Mistake? R1150R purchase

[servicerifle]

Yeah, I know this is a "BMW" question but I'm guessing that some here have also had one and sold it, and now don't surf the BMW sub-forum, so I'm putting this here.    

So, I'm shopping for a bike in the UK for vacation fun, I will probably get about 2-3 month's use out of it over the next two years.  Obviously strafing some mountain passes is on the agenda.

I've found an R1150R for a great price and it is well outfitted.  We're very close to the final deal.  Is this a mistake?  I love the looks, and as long as it handles well (that's in comparison to my sublime 1200GS) I'll be quite happy.  I was planning on getting a 990 ADV but the price on this particular 1150R is too good to pass up I think.

Question is centered on handling, is it )the 1150R) a pig or the twisties dancer that I require?  I don't have the luxury of riding it ahead of time.  

Thanks in advance.

[coho]

I have ninety-odd thousand miles on my R1100R and I've ridden the 1150.  It is an excellent all day for days on end ride.  It's essentially a GS without the off-road bits.

CofG is low.  Think of it as a surprisingly agile pendulum.  

[Ancon]

I had an 1150R from 05-07.  Thought it was a great bike.  Looking back, I'm not real sure why I got rid of it .  Might have been a little heavy and not sportbike-flickable, but a reliable, comfortable mount.  

For mountain passes?  I would tell you that it would be an absolutely fine machine on which one could strafe.  

Go for it!  Definitely not a mistake.  Strafe away!

[JNUNZMAN]

I had one for 20k miles and loved it. Sold it due to "Iwannanewbikealitis". Great everywhere. Geared a bit too high for the little back roads that I like to lose my way on and I really wanted something capable of dirt roads. That was the main reason.
Supremely reliable, fast, and handled well.

[sodapop6620]

Do you like your GS?  I have a RT that I enjoyed riding until it left me sitting a couple of times.  Is there a good shop near where the bike will be stored?  

The big question is if you are only going to ride it for 2 months out of 2 years why not just rent a bike?  You won't have to worry about inspection, taxes, insurance, tires...?

[servicerifle]

Yeah, love the GS.

$150x60 days = about $9k.  That's why.

All the rest is taken care of.  Question is on the fun of the R1150R not on my financials.  

Let's hope I enjoy it, the price is excellent and the check-out by a trusted friend came out as "if you don't buy it I will."  

[Rincewind]

The later R1200R was named "King of the Alps" by the German magazine, Motorrad.  Those Germans are serious about riding.  Further I had reports from friends who rented R/Roadsters in the Alps with nothing but good things to say about them.

If this is a good deal, and you have storage worked out, I wouldn't hesitate.  If ever I buy a BMW, it will most likely be a R1200R/R11xxR model.  There just aren't very many bikes in that mold anymore.

[Geoff]

The R1150R is a solid bike. Go for it.

[falconati]

Buy it.  Great bike.  Reliable (as a sewing machine   ) and enough power to keep it fun.  Should be an absolute hoot on those roads  

[cuoco1200gt]

I put 15k on r1150r before moving to a gs . Its a great ride , enjoy it.

[Max Wedge]

Can't find a R1200S? In red/silver  

I think the 1150R would make a great 'fling'.

[servicerifle]

Basically as I expected.  Thanks guys.  I think this will be a good 85% or better match for what I intend to do with the bike (Isle of Man, tour Scotland/France/Germany, then later Croatia, Bulgaria, all the Balkans).

[mike in oregon]

I had a silver '04 R1150R for about 6 thousand miles.  Beautiful bike. Engine, while not a screamer-has about 75 rwhp-just felt right cruising at 65 mph.  Someone mentioned it handled like a pendulum and that is exactly as I would describe it.  The wide handlebars allow you to shove it quite nicely into corners and it transitioned pretty will in the twisties.  The main issue I had was tight foot peg to seat distance.  I'm 34 inch inseam and it was just too darned cramped.  There were some after-market peg lowering kits available at the time that I did not explore and eventually it I sold it due to new bikeitis.  That boxer motor had some terrific torque, but the sound was not to my liking-all in the ear of the beholder of course-you know all this from your GS.  I think if you can handle the seat to footpeg distance and you like the boxer characteristics And it is a great price-go for it.

PS I re-read your first post and you mentioned the 990 Adv.  I had a 950 Adv and 950 SM and by comparison they are complete riots in the fun category compared to the r1150r.  The R1150R is not even close imho.  The KTM will not be as reliable and has higher maint. requirements however.  Can't have it all.

[servicerifle]

PS I re-read your first post and you mentioned the 990 Adv.  I had a 950 Adv and 950 SM and by comparison they are complete riots in the fun category compared to the r1150r.  The R1150R is not even close imho.  The KTM will not be as reliable and has higher maint. requirements however.  Can't have it all.

Exactly.  This is a calculated trade-off.  As the bike is ONLY for vacation fun, I need the thing to work when I show up, otherwise I'm burning my precious leave time.  Hell I nearly considered a Japanese bike because of this, lol.  The cat's out of the exhaust and a Y-pipe is installed so my test rider liked the sound.  I agree the 950/990 is waaaay more fun and I'd love one, but the price on this 1150 was so much better.  Even though I plan to sell at least close to my purchase price eventually (depreciation is long over), I'd rather keep the extra $3k in my pocket (that's the average differential between, say, this bike and an average "ADV" bike.)  I'll make the compromise and run with it.  If I had the luxury of riding the bike every weekend or month, I'd get something with higher maintenance and higher excitement potential.  As long as this one will be fun in the curves (similar at least to my 1200GS) I'll be happy with the temporary purchase.

Oh, and I have an inseam of 29" so I think I'll be ok. I've sat on 1200R's and they felt good.

[mike in oregon]

Sounds like you're making a good choice.  Life's short and at this point I think having a little more to spend on adventures and still have a nice bike like that r1150r would be grand.  Enjoy.

[2DFlyer]

The hardest part may be leaving it behind.  I had an '04 and loved it but parted ways cause it wasn't the right bike for the riding I was doing.  Handling is probably relative to how hard you plan on pushing it but I never found it wanting.  I wouldn't call it flickable but it is solid.  The stock seat was a bit of a butt burner though.

[servicerifle]

Disregard entirely.

I am getting a run-around with insurance since I'm not a UK resident.  I've told the 1150R owner to sell elsewhere at his convenience.  I need to sort my insurance fast, don't know how.

[falconati]

Aaaaaaaaannoying.  Who's your insurance through?

Geico, Esurance and AIG are some of the easiest to work with for this.

[servicerifle]

Aaaaaaaaannoying.  Who's your insurance through?

Beats the f__k outta me!  GEICO told me to go pound sand unless I was shipping a US registered bike into the UK.

I am NEARLY out of prospects.  Trying to work with ADAC now but it's all in German.