R1100RT - Advice on buying pre-owned

[Ghost_OB1]

Hello:
I started riding bikes 40+ years ago though I have never owned a BMW. After a lot of reading I have decided to look for an R1100RT, late '90's model. Since I'm a BMW newbie, I would greatly appreciate comments as to what I should look for in a bike of that age.

Thanks!

[ArthurKnowles]

I bought a '96 RT, but plan to upgrade later this year or early next if I can. My first suggestion it to look for one without too much milage, has good records, and was dealer serviced at the appropriate intervals. Next, I'd suggest before making any purchase to consider taking it to a dealer for a checkup and maintainence record check. That will tell you a lot about the past history and the current status.

I would not be too concerned about the supposed high failure rate of the final drive, but would suggest you perform a basic 3/9 6/12 of the rear wheel just to see if there is any play in the rear wheel/FD assembly. Take it for a ride and make sure it is all working as expected.

Check for it's last 6K/12K maintence. Don't buy one that requires you to pay for these items as they can be expensive at a dealer. Or if you do, negotiate the purchase price down.

[Ghost_OB1]

Thanks for the info Art.