Replacing the Starter Motor On My 2005 BMW R1200GS Motorcycle

2005 BMW R1200GS Starter Motor Comparison. On the left is the Rev It Red used motor, the middle is the beautiful motowarrior replacement, and on the right is the dying one from my bike.

I’ve had a string of bad luck with the bike this year, each time disabling the bike. The starter relay went bad near the beginning of the year. Then in April, the ring antenna fried. I lost another starter relay in May and then June, and then another ring antenna this month.

Well, it turns out that my starter motor has been on the outs for quite a while. I realized this after the second starter relay went bad. I went back in the memory logs and remembered the bike every once in a while having a sluggish time starting. This has been happening since probably last year.

The location of the starter motor of a 2005 BMW R1200GS motorcycle.
The location of the starter motor of a 2005 BMW R1200GS motorcycle.

Anyway, a faulty starter motor can send too high of an amperage and fry the relay. Now, whether the ring antenna is at the same risk, I don’t know but the timing seems coincidental.

I love eBay. I ordered a used one from Rev It Red in the UK. It was advertised as coming from a 13K mile bike. However, when it arrived, it looked worse than mine and mine has almost 70K miles on it. Furthermore, the positive terminal was stripped internally. The nut was rusted tight and the bolt just spun. No good. Rev It Red refunded my money though I lost out on most of the $40 shipping charge.

Take 2. I ordered another used starter motor, again from a 13K mile bike, but this time from the Georgia eBayer, motowarrior. The part arrived within four days and it was superb. Top notch shape.

2005 BMW R1200GS Starter Motor Comparison. On the left is the Rev It Red used motor, the middle is the beautiful motowarrior replacement, and on the right is the dying one from my bike.
2005 BMW R1200GS Starter Motor Comparison. On the left is the Rev It Red used motor, the middle is the beautiful motowarrior replacement, and on the right is the dying one from my bike.

I installed it today and wow, what a difference.

The bolt on the backside is difficult to get to without removing anything off the bike. I pieced together a T-Wrench, a six-inch extension, and an elbow which yielded success.
The bolt on the backside is difficult to get to without removing anything off the bike. I pieced together a T-Wrench, a six-inch extension, and an elbow which yielded success.

You forget how a bad performing part is supposed to perform until you replace it with a good part. The bike is s0o0o0o much happier. I’m sure that I won’t have any more relay problems. The ring antenna, I’m not so sure. I went ahead and ordered a backup in the event it happens to fry again. Fingers crossed it doesn’t.

All better now.
All better now.

BMW K 1600 B Bagger Motorcycle

BMW K 1600 B Bagger

BMW is going after the bagger market. While I have no doubt that it can handle 5,000 mile/17 day trips, for me it looks to be a bit stodgy. I’ll stick with the trusty, nimble R1200GS.

BMW K 1600 B Bagger
BMW K 1600 B Bagger

From The Drive
www.thedrive.com/sheetmetal/12692/bmw-to-offer-test-rides-of-the-k-1600-b-bagger-at-the-sturgis-motorcycle-rally?iid=sr-link10

BMW to Offer Test Rides of the K 1600 B Bagger at the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally
Will this German bagger be embraced or rejected by the Sturgis crowd?

BY ERIC BRANDTJULY 20, 2017

BMW has generally always made distinctly European motorcycles. In a sort of break from their bread and butter, the BMW K 1600 B Bagger is a big cruiser designed for touring duty. It was designed to cater to American tastes in motorcycles as an alternative to the more traditional cruisers on the market.

As part of the marketing campaign for the new bike, BMW will be offering demo rides of the big bagger at the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally, reports Motorcycle.com, which attracts some 500,000 riders to a small town in South Dakota with a population of 6,832. The location of the demo is in the nearby town of Buffalo Chip, SD.

The BMW K 1600 B Bagger should be right at home at Sturgis, which mostly attracts big touring bikes that have ridden hundreds or even thousands of miles to be there. This Beemer was made for comfortable, high-tech, long-distance touring.

This bagger is powered by a 1649cc inline-six engine which produces 160 horsepower and 129 ft-lbs of torque. Features include a sleek, modern design with plenty of storage, three driving modes (rain, road, and dynamic), a power adjustable windshield, traction control, and available packages that include extra safety and convenience tech like an adaptive headlight, LED aux lights, and Bluetooth.

Joining the K 1600 B Bagger will be the rest of the BMW Motorrad lineup ,including the C Evolution electric scooter and the all-new entry-level G 310 R. The demos run from Friday, August 4 through Saturday, August 12 from 9 am to 5 pm. If you’re one of the thousands of riders going to Sturgis, throw a leg over this futuristic new cruiser. If you really like it, you’ll be able to get one starting at $19,995, which puts it in the same price range as the Indian Chief, the Harley-Davidson Road King, and the Honda Gold Wing F6B.

I much prefer the BMW R1200GS.
I much prefer the BMW R1200GS.