Used Bike under R100K | Cheap used bikes

BMW Motorrad East Rand used Motorcycle review.

Words: Séan Hendley – Pics:Deon van der Linde

Not everyone is in the position to purchase a new bike, especially with prices increasing faster than salary increases. The R100k mark is attainable for a fair whack of the bike buying market, and others are far more comfortable having a R100k vs 3 or 4 hundred K, gathering dust in their garage.

And thus, the question was asked:

Is there anything halfway decent out there in the market from an OEM dealer that is in really good nick, with a decent sized motor that can easily tour to far and wondrous places? We happened to be having a coffee at BMW Motorrad East Rand when the question was bandied about through half a mouthful of muffin.

We wandered between the bikes and found quite a lekker looking 2002 model, BMW R1200RT with a price tag of R90k hanging on the handle bar. We pushed it out into the sun for a better look, before taking it for a 200 kay odd ride out to Hennops and back. Eyeballing it in the harsh light of day, it seemed pretty neat – barring some scratches on the panniers, but those are tougher than you might think and are easily touched up. The rest of the 1200RT was as near as spotless as a 12 year old bike with 93,000 kms on the digital clock can be.

Added Value?

This particular bike has panniers, and they are in good working order. It has an electronically adjustable windscreen, cruise control and electronic suspension. ABS, heated grips and a heated rider seat.

Honestly, do you need more than that? Could you ask for more at this price point? The seats are comfy, the controls are in nice nick, and barring the suspension adjustment switch which was a bit sticky, all operate smoothly. The suspension switch is just a bit dry from lack of use, a quick squirt of Q20 will sort that out in no time. The cockpit is a really nice place to be.

Tyres, brakes and all the other consumables? Stuff you need to look at when buying any used bike.

As far as I could see the Bridgestone tyres still looked good. The brake discs looked and felt good when We rolled it around the parking lot. The engine started at the first push of the button with no strange noises. The engine oil level was spot-on. Clutch actuation felt normal.

The test ride

I headed out for a bit of a nostalgic ride along one of my old breakfast run routes from way back when and a very pretty part of our province, the old Hennops road. I had a quick meeting in Fourways, so it was down the R21, right onto the N3 at Gilloolys, left onto the N1 at Buccleuch before hooking off at William Nicol and some serious lane splitting because…. well… I can on this bike. Once the meeting was done, it was a quick wiggle through Dainfern and out to the Old Lion Park crossing, right – down behind Terratopia MX track past the private school and over the freeway before turning left and passing those beeg takkies on the pole and left again onto the Hennops road all the way to end. Here I made a U-turn and did the whole route in reverse back to Motorrad East Rand…. mostly in the rain, after a leisurely lunch stop at Fournos at Fourways Mall. And even though I rode through a pretty serious downpour, arriving back at BMW Motorrad East Rand, except for a wet helmet and a light sprinkling on my shoulders I was dry as a bone, this R1200RT really has very decent weather protection.

Jaaa….

I know you all rode that route in your head as you read that, remembering those lekker long sweeping curves, the big trees, the aloe covered mountain slopes as you tilt thought he corners, remembering every line through the corners, every bump in the road, the smell as you cross the Hennops river and nail it out the apex and up the hill. Flicking it back over for the next sweep, dodging some slow poke in a car, vloeking as you see the truck dawdling along ahead, waiting for the oncoming traffic to pass so you can nail it past the truck and tilt through the next bends.

The tyres didn’t step out of line when I was cranked over through the corners. The brakes felt good with no judders or annoying squeaks and the engine was as smooth as a big bore boxer twin can be. It performed admirably throughout the ride, with an easy and predictable roll on power when needed and responded really very well when more was asked of it. All on a very neat, comfortable, responsive and surprisingly nimble tourer that didn’t cost a kidney to buy.

There are those little gems still lurking around. At R90k, I really couldn’t find anything significant to fault this BMW R1200RT, the scratched paint on the panniers is a nothing and is easily forgotten about when you realise how lekker this bikes rides and in what good condition it actually is and how well specced out it is.