Unless you bought that bike 50 years ago you stole it.
The only thing more valuable would have been th K0 CL version
When I get deals like that I feel so dirty I have to take a shower.
But then I sit down with a coffee and the feeling soon passes.
The old ones are the best of my GS series as far as beng able to get them going anywhere should an issue arise.
You bought your R1200 GS when they first came out. I had a 2003 and 2004 R1150 GS Adventure, both at the same time. One here and one in the Alps. The 2004 got written off when a cell phone yapping 18 year old (I know I would have been safer if he was a gun owner) ran into my stopped in traffic R1150 GSA. So then I shipped the 2003 over and sold it in 2023.
You did well with your GS with that mileage and in 12 years. Any major issues?
Unless you bought that bike 50 years ago you stole it.
The only thing more valuable would have been th K0 CL version
When I get deals like that I feel so dirty I have to take a shower.
But then I sit down with a coffee and the feeling soon passes.
It was for sale right here in town. I saw it on kijiji and said to the Squeeze "check out how cute this bike is". She was like "it is cute, you should buy it"
The best part is if I ever got insurance it's good to go.
Most of them were self-inflicted. And that bike seemed to have an affinity for lying down on the job...
The biggest re-occurring issue was the design of the final drive. The splines kept wearing, leading to excess lateral movement of the wheel. Had to be replaced four (4!) times during its lifetime. Tech said it was unrelated to time, wear or abuse. Just happened randomly to owners and I lost the luck of the draw.
There was another widespread problem affecting the electronic immobilizer on the R-bikes. The ring sensor in the ignition barrel failed so it didn't recognize the chip in the key, which rendered the bike... immobilized.
A combination of design-fail and self-infliction was the 2006-2007 run of R12GS' servo-assisted brakes. Worked okay when it worked, but because of one of my many dirt naps, I damaged a $75 ABS sensor in the front wheel which put the bike into Limp Mode and turned off the servos. No brake assist = No bueno. BMW ditched the servo brakes after 2007.
Another design-fail was that the fuel pump controller housing didn't allow for adequate water egress. The build-up of moisture would kaibosh the controller. So a lot of people kept a fuel pump controller bypass in their toolkit - the equivalent of sticking a penny in the fusebox. So I bought one of those bypasses and it stayed in my toolkit for 12 years... unused.
When you bring your umbrella with you, it never rains. But you know the one time you leave home without it...
Still, the issues I experienced during my ownership were not bad for a quarter million kms. Lots of fond memories and the bike owned me nothing when I sold it for parts at the end.
I don’t like high tech stuff either like fobs, abs etc. I did however have 3 Honda’s that had their linked braking system that worked flawlessly. I actually got the last year ST1300 that had the non abs linked brakes in 2007.
I think one of the ways motorcycle manufacturers are trying to capture new riders is to make them as simple as cars are to operate and service.
"No skill? Don't worry, our motorcycles will shift, accelerate, brake and steer for you!"
"Chain dry? Don't worry, a red light will pop up on your dash every 500kms to remind you to take it to an authorized dealership to get it cleaned and lubed!"
*shrug* more people on two wheels is never a bad thing. If tech helps them get into the hobby, I'm okay with it. As long as I always have the option not to pay for it or to disable it if I want.
Of the 17 motorcycles I have owned to far, 11 were bought new and 6 used. I like to buy new because I know they have not been abused. I also look after them and keep them. I still own 4 of them and my oldest that I bought new is now 35 years old. The motorcycle that I sold in 2023 was bought new and was 20 years old. No need to buy and sell every year or two to get the latest and greatest and waste money.
I did get 19% off on a new motorcycle. I am talking about 19% off MSRP where I was not charged Freight, PDI or Admin BS. Only GST. That was a smoking deal on a BMW.
On another new BMW motorcycle, I did get over $1500 off but part of that was soaked up by Freight, PDI and Admin.
On used motorycles, I would do the work for the safety (not rocket science), bring it in and pay for the certificate.
You might get lucky with a $1000 motorcycle, but I bet you got to spend money on it.
Bid for the chance to own a 1,700-Mile 1998 Ducati 916 SPS Fogarty Edition at auction with Bring a Trailer, the home of the best vintage and classic cars online. Lot #187,978.
It was for sale right here in town. I saw it on kijiji and said to the Squeeze "check out how cute this bike is". She was like "it is cute, you should buy it"
The best part is if I ever got insurance it's good to go.
Just got a quote of $125 a year on my 1980 Moto Guzzi V50
Restricted to only 3000km a year no collision and you have to be old and have had a motorcycle license for ever.
I think one of the ways motorcycle manufacturers are trying to capture new riders is to make them as simple as cars are to operate and service.
"No skill? Don't worry, our motorcycles will shift, accelerate, brake and steer for you!"
"Chain dry? Don't worry, a red light will pop up on your dash every 500kms to remind you to take it to an authorized dealership to get it cleaned and lubed!"
*shrug* more people on two wheels is never a bad thing. If tech helps them get into the hobby, I'm okay with it. As long as I always have the option not to pay for it or to disable it if I want.
When scouting out potential machines to acquire, what is your “floor” budget? Pay the seller a price, have your trusty shop safety it and it’s good to go. No extras required. Turn the key and ride. You got your gear and insurance and good to go.
What is your ideal strike price?
Back in the day, a decent road worthy motorcycle that passes a safety and needs nothing other than fuel in the tank, there might have been gems in the $1k range and insurance might have been about the same.
How about present day? A see a lot of parts bikes or scrap for $1k. But, those cheap value bikes start to appeal at what number now?
I have a bunch of mature bikes, most were very popular in their day and offered some type of breakthrough in motorcycling. While I have both, my preference is survivors, bikes that have been stored in great shape and not molested or restored to look like new
There isn’t a whole lot of value in most older motorcycles - which is good if you want to own one, bad if you want to restore one with hopes of getting your money back.
The price I’m willing to pay is solely based on how much I’m going to enjoy having that bike - not it’s Hagarty collector value.
I’m seeing a lot of nice early 2000’s BMW bikes for well under $5000. Sellers are usually well heeled , older riders that maintained them and stored them properly.
Maybe I'm being naive, but if you've bought a motorcycle with 200+hp, surely there was a need for it as opposed to buying electronic aids to neuter the 200+hp you bought in the first place?
Rented a S1000RR for the track, turned all the nannies off including traction control. On the street, I'd just shift earlier to stay in the calmer part of the power band if I'm tip-toeing on snow, mud or ice. My enduro is ferociously aggressive in first gear, so when I'm out dune-bashing, I start in second gear so I don't dig a hole to China.
Is there a use case I'm missing? Not being facetious, just genuinely curious.
Part of the reason I got such a good deal on my ZX-10R at Burnaby Kawasaki was the previous owner has gone completely mental and nobody in the shop could be bothered to peel them all off:
The bike had about 1500 kms and the chicken strips were more like full rotisserie chickens. I marveled at how the previous owner managed to get over 1000 kms on a bike and seemingly never turn a corner. Starbucks must have been a straight shot from his driveway.
A few hours with a can of Goof-Off and a heat gun and she was mint, though down a few hp if the above math is correct. Rode that bike for almost exactly a decade, and loved every minute.
The MotoGP guys have it for the same reason the rest of us do: it's a safety net. It doesn't make them faster, but it does help keep them upright when they get it wrong. You don't need it every ride, but you're happy it's there when you do. Besides, granny shifting sucks, it's more fun to let a motor sing. TC doesn't neuter a motor if it's done right, it just dials things back when you're leaned over a bit.
I did a few track days with my Tuono, and set the TC to the lowest setting. I think I saw the light flash maybe three times total? Granted, I wasn't riding anywhere near 10/10ths, but it was nice peace of mind when trying to feed in 175 HP on the side of the tire on exit, especially with crappy Ontario track surfaces and cold morning temps. Two of the three flashes were at a late-season day at Calabogie where the morning temps were around 7C and the track barely above freezing. Without TC, I wouldn't have even gone out.
All that to say, you don't have to use it, but it's nice to have the option.
Part of the reason I got such a good deal on my ZX-10R at Burnaby Kawasaki was the previous owner has gone completely mental and nobody in the shop could be bothered to peel them all off: View attachment 73467
View attachment 73468
The bike had about 1500 kms and the chicken strips were more like full rotisserie chickens. I marveled at how the previous owner managed to get over 1000 kms on a bike and seemingly never turn a corner. Starbucks must have been a straight shot from his driveway.
A few hours with a can of Goof-Off and a heat gun and she was mint, though down a few hp if the above math is correct. Rode that bike for almost exactly a decade, and loved every minute.
I don’t like high tech stuff either like fobs, abs etc. I did however have 3 Honda’s that had their linked braking system that worked flawlessly. I actually got the last year ST1300 that had the non abs linked brakes in 2007.
Both the older ST and the one above, both bulletproof.
Unfortunately, my 2016 BMW R1200 GS Adventure came with ABS, no choice in the matter. It just makes it more difficult to bleed the brakes if you want to do it right. And I maintain stuff to the upteenth degree. My diagnostic tool needed to activate the ABS pump during the bleeding process.
Same thing for my cars. I just do not need ABS and high tech crap. Now they have other nanny controls on motorcycles to prevent it from lifting the front wheel. Ever heard about improving your skills instead?
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