200] Selling my Scrambler...
     

     
    Yeah the Trophy would have been my next idea...I'd take that over the BMW
    any day... Don't forget the Icelanders like the Triumphs over the BMWs...
    Not that that matters or anything... That Tiger explorer is a bad ass bike
    though...you feel like you could rule a kingdom from the seat of that thing
     
    On Nov 19, 2013 8:16 PM, "Sean Donnelly" <seandonnelly1@msn.com
    <mailto:seandonnelly1@msn.com> > wrote:
     
    The 800 does. The Tiger Explorer is of course a shaft drive, as is the
    Trophy.
     

     
    - Sean
     
    Sent from my iPhone
     
     
    On Nov 19, 2013, at 7:58 PM, "Martin Albright" <martinjmpr@yahoo.com
    <mailto:martinjmpr@yahoo.com> > wrote:
     
    Tiger has a chain drive.
     
    Martin
     

     
     
    On Nov 19, 2013, at 7:48 PM, Brandon Hinds <hinds169@gmail.com
    <mailto:hinds169@gmail.com> > wrote:
     
    I just checked its a BMW F 650 GS.... Not sure if that's your bag or not...
    Curious though...why not a tiger?
     
    On Nov 19, 2013 7:09 PM, "Martin Albright" <martinjmpr@yahoo.com
    <mailto:martinjmpr@yahoo.com> > wrote:
     
    Brandon: If you're talking about a Suzuki GS then that would be too old.
    As much as I like those old bikes I need something newer. Or are you
    talking about a BMW 850GS? If that's an R bike (boxer twin) then I might be
    interested but if it's one of their parallel twins, then I would not be,
    just because AFAIK those are all chain or belt driven and I absolutely want
    a shaftie.
     

     
    On Tuesday, November 19, 2013 5:49 PM, Brandon Hinds <hinds169@gmail.com
    <mailto:hinds169@gmail.com> > wrote:
     
    How about a gs850? I might know somebody that has one.
     
    On Nov 19, 2013 4:02 PM, "Martin Albright" <martinjmpr@yahoo.com
    <mailto:martinjmpr@yahoo.com> > wrote:
     
    Well, folks, it's been a great ride for 5 years on the Scrambler and 2 1/2
    on the T-bird before that, but I regret to say I am leaving the Triumph
    fold. I've decided that for the kind of distance riding I want to do, I
    really need a shaft driven bike with cast wheels and all the long-distance
    farkles, so I'll be leaving "Mother England" for the "Fatherland:" I've
    decided my next bike will be a BMW Roadster, either an R1100R, R1150R,
    R1200R, or if I can find one, the rather rare R850R, depending on what I
    find and how much $$ I have to spend, so if anybody knows anyone selling
    such a bike in the Metro area, let me know!
     

     
    I'm putting this on the Googlegroups just in case anyone in the club is
    interested in the Scrambler (or has a friend or relative who is looking for
    a Triumph.)
     

     
    The text below is what will go into the CL ad, but I'll throw in a "club
    bonus" if anyone from the EMRAT club wants to buy it. Details about the
    "bonus" after the ad:
     

     
    ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
    ----------------
     

     
    2008 Triumph Scrambler for sale
     
    865cc parallel twin, with unmistakeably "classic" British style!
     

     
    Approx 18,000 miles. One-owner bike, purchased new in January, 2009 and
    always garaged (except when on overnight rides!)
     

     
    2008 was the last year for the carbureted engine. The 865cc motor has two
    electrically heated carbs (always starts up instantly in cold weather!)
     

     
    Gets between 48-55 MPG in most situations. Plenty of power for the
    mountains (has been to the top of Mt. Evans.) Range to reserve is typically
    150 - 170 miles.
     

     
    Factory dual/sport tires were swapped for street tires years ago (Dunlop
    D404.) The back tire was new in July, 2013, front tire was replaced in mid
    2012. Both have several thousand miles left on them.
     

     
    All stock except for the following:
     

     
    * Added factory Center Stand ($250 value) - this essential accessory makes
    chain maintenance a breeze! Also great for loading the bike for a long trip
    as it keeps the bike level and upright instead of tilted over.
     
    * Replaced stock seat with a slightly lower Bonneville seat.
     
    * Added 1" spacers underneath handlebars to raise them up.
     
    * Slipstreamer spitfire windshield, keeps the wind off your chest!
     
    * Removed air injection system (a useless bit of emissions control gear that
    is absolutely unnecessary. I will include all the parts if you want to
    reinstall it, but trust me, you don't. It's always the first thing people
    remove on these bikes.)
     

     
    The rest of the bike is pretty much stock. NEVER DROPPED! No scratches or
    dents. All bodywork is intact. Still on the original chain (with care,
    this chain should easily last to 25,000 miles.) Valve adjustment in 2012 at
    Erico Motorsports (Triumph dealer in town.)
     

     
    This bike has been to Sturgis, Taos, the 4 corners, Moki Dugway in Utah, and
    all over the CO Rockies. Great for solo touring, or mod it into a true
    "adventure touring" bike for off-road use. The Triumph "Modern Classics"
    are reliable, robust and have a 'cool factor' that no other bike out there
    has!
     

     
    Winter price is $4500. If I wait until Spring the price will go up to
    $5,000 minimum.
     

     
    ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
    ------------
     

     
    Now, the "club special" is this: Right now the bike has the Metal Mule
    Pannier racks on it. If someone from the club wants to buy the bike I will
    leave the racks on and sell it for the same price. Otherwise, they come off
    and I sell them separately. Note that there is ONE distributor for the MM
    racks in the US, and they sell a complete set for $800. That does NOT
    include the bags, that's the price for the rack alone. Given that NOBODY
    (to my knowledge) other than MM makes a full rack system for the Scrambler,
    I figure I can get at least $400 for it on ADV Rider. The MM racks are a
    rock-solid platform that should be able to handle any kind of hard or soft
    side cases. I even have some cheap side-cases I'll throw in (they're
    basically imported copies of Pelican cases.)
     

     
    If there isn't any interest from the club, the MM racks come off this
    weekend when I clean up the bike and I'll put the Renntec back on (which is
    a tail-rack only, with no provision for side cases.)
     

     
    Email if you have any questions!
     

     
    Martin
     

     

     

     

     
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