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Looking At Buying 2011 R1200RT


Dave Faria

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The bike has 550 on the odometer. Its been sitting for a while in a garage. After 6 years is there anything like dry seals in the engine, tranny, or shocks that I should be worried about. Any other areas that are a problem like transmission misalignment or rear drive failures.

 

I'm the original owner of a 2004 R1150RT with 104k miles so I'm familiar with the transmission alignment and rear drive problems.

 

Thanks for your thoughts

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The bike has 550 on the odometer. Its been sitting for a while in a garage. After 6 years is there anything like dry seals in the engine, tranny, or shocks that I should be worried about. Any other areas that are a problem like transmission misalignment or rear drive failures.

 

I'm the original owner of a 2004 R1150RT with 104k miles so I'm familiar with the transmission alignment and rear drive problems.

 

Thanks for your thoughts

 

Morning Dave

 

Lots to worry about with a long stored motorcycle-- It kind of depends on the storage area & how it was prepped before the long sleep.

 

The big worries on bikes that sit long term are mouse/rodent damage to the wiring or mouse nests in the air filter box.

 

If it was washed just before storage then corrosion on seal contact, or fork seal contact, areas are always a concern.

 

If stored near chemicals (like swimming pool) or near electric motors then corrosion or ozone rubber damage is something to look for.

 

Stained brake rotors are also a concern if the brake pads were damp at or during storage (causes brake pulsation).

 

Obviously sour gasoline in the fuel tank is also a concern from long term storage as well as degraded brake fluid causing issues with the expensive ABS brake controller (if brake fluid in black that usually puts up a red flag). Smell the gasoline in the tank & if it smells sour or like old varnish then possibly expect fuel pump or injector problems.

 

Buying a modern complex motorcycle that has been sitting in storage for a long time can be like buying a pig in a polk type thing.

 

If it was stored correctly, stored in a dry environment away from chemicals, kept away from rodents, & the fuel in the tank has not severely degraded then it might be a decent buy.

 

If stored incorrectly, or stored in a poor storage environment, then all bets are off & you could be buying an expensive project.

 

Look it over VERY CAREFULLY with a very bright light for signs of pitting or corrosion as well as oil seeps (or past signs of oil seeps). Ride it looking for signs of brake pulsation or poor engine throttle response or surging.

 

After the ride look for signs of shocks leaking or oil seals seeping or fork seals seeping etc.

 

If you can't ride it before buying then personally I would walk away from it.

 

Now if the guy has kept fresh fuel in the tank yearly, kept up on the brake service, stored it properly then it might be worth considering.

 

If you are set on buying it then a thorough dealer inspection BEFORE buying would probably be worth the time & effort.

 

 

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Speaking from past inexperience, never buy a used cycle "just because it looks good." I bought a cruiser several years ago that had been sitting for 3 years with ethanol-laced gas still in the tank. Battery was kept on a trickle charger, so it would crank but not rev past idle. I knew the tank and carbs would have to be flushed but did not envision having to replace the fuel pump and relay, fresh brake fluid, plus fresh oil and filter. Oh, yeah, the tank had to be sealed. That added $250 more to my bill which put it over a thousand just to get this beast road-worthy. Then, I looked closely at the 7 yr old tires and that was another $300. When I traded it a year or so later, I lost over $2K from my investment.

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