Hello all

[odel]

HI Everyone, I am new to the board, totally newbie rider (actually I have now 974 miles under my belt...) and the 2009 White R1200R is my first bike ever. Still don't know much about riding (although BRC MSF training rocks), but I knew enough to place my trust and dollars in BMW engineering and the boxer engine. That bike is easy to ride and quite forgiving of beginner's mistakes. Love the handling, low-end torque and braking, absolutely hate the seat. I had to get an Airhawk, which mitigates the tailbone pain somewhat after more than 90 minute riding. I use it now to commute back and forth to work, enjoying a nice 16 miles country road each way. Other bikes I considered before selecting this one was the Triumph Bonneville (too small) and a Ducati multistrada (great bike but I felt less confident on it and I don't have much riding confidence yet). This board has been quite informative for me so far, so thanks to all and let's enjoy the ride.

[nylife]

welcome, white is a great color

[zei220]

Welcome, where are you based? You may want to complete your profile details :-)

dave

[nylife]

nice looks like another jersey person we almost neighbors
i got a white 2009 as well we should introduce them

[websterize]

… the 2009 White R1200R is my first bike ever. Still don't know much about riding (although BRC MSF training rocks), but I knew enough to place my trust and dollars in BMW engineering and the boxer engine. That bike is easy to ride and quite forgiving of beginner's mistakes.

Welcome, odel. That makes two of us, although I didn't look at other bikes. I'm due for a 12,000 mile service any day now, mostly from commuter miles.

The OEM comfort saddle is a worthwhile upgrade.

[LeonardoNYC]

From one white 09 R12R to another --Welcome and be safe !

[fastdogs2]

Welcome. I have the 2009 ALpine White, as well.

Enjoy your new ride!

Bill

[Lost Rider]

Howdy Odel!

Welcome to the good life on two wheels, and our little slice of the internet!

Even though the white pine stripes on the black Roadster makes it technically faster, I've always thought the white was a gorgeous color for the R to be displayed in.


Having recently watched my girl learn how to ride and grow into a proficient motorbike operator, I have a couple suggestions for you since you already have made a wise choice of bikes, and hopefully riding safety gear.

While we did get her bike setup for her size and weight, hands down the best money spent for her was a track day with Reg Pridmore at CLASS Motorcycle Schools.
http://www.classrides.com/
She came out of it a whole new rider, as many new riders do. Maybe they offer a CLASS in your area, or some folks here can suggest a similar type of course for you to take. There's a whole lot more to learn beyond what MSF covers, and building confidence is the best thing it did for her.



The second best thing for a new Roadster owner would be to become a member here on this board. You already have found the usefulness of it, and becoming a member is a small price to pay to help support Doug's site and our little community.

Enjoy your new ride, and post some more photos!


Cheers

Finn

[odel]

Good evening good members,

Has anyone purchased the wunderlich seat (http://www.wunderlichamerica.com/motorc ... 61188.html)? If yes, is there a noticeable improvement over the OEM seat? I am still trying to find a solution to my having to stop every hour because my tail bone hurts. Thanks in advance for any feedback.

Also, I now have ridden over 4,000 miles this summer since I got my motorcycle endorsement in July. Much more relax riding than initially, but I am still not a "natural", as I sometimes get apprehensive in cornering or slow speed manuvering. How many miles does it take the average new rider to become really at ease?

Last, the headlights is not very powerful for night riding. Any suggestions?

[Bob Ain't Stoppin']

Odel, Good for you with gaining experience over the summer. Here's some options for you:

- Haven't seen the Wunderlich seat in the flesh. But you have Bill Mayer, Rick Mayer, and Sargent available to you. They make good saddles. Best if you can have them see you on the bike for proper fit, but the photo system works pretty well too. These guys attend the bigger rallies over the summer, and you can hook up with them there for a fitting.

- Getting more comfortable with corners and slow speed is an experience thing. Practice helps! I find it very helpful to follow someone I trust on good roads with long sight lines. This is why Vermont is so popular for riding. Long sight lines allow you to see the whole corner so there are no surprises. Track days are fabulous for experiencing how far a bike can lean over. There are tracks in NJ that offer good quality track day training. For slow work you can set up cones in a parking lot and work on skills.

- The headlight on the R is pretty good. Make sure yours is aimed right. If you need more, there are many aftermarket lights available. Hella makes good stuff for a reasonable price.

[websterize]

How many miles does it take the average new rider to become really at ease?

4,000, 40,000 or 400,000 miles — really at ease happens just before the car turns left in front of him at the intersection.

[jkhomes]

I checked out Rick Mayer seat and it seemed surprisingly hard. Had a Sargent on another bike that was okay. The BMW comfort seat is well regarded. There is a car upholstery shop in the town where I live that is known for building and working on motorcycle seats, so custom is an option too. The outfit here drilled some cores out and made a nice soft pocket for me to ride in without the expense of a custom saddle.

[odel]

Thanks everyone for the good advise. I'll go custom seat with pictures to make sure it is perfect fit.

[BLAIR1200R]

I'd have to second Bob Ain't Stoppin' s recommendations for both following someone in curves and track days.
While it may seem a bit scary taking your BMW out on the track, the point would be to focus on technique and not speed…. obviously.

The track provides a contained area where you don’t have to worry about cars, debris or any other distractions found on the open road. The slow, repetitive buildup of technique over the course of the day will stay with you and translate directly to your road riding skills.

I attended a track school once (Kevin Schwantz at Road Atlanta) and after coming home, the difference in confidence that I had on the road was indescribable. It wasn’t a speed thing at all. It simply allowed me to push beyond what I normally had on the road and revealed how much more capable the motorcycles are, allowing me to enter and exit corners knowing the bike could easily handle it, with the proper technique.