[WillieC]

I had a thread for "was going to trade harley for an LT" but it had gotten long
and confusing so I am starting this one .
Thanks to all for the replies and advise !

It turned out that the ABS is OK and I finally got maintanenance records from the
dealer. Not sure why they did not let me see them before I purchased it because they
are fine and it would have eased my mind.

It has new Metzler tires, had a new clutch and shaft seal about 10k back and
regular fluid changes in the motor, trans and FD along with fuel/air filters etc.

So for an 05 with 44k on it it looks to be in good condition. Was quite a learning curve
so far switching to the BMW brand. I have had many Honda's, Yamaha's, a Gold Wing
and four Harleys so this is a different experience, but a nice one.

I thought I would miss my Harley more but when I went back to the dealer to order
an EBC rear rotor and new pads I saw the Street Glide sitting in the show room.
I really do not miss all the noise, vibrations and heat from the motor etc. I had put
quiet pipes on it for a while but let me tell you, you do not want to hear the TwinCam
motor run unless you like the sound of an industrial sewing machine. LOL But in all
honesty the 4 Harleys I have owned were great bikes and I had ZERO problems
with them and zero oil leaks from 2004 to 2012. Old technology but a bike with soul,
alot of fun to ride and built like a tank.

So now I am into a more sophisticated ride and a pure joy just to get on on the
"super slab" and cruise. I just do not want to stop and it could cruise 80mph all
day (although I do not do that of course). I will probably always ride with a
puckered butt though worrying about the FD failure and other issues. However
I am sure in time that will become more of a cautious and be prepared type of
concern.
I think I will get a spare FD if I go on a long trip out west.

So thanks again for all the kind and friendly advise!

Willie

 

[deputy5211]

Nice ride! Glad it worked out for you and glad that you found us. Only thing remaining to tell you at this point is that you need to "RIDE IT LIKE YOU STOLE IT!"

 

[katnapinn]

Congrats on the "New to you" bike. The 05 & up LT's have had very little trouble with the FD. Most of the problem are with the earlier ones. I would not worry about it going out. I had a 2000 with over 80K on the original FD when it was totaled. I would just change the FD fluid every 6k & look for any signs metal on the magnet. If it looks good the just ride & not worry. A quart of gear oil is cheap & you will get about 5 oil changes out of it & it only takes 10 minutes to do.

 

[johnbaker15]

Don't forget the roads with the curves in them and keep the RPM's in the 4000 and up range while on those roads..think you will like the performance. :wave I have read a lot of the final drive posts and have concluded that there are enough folks out there to help if I need any and don't even think about it.

Just came back from a ride end to end on the Blue Ridge Parkway and never gave the drive a though. Of Course that may have been because of all those 2000 foot drops 10 feet from the road.

 

[jkriner]

In an effort to ease your mind, my LT has over 127,200 miles of pretty much trouble-free miles. A clutch was replaced once, but there are some members on this forum with over 150,000 on the original clutch. I just had a fuel pump go out last week. I purchased a new pump from High Flow Fuels with a lifetime warranty for $69.98 with free shipping. Installed it myself and completed a 12,000 service at the same time.
If you can wrench a little, this forum has everything you need to make your LT Experience an enjoyable and inexpensive journey. There is a wealth of knowledge on this site that can make anyone feel comfortable owning one. I visit this site daily and have learned an enormous amount. Great information, great stories and great people on here.

 

[WillieC]

In an effort to ease your mind, my LT has over 127,200 miles of pretty much trouble-free miles


Reply:

Yes this does "ease my mind" and I can and have wrenched including
replacing rings but not on a complicated beast like the LT. I received the Clymer
manual with the bike and I will do as much as I can on it. I am having the dealer
do a complete service and valve check first so I know it is done properly. The tech
who does the work is very young but is BMW certified so he will know more
than me on my first maintenance, I hope. It does not sound like he has alot of
experience on the LT's but we are a small town ( State College, PA ie: Joe Paterno
ville) so he probably has not had the opportunity to work on alot of LT's.

I am 67 now and do not seem to be as inclined to gamble as much as I was when younger. I am hoping to be able to keep riding and have the leg strength to keep
it up (the bike that is) for many years to come. But I seem to think in year to year
terms any more rather than far into the future.

As you older riders are aware the mind never seems to age and it tells you you
can still do anything you did in your 40's but unfortuantely the body does not usually
agree with the mind.

Willie

 

[mreuter]

Congratulation to your new LT and don't worry about the FD.
I own a 01 here in Germany with a lot of kilometers on it, no problem all around. I bought a 05 in California with 18500 mi on the ODO just in May to go across and here the same, no problem at all from San Francisco to Orlando. I didn't even see this Bike before bought it via Internet. You will enjoy your trips, I bet.
Do your services as recommended and you wont have any trouble.

Manfred

 

[casualemt]

I am 67 now and do not seem to be as inclined to gamble as much as I was when younger. I am hoping to be able to keep riding and have the leg strength to keep it up (the bike that is) for many years to come. But I seem to think in year to year
terms any more rather than far into the future.

Just an observation....Unless you are some type of big weight lifter, I firmly believe it would be a challenge for the average person of any age to keep the big girl from going down once she decides to take a nap...to me, the "secret" is balance, ya got to keep her balanced.

 

[Mark7]

As someone who is about to go from cruiser to touring bike myself this thread strikes a chord with me.

I just sold my '04 Yamaha Road Star Midnight to make room for an '09 LT that is waiting for me in Dallas. I'd had the Roadie for 5 years and "made her mine" like the Yamaha folks want you to do. I was very sad to see her go since she'd never left me on the side of the road or disappointed me in any way. She's a great bike to take on a day trip, but much more than that and you have to be a sadist to enjoy that much saddle time. Just not made for long tours so it would have been stupid of me to expect that.

That year of Road Star was known to have something called Sticky Valve Syndrome(SVS) due to the design of the heads. The next model year they made some slight alterations to resolve that problem. Like the LT FD problem it reared it's head on about 4% of the bikes out there. I lived in fear of it for the first 3 years of ownership, but finally let it go and said to myself if it happens I deal with it. Till then take preventative measures and ride!

A riding buddy warned who rides an LT me about the FD issues, but like the SVS problem I'm not going to let it worry me. All bikes have some sort of quirk or something. Till I have a problem of some sort I'll just enjoy riding the bike and all the freedom that entails.

 

[WillieC]

As someone who is about to go from cruiser to touring bike myself this thread strikes a chord with me.

I just sold my '04 Yamaha Road Star Midnight to make room for an '09 LT that is waiting for me in Dallas. I'd had the Roadie for 5 years and "made her mine" like the Yamaha folks want you to do. I was very sad to see her go since she'd never left me on the side of the road or disappointed me in any way. She's a great bike to take on a day trip, but much more than that and you have to be a sadist to enjoy that much saddle time. Just not made for long tours so it would have been stupid of me to expect that.

That year of Road Star was known to have something called Sticky Valve Syndrome(SVS) due to the design of the heads. The next model year they made some slight alterations to resolve that problem. Like the LT FD problem it reared it's head on about 4% of the bikes out there. I lived in fear of it for the first 3 years of ownership, but finally let it go and said to myself if it happens I deal with it. Till then take preventative measures and ride!

A riding buddy warned who rides an LT me about the FD issues, but like the SVS problem I'm not going to let it worry me. All bikes have some sort of quirk or something. Till I have a problem of some sort I'll just enjoy riding the bike and all the freedom that entails.

The Road Star is a terrific looking bike and I think they are awesome.
I hope you enjoy the LT as well, the 09 model should be free of alot of problems the eariler ones had as it is the last year for the 4cyl model I think.

Ride Safe and often

 

[vernvernvern]

Welcome willie,
I'll give you a little hope. LOL I'll be 72 next month 7/18/2012 and have just rolled up 139.673 miles on my LT. I like to tinker so I'm always checking the little things........grease in the shifter linkage, do my own tires, fluid changes, just changed a crancase breather hose that was leaking oil on the top of the engine, light bulbs( only the low beam has been replaced and the bike is an '03 LT.
One thing I do and it seems to happen about twice a year.................it seems to want to take a nap at times soooooooooooooo, I don't try to keep it up as I think I'd strain something at my age, so I just let her go and rollover on the ground. Get up and look to see if anyone was watching, crawl over to turn off the key, put the side stand in the down position, then back up to the bike grabbing the saddle bag handle in one hand and the handlebar in the other, squat bending my knees, lift up one notch, then squat a second time and lift she comes on up. LOL
Did I say I love riding this bike?
I wear all the gear and I get laughed at often, but that's OK as I have it on if I need it However, I hope i never do. You'll find that the brakes are so good on this bike that the ABS will save your butt often.Hardly a day goes by w/o me having to stop for some idiot pulling out in front of me or just doing that famous rolling stop.
A bunch of info and great people on this site. Sure glad I found it. :bmw:

 

[WillieC]

Welcome willie,
I'll give you a little hope. LOL I'll be 72 next month 7/18/2012 and have just rolled up 139.673 miles on my LT.. :bmw:

Gee whiz Vern this does give me hope and some really good advice. I remember
I dropped my Harley one time and you are correct, the 1st thing you do is look around to see if anyone saw it. LOL
I have decent balance etc. but you just never know when the LT will get to the tipping point and think you are correct in just letting it go with hopefully no damage to the tupperware, I am surprised you can get it back up alone like that.

Thanks for the reply and great advice

safe riding my friend

 

[jkriner]

.... You'll find that the brakes are so good on this bike that the ABS will save your butt often.Hardly a day goes by w/o me having to stop for some idiot pulling out in front of me or just doing that famous rolling stop..... - vernvernvern

+1 on the brakes. They are truly AMAZING!!!
The '05 has the servo assisted linked ABS brakes. One word.....WOW!

 

[K100Dennis]

Hi Willie, welcome from Tasmania, Aust. Just be mindful of the clutch on the K12. There is a definite technique required in order to prolong the life, or more importantly, not to shorten it unnecessarily. Basically you need to practice not spinning the engine above 1500rpm whilst engaging the clutch/moving off. I raise this because the bike has had a clutch replacement sometime before 40,000. Plenty has been written about it here, so I'm sure you'll learn heaps by trawling through the posts. Keep her upright and you'll be fine. I too hope to be riding well into my "twilight" years. Cheers, Dennis

 

[WillieC]

Hi Willie, welcome from Tasmania, Aust. Just be mindful of the clutch on the K12. There is a definite technique required in order to prolong the life, or more importantly, not to shorten it unnecessarily. Basically you need to practice not spinning the engine above 1500rpm whilst engaging the clutch/moving off Cheers, Dennis

Thanks very much Dennis.
The clutch was replaced at about 34k miles on it. I saw the repair bill and it was $1,500.00 for the job. So the information to keep it below 1500 rpm at start is appreciated.

I have noticed that it seems to be underpowered at start so I will be careful to not rev it up too high and also not to slip it any more than necessary to get moving.

First I ever corresponded to anyone in Tasmania.

Ride Safe my friend,
Willie

 

[brettb10]

Hi Willie...and welcome 03 LT here 113k on the clock


My dumb mistake was in 2003 when it was just UNDER an hour old, I stopped for smokes on my way home from dealership...Nasty habit..i quit in 05

Anyway I was a HD guy,not used to a centerstand. At gas station i did not LOOk and thought i had extended my sidestand...You guessed it .. I put the centerstand down, the springs retracted it< i got off and watched her fall over

I was so mad i am amazed I did not toss her on other side when i picked her up.

Kepp the rpms up, stop with front wheel straight ,and enjoy

 

[Voyager]

Thanks very much Dennis.
The clutch was replaced at about 34k miles on it. I saw the repair bill and it was $1,500.00 for the job. So the information to keep it below 1500 rpm at start is appreciated.

I have noticed that it seems to be underpowered at start so I will be careful to not rev it up too high and also not to slip it any more than necessary to get moving.

First I ever corresponded to anyone in Tasmania.

Ride Safe my friend,
Willie

Yes, the combination of not much torque at low RPM and a too tall first gear, makes launching the LT require more concentration and time than is necessary on almost any other bike. My Kawasaki Voyager was FAR easier to launch than is my LT.

This is probably my single biggest annoyance with my LT.

 

[knoticalone]

The LT is a fantastic bike. Had an 02 model and let the final drive thing get in my head (never had a problem). Sold it and regretted every day between it and getting the 06. Handling is near sport touring for me. More confortable ride. Hope you enjoy your ride and it serves you well.

 

[norcaltexas]

'I' traded my 09 FLHPIG (my kids named the bike 'PIG',)for an 02 K1200LT, much to the dismay of my Harley 'Buddies'. Blasphemy ! they said, Ha, I said. I sold that Rolling, Vibrating mechanical disaster three months ago and my body has now ceased vibrating ! No one person was more happy than the local H-D shop service manager, having to ask me, "what's the problem with your FL today?" My answer was always, "Heck, roll the dice, pick something, it could be many things!" Don't get me wrong, it's a beautiful bike, but not a reliable commuter, as i ride daily 70 plus miles to and from the office. Houston is brutal for an air cooled, v-trim. The best feature on the FL, fly-by-wire throttle/cruise control. Good Ridance my 'doo-rag' wearing -bike-gang-wanna-be's ! Now it's time to enjoy riding in comfort.

Now, i have my first K and wonder, why did i wait so long to buy this 'comfortable' tour machine ?

 

[Rocketsled]

My hearing doesn't ring, my fingers don't tingle, my forearms don't hurt, I'm not exhausted after a 22 mile commute, and I don't have to diddle with a choke...and I didn't even pay the tax for doin' it on a Harley...did it on a VTX1300...it was fun, but it was WORK.