I ended up riding just shy of 500 miiles home yesterday (had to reschedule pickup), and it was great... I can't stop smiling!
The bike is simply amazing! I rode backroads out of Florida for the first 200 miles or so, and superslabbed the rest. It took right around 8 hours, with 3 gas stops and 40 mins. for dinner, so I made very good time. Here are some of my impressions:
POWER - The bike has amazing power everywhere, and the gearing is darn near perfect. I started to gradually spool her up more when I broke 200 miles, and she just flat out hauls! The engine is also very smooth. I didn't notice any of the low speed jerkiness/throttle snatch (thankfully) that I noticed on the demo bike I rode. I also got decent gas mileage. I was a little concerned when the low fuel blinker first came on at 115 miles. I think it was a just a calibration thing though, because it only took a little over 3 gallons to completely fill it. It also got progressively better for the next 2 tanks and is up to about 150 before it starts blinking now and takes right around 4 gallons to fill. Is that about right? The engine oil check is interesting with the tube as the site glass. It didn't use a drop of oil in the entire 500 miles, and only turned slightly amber.
COMFORT - The windscreen is much better than a naked, but not quite as good as a full fairing. Temps ranged from 75 when I left down to the 30's by the time I hit Altanta, and it did a great job of keeping me protected. The heated grips are something I've missed dearly, and are worth every penny. I'm 5'9 with a 31" inseam and the ergos are among the best I've found. It fits like a glove without feeling cramped at all. The seat is also amazingly comfortable, especially compared to the notoriously bad seats BMW typically puts out.
SUSPENSION/HANDLING - I don't have the ESA, so I just had the dealer set it up in the middle, and didn't touch it. Overall, it felt darn good and well mannered. I'll get it dialed in once I have time to experiment. The Hossack style duolever felt like an improvement over the traditional telelever that I was used to. The transition was seamless, but it felt more planted. I understand the magazine comments about turn-in. It does take more inital effort that what I'm used to, but once leaned over it, it holds it perfectly even under acceleration, whereas a lot of bikes stand up on acceleration mid-corner. This bike loves fast sweepers! I haven't had a chance to play in the tight twisties yet. I think it will be quite capable, but will give more of a workout than a pure sportbike. Mine came fitted with Pirelli Diablos, which may impact that as well. No signs of wear in 500 miles, and I got them scrubbed in anyway.
BRAKES - The ABS was totally transparent, as I had hoped. The non-servo assist brakes have great power and better feel than the servo assisted ones. They take a bit more initial effort, but stop every bit as well. Overall, I like them much better.
FIT/FINISH - I love the White Aluminum/Black color scheme on this bike. It just works well, and is a closer match to the factory bags, so it looks just as good with the bags mounted. As hard as I tried, I really couldn't find anything to nitpick. The seat was even easy to pop off and was held securely! The ratcheting straps on the bags were a little tight, but I'm guessing they'll brake in.
DEALER - BMW Orlando was very professional to deal with. I can say enough good things about them. Frank Serrana had everything ready to go when I arrived. He walked me through everything, and even threw in some freebies (shirt, hat, keychains). No surprises whatsoever... which is always a relief! They had about a dozen or so of the K12R Sports left in stock, but they appeared to be going fast. I saw at least 3 sold signs. If you're on the fence, now is the time to move!
Hopefully, I'll get a chance to clean off the bug guts and get some pictures posted later today.