The "Classic" was there - with spoked rims and the skunk paintjob (I prefer my black/white pattern..).. stuff I noticed:
1 - Comfort seat was on this one.. dunno if they all come with it, the brouchures are a bit vague. Seat looks interchangeable with ours.
2 - Rack on rear looks standard, but not as useful as the one for the earlier R12R would be. It's more a handgrip for the pillion passenger.
3 - Bag-rails look the same, so mebbe the earlier rear-rack could be used allowing you to use a BMW topcase.
4 - Surprise - the controls are the same as ours. It doesn't have the "new" design ones that the RT and GS have. The controls looked very slightly different (perhaps the paddle shapes were a tad different), but still has left and right turnsignal flappers, and the horn lever, and the cancel lever.
5 - New engine looks nice, but ours looks nice too.
6 - The surround around the oil cooler now has the BMW kidney grille shapes in it - a dual-bar center divider makes for two traditional BMW kidneys. Looks like it would fit on our bikes if one wanted to look modern.
7 - The shield mount is MUCHO different then ours. The position of the top screws has changed, and there doesn't appear to be the nice little plastic hook thingie we have (that is so easy to put a block under..) The brouchure also said nothing about a touring windshield for it.. the sport shield (aside from the mount) looked the same as ours.
8 - New instruments are nice. Bigger and a bit more visible with the RID in the center. Nice change.. wouldn't mind that on mine.
9 - Triple-clamp has changed as has the clamp for the bars - current barbacks are not going to work with this setup - the top of the clamp is one piece now.
10 - The new fork legs look nice. Dunno how they'll hold up long-term, but they look pretty when new (I suspect the paint on ours may be much lower maintenance..)
11 - Tinted clutch/brake fluid reserviors - don't see the purpose for this except to look cool. Functionally it's a step backwards (harder to tell if the fluid is turning dark, and hard to read the level.)
12 - One on the floor had a Metzler Z8 on it - haven't heard anything about these tires.. at least they have a center tread pattern so you could tell when the rear is wearing out.
Other then that - looks the same.
Once again - they sorta had it tucked WAY in the back of the exhibit, you had to search to find it. Guess that's BMW-NA trying to convince themselves they can't sell any.
LUCKILY - they didn't have a red one so I didn't have to buy one (I'm waiting to see if we're gonna get a winter place in California next year when I retire - then I'll need one for there..)
