buying a 2002 BMW R1100S

[Mr. Whippy]

I really liked my R1100S.  Almost kept it, but decided to go with the newer (and slightly more responsive) Ducati.  I don't miss having to check oil levels regularly though.

[Castaway]

I really liked my R1100S.  Almost kept it, but decided to go with the newer (and slightly more responsive) Ducati.  I don't miss having to check oil levels regularly though.

What's up with the oil level? Hard to read? Use a lot of oil? Both?

[Mr. Whippy]

What's up with the oil level? Hard to read? Use a lot of oil? Both?

The filler plug tends to leak a bit.  Various fixes, but my bike always seemed to lose some oil, requiring a top up every 1000 miles or so.  To check, the bike has to set for a bit to let oil drain back out of the oil cooler.  Easy to read and super easy to add oil.  BTW, TB syncs and valves are DEAD EASY on this bike.  Changing the battery is a bigger PITA.

[Castaway]

Just heard from my friend who once owned an R11RS. He said that the cam chain began to rattle so he moved on. Anyone heard of loose chains or bad chain adjusters (assuming they have 'em)?

[Mr. Whippy]

Just heard from my friend who once owned an R11RS. He said that the cam chain began to rattle so he moved on. Anyone heard of loose chains or bad chain adjusters (assuming they have 'em)?

BMW redesigned and simplified the chain tensioner.  Easy DIY repair.  I swapped mine on my 99.  Took about 30 minutes.  Not a deal breaker.

[bikerfish1100]

older cam chain tensioners (2002 were still the old ones) were pressurized with oil. At start-up there's no oil in it, so it chatters for about 35 secs or so. Just annoying (to some), but nothing that will cause any damage. Easy swap out, about $85 in parts, DIY job. Rare for the chain rail to break apart, i've only heard of a few (and in the world of the internet, where ANY problem becomes translated as "they all do that"- it is indeed a rare cccurence.

[Castaway]

BTW bikerfish, that's a beautiful upper triple setup.    

[Emerson00]

Well, well, how timely.

I love my '06 Multi 1000S; but like anyone else I get the bike whore notions occasionally. My wife, God love her, just told me she saw a BMW for sale and liked it. First thought: awesome get the girl her first bike (as my second); second thought: hey I could use a second bike... Wife says no, I'd rather ride the BMW than your Ducati (we have hopes to do some 2-up touring). She never liked riding the Multi. I see aftermarket seats are available (though the R/RT I rode needed no such thing for a 500 mile day), as well as good luggage options.

So I get it in my head to look at BMWs, and lo and behold Bob's has a 2005 R11S Boxer Cup available with similar miles to the Ducati. I always liked the 1100S, and now I'm thinking of a test ride.

Whippy: compare contrast for those of us w/ plenty of 1000SDS Multi experience but little BMW, and no R11S experience? I like the Multi, but after riding them for 5 years, I'm willing to look around, and that Replica is neat looking if a little overdone in the team livery.

Why does she do this to me?

[Mr. Whippy]

Well, well, how timely.

I love my '06 Multi 1000S; but like anyone else I get the bike whore notions occasionally. My wife, God love her, just told me she saw a BMW for sale and liked it. First thought: awesome get the girl her first bike (as my second); second thought: hey I could use a second bike... Wife says no, I'd rather ride the BMW than your Ducati (we have hopes to do some 2-up touring). She never liked riding the Multi. I see aftermarket seats are available (though the R/RT I rode needed no such thing for a 500 mile day), as well as good luggage options.

So I get it in my head to look at BMWs, and lo and behold Bob's has a 2005 R11S Boxer Cup available with similar miles to the Ducati. I always liked the 1100S, and now I'm thinking of a test ride.

Whippy: compare contrast for those of us w/ plenty of 1000SDS Multi experience but little BMW, and no R11S experience? I like the Multi, but after riding them for 5 years, I'm willing to look around, and that Replica is neat looking if a little overdone in the team livery.

Why does she do this to me?

The biggest difference is the front end.  The Duc has a very immediate, quick turn in with tons of feedback (which I prefer), the BMW has the telelever front end.  Besides being anti-dive, it turns in a little slower and dampens road input.  It makes for a very smooth ride but (for me) lessens the fun of twisties and tight corners.

You'll want to get the grips set high (above the triple clamp), low is kinda low.  The foot pegs are sorta funny in stock form.  I lowered the pegs for my comfort.  Tank range is about the same (both are fine IMO). When taking off, there is a bit of driveline lag, but that is expected in a shafty.  

Performance-wise, I think they're fairly similar.  I'm a little faster on the Duc, but that's more likely due to my greater comfort with the standard front suspension.

The boxer engine starts and runs flawlessly and is dead easy to work on.  The duc's tranny is a smoother/quicker but the BMW gearbox is totally fine and definitely feels solid.

You'll know within a dozen miles if you like the BMW suspension or not.  I liked it fine.  Until I started riding the Duc more.

[Emerson00]

Thanks. I've slowly gotten 20k miles of experience on the Ducati 1000 Multi, and just recently had the S's Ohlins retuned to my weight... it's about perfect. I'm still with the Ducati, but there's always that bit of me interested in something different.

I might take a test ride - you're right about test rides helping quickly. I didn't like the R/GS, K/S, or K/R, but liked the R/RT pretty well.

[Mr. Whippy]

For me, it basically came down to this:

Multistrada seems more hooligan oriented

R1100S seems more touring oriented.

[bikerfish1100]

You'll want to get the grips set high (above the triple clamp), low is kinda low.  

oh man, don't be such a freaking wuss!

[bikerfish1100]

You'll know within a dozen miles if you like the BMW suspension or not.  I liked it fine.  

quite the opposite for me. i took my g/f's 11S to work one day, about 50 miles r/t. Thought "okay ride, but not enough to want to buy one." Went out on it for a longer ride- maybe 150 miles of back roads- and understood the bike. Bought mine a few months later. I was riding a conventional suspension shafty at the time, as well as a Duc 900SS. both of those are gone, the 11S is here.

[MilleArp]

I've had two R1100S's.

The first was a 1999 yeller one.  Put over 60, 000 on her before I sold her.

I now have a 2004 R1100S in Piedmont Red, rare color.  I got it in fall of 2006 new-in-crate, so warranty just ran out last year.  Have 25k on that.

Per the "oil thing", the bigets problem is some folks over-fill it; that is, to the top of the oil sight glass.  That's a no-no.  Keep the oil between the bottom and midle-dot, and all will be well.

Per oil leak at the filler, usually a new set of O-rings (cheap or free, depending on how kewel your dealership is) will solve that problem.  Or, get an aftermarket cap kit.  Sooper simple fix.

Otherwise, the R1100S's I've had, over nearly 90,000 miles of it, has been fairly trouble free.  

I get compliments on the looks all the time!  She is an eye-catcher.  



,

[MilleArp]

The filler plug tends to leak a bit.  Various fixes, but my bike always seemed to lose some oil, requiring a top up every 1000 miles or so.  To check, the bike has to set for a bit to let oil drain back out of the oil cooler.  Easy to read and super easy to add oil.  ...

If you're topping off every 1000 miles (like I used to, before I figured out the secret), you may be adding too much at each top-off.  Like with many things, most people figure "more is better" and add too much oil, which then burns or leaks out due to overpressure.
I used to do the same thing...

.

[Mr. Whippy]

If you're topping off every 1000 miles (like I used to, before I figured out the secret), you may be adding too much at each top-off.  Like with many things, most people figure "more is better" and add too much oil, which then burns or leaks out due to overpressure.
I used to do the same thing...

.

I definitely filled it to the upper half of the sight glass.  I did the O rings and plastic sleeve a coupla times.  Still leaked up there.  I was worried about the "sealed" screw on cap, because (at the time) it wasn't clear to me whether that would increase the risk of a leak at the clutch.

And btw, changing the clutch on a BMW is WAY more work than a Multistrada.  

I enjoyed my R1100S, especially touring.  No complaints about my bike.  But again, I didn't want to get to a point where I had to do something about the FD or clutch.  (I was the third owner of mine--9800 miles when I got it with some mods).

Mandarin 99 with ABS.  

[Emerson00]

idunno, but after sitting in a bit of traffic today trying to keep the Multi running by holding the throttle and/or clutch because the bastard wouldn't idle... I'm thinking that 1100S is looking mighty fine. I'm probably cranky from too damn much heat getting off campus, but I'm really starting to think I've been lying to myself about Ducati reliability: I've had my 2 Multistradas for a combined 5 years, and in that time, I'm only certain of trouble-free operation for about 2 years. Every time I turn around it's this or that minor little quibble (and fears of major problems), and I can't honestly say I have the time to devote to working on it (that I really want to) as it seems it needs.



Maybe it's time to trade on the R1100S and see how good I had it with Ducati.

-Frustrated Ducatisti

[bikerfish1100]

i've put 75K on mine, and just continue to love it. There's the usual maintenance on the bike- valve adjusts, oil/filter & trans/FD fluids changes, brake bleed- but that's about it. A few more things to stay up on every 25-50K miles, but most can be done in the comfort of your garage, very easily.

[Mr. Whippy]

Any updates?