BMW R1200R R1150R/T F800 K1200R R1100R/T R1250R RnineT Message Board

Hello All, Sold a K1200S and bought a R1200R 90th. 400 km so far and loving it. Have not had a boxer for many years, last one was a RT. Enjoying the handling, but at 155 lbs, find even the comfort mode, one up, a bit rough. Maybe it will soften up with some more miles. I'm on the Pacific Coast of BC Canada. Great site and will explore later. 1200bc

Hello and welcome.

Indeed - welcome. Since you're under the ideal BMW weight (which I believe is around 175lbs or so) that the suspension comes setup for, perhaps some tweaking of the rear shock may help. I'd suggest putting the rear shock hydraulic preload adjuster at the minimum position and try backing off the rebound damping a bit. If you want to get into the details of what to do, I have a webpage (which resulted from discussions on this forum) which may be useful: http://www.eilenberger.net/Suspension/suspension.htm You might also try using the earlier tire pressure recommendation that BMW used for the R1200R - 32PSI/front, 36PSI/rear - taken at 70F.

I'm sure once you get it dialed in for your weight, you'll love it.

1200bc wrote:Hello All, Sold a K1200S and bought a R1200R 90th. 400 km so far and loving it. Have not had a boxer for many years, last one was a RT. Enjoying the handling, but at 155 lbs, find even the comfort mode, one up, a bit rough. Maybe it will soften up with some more miles. I'm on the Pacific Coast of BC Canada. Great site and will explore later. 1200bc

Welcome 1200bc. Those 90ths are purdy, congratulations! We'd love to see some pics, not a lot of 90ths on the board.

Pictures to come..........550 km(not sure what that is in miles) so far. Work is getting in the way of riding time. Not sure I can mess with the damping with the ESA.

Hi pal and welcome from me in Brixham in good old GB, ride safely now, lol

Welcome aboard. I don't know about the ESA, but I'm sure it can be adjusted per Don's recommendations, perhaps by the dealer (if no one here on the board chimes in). Once it's dialed in, you should it to be quite comfortable.

The roadster is a great bike. I'm on number three.

Bruce

Enjoying the handling, but at 155 lbs, find even the comfort mode, one up, a bit rough.
ESA? Keep the tank full of fuel. Get a tank bag and fill it. Add a screen.
Put the side panniers on and put some weigh in them. Repair tools, extra riding gear, pet bottles of your favorite sports drink.
That should help.
Find a cutie who enjoys pillion.
Even if the ride remains a bit rough, you are going to love this bike.

1200bc wrote:...at 155 lbs, find even the comfort mode, one up, a bit rough...

Tie a sandbag on the back if you can't find a chippie for two-up. That failing, pm me for a 2007 swap. Very comfortable old scooter - smooth as silk. All the bugs worked out.

That 90th is a great looking piece. I know you'll enjoy it!

mister moo, thanks for the offer, but finding a bike buddy is more attractive then your swap suggestion!

AncientMariner wrote:Welcome aboard. I don't know about the ESA, but I'm sure it can be adjusted per Don's recommendations, perhaps by the dealer (if no one here on the board chimes in). Once it's dialed in, you should it to be quite comfortable.

The roadster is a great bike. I'm on number three.

Bruce

Agreed, the 1200R is a great bike, and definitely worth persevering with.
As I understand it, there is little in the way of adjustment with the ESA suspension set-up as regards making it "softer".
The damping can be set to "Comfort" and that's about it.
There are 3 spring preload settings (rear shock only) but would be IMO, all the same stiffness.
I think it would be worth considering an after market seat of some sort. The seats I've had so far have been next to useless in absorbing any road shocks.
ATB.