R1200R - Lowered version

[MrPMS]

Next Question. What are the potential merits/shortcomings of the "lowered" version to be offered soon. Has anyone ridden this bike? I'm 5' 8'' with a 29" inseam.

[mechanic savant]

I'm 5'6" w/29" inseam don't mind the std. height w/med seat ,haven't tried a low seat but see no reason to

[danstl]

Have not seen one, but I suspect it would have lower ground clearance and you probably would not want to put a center stand on one.

The lower ground clearance could cause cornering issues on hard riding. Things will scrape sooner. If you do a lot of "hanging off" in corners, that would be less of an issue, but if you forget... My wife had a low model F650GS that initially came with a center stand. Aggressive cornering caused the center stand to hit and raise the rear wheel off the payment. She ended up in the ditch, but virtually no damage to the bike or her.

Talk to your dealer. They can give you more info.

[AGW]

I have the lowered version which has centre stand and have not had it make contact with the ground- I suspect that the lowering is done with shorter travel shock. I had the lowered 650GS and can agree that this did ground out all the time.

[toronto.gal]

I have a lowered R1200R, and I previously had a lowered F800ST and F650GS. I have ridden the non-lowered versions of all the bikes and I haven't found significant handling differences.

Putting the lowered bikes on the centre-stand is another story altogether - not a lot of fun.

The F650 bottomed out on me several times, but I've never had that with the RR. I have to say that I love being able to put both feet flat on the ground - I'm 5'4" - so the lower the better.

TG

[gobak55]

I'm 5'8" with 29" inseam. I have the standard seat, and although cant flat foot both feet down, when stopped, it isn't a stability problem at all. In a showroom recently, I sat on a lowered model with the low seat fitted as well. Have to say, didn't like it at all. Feels as though you're sat in, rather than on the bike, and legs feel quite cramped up.

[deilenberger]

Out of curiosity - I'd like someone (or everyone) with a factory lowered R12R to measure the front suspension travel.

Sounds like a PITA - but it's a piece of cake. Find a tie-wrap (1/4" one about 6" long works fine) - put it on your left fork tube above the slider. Put it on so it stays where you set it - but is easy to move up/down.

Then - put it down so it's resting against your slider top, and go for a ride, looking for some decent sized bumps along the way.

When you get home, centerstand the bike, and measure the distance between the top of the fork seal, and the bottom of the tie-wrap. That's the number I'm curious about.

BMW claims 120mm travel on the stock front suspension. I've measured 105mm. Let see if we can find out what BMW did to lower the bikes..

[WhoZat]

5' 2" former R1150R owner here.....

I rode a demo 1200R with the lower saddle yesterday; the new 1200 is soooo much easier to reach the ground from due to it's narrow "low" seat, and the 1200's (seemingly) narrower frame. Not bad!!! (They offered me five grand for my '02 Mille, and an asking price of twelve grand for their 10,000 mile demo w/Remus can)

So I got on the 'puter this morning to research these new factory lowered 1200R's. Apparently they utilize the same shocks, they just use cut-down mounting links both front AND rear to lower the overall bike. This answered my question, as I believe my 220 lb's would appreciate a spring upgrade -or- an easy swap out of the OEM shocks with something like Wilbers or another designer-name shock.

But I must admit that I'm VERY concerned about clearance of hard parts on those aggressive rides I may take. I believe both the center and side stands will be modified by the factory accordingly, but WHAT/WHERE will be the first to touch down? When I sat on the lowered F800ST at the motorcycle show last year, I was ABSOLUTELY SURE that there would be NO CLEARANCE between parts-is-parts and tarmac on the goat trails I like to party on....!?!!! Sooooooo....... what about the lowered new lowered R1200R????

Now..... THIS is interesting:
Before I spent $800 to replace the springs on my FZ1 (to single rate springs up to the task of my 220 lb's), AND lowering the internals front & rear by an inch.... I used to bottom-out and drag foot pegs all the time! After I lowered the bike WITH the correct weight springs, I NEVER again bottomed-out, and only once drug/dragged a foot peg (at 120 mph on a high speed sweeper).

I LOVE the suspension on these Beemer hexheads, and was reminded yesterday why. I ride pot-hole riddled CA highways, rough & broken-up "goat trails", and unkempt freeways. Yesterday's ride had my both front & rear tires absolutely GLUED to the tarmac, no hop, no skipping, no rough ride, just smooooth and (ME!) in control.

I'm anxiously waiting for the local Beemer'ship to get their anticipated "Alpine White" lowered R1200R in. BMW wants to give me a $400 discount (because I'm a Correctional Officer), and they're offering 3.99% interest in October. Now.... if only I could find somebody to buy this damn Aprilia RSV1000 Mille. It was an impulse purchase ('cause I LOVE the Rotax 990!), but even folk over six feet tall have difficulty on this bike..... let alone a 5' 2"er. Jeez I look silly on this thing........

[DSKYZD]

It would be great to hear that you were back on an R. Keep us posted with pics WHEN it happens

[Dauntless]

5' 2" former R1150R owner here.....

So I got on the 'puter this morning to research these new factory lowered 1200R's. Apparently they utilize the same shocks, they just use cut-down mounting links both front AND rear to lower the overall bike.

Can you tell us where you learned this?

[deilenberger]

Also curious.. since I can't for the life of me imagine how they'd do that (and I've had the shocks on and off and on a number of times.. I'm running shortened Hyperpro's..) the mounting point top front is a plate welded behind the upper steering head. It perhaps could be moved up a tiny bit - but a shorter shock (with the same travel) would work equally well. The lower front mount is cast into the telelever wishbone.. I guess they could make a modified wishbone, but why bother.

Same thing in the rear - upper mount is welded into the frame between two frame rails, bottom mount is part of the paralever rear suspension casting.

FWIW - I've been working on getting the same travel on the suspension with shorter shocks with Klaus of Hyperpro. The rear is done.. the front we're gonna have to play with some springs, but the actual shock will have the same travel as stock. It IS doable. You do risk touching down the footpegs a bit earlier - but I never intentionally lean the bike that far so it's not a big concern. The suspension will handle it without anything hitting - so that part isn't a worry, and if I had to guess - it would be the logical way for BMW to accomplish the same thing.