Buying a 2018 BMW | GTAMotorcycle.com

Buying a 2018 BMW

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stangn99

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Hey all,
Went to go see a '18 S1000R today. I'm very interested in the bike but have a few questions. I'm not familiar with the brand.

The bike has under 8k on it and the service now light is on. Should I be worried? Owner said it's in need of an oil change and that the warning comes on based on mileage or date.

He's put less than 5k on it during his 4 years of ownership (he's the second owner and purchased from the dealer - GP).

Should I be worried about the service now light? Obviously I plan to do an oil change, along with new tires and possibly front brake pads. Chain and sprocket are good.

Do I need to take the bike to a dealer to have the service light turned off if I do the oil change myself?

On my previous bike I used DealerTool and TuneECU for all maintenance related items. Is there something similar for BMWs?

I plan to go back and test ride the bike (cash in sellers hand) before finalizing the purchase. Anything I should be aware of during the test ride?

I think the service now light has be a bit on the fence. How would I know it's for an oil change and not for something more serious?

Thanks for any input/suggestions.
 
The service light will come on at pre-programmed intervals.
The GS911 is the device that connects to the ECU and is used to reset the service light (among other things).
There are other devices that do the same, IMHO the GS911 is the easiest to work with.
The "dealer" is the alternative if you do not want to lay out the bucks for the GS911 or you can ignore the light and ride on (not recommended!)


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I would get him to get the oil change done prior to test ride. At a shop with an invoice for the work being done.

If it clears the light I would add the cost if the oil change service to the sale price.
 
As mentioned above, the MIL comes on at mileage and/or date intervals - and officially can only be cleared by the dealer - but an OBD2 dongle and GS911 is the DIY option.

I ride a GS, not an S1000 - so can't talk about that bike specifically; but dealer service is absolutely essential during the warranty period (3 year, unlimited mileage). Once the warranty is up, the service manuals aren't hard to find online (BMW no longer sells them directly; but PDF's are out there).

As OiOiOi suggested - having him take it to a local BMW dealer (I'm partial to Budd's in Oakville myself) take care of the oil change and outstanding service, then split that cost or however you two want to work it out - but I'd make having all service up to date, and no dash light lit, a condition of the sale...
 
You can buy an OBDLink LX or MX off Amazon for around $100 and use the Motoscan app to reset the service light.
You can set the mileage/date for when the service light comes back on. Dealer will set it at one year or scheduled mileage, whichever comes first. If you do it yourself you can set it to never come back in if you just want to keep track yourself.
The service light is nothing to worry about.
I still have the Motoscan App if you bring me the bike with the OBDLink I can reset it for you.
 
Chris-CJ said:
The "dealer" is the alternative if you do not want to lay out the bucks for the GS911 or you can ignore the light and ride on (not recommended!)
Click to expand...

Just curious, why not recommended?
Is it because other things could trip the warning light and you wouldn't know something new has come up? Or is there something else I'm missing?
 
Thank you all for the feedback.

I've arranged to see the bike a second time and test ride it this weekend. If all goes well I'll bring it home.

@Hardwrkr13 thank you for the offer. I looked into the MotoScan app and will be purchasing an OBDLink adapter. Do you know what the difference is between LX and MX? I'm reading mixed answers online. I just want to make sure I can bleed the ABS, and I know with some OBD dongles this is not possible.

For example, I was able to use a cheap OBD adapter with the TuneECU app to do everything on my Triumph except bleed the brakes. I purchased the separate DealerTool USB device for that.
 
I don’t know the difference between the two but with the LX version I was only able to reset the service light and nothing more. You will need the paid version of Motoscan btw (iirc it’s around $75).
 
adri said:
Just curious, why not recommended?
Is it because other things could trip the warning light and you wouldn't know something new has come up? Or is there something else I'm missing?
Click to expand...
Yes, other error conditions could trigger the warning light and in this case ignorance will not be bliss
 
Hardwrkr13 said:
I don’t know the difference between the two but with the LX version I was only able to reset the service light and nothing more. You will need the paid version of Motoscan btw (iirc it’s around $75).
Click to expand...
LX dongle works fine with TuneEcu on my triumph. It'll activate the abs pump, do through all the tests, clear codes.

The "higher end" one says something about working with GM vehicles... LX could scan my chevy silverado, so not sure what that was about.

Sent from my SM-G960W using Tapatalk
 
Purchased a GS911 WiFi direct from their UK online store 2 years ago during Black Friday sale. Landed here all in for about $400. Even if I use up 2 or 3 of the available VIN's I could easily sell it for close to what I paid for it. I use it paired through WIFI with my iPhone using their app. Works perfect.
 
Thanks all for the feedback. I bought the bike.
I also purchased an OBDLink LX but haven't had time to play with it yet.

I did manage to use my old ELM327 ODB scanner with MotoScan (free version for now) to read for codes, and it returned "no codes". So I assume I just need to reset the service reminder with the paid version of MotoScan using the OBDLink LX adapter.

I rode the bike home with the following observations, keeping in mind this is my first ever BMW and the bike was sitting for a year in the garage before I bought it:
  • Some hesitation/bucking at low RPM which seemed to clear up after putting in fresh 93 fuel and a few KM worth of riding (owner did not put in stabilizer last year but had all previous years)
  • Gearbox doesn't feel anywhere near as crisp as my 2015 Street Triple did, and the "clunk" into 1st gear is quite a bit more noticeable than my previous 600cc class bikes
    • It does need an oil change - current oil is from 1+ year ago though it wasn't ridden much since being changed at the dealer
    • I'm going to run Motul 7100 and see if it makes a different
    • It could just be how the bike is...I really don't know.

Above 4,000rpm it's really smooth. The power is going to take some getting used to. It does feel pretty heavy when stationary, unlike the 1200rs I tested. The exhaust note from the factory Akra is decent above 4-5,000 rpm (some burbles on deceleration...nothing crazy). I barely hear it at idle.

I only put 30km on it but pretty happy so far. I'm just not a huge fan of the "mushy?" gearbox. I may also need to adjust the shifter lever to bring it down a little. The "throw" is a bit much for me.
 
Last edited:
Hardwrkr13 said:
I don’t know the difference between the two but with the LX version I was only able to reset the service light and nothing more. You will need the paid version of Motoscan btw (iirc it’s around $75).
Click to expand...
One of the main differences is the MX is ios compatible.
 
Congrats!

Nothing quite like the streetie is there?
The perfect balance of a sport bike.
 
bigpoppa said:
Congrats!

Nothing quite like the streetie is there?
The perfect balance of a sport bike.
Click to expand...
We'll see if I grow to love this bike as much as my beloved Street Rx. I do believe I got an excellent deal on the S1K though, so there's that.

The Triumph, after 40,000km, was still as smooth and responsive as the day I got it. The fit and finish was still immaculate, and every quickshift was predictable and crisp. Everything was just so well put together. I sold it after 7 years thinking I needed a change.

I'm going to see if I can adjust the shifter lever on the S1K to shorten the travel a bit. Maybe that will help, but I can't get over how mushy it feels. Hopefully an oil change will help with that. It shift perfectly fine, it just doesn't feel anywhere as crisp as my Street did.

Side question...any recommendations for shops to get a safety done in East York area? I've ordered new tires and plan to contact Alleycat Motorcycle to do the swap, but I don't believe they do safety certificates.
 
stangn99 said:
Thanks all for the feedback. I bought the bike.
I also purchased an OBDLink LX but haven't had time to play with it yet.

I did manage to use my old ELM327 ODB scanner with MotoScan (free version for now) to read for codes, and it returned "no codes". So I assume I just need to reset the service reminder with the paid version of MotoScan using the OBDLink LX adapter.

I rode the bike home with the following observations, keeping in mind this is my first ever BMW and the bike was sitting for a year in the garage before I bought it:
  • Some hesitation/bucking at low RPM which seemed to clear up after putting in fresh 93 fuel and a few KM worth of riding (owner did not put in stabilizer last year but had all previous years)
  • Gearbox doesn't feel anywhere near as crisp as my 2015 Street Triple did, and the "clunk" into 1st gear is quite a bit more noticeable than my previous 600cc class bikes
    • It does need an oil change - current oil is from 1+ year ago though it wasn't ridden much since being changed at the dealer
    • I'm going to run Motul 7100 and see if it makes a different
    • It could just be how the bike is...I really don't know.

Above 4,000rpm it's really smooth. The power is going to take some getting used to. It does feel pretty heavy when stationary, unlike the 1200rs I tested. The exhaust note from the factory Akra is decent above 4-5,000 rpm (some burbles on deceleration...nothing crazy). I barely hear it at idle.

I only put 30km on it but pretty happy so far. I'm just not a huge fan of the "mushy?" gearbox. I may also need to adjust the shifter lever to bring it down a little. The "throw" is a bit much for me.
Click to expand...
Congrats on the new bike. I had a 17 S1XR which is identical driveline and many other things.
- Euro5 emissions is to blame for your low-end power issues/throttle response. A tune really helps. You won't get V-twin power out of it, but it'll be acceptable and midrange will be awesome. A tune was the difference between the bike being just-ok to be awesome. I went with the Bren Tune but there's a few others out there.
- The gearbox isn't crisp, even at the best of times, but it's not terrible and I never found it mushy. I found the lever took more pressure to click into gears than most other brands but that was my only issue with it.
- Evo-Tech bar ends will get rid of much of the bar vibrations. Recommended.
- You can get tinted or different size windshields for $25 on Aliexpress and quality is as good as oem. Lots of other do-dads for peanuts on there that fit also.
 
If you are changing the g/box oil, then you may want to change the clutch oil and while you are at it, change the final drive oil. Stick to the specs and you'll be fine.
John Parker (Budds BMW) recommends dino motor oil for the R9T engine and apparently BMW in Canada re-badges the Castrol 10W30 oil as their Advantec brand.
Did I forget the brake oil?
It is hygroscopic and if the bike has just been sitting then the oil should be changed.
What's the battery look like, does it hold voltage?
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