1998 BMW reviews

I've never owned a bike this comfortable. My one-hour rides became all-day adventures. She's a little underpowered at high speeds, but perfectly balanced. I liked the power and torque curve. It was a joy to ride until the rear seals gave out. A new clutch and seals cost as much as the bike is worth, unless you find a mechanic who knows how to do it and doesn't rake you. repair costs vary wildly from garage to garage. That's the downside. Show less

I owned my new (1999) R1100RT for 10,500 miles. During this time I never got quite used to the clunky shifting and surging engine. My dealer could not correct these problems. The RT has great handling, braking and legendary BMW reliability. However, I could not accept the aforementioned flaws in a $16k machine, not to mention a BMW. To BMW's credit, the company has corrected these before releasing the new R1150RT. I replaced my '99 RT with a new (2001) Harley-Davidson Electra Glide Standard. Also, I continue to ride my trusty '79 R1100RS, which now has over 90k miles. Show less

Getting ready to turn 36,000 on the blue RS. Thought my '85 K100RS was a nice bike. Like going from a Sopwith Camel to a F15 Eagle. Rail like handling, hold on for your life acceleration, and bullet proof relialbility make this a fine machine. Added bar backs, heated grips and Staintune exhaust. Only complaint is backfiring from the new exhaust. Show less

I bought this bike two years ago and 55000 miles later the only problem I have had is the front ABS sensor went south. I do all my own maintenance. So after the 600-mile checkup, I'm the only one to lay a wrench on it. To begin with, it surged at low speed. I spent some time making sure the throttle bodies were dead on, no more surge. This bike is good at everything it is designed to do. But it's too damn quiet and after-market parts are expensive. It takes some extremely high-quality parts to top what comes stock on a BMW. I would Ride this bike to all four corners of the US and not even worry about anything, not even rain. As long as you are moving you don't get wet. that's California rain. I haven't tried Florida rain yet. The R1100RT needs to look badder. It's a no posers bike. Show less

I've just now got 25000 miles on my K12RS. It has been in the shop for a broken exhaust stud, leaking fork seals, failed turn signal switch, and a couple of other minor problems. It's hard on front tires, wears them on the sides no matter what pressure or driving technique is used. I think this has something to do with the fact that the rear wheel is offset about 1/2 inch to one side. BMW parts are very expensive: $43 for a spark plug wire, $9 for a spark plug, $2.50 for a fairing screw. Service is expensive, too. I was charged $30 labor to put that spark plug wire on the bike! Performance is good, even for such a heavy bike - I routinely cruise at 100 mph - and it will turn well. It gets the looks, too. I'll keep this bike, but I would not buy another K12RS or any BMW for that matter. I put a titanium Remus race exhaust on it. The horsepower measured by a G-Tech accelerometer went from 109 to 121. Also installed a Corbin seat, bar back, and Throttlemeister. Now it's a great sport touring motorcycle with the ability to mix it up in the curves if I don't lean it too far. Show less

After 26 K miles, the only problem has been a bad front abs sensor which my dealer replaced at no cost. The flaws that I have found with this bike are all easy to fix. 1. The stock seat is narrow and sloped to the front. A Corbin seat allows all day rides. 2. The stock windshield is too low when the seat is raised above the lowest position. Parrabellum makes a nice 4" taller replacement. 3. No running lights! The bike looks like a pickup truck with one headlight after dark. Add Running Lights at all four corners to increase safety after dark. This bike will run all day at any speed, most refrigerators don't give this much confidence. I like MEZ4s on both ends. Enjoy! Show less