2005 R1200RT problems

[Mick-F]

I am considering a used '05 to '07 R1200RT. Has there been any problems with any of these years when they came out? Any changes between these years? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Mick-F

[cwillson]

I can only speak to the 2007. Mine will be rolling over 20,000 KM this month and I am delighted with the bike. Antenna ring for security system replaced under warranty (preventative - I did not have any problem) and a slightly warped rear rotor replaced under warranty.

Craig

[hopz]

I have an '05. Love it.

Problems... no nothing out of the ordinary for R12RT's... some will say final drives, but frankly there are not that many failures. Some have said rear seals, I do not know of one of these in the many friends with RT's.

Just find one that has a good maintenance record and have no fear.

OBTW that antenna ring thing... not on an 05...

Did I mention I love it? I am not all that experienced... I have only been riding 50 years and this is bike number... what 15?

I lose count.

[skyking96w]

Some '05's have been subject to warping brake rotors due to a bad batch of front wheels that were machined improperly. There is a service bulletin that covers it. If you find an '05 that you like, see if the front wheel has been replaced or if a front rotor has been replaced under warranty without replacing the front wheel. When you test-ride it, be sure to brake hard from highway speed to see if it brakes smoothly. Some '05s are still under warranty. Good hunting!

[HillClimber]

I've put over 12,000 miles on my '05 RT and am quite happy with it.

When received, the ambient temperature reading was grossly in error, but the dealer (Bob's BMW) relocated the sensor and cured the prioblem.

There have been a couple of minor recalls on the '05 model - nothing serious.

Also, the '05 has a REAL horn, not the wimpy horns on some later models.

If it has a good service record, get it! :wave

[Bob1200rtc1]

I have a 07 with about 5000 miles. Only problem so far is warped rotors. Dealer said they submitted paperwork to BMW and they authorized replacement but so far they haven't called to say they are in. Otherwise no problems what so ever.

[Vffr1]

I have a 2006 RT and I freaking love it!

Michael

[skyking96w]

Bob1200rtc1 -- has your dealer checked the front wheel to see if is the root of the warped rotor problem? Replacing the rotors won't do much good in the long run if they warp again because of the wheel.

Quoting from the BMWSporttouring forum:

"There was a Tech Service Bulletin (#34 003 07 - 034) on this released in June 2007. The TSB advised checking run-out and if out of spec replacing the rotors. The last option was replacing front wheel if rotors repeatedly warped."

[Gael]

Mick, in my opinion, the '07 is the sweet spot. They removed the servo from the brakes that year. The '07 brakes are as good -- you just don't hear the whine from the servo, the system is simpler and easier to maintain. And the '07 does not have the service light the '08 has which can only be turned off by the dealer. But, there is a recall on some '07's where the antenna ring around the ignition key needs to be replaced. This recall applies to VIN's with the last 7 digits ZM19502 to ZM19999. Make sure that is done or plan to have it done if the VIN is in that range. The replacement ring will have the words "ignition" in it while the original will not.

If you want to maximize your bang for the buck find an '07 with about 7,000 miles on the clock. The 6k service will probably be done, the bike will probably have new tires, the engine will be broken in, there will still be some warranty left and the depreciation will be substantial. Farkles that I have found make the bike more enjoyable include the large BMW top case, front peg lowering kit, "bar back" adapters and a custom seat (I have and recommend Russell).

Good luck! The R12RT is absolutely the best bike I have ever owned.

Gael

[FWTX12RT]

I ride an 05 with 39K. No issues whatsoever.
+1 on the REAL horn...it gets your attention!

The 1200RT is great. Every time I ride, I confirm how much I like it!

Now, as for mechanical issues... The final drive failure is disturbing. at least for me it is! Especially during a long trip away from home... NOBODY wants to be left stranded on the side of any road that is far away from home with final drive issues. When that happens, its like the mailman biting the dog... you just gotta tell everybody! Hence, some very alarming accounts of such failures have been posted on both advrider.com and BMWsporttouring.com. and probably even on this thread. someone has even posted a photo of a flaming final drive... YIKES!!
Do these failures occur? Hell yeah they do... are they dangerous? hell yeah they are! Are they symptomatic of faulty engineering or manufacturing? probably not... much more likely to be the results of other mistakes or non attentiveness that have occurred in the, (manufacturing, assembly, service) lifetime of that particular final drive. I can recall reading posts from folks who have drained their FD only to find for example: the tip of a torx bit inside the final drive, or that the amount of fluid drained from the FD was either way much more than the spec. or way below the spec. I guess the point is that the causes for a final drive failure can be many and they are NOT in my opinion, FWIW, specific to the 1200RT.

[Bob1200rtc1]

I'm not shure if they checked the wheel. I'll find out when the work is done. Hopefully they are aware of the bulletin. I'll post the results.

[05hexhead]

I have a 05 and love it. I bought it used with 13000 miles, but it did have oil leaks in three transmission seals and engine counter balance seal. All covered under warranty, expensive job if the bike is out of warranty, as it was 11 hours labour.

So check for any oil dampness at back of engine and at the clutch slave cylinder on the transmission.

No other problems and has been a great bike.

Nick

[rglassma]

Have an '05 and love it. Some of the benefits (IMHO) are:

Double Horn -- you can actually hear it
Servos on ABS - Yes, had it on my LT and liked it there as well some don't.


Very smooth. Bought it with 12K in May. Now have 21.5K on it... Wouldn't go back to the LT. No problems to speak of just recalls and standard maintenance. Best bike I have ever owned !!!