K1300S - suitability, reliability, and maintenance costs

[David Morrow]

Wow...I'm 25 and pay less than $500/yr for my Duc and Triumph combined..

I'd really prefer to keep this discussion confined to issues relating to the K1300S please.

[Sport-Touring]

[atadaskew]

Wow...I'm 25 and pay less than $500/yr for my Duc and Triumph combined..

what's your coverage?

[Baz]

I love the K1300S and the only reason I don't own one is dealer coverage up here, and problems with our one local dealer. (I have heard of BMW owners riding 700 km return just to get their bike serviced).

[SVTNate]

Wow...I'm 25 and pay less than $500/yr for my Duc and Triumph combined..

The fact that I live in southern California and that you live in Wisconsin has a lot to do with it.

[XLR8]

I love the K1300S and the only reason I don't own one is dealer coverage up here, and problems with our one local dealer. (I have heard of BMW owners riding 700 km return just to get their bike serviced).

But what about the exploding drive shafts? OMG!  

[tonysrep]

I can tell you my  3 year old 06 1200s still thrills me , I'm sure the 1300 would be more so but I like my 46mpg. I can't see upgrading for a little more launch effect and 35 mpg. Its already too fast. Just the other day I went out for a little cruise , cleared my gps info before I left . At some point during the day , i don't remember the gps logged 103. I can't honestly remember when I was going that fast , it sure didn't feel like it. I think you would be happy. I was going to wait for an 07 but then I thought I would miss 6 months riding this bike so I pulled the trigger

[Major 662]

I can tell you my  3 year old 06 1200s still thrills me , I'm sure the 1300 would be more so but I like my 46mpg. I can't see upgrading for a little more launch effect and 35 mpg. Its already too fast. Just the other day I went out for a little cruise , cleared my gps info before I left . At some point during the day , i don't remember the gps logged 103. I can't honestly remember when I was going that fast , it sure didn't feel like it. I think you would be happy. I was going to wait for an 07 but then I thought I would miss 6 months riding this bike so I pulled the trigger

I thought the K13S had improved fuel economy over the K12S.  From motorcycle.com:

A “step” in the intake port is aimed at improving combustion with the result of increased torque, power, fuel economy and cleaner emissions

[Ronin]

Here's my experience with 30K miles on an '06 K1200S:

1.  It's a great bike for long distance as long as you are riding solo.  I doubt your pillion will agree after a couple of hundred miles.  My longest trip was 2,800+ miles over eight days to MotoGP at Laguna Seca and back to Tucson, by way of Oregon.

2.  3 year 36K warranty.  I have heard of some fueling map issue with the K13S, but I also heard the same thing with the K12S.  I have had no issues.  However, keep in mind, this is a horsepower bike rather than a torque bike like your FJR.  The throttle response is *now* whether on or off.  There's not much of a flywheel effect on this bike.  Other than that, I have had no wear repairs or warranty, other  than tires and scheduled maintenance, such as plugs, air filter, fuel filter, etc.  I just extended the warranty for 4 years, unlimited mileage for just less than $1K.

3.  Maintenance is on par with a Japanese bike.  Valve checks are at 18K, and typically don't need shims at least until 36K.

I don't know if you have a series 1 or series 2 FJR.  My riding buddy has had both, and I have ridden both of them extensively.  IMHO, the K12/13 is significantly lighter, more flickable, and the suspension is far more compliant without harshness than the FJR.  The FJR does have more fairing protection which can be useful in the rain.  That being said, both are great bikes.

#3 That's funny.  BMW parts are 3x to 5x more than Japanese parts.

[David Morrow]

Epilogue : since I started this thread 10 years ago you may like to know if I ever bought that Beemer.

I ended up keeping my 2003 FJR. Other than services and some high mileage / ( kilometerage ?) issues, it ran fine until May 2019. I put over 300,000 Km's ( about 190,000 miles ) on it before taking it off the road.

I rode it from Vancouver, BC to Birmingham, Alabama last May and handed over the bike, the keys, and my riding gear to the Barber Motorsports Museum. I had been to the museum before and saw that they did have some newer bikes on display but no FJR. I offered them mine and they gladly accepted it. I had mine almost from new, had all of the maintenance receipts, a log of ever mile ridden and where it went, and all of the original parts that I had removed.

I bought a 2 year old 2016 FJR still in the box as a replacement. I still prefer the 2003.

[Blue is Best]