Newbie assistance here would be appreciated.
Local RideNow BMW dealer in Chandler (Phoenix), AZ, has a used 2005 LT with a Hannigan kit. Scoot runs very smooth, not a rattle nor an engine burp.
BUT, and it's a huge "but", bike has 110K+ miles.
Here's the notes: $15K. It's that gold-ish/beige. Plastic-work fine, no scuffs nor dents. Some rubber grommets and seals (like the glove box seal) are shot (typical problem here in the desert), but nothing severe. Sounds & runs fine. Tried it up to 70mph on city streets here (that's a bit slow for city streets here in Phoenix but I was being a bit cautious). Not a miss nor a burble. Brakes worked great. All the clocks and dials worked.
Mechanics seem to be just fine.
Here the rub: Dealer is willing to sell me a 2 year extended warranty for about $1,300 (but he immediately started discounting that number). The warranty covers the BMW parts, of course, not the Hannigan parts. The warranty's almost a a deal-clincher, except that's its with RPMOne, part of Interstate National Dealer Services.
According to pretty much every forum I perused, it is almost impossible to find a WORSE warranty company in the US.
Now, a BMW with 110K miles AND a legitimate useful reliable extended service contract, even if just on the BMW parts, would make the bike an okay deal. The price is certainly right and I expect the dealer is still soft at $15K.
But I am a turbine guy, not a reciprocating engine guy. I cannot wrench my own bike. So I am in a bit of a quandary here. I've got a lot of experience with GW's and a GW at 110K miles mechanically is a caution, but not a deal-breaker. I expect the BMW is similar.
With the Hannigan kit, the rear end problems are gone too. But as with a GW at this mileage, I'd like some sort of moving parts protection.
There are the other issues also.
If I put any sort of mileage on it at all, it is going to be pretty much unsellable after 3 or 4 years except to a very small buyer audience. And there is one small other issue. The Arizona license plate looks like it was run through a shredder. Now in Arizona you take the plate from bike to bike, so the last owner could have simply had the plate for any number of previous bikes, one of which he had an accident with. Or, the original LT was back-ended and broken up and the owner just triked it rather than rebuild it. Or it might mean nothing.
Dazed and confused......
Any comments would be appreciated.
Nick
Local RideNow BMW dealer in Chandler (Phoenix), AZ, has a used 2005 LT with a Hannigan kit. Scoot runs very smooth, not a rattle nor an engine burp.
BUT, and it's a huge "but", bike has 110K+ miles.
Here's the notes: $15K. It's that gold-ish/beige. Plastic-work fine, no scuffs nor dents. Some rubber grommets and seals (like the glove box seal) are shot (typical problem here in the desert), but nothing severe. Sounds & runs fine. Tried it up to 70mph on city streets here (that's a bit slow for city streets here in Phoenix but I was being a bit cautious). Not a miss nor a burble. Brakes worked great. All the clocks and dials worked.
Mechanics seem to be just fine.
Here the rub: Dealer is willing to sell me a 2 year extended warranty for about $1,300 (but he immediately started discounting that number). The warranty covers the BMW parts, of course, not the Hannigan parts. The warranty's almost a a deal-clincher, except that's its with RPMOne, part of Interstate National Dealer Services.
According to pretty much every forum I perused, it is almost impossible to find a WORSE warranty company in the US.
Now, a BMW with 110K miles AND a legitimate useful reliable extended service contract, even if just on the BMW parts, would make the bike an okay deal. The price is certainly right and I expect the dealer is still soft at $15K.
But I am a turbine guy, not a reciprocating engine guy. I cannot wrench my own bike. So I am in a bit of a quandary here. I've got a lot of experience with GW's and a GW at 110K miles mechanically is a caution, but not a deal-breaker. I expect the BMW is similar.
With the Hannigan kit, the rear end problems are gone too. But as with a GW at this mileage, I'd like some sort of moving parts protection.
There are the other issues also.
If I put any sort of mileage on it at all, it is going to be pretty much unsellable after 3 or 4 years except to a very small buyer audience. And there is one small other issue. The Arizona license plate looks like it was run through a shredder. Now in Arizona you take the plate from bike to bike, so the last owner could have simply had the plate for any number of previous bikes, one of which he had an accident with. Or, the original LT was back-ended and broken up and the owner just triked it rather than rebuild it. Or it might mean nothing.
Dazed and confused......
Any comments would be appreciated.
Nick
