Hi Chaps,

Where do you find used price guide for bikes? I've found a couple but
they're not particularly comprehensive.

I've been offered a 52-plate R850R with "6 or 7 thousand" miles on the
clock, father-and-son owners since new, apparently in excellent condition
and major-serviced less than a year ago (the bike, not the father and son).

Worth £3k? Sounds fairly good to me but it's 120 miles away so I'm not
going to go and take a look unless the price is reasonable.

Anything to look out for on these, apart from the silly prices at BMW main
dealers?

Cheese,
R.

"Rudy Lacchin" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in
news:is94to$f53$(E-Mail Removed):

> Hi Chaps,
>
> Where do you find used price guide for bikes? I've found a couple but
> they're not particularly comprehensive.
>
> I've been offered a 52-plate R850R with "6 or 7 thousand" miles on the
> clock, father-and-son owners since new, apparently in excellent
> condition and major-serviced less than a year ago (the bike, not the
> father and son).
>
> Worth £3k? Sounds fairly good to me but it's 120 miles away so I'm
> not going to go and take a look unless the price is reasonable.
>
> Anything to look out for on these, apart from the silly prices at BMW
> main dealers?
>

It all depends on condition. Can the low mileage be verified by MOT
certificates? If it is then it's unlikely to be suffering from corrosion
or paint flaking. Does it have useful extras like heated grips, ABS or
luggage? If it has ABS does it pass the self test (need to ask the owner
to demonstrate by riding the bike a few yards until the light goes out).

If the bike is very shiny then people will pay £3k or more for any low
mileage boxer twin of that era. They will become very popular as time
goes on as they are simple & relatively cheap to fix. The next
generation of BMWs got complcated electronics and loads of problems.

One thing to check: has the poly V belt been changed? Normally a 36k
service item but I would change a 9 year old one. Cheap part, easy DIY
job. Akin to changing a fan belt on a Mk1 Ford Escort.

On 03/06/2011 00:01, Rudy Lacchin wrote:
> Hi Chaps,

Mornin'!

> Where do you find used price guide for bikes? I've found a couple but
> they're not particularly comprehensive.

I've given up on them and use the completed listings feature on ebay as
a useful guide

> I've been offered a 52-plate R850R with "6 or 7 thousand" miles on the
> clock, father-and-son owners since new, apparently in excellent
> condition and major-serviced less than a year ago (the bike, not the
> father and son).

That'll be one of the pig-ugly R850Rs rather than the rather stylish
later R850Rs then?

> Worth £3k? Sounds fairly good to me but it's 120 miles away so I'm not
> going to go and take a look unless the price is reasonable.

Sounds like it's right at the top end of the price range to me. If it
has genuinely had a full service and it's got the desirable extras (BMW
panniers) and not got the undesirable ones (ABS) then it might be
getting close to that but it would have to be particularly mint and lovely.

> Anything to look out for on these, apart from the silly prices at BMW
> main dealers?

(based on the R1150R I had -
https://picasaweb.google.com/Thegits...gE&feat=email#)

They are big and heavy, a lot bigger and heavier than they look. And
surprisingly top heavy for a boxer.

Build quality is pretty shoddy; fasteners corrode and the paint only
seems loosely connected to the frame. A number of items are painted then
machined (front suspension arms, engine casings etc) so it's easy for
the paint to start lifting and corrosion to get in.

The ABS brakes rely on prayer, witchcraft and complex, regular and
expensive servicing. If I was looking for one, I'd be searching for a
non-ABS one as the servicing costs are prohibitive, and replacement
parts costs are high.

Fuel consumption isn't great, but can be helped by removing the cat.

Would I have another? Possibly. It would have to be another non-ugly
one, without ABS this time, and I'd probably try and get an 1150 as it
is a lot of bike for the smaller engine to lug about.

Apart from the things mentioned above, the thing that would put me off
most would be that it was just a bit boring. Altogether an uninvolving
ride. Great as transport, but I didn't want to jump on and play.

--
Gyp

Gyp <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

> Apart from the things mentioned above, the thing that would put me off
> most would be that it was just a bit boring. Altogether an uninvolving
> ride. Great as transport, but I didn't want to jump on and play.

Brian Giles uses one as a courtesy bike for his customers. I really
enjoyed it.

Very sweet, handles well, just a nice naked bike. But £3k.... no.


--
BMW K1100LT Ducati 750SS Kawasaki GPz750 Honda CB400F
Triumph Street Triple Suzuki TS250ERx2 GN250.
Higgler Supreme
chateau dot murray at idnet dot com

"wessie" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:Xns9EF965688B6wtymmmsas@88.198.244.100...
> "Rudy Lacchin" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in
> news:is94to$f53$(E-Mail Removed):
>>
>> I've been offered a 52-plate R850R with "6 or 7 thousand" miles on the
>> clock, father-and-son owners since new, apparently in excellent
>> condition and major-serviced less than a year ago (the bike, not the
>> father and son).
>
> It all depends on condition. Can the low mileage be verified by MOT
> certificates?

The father is an old boy who hardly used it and the son, I know, has only
used it a couple of times apart from local tootling. I believe.

Thanks for the other info.
--
R.

"Gyp" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message news:isa1ig$o3l$(E-Mail Removed)...
>
>> I've been offered a 52-plate R850R with "6 or 7 thousand" miles on the
>> clock, father-and-son owners since new, apparently in excellent
>> condition and major-serviced less than a year ago (the bike, not the
>> father and son).
>
> They are big and heavy, a lot bigger and heavier than they look. And
> surprisingly top heavy for a boxer.
>
> Build quality is pretty shoddy; fasteners corrode and the paint only seems
> loosely connected to the frame...
> The ABS brakes rely on prayer, witchcraft and complex, regular and
> expensive servicing.
> Fuel consumption isn't great...
> ... just a bit boring. Altogether an uninvolving ride.

Hmm... I'm beginning to go off the idea. I shall check the condition and
try to find out whether it's one of the pig-ugly ones or one of the stylish
later ones.

I think a day out to Machynlleth is on the cards...
--
R.

"Rudy Lacchin" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
> "Gyp" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message news:isa1ig$o3l$(E-Mail Removed)...

> Hmm... I'm beginning to go off the idea. I shall check the condition and
> try to find out whether it's one of the pig-ugly ones or one of the stylish later ones.

It's a bit like the original CX vs the Eurosport.

I think the later shape appeared in 03 so I suspect a 52 plate will be the
early type

> I think a day out to Machynlleth is on the cards...

Hmm. Not just round the corner then.
--
Gyp

Gyp <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in news:iseb7l$r49$(E-Mail Removed):

>> I think a day out to Machynlleth is on the cards...
>
> Hmm. Not just round the corner then.

Nice roads for a bimble, though.

--
wessie at tesco dot net

BMW R1150GS

On 05/06/2011 01:15, wessie wrote:
> Gyp<(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in news:iseb7l$r49$(E-Mail Removed):
>
>>> I think a day out to Machynlleth is on the cards...
>>
>> Hmm. Not just round the corner then.
>
> Nice roads for a bimble, though.
>

Oh certainly, though as it took us 5 (riding) hours to get from Glos to
Rhayader and back on Tuesday (Ledbury, Leominster, Kington on the way
there and Builth, Brecon, Abergavenny, Monmouth on the way back) and the
extra bit to Machynlleth will add about 2 hours round trip, it doesn't
make it a local visit for Rudy.

If you look at where's within 7 hours round trip, that means he can look
from Truro to Hull to Colchester and it still be as local, so unless
there's a compelling reason to look at the one in question, his options
are open.

Looking in biketrader, 850R options are somewhat limited, but there's a
lot more choice in the 1150Rs, though I'm getting confused now as there
are a lot of 01-on 1150s with the less ugly bodywork. Not sure if the
1150 got the revamp earlier or whatever.

Of course, if Rudy does get an R850/1150R with the later bodywork and
BMW luggage, I can then flog him the Givi rack/monokey fittings that
I've not got round to ebaying... :-)

--
Gyp

On 05/06/2011 09:48, Gyp wrote:

> Looking in biketrader, 850R options are somewhat limited, but there's a
> lot more choice in the 1150Rs, though I'm getting confused now as there
> are a lot of 01-on 1150s with the less ugly bodywork. Not sure if the
> 1150 got the revamp earlier or whatever.

If it were my money, I'd probably be looking at this

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classifi...01122389481449

or this

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classifi...01122389489645

--
Gyp