Irv Seaver's in Orange, CA received their first 1200R and this morning I went over and checked it out...
It is indeed an evolution from the 1150, and it's heritage is very apparent! I'd have to say the "fit and finish" of the 1200 is maybe not quite as nice as the 1150, but my overall impression is of a very nice bike. The only "cheesy" item I found was the plastic cover on the back of the instruments, but even that wasn't too bad. Some have expressed dissapointment regarding the plastic fluid reservoirs, but I don't think they detract from the looks at all.
The headlight is pretty cool, I like the visual effect of it being "lowered" better than I thought I would. And the evaporative canister is located between the headlight shell and the steering head, kind of a different place to put it but it actually looks okay there... Oh, and the rear of the front fender looks like it will be long enough to keep most of the crud away from the oil cooler (which I think actually looks great where it is).
The "standard" seat height is pretty close to the 1150's, I'm glad I ordered mine with the low version (28" inseam). And there's a bit of room under the seat for storage- I carry a small compressor, tire plug kit, and a tool roll and I'd say there's room for all that.
The muffler is huge! It looks more like something you'd see mounted vertically on the backside of the cab on a big rig truck! Oh well, at least it's a fairly easy thing to remove and swap out...
Do I think it's gonna be worth the price? Yeah, for me it will be 'cuz of the ease of maintenance (almost all of which I do myself).
Got to sit on a 1200R today!
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r1150rider
- Lifer
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Got to sit on a 1200R today!
Ed
Member #9
BMW, because loud brakes save lives...
Member #9
BMW, because loud brakes save lives...
I just got in from Lone Star BMW, where I was lucky enough to sit on the first R1200R for a few minutes before its buyer rode it away.
It was in the Cristal Gray Metallic. I hadn't expected to like the color, but it kind of grew on me. Not enough to change my mind about choosing Night Black, but it was acceptable. It had a sport screen and case mounts on it, both of which looked great and were well-made of high-quality materials. Unlike the screen on the 1150, the 1200's fly screen seems to atttach very simply with four Torx bolts. Since mine is not coming with a screen, I asked one of the sales guys about ordering one. He told me that they all come with the sport screen and case mounts. I guess I'll find out in 17 days or so (but who's counting?).
Because the bike was sold within an hour after the shop opened, I didn't get a chance to ride it. I did manage to coax the new owner into firing her up for me, though. The digital screen was easy to read, even in the bright noonday Texas sun, and the instrument cluster had lots of cool, flashing colored lights. It seemed more than adequate, and didn't look at all cheap. The on-board computer is activated by a button on the clutch side, which is inexplicably mounted on the top of the grip assembly, so it won't be as easy to access as it would be if it were mounted facing the rider. The signal switches are the same, as far as I can tell. No on-off switch for ABS. The new motor hummed in precisely the same way it did on my 1150: quiet, but not too quiet, and decidedly authoritative. It did not seem especially vibey. The motor sounded as though it really, really wanted to go somewhere. Now.
The bike really looks very similar to the 1150. From a distance, it is really very difficult to tell them apart. I guess I would say it is a little sharper around the edges, but in a completely appealing way. The rear end looks great without all that stuff hanging off it. The seat fits perfectly into the tank at the front and flows beautifully into the brake-light/tail assembly in the rear, and is expertly finished. I found the seat reasonably comfortable, and not significantly different from the 1150, as best I can remember it. I think it will be fine for two-hour stretches at least. The riding posture was perfect for me at 6'1" with a 34-inch inseam. The pegs were well-placed for a commanding feel. The tank seemed a tad smaller, but it really had most, if not all, of the characteristic look and feel of the 1150. It is very graceful and masculine at the same time.
The silencer is indeed large, but I was relieved to see that it was not freakishly large. The diameter is very close if not identical to the K1200R's and about the same as the GS if you include the heat shield. The rear tire, however, at 180mm, is mammoth. The bike literally looks as though it would just stand there if you walked away from it without putting down the side stand. The side stand, alas, was indeed a little chintzy-looking, but the center stand looked sturdy and reliable. The oil cooler assembly looks better than expected, and if you wanted I think the plastic housing probably could be removed and leave just the cooler. The icky American reflectors on the fork looked as though they would fall off with application of a little blow-dryer. The evaporative can, which used to sit like an angry zit on the right side of the rear of the frame, is now discreetly hidden behind the headlight and in front of the steering head. You'd never see it unless you were looking for it. The lowered headlight is beautiful and gives the front end a more aggressive look than the 1150. Viewed from the rear, this bike positively oozes a svelte sexiness, even more so than the previous model, if that's possible. The paint on this bike was beautifully applied, and the "R1200R" is applied with stickers on top of the clear-coat. (On my bike, these will be coming off forthwith. I like my scooters really naked.) I thought the frame construction was workmanlike, and it seemed consistent with the work on the higher-priced GS and RT models. The welds and paint didn't seem obviously better or worse than on my 1150, and the tubing material was the same diameter as far as I could tell.
Overall, my expectations were met and even exceeded. Unfortunately, I can't give any report on performance, but one of the sales guys who took it out to fill it with gas this morning confirmed that the new motor delivers plenty of haul-ass, handles nimbly and it still rides like a Beemer, which is to say as though it's on rails. That's about all I needed to know.
It was in the Cristal Gray Metallic. I hadn't expected to like the color, but it kind of grew on me. Not enough to change my mind about choosing Night Black, but it was acceptable. It had a sport screen and case mounts on it, both of which looked great and were well-made of high-quality materials. Unlike the screen on the 1150, the 1200's fly screen seems to atttach very simply with four Torx bolts. Since mine is not coming with a screen, I asked one of the sales guys about ordering one. He told me that they all come with the sport screen and case mounts. I guess I'll find out in 17 days or so (but who's counting?).
Because the bike was sold within an hour after the shop opened, I didn't get a chance to ride it. I did manage to coax the new owner into firing her up for me, though. The digital screen was easy to read, even in the bright noonday Texas sun, and the instrument cluster had lots of cool, flashing colored lights. It seemed more than adequate, and didn't look at all cheap. The on-board computer is activated by a button on the clutch side, which is inexplicably mounted on the top of the grip assembly, so it won't be as easy to access as it would be if it were mounted facing the rider. The signal switches are the same, as far as I can tell. No on-off switch for ABS. The new motor hummed in precisely the same way it did on my 1150: quiet, but not too quiet, and decidedly authoritative. It did not seem especially vibey. The motor sounded as though it really, really wanted to go somewhere. Now.
The bike really looks very similar to the 1150. From a distance, it is really very difficult to tell them apart. I guess I would say it is a little sharper around the edges, but in a completely appealing way. The rear end looks great without all that stuff hanging off it. The seat fits perfectly into the tank at the front and flows beautifully into the brake-light/tail assembly in the rear, and is expertly finished. I found the seat reasonably comfortable, and not significantly different from the 1150, as best I can remember it. I think it will be fine for two-hour stretches at least. The riding posture was perfect for me at 6'1" with a 34-inch inseam. The pegs were well-placed for a commanding feel. The tank seemed a tad smaller, but it really had most, if not all, of the characteristic look and feel of the 1150. It is very graceful and masculine at the same time.
The silencer is indeed large, but I was relieved to see that it was not freakishly large. The diameter is very close if not identical to the K1200R's and about the same as the GS if you include the heat shield. The rear tire, however, at 180mm, is mammoth. The bike literally looks as though it would just stand there if you walked away from it without putting down the side stand. The side stand, alas, was indeed a little chintzy-looking, but the center stand looked sturdy and reliable. The oil cooler assembly looks better than expected, and if you wanted I think the plastic housing probably could be removed and leave just the cooler. The icky American reflectors on the fork looked as though they would fall off with application of a little blow-dryer. The evaporative can, which used to sit like an angry zit on the right side of the rear of the frame, is now discreetly hidden behind the headlight and in front of the steering head. You'd never see it unless you were looking for it. The lowered headlight is beautiful and gives the front end a more aggressive look than the 1150. Viewed from the rear, this bike positively oozes a svelte sexiness, even more so than the previous model, if that's possible. The paint on this bike was beautifully applied, and the "R1200R" is applied with stickers on top of the clear-coat. (On my bike, these will be coming off forthwith. I like my scooters really naked.) I thought the frame construction was workmanlike, and it seemed consistent with the work on the higher-priced GS and RT models. The welds and paint didn't seem obviously better or worse than on my 1150, and the tubing material was the same diameter as far as I could tell.
Overall, my expectations were met and even exceeded. Unfortunately, I can't give any report on performance, but one of the sales guys who took it out to fill it with gas this morning confirmed that the new motor delivers plenty of haul-ass, handles nimbly and it still rides like a Beemer, which is to say as though it's on rails. That's about all I needed to know.
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DJ Downunder
- Honorary Lifer
- Posts: 4776
- Joined: Sun Mar 20, 2005 3:26 pm
- Location: Melbourne
Re: Got to sit on a 1200R today!
Catalytic converter is integrated into the big cans on many of the new models.r1150rider wrote: The muffler is huge! It looks more like something you'd see mounted vertically on the backside of the cab on a big rig truck!
got to sit on one to day r1200r
Well I also sat on it at the show DJ I think it looked limp nondescript espessialy against a ROCKSTER also a bit cheep considering they said it was going to cost $21000 on road. Then I sat on it felt even worse seat is a really badly shaped plank and seams very low in relation to the bars witch also seamed very high got a numb bum just siting there.
Considering I can ride the ROCKSTER all day that is not good but as someone has already commented all the new BMW seam to have really bad seats. I certainly will not be putting my money down unless they bring out a new ROCKSTER that addresses Thea's problems and BMW Australia arquit adamant the ROCK is dead. A Ducati Monster or a Suzuki SV1000 is looking very good at the moment
Considering I can ride the ROCKSTER all day that is not good but as someone has already commented all the new BMW seam to have really bad seats. I certainly will not be putting my money down unless they bring out a new ROCKSTER that addresses Thea's problems and BMW Australia arquit adamant the ROCK is dead. A Ducati Monster or a Suzuki SV1000 is looking very good at the moment