128K Miles - Too Much?

[manfromthestix]

I've got a 2001 1150GS with 50,000 on it and love that bike like no other I've ever owned. It's a fabulous machine, but I must admit mine is a tad dirtier than the one you just bought . I wonder what I'd have to pay Curt to come clean mine like that??

I wouldn't worry about hurting the original plastic hard cases, I've bumped and bashed mine many times and they've got battle scars but have never failed, never leaked, and never cracked. I had the seat recovered by a local upholsterer to add a layer of dense memory foam and a waffle-weave cover for a bit of additional grip and air flow, but otherwise the seat is fine for my skinny butt. Get good riding pants and use bicycling shorts underneath - moisture is your enemy there more than anything else. For long trips I have sheepskin pads for myself and my wife which are wonderful! No need to drop a wad of cash on a seat unless you really find after a bunch of miles that it doesn't work for you. When I first bought my GS I also had an 1100RT and a K75 (plus several dirt bikes) so that's mainly why my mileage on the GS isn't higher. As I write this, all those other bikes have been sold but I still own the GS; it's just the most versatile bike I've ever owned and I love the ride, ease of maintenance, and bomb-proof nature of the thing. You can load it like a moving van and it still handles beautifully; pull all the bags off, take the pillion seat off, and go do some fire roads. Excellent machine!

The one thing I saw in those photos of your new bike that would concern me are the brake lines. If it still has the original lines, you should replace them ASAP. Here's why:

http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=825120

The brake lines are the only thing I've ever had fail unexpectedly like that, but what I now understand is that they were considered a wear item like the alternator belt or crown seal. They'll go a long, long way, but they eventually wear out. Kinda spooked me how bad they were and I never knew it.

Take care, I think you got a nice bike for a reasonable price, now go see if you can wear it out!

Doug

[Retired-N-Roamin]

Originally Posted by manfromthestix

I've got a 2001 1150GS with 50,000 on it and love that bike like no other I've ever owned. It's a fabulous machine, but I must admit mine is a tad dirtier than the one you just bought . I wonder what I'd have to pay Curt to come clean mine like that??

Curt did tell me that he'd had ankle surgery and couldn't ride at all. To stay 'in contact' with the bike he sat on the small scooter seat and cleaned and cleaned and then cleaned some more.

Personally, I'm not that fastidious and I suspect that after I ride for a few miles that the bike will not be as pristine!

I had the seat recovered by a local upholsterer to add a layer of dense memory foam and a waffle-weave cover for a bit of additional grip and air flow, but otherwise the seat is fine for my skinny butt.

I'm going to try an Airhawk. My current road bike has an aftermarket seat and I'm not entirely happy. 300-ish miles and my tailbone feels like it's meeting the base of my skull. But the stock seat was only good for 50-75 miles before I was in agony. So the Airhawk before $$$ on a seat.

The one thing I saw in those photos of your new bike that would concern me are the brake lines. If it still has the original lines, you should replace them ASAP. Here's why:

http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=825120

WOW! I'll be checking it out soon!

Take care, I think you got a nice bike for a reasonable price, now go see if you can wear it out!

Doug

Thanks! I hope it's the bike that wears out first and not me!

.

[tlwood99]

Congrats R-N-R, you are going to love that bike--its a real show-stopper!

[manfromthestix]

WOW! I'll be checking it out soon!



Yeah, that was a real shocker for me. I've put around 100,000 miles on three different BMWs and have done all the service and (minimal) repair myself, so I keep pretty close tabs on things like that. I'd never had a single issue with the brakes before they locked up on the ride home one day.

Don't be intimidated about doing service work on your GS, it truly is one of the easiest bikes to maintain that I've ever owned. If I ever blew out the gearbox or something deep inside the engine I'd probably take it to a mechanic, but more for time constraints than anything else. Here are a couple of links to some service threads I've done over the years, if you're interested.

Crown seal replacement:

http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=806193

Tire change and balance:

http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=148614

I did one of the fuel filter replacement too, but can't find it now. It's not hard, though, just a bit tricky the first time you remove the gas tank (tip: run it "dry" first, then understand that it isn't empty yet!).

Ride, ride, ride! Woooot!

Doug