2015 R1200R Owners Thread

[Bill Stevenson]

On Saturday I went to my dealer for a 42,000 mile service with no intention of buying a new bike. I made the mistake of taking a new 2015 for a test ride. Having read all of Joe's excellent reports on his experience, I was still surprised at how much better the new ones are. The most important difference for me is the Power Shift option. Set in Rain mode works really well for me. Unfortunately, in Sport mode I can't control the throttle and clutch well enough to be smooth and safe. As I have reported here, I suffer from hand tremors that are only partially controlled by medication. I have been experimenting with various single malts to try and further ameliorate the problem, but the effect is temporary and the scotch does not blend well with riding. :-) So I have to separate the two activities. Anyway, if you are thinking about the new R1200R all you need to do is ride one. My dealer said the last three guys who tried one bought it on the spot. A fantastic motorcycle, it is quite simply improved over our already beloved bikes in just about every way. Sort of like the step between the R1150R and the original R1200R, it is just better. Try one, you'll like it.

Bill

[peels]

Hello Mr. Stevenson. I'm gonna skip the point of this post, the awesomeness of the new r1200r(which I already know), and how it helps you with your issue....

and go straight to the most important part.

Which is your favorite single malt? I get a new scotch to try every year for Christmas. Last year I got one from Laphroaig (18yr). WHich I thoroughly enjoyed. My wife tells me "it tastes like campfire!" which is good....that means she'll stay out of it!



have a nice day.


Couldn't tell from your post, did you end up buying the bike?

[SL]

Sort of like the step between the R1150R and the original R1200R, it is just better. Try one, you'll like it.

Bill

Interesting , my mechanic says it's about half that much better , maybe he is off by half .

Anyway , thanks for the warning , I ain't gonna ride one cuzz I don't want to spend the money

[Bill Stevenson]

Peels,

My wife and I did a bicycling tour of Scotland some years ago and learned quite a lot about history and scotch. I believe we can agree that there is no such thing as bad scotch. Some is just better than others. There are two basic types of single malt, Highland (or Speyside) and West Coast. Laphroig is a West Coast scotch. These are characterized by a smokey maltiness imparted during the maltings by drying the sprouting barley with peat fires (actually steam is also used these days especially for Speyside). To the best of my knowledge the only distiller that is still doing their own malting on premises is Bowmore. Bowmore is also a West Coast product and worthy of significant study. Other West Coast distilleries to explore are Spingbank (hard to find, but a personal favorite - especially the 21 and 25 year old), Ardberg, Talisker and Lagavulin. This is a short list to get you started. Get back to me if you want recommendations for the Highland scotches, which are milder in general and perhaps more accessible for the uninitiated. While I prefer the West Coast style, I have been known to get lost in a bottle of Highland scotch once is a while too. BTW, your wife isn't alone in her feelings about Laphroig, others have said it compares to strong cough medicine. Heathens one and all, but perhaps folks from this camp would be happier with a mild Irish whiskey or perhaps a bourbon?

Oh I apologize, yes I bought the new bike.

Take care.

Bill

[peels]

Excellent info! you obviously know more about it than I do....

Is it laphroaig that has the warehouse on the coast, that is all torn up, but they wont repair it? So as not to disturb the taste of the aging whisky in barrels? When I heard that, is when I sort of got into the history of scotch, and how the laws work. Which was incredibly interesting to me.

I have had Bowmore. Thoroughly enjoyed it. Also, a GlenLivet 21. A recovering alcoholic told me to try this, and he couldnt be wrong, right? so I trusted him. hahaha, it was wonderful. In the early days, I did get one from my sister, who i think was going for authenticity, that the first sip was reminiscent of a campfire lit with race fuel. LOL But after a few, it was perfect. Scotch was a new thing to me, so I don't remember the name....

edit: I THINK this is it, based on bottle and packaging...and description. I think it was "too scotchy" for me, being my first "real" try. Now though, almost guarantee I'd love it. "balvenie" I agree, there are no bad scotches.

https://www.thewhiskyexchange.com/P-5300.aspx

I am VERY much envious of your bicycle tour of Scotland. A trip like that, and to watch two English Soccer matches(one top of table teams, and one with very low relegated teams) is on our to do list. Want my kids to be a bit older, and appreciative(not bored easily) before we plan something like that though.

good luck with the bike!

[Bill Stevenson]

The Balvenie 21 Port Wood is to die for, absolutely great. Balvenie is my favorite Speyside distillery and I don't think you can go wrong with anything from this company.

[peels]

The Balvenie 21 Port Wood is to die for, absolutely great. Balvenie is my favorite Speyside distillery and I don't think you can go wrong with anything from this company.

cheers!

[Lost Rider]

On Saturday I went to my dealer for a 42,000 mile service with no intention of buying a new bike. I made the mistake of taking a new 2015 for a test ride. Having read all of Joe's excellent reports on his experience, I was still surprised at how much better the new ones are. The most important difference for me is the Power Shift option. Set in Rain mode works really well for me. Unfortunately, in Sport mode I can't control the throttle and clutch well enough to be smooth and safe. As I have reported here, I suffer from hand tremors that are only partially controlled by medication. I have been experimenting with various single malts to try and further ameliorate the problem, but the effect is temporary and the scotch does not blend well with riding. :-) So I have to separate the two activities. Anyway, if you are thinking about the new R1200R all you need to do is ride one. My dealer said the last three guys who tried one bought it on the spot. A fantastic motorcycle, it is quite simply improved over our already beloved bikes in just about every way. Sort of like the step between the R1150R and the original R1200R, it is just better. Try one, you'll like it.

Bill

That's awesome Bill, congrats!

If I posted up how I REALLY feel about this new RR, people wouldn't listen to me, I had to tone it down to sound a little objective.
The cats out of the bag though, it is BMW perfection...

I know you'll enjoy and I also hope that clutchless shifter makes riding ever more enjoyable and safer for you for many years to come.


Cheers!

[Lost Rider]

Here's a quite entertaining review video posted on ADVrider, audio not safe for work or around young children...
I think he's pretty much spot on!

https://youtu.be/0kMO7hX43as

[Jed]

Joe,

Don't you / didn't you own both the New LC R1200R and the NineT? I'm curious about your impressions of the NineT vs the new LC R12R.

The difference may be a bit academic for me since my 2010 R12R already has more potential to win performance awards than my current driving record can tolerate. I do like the look of the NineT but what I really should do is buy a thumper and try to learn to enjoy riding much more slowly (like within 15mph of the speed limit). At any rate I look forward to your opinions on the two bikes. Cheers.

Thanks in advance

Jed

[Jed]

Sorry. I just noticed your write up of the new R12R LC. Reading now. I post any questions that I still have in that thread. Thanks in advance for what I'm sure will be great read!

Cheers,

Jed

[Lost Rider]

There's some thoughts in this thread about the new RR and the NineT.

viewtopic.php?f=20&t=34038

In short, since the RR-LC came home it's got over 7k miles, the NineT about 600, mostly with Nancy on it and mostly from one trip up the coast...

Thumpers are good, everyone should have one...
I'll be happy to elaborate in my thread so as not to hijack Bills.

[peels]

Here's a quite entertaining review video posted on ADVrider, audio not safe for work or around young children...
I think he's pretty much spot on!

https://youtu.be/0kMO7hX43as

FANTASTIC.

no punches pulled on thoughts about the windshield lol!

[Catchina]

I had been planning to upgrade to the 2015 but after seeing it in person there were a couple of deal breakers, the lowered position and lack of telever. I will keep my 2011 r12r for awhile longer, unless the r12rs is awesome, still waiting to try that one.

[peels]

I had been planning to upgrade to the 2015 but after seeing it in person there were a couple of deal breakers, the lowered position and lack of telever. I will keep my 2011 r12r for awhile longer, unless the r12rs is awesome, still waiting to try that one.

this is where I stand as well. If it rides as good as it looks im in trouble. Local dealer doesnt have one yet, but said could be any day.

[Bill Stevenson]

Thanks for your comments Joe. One area that has not been discussed too much yet is the loss of Telelever on the new R12R. I was worried about it myself. The new model has beefy 45mm fork legs with damping in only one leg. As I was riding to work this morning I was thinking about this. Note for those who may not know, Florida has mostly straight, flat roads so the chance to play in the twisties is really not great down here. With that said, there are a few spots where it is possible to pretend that you are riding a challenging road. One of my favorites is a banked "S" turn out in the middle of a sugar cane field not far from Pahokee, Florida. Anyway, this "S" turn has no traffic and no side roads and you can work up to some impressive speeds if you want to. I went back and forth multiple times just to get a feel for the new bike. It turns in easier than my 2008 did and it holds the line about the same. The bike just feels lighter because of the steering, which I am attributing to the simpler, lighter fork. In hard braking the dive, or lack thereof, is not noticeably different between old and new. In short, the loss of Telelever on the new bike is a non-issue as far as I am concerned. YRMV.

[dbrick]

Thanks for the report, Bill. I too have been wondering what the telescopic front end would be like.

Since I first rode a Telelever bike in 1997, I have valued their ability to pass over seriously bad pavement without feeling or getting upset. What was the surface condition of the roadway in these S bends?

[cug]

In short, the loss of Telelever on the new bike is a non-issue as far as I am concerned. YRMV.

Not a good test in my opinion. You need to test where it really matters, when your braking distance gets worse because of the different concepts: on a bumpy and curvy road under hard braking.

Testing under optimal road conditions makes no real sense when you compare to a D-ESA bike. Hardening up the suspension under braking can prevent some brake dive. But it will start stuttering and therefore lose traction when the road is uneven. The Telelever keeps its full suspension capability WITHOUT hardening up, meaning it can still react to bumps. D-ESA can't really do that well.

I've tried it and under these conditions the Telelever is much better for my taste. Our Wilbers equipped 2013 is also more comfortable than the new 2015 with D-ESA while providing near same capabilities in the corners. The differences in curvy areas for me are much more attributed to the way lower drive line reactions under varying loads than anything else. The new bike is easier to ride when the road conditions are good or better. The old bike is more stable and more "reliable" in handling when the road conditions deteriorate.

I bought a new 2015 despite the lack of a Telelever and despite the (in my opinion) absolutely crappy new OEM luggage (which I'm not getting).

Personally, I believe that the shorter the suspension travel, the less you need Telelever. But it still has advantages. Especially when it actually matters.

[Lost Rider]

I'm with Bill, no telelever is not an issue.


I've got over 8k actual real world miles on the new R and have pushed it hard for thousands of canyons miles and I don't think for one second this new bike is any less safe than one with tele lever. To say that it won't stop in as short a space on any surface is pure BS.
The Snake is in my backyard, I know every little imperfection and piece of that road. There's a few tight corners with somewhat rough pavement coming into them and when I've come in far hotter than I should be on the street, heavy on the brakes, I get no chatter or loss of traction. Occasional rear tire stepping out, for sure, but nothing else.
There's a couple other of my favorite canyons that are very rough with old pavement, I like them because hardly nobody rides them, never felt anything unsettling when pushing there either, there's no issue with the suspension. Handles better than my 07' ever did, for sure.


My 2¢.

[deilenberger]

In short, the loss of Telelever on the new bike is a non-issue as far as I am concerned. YRMV.

Not a good test in my opinion. You need to test where it really matters, when your braking distance gets worse because of the different concepts: on a bumpy and curvy road under hard braking.

Interesting comparison since you own both. I think there are two places where the Telelever stands out. The amount of travel available (real world, not theoretical which BMW likes to use, ignoring things like bumper compression) and the resistance to binding and dive (using up the travel in a non-productive way) in sub-optimal conditions - like having to brake on rough pavement on a curve.

I'm not a good enough rider to say with 100% certainty that I'd never have to do that.

Joe you're riding roads you're familiar with, and I'm sure you know the speed you can carry though the corners without braking. If I was riding the same roads - the situation wouldn't be the same. I think what you missed Joe - is CUG (name?) added braking in the corner (with rough pavement) into the equation.

In that sort of case - I'd want every little edge I could get, and in that case under those conditions, unless there is magic involved, telelever simply has the edge. That's due to the design. Trick electronics can't produce the same combination of anti-dive, no-stiction or binding and retaining full suspension travel under hard braking. Isn't happening. Can't actually without a whole bunch of impractical complexity.

And that's the biggie that's keeping me from trying a new R12R..