Why the R1200R?

[Motorcycle_Girl]

A little update...
I am going out to a local dealer for a test ride this Saturday. I sent them an email today asking what stock they had and if they had any bikes in stock that had all of the equipment that I was looking for...
Earlier they had told me that if I was going to order a bike this weekend it would go in for July production and not be available to me until the end of August.
As luck would have it they actually have the EXACT bike that I am looking for in stock. Perhaps the BMW gods are smiling on me...
I will update you on the weekend with what ends up happening.

[ka5ysy]

Bring your checkbook. If you are married, you need to be extra nice to your significant other in the next few days in case she is not into bikes . Take photos... we owners love to see additional victims of the test ride

[Motorcycle_Girl]

Bring your checkbook. If you are married, you need to be extra nice to your significant other in the next few days in case she is not into bikes . Take photos... we owners love to see additional victims of the test ride

No worries about the significant other...he bought two new bikes in less than 6 months...I am safe from scrutiny...

[Lost Rider]

I bought mine because I needed a bike that is photogenic and I wanted it to carry lumber down a river and I had heard that the 12R was the best aquatic lumber hauler around.
Turns out the rumors were true, and I'm very happy with my purchase.

[famousperson]

I bought mine because I needed a bike that is photogenic and I wanted it to carry lumber down a river and I had heard that the 12R was the best aquatic lumber hauler around.
Turns out the rumors were true, and I'm very happy with my purchase.

That's quite a picture! Where was it taken?

[deilenberger]

I bought mine because I needed a bike that is photogenic and I wanted it to carry lumber down a river and I had heard that the 12R was the best aquatic lumber hauler around.
Turns out the rumors were true, and I'm very happy with my purchase.

That's quite a picture! Where was it taken?

And who took it (must have had wet feet or wet tires..)?

[Lost Rider]

Photo # 1 is on the PCH, Ca 1 taken with my LX-3 point and shoot.

Photo # 2 is on the Lost Coast in NorCal and was taken by a buddy who was on a GS.



Cheers

[Motorcycle_Girl]

I want to pick your collective brains...

I have the opportunity to purchase a 2007 R1200R that is used. It only has 6500 km and was purchased last spring from a local dealer. It was the demo model so I am assuming the seller got a decent discount. He is asking $12500 (canadian $) It has the ABS, luggage rack, sport screen, chome exhaust, on board computer and centre stand.

I have a couple of questions for the group

Have there been any major changes from the 2007 model to the 2009?
What are the risks of getting a former demo model - I wonder if the proper break in process was followed

I am torn between buying new and used...the price difference for used is tempting.

What other things that I should be thinking about or checking into???

[deilenberger]

I want to pick your collective brains...

I have the opportunity to purchase a 2007 R1200R that is used. It only has 6500 km and was purchased last spring from a local dealer. It was the demo model so I am assuming the seller got a decent discount. He is asking $12500 (canadian $) It has the ABS, luggage rack, sport screen, chome exhaust, on board computer and centre stand.

I have a couple of questions for the group

Have there been any major changes from the 2007 model to the 2009?

Not really unless you want the low suspension model. I believe mid-year '08 got a change to the engine control computer that added a service-interval light feature, which most people would rather not have (it turns on when the bike thinks it needs service - and requires a dealer or a GS-911 tool to turn off..) Other than that - the bikes are functionally/feature identical AFAIK.

What are the risks of getting a former demo model - I wonder if the proper break in process was followed

That's a really good question. And no good answer. If a dealership is smart - they'll have an employee ride the bike to the 600 mile service interval and have the employee do the break-in. That's smart. But most dealerships just toss out a new bike with 10 miles on it as a demo bike.. I know the one I test rode had 14 miles on it when I started and 54 when I got back. I didn't thrash it - but I didn't observe the 4,000 RPM break-in RPM either.

The other thing about demo bikes - if a dealer puts a bike into demo service - the warranty starts THEN - not when it's eventually sold. So the effective warranty may be shorter than you think. If it's an '07 - it could have been put into demo use late in '06 or early in '07 - meaning the warranty may not have much time left on it at all. What you need to know - is the "in-service-date" - then add 3 years to that (I believe Canada has 3 years/unlimited miles.) Any dealer can tell you that date if you give them the last 8 letters/digits of the VIN.

I am torn between buying new and used...the price difference for used is tempting.

What other things that I should be thinking about or checking into???

I think that's it - you want to know the recall for the brake lines was done and the service-bulletin for the EWS (theft-prevention antenna ring) was performed. Dunno how much a new R12R in Canada costs so I can't say that's a great deal or an awful one, but do note the warranty may not be very long at this point on a used '07.

[Motorcycle_Girl]

The seller told me that the warranty is good until May 2010...so there is a year left on it. I will check with him about the two recall issues when I see the bike tonight.

The base price for an R1200R in Canada now is $14950...the addons listed run somewhere in the $2600 range. Here in Canada in 2009 the Safety package consists of ABS/TPS/ASC I don't know if it was the same in 2007. Heated grips come standard here in the Great White North as well...

[deilenberger]

The seller told me that the warranty is good until May 2010...so there is a year left on it. I will check with him about the two recall issues when I see the bike tonight.

The base price for an R1200R in Canada now is $14950...the addons listed run somewhere in the $2600 range. Here in Canada in 2009 the Safety package consists of ABS/TPS/ASC I don't know if it was the same in 2007. Heated grips come standard here in the Great White North as well...

ASC and TPM weren't actually available in '07. They were supposed to be.. but never really made it on the early bikes. BMW at the time made some claim to being able to retrofit them - which I also found out is "not permitted".. the parts are available - but they won't sell you the needed unlocking code for the computers.

[Motorcycle_Girl]

Thanks for all of the input guys! - See my post in the Another Test ride Victim thread....
Yes I am still smiling...

[redwing]

I looked at bikes for 6 or more months before I bought an R.

I looked at the Honda VTX1800, a Harley Softail delux and Road King, and both Ducati Monsters .. 696 and 1100.
The Honda washed out because of the weight and I kept hearing stories about at 40,000 miles they start having problems.
The Harleys are heavy; however weight can be your friend. Harleys are expensive. A dealer said about 80,000 miles was the max before a rebuild. The Road King and the Softail Delux are classic motorcycles. They look like bikes from my teenage years. Simply a motorcycle. The Ducati's are bikes made to ride not slow. I didn't like the way I sat on it. Also the dealers were money motivated folks.
The Honda and Harley are heavy and or expensive. Ducati's are totally impractical.

I'm 57 and the R1200R is my first bike. I can't compair it to other bikes but my R is comfortable, stable, and powerful ... 4.6 lb/hp. The weight is right... 500lb wet. 100,000 or more potential miles.
I bought an R without riding it. I need an electric shift and the dealer (Alamo BMW in San Antoinio, Tx) offered to buy and install at no cost (a $1200.00 value.) So that closed the deal.
109 hp ... 500 lb .... great engineering 1) linked abs brakes 2) a front shock design that doesn't dive when you hit the brakes 3) it feels very stable at slow speeds but I still avoid parking lots like the plague. I can almost slow ride at a fast walk.
Even at only 700 miles I have experiences for the three engineering points I mentioned.
One experience that perhaps bring all three into focus is:
Riding at night on a two lane road (north south with a turning lane in middle) at about 40 mph and the car in front of me quickly slowed. The car in front of it was making a left turn and not from the turning lane.
I hit my brakes front and rear and grabbed the clutch. The bike stopped. And before I came to a complete stop the car in front of me began to move foward again. So I down shifted to a gear 2nd I think and it all happened in perhaps 3 or 4 seconds.

The R1200R is a sweet ride and is a blessing to own. A great bike.

[Mollygrubber]

You're a brave man, Redwing. I was merely taking a few years off (well, 10) between bikes and this one scared me a bit at first...

Re. low speed riding, if the others will tolerate a bit of off-topicness, there's a couple of things that really helped me:

- Grip the tank with your knees. This really stabilizes your core, feels instantly more secure.

- Loosen your grip on the bars - not your hands, but your shoulders and elbows if you catch my drift.

- No front brake! Rear only.

- Keep engine speed up, crankshaft rotation helps stabilize bike.

- Slip and micro-adjust that clutch like crazy, control your speed with it, not the throttle.

- Lastly, lean your body away from the turn (counterbalancing) practice practice practice...

Good luck, I really wasn't comfortable again until I'd piled on a couple of thousand miles.

[famousperson]

You're a brave man, Redwing. I was merely taking a few years off (well, 10) between bikes and this one scared me a bit at first...

Me too. I looked at it at the dealer, waiting for me, and I thought, "I've got to get on this thing and ride away in front of all these people. How much of a fool will I make of myself?" I had to tell myself that I'd ridden bikes this big before and survived. Of course it was okay, although it took me awhile to get used to the jack-rabbit acceleration and phenominal braking.

[Mollygrubber]

LOL I can relate to that feeling, famous. When I went outside the dealership to ride mine away, the evil service guy had parked me facing up a hill, on the centrestand. I didn't want to drop it, so I tried the 'mount and rock it' technique to get it down, and after three or four failed attempts, a gray-haired old /5 rider who was witnessing my embarrasment came over and helped push it down... oh the humiliation... but I didn't drop it...

[TT RDHS]

You're a brave man, Redwing. I was merely taking a few years off (well, 10) between bikes and this one scared me a bit at first...

Re. low speed riding, if the others will tolerate a bit of off-topicness, there's a couple of things that really helped me:


- No front brake! Rear only.



- Lastly, lean your body away from the turn (counterbalancing) practice practice practice...


Good luck, I really wasn't comfortable again until I'd piled on a couple of thousand miles.

"No front brake"??!! 70% of your braking power is in the front! If you want to ride safely, you must master the use of your front brake!!

And "lean your body away from the turn (counterbalancing)"??
Countersteering (which you must do), does not mean "counterbalance"! Leaning INTO the corner, lowers your center of gravity, and allows you to keep your bike more upright through the corners. Which keeps more tire on the road... Safer riding.

[Caroanbill]

"No front brake"??!! 70% of your braking power is in the front! If you want to ride safely, you must master the use of your front brake!!

And "lean your body away from the turn (counterbalancing)"??
Countersteering (which you must do), does not mean "counterbalance"! Leaning INTO the corner, lowers your center of gravity, and allows you to keep your bike more upright through the corners. Which keeps more tire on the road... Safer riding.

HMMM. TT RDHS, Mollygrubber was quoting specific advice for low speed riding. And it's correct .. at least, those are the same techniques taught here in Oz for low speed manouvering. In my State (NSW), the rider's test has a u-turn test that cannot be passed unless you employ these techniques (counterbalancing and rear-only braking in particular).

TT RDHS advice is OK for road-speed riding, but using those same techniques in low speed manouvers could easily dump the bike.

Mollygrubber - thanks for the reminder. I'm a timid (but mostly balanced) low speed rider, even after 30 years, and I have to remember to use the techniques you list for my R12R to have any confidence at all (thankfully, my wee 650 is so light and easy I never lack low-speed confidence).

Bill

[Mollygrubber]

I admit, I felt a little odd posting riding tips to a bunch of what I perceive as very seasoned veterans (I'm talking to you, Chitown, for one... wow), but in all honesty, I'm a 25 year veteran who it turns out, is not all that good a rider. Until I took (and passed) a course with my wife a few months ago, I'd never had any meaningful instruction. Taught myself a lot of bad habits over the years. If there's anyone else here like me, maybe it will help make you safer, or at least more comfortable.

And I have to say after a lot of observation, there aren't very many competent low-speed riders out there!

[TT RDHS]

"No front brake"??!! 70% of your braking power is in the front! If you want to ride safely, you must master the use of your front brake!!

And "lean your body away from the turn (counterbalancing)"??
Countersteering (which you must do), does not mean "counterbalance"! Leaning INTO the corner, lowers your center of gravity, and allows you to keep your bike more upright through the corners. Which keeps more tire on the road... Safer riding.

HMMM. TT RDHS, Mollygrubber was quoting specific advice for low speed riding. And it's correct .. at least, those are the same techniques taught here in Oz for low speed manouvering. In my State (NSW), the rider's test has a u-turn test that cannot be passed unless you employ these techniques (counterbalancing and rear-only braking in particular).

TT RDHS advice is OK for road-speed riding, but using those same techniques in low speed manouvers could easily dump the bike.

Mollygrubber - thanks for the reminder. I'm a timid (but mostly balanced) low speed rider, even after 30 years, and I have to remember to use the techniques you list for my R12R to have any confidence at all (thankfully, my wee 650 is so light and easy I never lack low-speed confidence).

Bill

My apologies, I missed that "SLOW SPEED" bit.

I guess I should take my time and read things more thoroughly before shooting my "mouth" off...


Just to check it out, I did some low speed FULL LOCK figure eights in my parking lot today. What you said makes a lot of sense.
Although, personally, I still feel more comfortable doing it using the front brake (rather than the rear). Unless I'm in a low traction situation.(like dirt, etc.)
But I see the logic there.