What I considered an opportunity flew through the window, I grabbed it thinking that I would flip it.
The worst that can happen is I sell it to a friend that breaks bikes for sale on ebay, get my initial and more back.
I'm finding a strange attraction to this object. Not sure why as it's overly complicated, manufacturing cost saving details that show up with age/miles (which is really unacceptable considering the price of new), oddly quirky in so many ways, and heavy. With that and more, I still find it intriguing. I'm, for now, just going to except that reason is it's a motorcycle and I like motorcycles.
Seventeen years old, 124k miles, parked outside (with a cover, sometimes), maybe never washed, was used as only form of transport. I have cleaned it and needs more, repaired a broken mounting tab on the crash bars (yes, the thing has been down more than a couple of times as told by the difference in right and left valve covers), replaced failed plastic quick connect at the fuel pump, restored the windscreen to almost acceptable and have the vairo panniers working well enough again. Also something needs done to the seat and hand grips, while functional, pull the esthetic down past "rat bike".
I have only ridden it around the block. Have no idea what at speed will feel like. No plates or insurance yet, so a real test ride is in the near future.

 

If you're like me I don't mind having older stuff at all but it needs to be clean and everything needs to work properly. And if it doesn't I'm going to either fix it myself or pay someone else competent to do it for me. Most people just run stuff into the ground. It's obviously way more prevalent these days. I'm not too proud and take stuff out of the trash all the time and clean and fix little things and resell it (bicycles, air compressors, dyson vacuums, generators, etc, etc). One reason is just because I can, but also because it's such a waste and also a couple extra bucks here are there is fun too when I resell it. People like to virtue signal in their $90k electric cars but in the meantime they get a new one every 3 years and are the same people throwing everything away.

With regards to projects, I love a good project, and it's a really fun feeling to save something and bring it back to life. Anyone can buy something new but it's fun and challenging to keep something running and out of a landfill because you take some pride in things. Some projects (old cars and motorcycles for instance) can also just touch a nerve. I just finished and recently sold a '94 FZR1000 that hadn't run in many years. Hearing it roar back to life and running and accelerating WAY better than I thought was possible is just a cool feeling. It's actually currently sitting in a collection on hardwood floors with about 50 other bikes instead of surely ending up junked. Currently saving a rustbucket '70 Pontiac Lemans that was my brothers first car. Doing my first car engine swap and while I get mad others allowed it to get in such poor shape again it's a lot of fun to save something from the junkyard. Anyway that's my take. Let us know how it goes...

 

Hmm

I like yellow.

The BMW bike shop(not a dealer) local here where I live is where I get tires put on rims when I need it.

The owner was telling me this spring that people are not happy with the new GS bikes in the least. Seems that after paying 40 grand the new engines are having an oiling issue of some kind that needs addressed.
So your 17 year old GS starts looking better all the time with information like that..........................

 

I hate those mechanic style cases on bikes. Good luck with your venture.

 

Didn't want to deal with trying to sell it as a runner. I think the rear universal joint was bad. Joint is not replaceable. New drive shaft is over $1300. There is a source for a rebuilt unit. I didn't bother to get pricing. With the thought of having to deal with tire kickers, I decided to sell it to a guy that breaks bikes. He specializes in BMW. He was happy to get it and I was happy to have it gone.

 

I like the Motorcycle behind the BMW ....from what I can see....that looks like a REAL Motorcycle....