2000 BMW R 1100 R - ABS Dual Sport reviews

The 2001 BMW R1150 GS is a fabulous motorcycle. A beast of a motorcycle. Well engineered and tough it will take you where miles are afraid to tred! The R1150 GS has power to spare. Surprising lower and performance. My last motorcycle was a 2003 Harley Davidson 883 Sportster. I was impressed with the power of that Harley but this 1150 BMW puts it to shame. The BMW is smooth yet robust. The 6-speed gearing has a wide range. I especially like third gear! A handful of throttle feels like you are blasting off to the moon! At age 67 I only rode my BMW mildly off road on my own farm and then only over improved dry pastures! Mine has just over 31,450 miles at the time of this review! My bike was fully serviced and ready to ride anywhere when I purchased it second hand. The tires were just 1 year old with just 1,000 miles on them. I am 67 years old and recently purchased this BMW motorcycle in September 2021, however it is too tall for me to ride comfortably and safely. I have a 30" inseam but riders need longer legs to safely handle this motorcycle. I thought about lowering the suspension but these GS BMW's are too nice to alter. So I purchased a second BMW R1200C Pheonix last week which suits my stride much better. I do not need two BMW motorcycles so I am reluncticly parting with my GS. This is what Cycle World Magazine had to say about the BMW R1150 GS: BMW R1150GS - BEST USED BIKES Exemplifying the very essence of a two-wheel Swiss army knife. Cycle World July 22, 2015 YEARS SOLD: 2000–2004 MSRPNEW: $14,190 ('00) to $14,500 ('04) BLUE BOOK RETAIL VALUE: $4,885 ('00) to $6,500 ('04)BASIC SPECS: The R1150GS is powered by an 1,130cc air-/oil-cooled, four-stroke opposed twin featuring four valves per cylinder, electronic fuel injection, and shaft drive. The 1150 introduced a six-speed gearbox, while later models came equipped with dual spark plug heads and servo-assisted combined ABS brakes. The GS weighs 582 pounds WET with its 5.5-gallon fuel tank topped up and produced 74 hp and 68 pound-feet of torque at the rear wheel on the Cycle World dyno. The "Showa" suspension offers 7.9 inches of rough road-smoothing travel, while the adjustable saddle height (33.1 to 33.8 inches) accommodates a range of riders. WHY IT'S DESIRABLE: Few bikes have proven to be as versatile as the GS BMW Beemer family, with the 1150 exemplifying the very essence of a two-wheel Swiss army knife. It's a road-hardened touring mount and heavyweight dual-sport all wrapped in one. "I went places and saw things on the GS that I never would have on another bike," Mark Hoyer remarked back in the days before he was editor-in-chief. "It truly makes molehills out of mountains." All that, plus the reputation of durability and reliability rivaling that of an anvil easily warrant the price of purchase. THE COMPETITION: Long-travel twins gained prominence in the early 2000s with the introduction of the KTM 950 Adventure and 1,000cc Ducati Multistrada. Undoubtedly, this trend was helped along by the BMW R1150GS, which was honored as the Best Sport-Touring Bike of 2000 by Cycle World in our Ten Best issue. Show less

I bought this in April 2008 with 18,000 on it, as a 40 mile each way commuter, and with the Corbin seat and BMW bags already on it. I love it right from the start. It has massive torque, gobs of acceleration and is fast enough for me (I haven't had it flat out, but I've had an indicated 120 mph out of it without trying hard). I found it a little too buzzy for comfort around 4500 rpm. The Manic Salamander bar end weights (18.5 ounces instead of the stock 9.5 ounces) completely cured that. I found it very windy over 70 mph; Parabellum windshield, adjusted as high as it can go cured that. My other add-ons were for personal preference, not necessity. The bike is as reliable as a stone, comfortable all day, a joy to drive and magic through the twisties. At first I felt like I wasn't getting much feedback from the front suspension, then I realized it just was not having any problems, so there was nothing for it to tell me. It just goes around bends on any surface at any speed I've asked of it without fuss. Show less

I bought the R1100R about two years ago. (My other 'ride' is a '71 BSA B50.) The BMW is, by far, the nicest bike that I have ever ridden or owned. I tend to service the bike myself since I'm basically a cheapskate and because the bike is fairly easy to service. Other than a minor surging problem (that was taken care of by the previous owner through the installation of a custom 'chip')changing the fluids is simple enough. I noticed a squeak in the rear brake at the end of a 280 mile run this past weekend. Today I pulled the rear caliper and found that I need a set of pads. So, I got shade more than 13,000 miles on the rears. The fronts still look like new. I've also installed Speed Bleeders on the bike and they really help when the annual 'bleeding' comes up. Otherwise, the braking is superb. At 240 LBS and 6ft 3in I'm a pretty big character. When I add my much smaller wife to the equation along with full hardcases we're quite a package. Even so, the bike has absolutely no problem with us. When I'm alone very few other bikes can touch me. (I've got a friend who's a veteran MX'r. He tells me that he figures that every LB costs you 7 HP. The way the BMW pulls, I figure that I could weigh as much as a small cow and it wouldn't even protest!) Now and then an arrogant Harley guy sort of looks down his nose at the BMW. Harley isn't half the bike. (I can hear myself think on the BMW - the Harley guy can't.) The bike consistently gives me 40 - 45 mpg. It handles precisely at any speed. My only 'gripe' is the distance from the seat to the footpegs - I could use another couple of inches. Last year I installed a peg 'lowering' kit and it helped but if I could raise the seat height a bit beyond it's 'high' position it'd be better. (I've got a sciatic problem and I find that I've got to get off of the bike periodically in order to stretch out.) All-in-all the R1100R is an absolutely superb machine. I'd recommend it happily to all! Show less

I was pleased with the comfort, the ride and the chuckability, but as most of my riding is in town I eventually found that I couldn't put up with the hunting, which got worse with the first service. Also the steering damper, in sudden low-speed darting manoeuvres, feels like a brick wall. Then I started noticing that the hunting was exacerbated by a choppiness in the ride. Then the handling deteriorated as the back tyre wore and surprised me by not improving with new tyres front and rear. I had an R90S for about twelve years and couldn't get the handling right. BMW's suit some people, obviously, but not me. I decided 18 months was long enough for this one. So I sold it. The new owner is happy with it, even though I told him what I thought of it. I'm happy with my Raptor 1000. Show less

This is my second motorcycle for my adult years and I absolutely love it. I use it for commuting and an excuse for canyon runs on a long lunch break. Weekend rides up to 300 miles are reasonable as well. Everything I ask the bike to do, it does well. Surpisingly quick in the twisties considering the width of the boxer engine. Torque is very even throughout the rev range making the bike easy to handle out of a turn no matter which gear you choose. This is a classic looking bike with the finish only a German bike could have. It gets a lot of comments from the mono swing arm with built in shaft drive to the telelever front suspension and oil coolers. This is a very unique bike. Although not as smooth as my 1984 Honda Nighthawk (also a shaft drive), the even power throughout the RPM range coupled with fuel injection are worth the trade. I am looking forward to putting a few hundred thousand miles on this bike over the next decade or two. Show less

Great bike, everthing I thought it would be. Can't wait to put some miles on it.See ya at the 2001 BMWRA rally in N.C. Show less

I can't say enough good things about this bike. Handling and comfort is superb. This bike will do it all, short trips, weekenders and cross-country. The headlight is terrific, really luminates the road. I do get a high frequency vibration above 70 MPH or 4300 RPM. Is there anyone out there experiencing the same issue? If so, please send me an E-mail. Is this inherent to the bike? Does it smooth out after so many miles?, etc. Show less

This bike is great. Handling and comfort is superb. Excellent all around bike. I have only one complaint. I get a high frequency vibration at 4300 RPM's or 75 MPH. Had it back to the dealer several times and some vibration has been eliminated. I would like to hear from other owners to see if they have the same issue. Otherwise this is the best bike I've ever riden!!! Show less

I recently purchased my r1100r. Up unitl eight weeks ago I never before rode a motorcycle. At first I must admit the bike intimidated me, however after a couple of weeks our relationship blossomed! Unlike you guys across the pond, Ireland's roads are peppered with mini grand canyons. The r1100r feels very sure even on the most challanging surface. Even if you've never ridden before I highly recommend this super machine. I hope to take my bike to the North West 200 in May. Anyone care to join me? Show less

This is the first bike that I have ever owned. In fact my only motorcycle experience comes from the MSF course that I took a year before I bought my machine. This bike was/ is so gentle to a novice like myself that it is almost unbelievable. Yet I can get it up to 100 mph if needed and get down and dirty on the back roads. I am still a novice and very much so but this bike makes me confident and comfortable in just about every situation. The bike is more reliable than my car and since I have had it, I have only had minor adjustments done to it. My only real regrets are: 1) I never owned a bike of lesser quality and therefore I have no idea what great bike I have; 2) the BMW add-ons are so expensive and 3) I can't ride year 'round because of the weather. What more can I say? This thing is sweeeeet!!! I highly recommend this bike to any and all people of all experience levels and ages who are serious about riding. Feel free to email me for more comments. Show less