Sold it for parts for €2000 in Croatia.
Just before we left Europe for Canada, I took it in for service. Final drive issue had reared its ugly ahead again - for the fourth time. Its costs me about $1000 in parts and labour to get it fixed each time, so I decided to try to sell the bike there instead of shipping the problem back to Canada, which would have lightened my wallet an additional $2000.
The bike had long surpassed that cross-over point where fixing/maintaining it would still be cheaper than buying a brand new bike. Add shipping costs back to Canada to the equation and it was a no-brainer to get rid of it in Europe. I'm not sentimental about bikes, so I'd have no problem going home and getting another similar model (which I eventually did).
The problem is that there is heavy import tax in Europe and this being a Canadian bike, any buyer would also have to pay VAT (Value Added Tax) on the
original sale price (!) because it was never paid - which in itself was much higher figure than what the bike was actually worth, so no buyer in their right mind would want to incur this expense.
It was clear that this motorcycle would never ever be legally rideable in Europe without spending an entirely unreasonable amount of money to get it imported, transferred and plated.
The BMW shop put me in touch with a local mechanic who could use all the good working parts on my bike, so right now, bits and pieces of my bike are probably in several R1200GSes running around Croatia.
Final drive issues notwithstanding, the rest of the bike was robust and bulletproof for its age and mileage. I truly believe it would have kept chugging for another quarter-million kms.
- and it is gorgeous. I assume 600cc??
with some high miler stories.
