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

Hi guys,

I'm 24 now and i've been in love with motorcycle since i was a kid. Unfortunately, i don't have any practical experiences when i was a kid because my parents didn't allow me to have a motorcycle. So, here i am, looking for my bike and i think r1150r is really good one. The problem is i don't want to waste my limited budget on other bike, as a learning tool, than r1150r, which is already very expensive in Thailand. Has anyone in this board have this bike as his/her first bike?

I live in quite peaceful community, so i guess i can just learn how to ride within that area. I also intend to enroll in safety riding course (as it's called in thailand). So, what do you guys think about this plan? Please kindly share your experiences and recommendations.

Thanks!

I'm sure it can be done...but I would not recommend it.

btw...How tall and strong are you?...the Roadster is a big heavy bike..IMO.

I would recommend buying a cheap second hand 250cc - 650cc to learn on.

Then after about six months sell it and hopefully get your money back and then buy a Roadster.

Let us know how you go with it.

DJ

DJ makes some valid points. It depends on how strong you are and if you are big (tall) enough to handle the heaviness while learning. But I also understand your concern about spending your "bike" money on a learner bike and then going through the hassle of selling and finding a Roadster.

I tell you, I am 5' 10" and not really a muscle-bound guy. I probably couldn't even put down my gay step-son's arm in arm wrestling.:-) Not that there's anything wrong with that. But I had not ridden a bike in over 15 years when I got the R1150R three years ago. It felt really heavy and I was scared I was going to drop it every time I got on it. I just took it very careful and slow in my relearning. Slow baby steps is the key.

I would say the same as DJ, that I would not recommend it as a first bike but it can be done with patience and a heightened sense of caution...IF, you are of a stature that would make it easier to hold up and straighten if it started to list.

No, I wouldn't do it. If you are concerned about money think about what it would cost to fix a BMW after you crash it while trying to learn to ride. It is not a bike to learn on. It is heavy and has lots of power, too much for a brand new rider in my opinion. There's much more to riding then just keeping the bike upright. You need to have a bike that you can handle in a emergency situation. Yes, you will hear plenty of stories of people who have bought the 1150R as their first bike and not had any problems. These folks are very lucky. Remember the old saying, there are two types of riders, those that have crashed and those that will crash. It's very true, I have the scars to prove it. Do you want to crash a new BMW? Start smaller and work your way up. That's smart advice. Your bike puchase should be about safety not just money.

Thanks guys!! I guess your words of advice all make sense. It will be a while for me before i'm ready for the r1150r, and safety should come first, shouldn't it.

I'm quite tall as an asian (about 5' 11'') but i guess that'd be quite regular or a bit small from your point of view.

Once again, thank you so much for your good advices. That will justify many things. Hope in a year or two i'll be ready for this beauty.

Dj and Boxer know their stuff. If at all possible, learn to ride on a lighter, more managable bike and trade up to the R later. With that said, I know it's a tough prescription especially when it's YOU'RE money and you're wanting to buy just the one bike.

I think the R can be a first bike if you're committed and careful. Like Boxer's experience, I returned to riding after a long extended break, almost 20 years. So it was like starting over. I took the Riding Safety course on a much smaller bike supplied by the school. I learned the basics but I had to then apply that to the bigger bike.

I'm 5'7" and 165 lbs and this bike can be daunting for people of smaller stature...but I found it to be the best-fitting BMW in its class for me. With the low seat option I can comfortably reach the ground almost flat-footed in a normal riding position. But it's heavy and the first several weeks I was in fear of being overwhelmed by the weight and dropping it. But the more you ride it the more confidence you gain. The bike will seem more and more managable...almost (but not quite) light. Instead of apprehension you will will look forward to each and every chance to ride. Good roads will make alot of difference. I still shudder when I spot sand or gravel on the roadway. It can get squirrely no matter how careful your approach.

You can manage this bike but ride aware. Even with that advice, see my other posts. I dropped my R for the first time a few weeks ago (in my driveway). If you can, sit on an R and determine your comfort factor. Just be prepared to face the consequences of damage to a beautiful BMW if you do acquire it as your first bike, as GJbushman notes above. It can be scary but then it gets great....and it looks so cool.

Khemz,

We have talked about size and strength being important in not dropping a bike. I would like to add that an inexperienced rider can easily drop a lightweight bike too.

Many drops are not caused so much by the weight of the bike, but by the bike getting out of balance because of something that was unexpected. For example, imagine stopping at an intersection and unexpectedly putting your foot down into a small hole or putting your foot into some slippery substance (like sand) or having a pant leg get caught on a foot peg.

Experience will teach you that traction for your feet is more important than most new riders realize. This is important both when you are on the bike and when moving it while not seated on the bike.

Good luck with whatever bike you choose!

mac

Yo Kehmz ...

We're neighbours .. I'm from Singapore!!! What sort of bikes do you have over there/ I know that the Honda Phantom is there; and plenty of Honda Cubs too. I suggest maybe an old phantom to start you off; it's tough and parts are cheap; and then once you have amassed some experience, go for the bigger bikes.

Cheers

Meow

This board is so great! I've got so many good advices from you guys, and thanks Mac for reminding me that eventually "new riders" drop their bikes once in a while. It can be a good idea to drop first few times with second hand bike.

I think i'll start with something small like honda cb400, the naked bike. The bad thing is; second hand bike with good condition in thailand can reach 5000 usd (sigh). But it'll be cheaper than fixing beautiful r1150r anyway, right.

Anyway, i really enjoy this community. Hope i will get further advices from all of you.

Khem

I bought the r1150r as my first motorbike several months ago. My previous experience was 20 odd years ago on my BMX pushbike. The first time I had put my leg over a motorcycle was for 2 days of riding instruction on a honda cb250, and then a bmw f650 for the second day after which I bought the r1150r.

While I bought the r1150r as a first bike, I wouldn't recommend it straight away, unless you were like me, 6'5, very solid and fit the bike well. I dropped the bike the first day I had it (first time getting it off the center stand) and it's a heavy beast to get upright again. I had the pleasure of riding a loaner f650 when I took my bike in for its service and being able to flick the much lighter bike and wring its neck on the throttle without getting into lose your license territory as easily, I wished my size fitted me onto the smaller machine better as riding it gave just as much pleasure as my r1150r.

Bikes, even smaller capacity are quick, quicker than most other vehicles on the road. The smaller machines are more nimble and second hand are quite a bit less cash than the beemers. 6-12 months after they also don't lose much (if any) value, so really you don't pay anything when you come to upgrade to a bigger machine and your riding skills will have increased during this time. I would look at a naked bike or make sure getting some sliders installed if you are looking at a bike with fairing, as a garage drop could work out expensive if you crack or break the plastics.

That being said, if you really want to go for the r1150r straight up, understand that its a big bike, there are worse options you could take. Apart from the first day, I haven't had any issues with the bike and have clocked up around 14000km's on it in the seven months so it is a capable machine as a first bike.

Being tall helps a lot when one begins to learn how to ride. However, the Roadster is way too heavy of a bike to try to handle when you are a beginner.

Start with something much lighter (around 400-lbs/200-kg) until you get some experiences in handling a motorcycle and then graduate to a heavy bike like the typical BMW flat twin.

I was 25yo, 5'6" (167cm) and the R1150R was my first bike, (and still my only bike,) and I dropped it 3 times in the first 2 months. Just some scratches, which don't bother me at all. I haven't dropped it again in 3 years and 20,000 miles.
Since I haven't grown taller or stronger, and the bike didn't get shorter or lighter, the difference is experience.

If I would have been smart and went through the gradual introduction to motorcycling, then I wouldn't have been able to get the only bike I REALLY WANTED new and with the options I dreamed of because I couldn't have afforded it. I would have learned from the same mistakes, but on a different bike.

If you can be humble, get a smaller bike for now.

If you are dead set on the RR, be careful. Learning the basics can be done on it.

Is there any way you could afford both?

Good luck!

the r1150r was (is!) my first bike. i'm 6' and no body builder. no scratches, no problems (i'm prolly jinxing myself) and i've been very happy.

do what feels right, trust your gut.

The first bike I bought in 2002 was .... the R1150R. The drops I have had were at 0 mph in parking lots, and were caused by stupidity. However, it is sort of top heavy. I am 6'2" so I can easily flat foot it, which helps. I have no regrets at all buying this as my first bike. I was very set on this model. I bought a dealer demo model, which had a ding in the tank, so that took care of Murphy's Law!

I was careful about how I learned, though. I took the MSF course. I read lots of books, such as Proficient Motorcycling and others. I started on deserted streets and neighborhoods. I am a methodical sort of person, and I took my time and built up my confidence on the bike.

So, it worked for me, but I do not necessarily recommend this route for everyone.

I'm glad to hear that there're some ppl have r1150r as their first bike, and it's even better to hear that they have good experiences with it.

Well, the R costs approximately 19,000 usd in thailand, and that can be a great risk for newbie.

Thanks for your comments guys. I think it'll be quite useful for new riders who're interested in the R, as it's useful to me.

Like you, when I started out 30 years ago, I didn't want to waste money on a smaller bike that I knew would only be a temporary placeholder, so I bought the Suzuki GS650G that I wanted (and would have bought again if Suzuki still made something like it: a shaft-drive standard with neutral ergonomics and the ability to do everything reasonably well--sound familiar?). The bike weighed 480 pounds wet and was a handful when I first started riding it.

I did, however, hedge my bet by taking a Motorcycle Safety Foundation beginner's course where I could make the inevitable mistakes that every beginner makes on somebody else's machine--at the time, a Honda CB175. The toughest handling skill you have to master is managing the weight and balance shifts during slow-speed manuevers and when coming to a stop. If you don't know how to anticipate the weight shifts that occur when the bike is no longer taking care of its own balance through the gyroscopic forces of forward motion, all the weight falls on you, and the natural tendency is to substitute your muscles for physics. You have to be amazingly strong not to lose that matchup, whether it's a 600 pound Roadster or a 400 pound beginner's bike. Even if you could manage to hold up a falling bike, the general result is a severe muscle strain, usually to the back. Not good, and better, generally, just to let it fall.

That said, if you're willing to get some training before you start off riding your own investment, AND if you're a reasonably strong, athletic person by nature, the Roadster has some benefits to offer as a first bike. The handling is neutral and extremely stable at speed. The Telelever helps considerably in relieving the fork dive under the hard braking that can cause the imbalance discussed above, and the brakes--with or without ABS--are both powerful and relatively easy to modulate. Power is more than adeguate and well modulated through excellent fuel injection, the transmission engagement is dependable and predictable, and the clutch has an easy, progressive pull. Brake and clutch levers are adjustable to fit smaller hands. These are all things that help beginners feel more in control of the riding experience.

The bottom line, however, is that until your body learns the fundamental lesson that low-speed manuevering is the job of precise throttle control rather than feet-as-outriggers (when the bike starts to flop, you just feed it a little more throttle and it will stand back up; what you don't do is throw your foot out to hold the beast up), you're probably going to drop the bike a few times while you're getting the hang of it. My wife will be starting her third year as a motocyclist this summer, and coming to a stop cleanly is still her biggest problem with her beloved copper Rockster. In spite of the fact that she took the MSF course two years ago and spent her first year riding a 1981 GL500 Honda, she still dropped the Rock 3 times last summer. No big deal, although replacing four turn signals, one bar-end weight, and two cylinder-head sparkplug wire covers has so far cost us over a hundred dollars; and when we're confident that she's figured out how to avoid these mishaps, it'll cost us some more money to replace the cylinder head covers (she loves the bike and is sorely distressed by the scratches).

You need to assume that your inexperience will cause some drops. Those drops will cause some damage. The questions you should ask are, how much does that bother you, and would fixing what will probably be minor damage be more or less affordable than the hit you'll take buying and selling an interim "learner" bike. Knowing what I know about myself, I'd have bought (and did buy 30 years ago) the machine I wanted. For my wife, however, starting off with a lighter, older bike was a better decision. For her, the difference between the GL500's 450 pounds and the Rockster's 600 was significant. Some times, you CAN hold up a minor weight shift, and 150 fewer pounds certainly helps.

The other thing people haven't mentioned is expediency. We bought my wife's bike as a dealer demo with 3200 miles on it for only $6500, because it was available. You can't buy it at all from the dealer now because he doesn't have one and probably won't be getting one. If you want a new R1150R and you have a line on one, you might not get another chance.

No easy answers, but a pleasant dilemma. Good luck with your decision.

OK my turn as a 'little' rider. The R is not my first bike, not even my second, but I, like Kanetoad took a more than 20 year break from riding.
I am 120 Lbs and 5'5" and a female.

I started on the good old family reliable Honda Trail 90 at 12 years old. YES I crashed. A lot. So from that perspective a small bike is great to learn on...It does not crush you when it lands on you and you can pick it up. My next bike was a Honda 125 and in the 70's they were bigger than those of today. I crashed a lot and learned the value that motorcycling and alcohol DO NOT MIX as we would drink some beers in the camp ground then go out on the trails. CRASH...BURN...AUGH! My permissive parents may have subliminally wanted to kill thier wild teenager daughter but none the less, I learned and that value is instilled in me for life. I found cars and boys facinating for a while and the motorcycle lost some of its apeal.
I got married, had kids, and quit riding for over 20 years. I divorced, the kids grew up and Then I met Scot.

He wanted to ride. I wanted him to ride also. I thought that part of my life had passed. But to be a good companion I took the safe riders class from Cycle Oregon with him (an excellent program).

I remembered what I loved about bikes and that I need them in my life. So I bought a Harley low rider.. (not overly ashamed as it was a phase)_I quickly learned that slow, fat and loud was not what I was all about. Now I have an R.

Ahh the R.

(Back to the subject)...I have not dropped this bike but I am certain I cannot pick it up if I were alone. It is top heavy but this is only a problem when not in motion. I cannot put it on the center stand as I have too little of 'mass' to lever it up. Being a female it seems easy enough to get help...funny how that works.

If you are a methodical person wo really understands...REALLY UNDERSTANDS the time in the learning curve to become proficient, then ANY bike could be a first bike. Too many of us need the learning experience of the Ol' Crash and Burn to brand those lessons into our habits.
I have a feeling that if I had not ridden as a kid I would not be riding now. Thanks Mom and Dad!

Great remembrances Just-Beeming. I remember that Honda Trail 90. Never had one but always wanted one. Have seriously thought recently of getting a restored one or restoring one myself just to have that great little machine in my garage.

Anyway, you mentioned in your post that you didn't feel you could pick up the R by yourself but one of these days you may find yourself having to and there may not be available guys around. You might check out the link below showing how a bit of leverage can let just about anyone handle the R's formidable weight.

There's pics posted on the site but there's videos if you scroll to the bottom. These videos gave me the knowledge to pick up my R when I needed to a few weeks ago and it was surprisingly easy. I'm 5'7" and 165lbs. and walked the bike upright with ease using the technique. I've shared this link so many times just recently I feel like the website owner's agent or something! The technique works...

http://www.pinkribbonrides.com/dropped.html

I'll jump into the discussion here; not because I'll add value, but just because My first bike just over a year ago was a Yamaha V-Star 1100 cruiser. Whats the significance of that Well, its actually a heavier bike than the Rockster I now own. The balance of a bike is important; so is weight; and so is fit - and certainly, so is the power. The V-Star had a low seat height at 28 inches, so starts and stops were a breeze (I'm only 5'8" with a 32" inseam) and slow speed parking lot type manuevers were easy as well. I cant flat foot with the Rockster unless I go to a low seat. The rider training course I took (taking one ranks as one of the better decisions I've ever made) used older Honda CB 400's that semed quite easy to ride, seemed light and manueverable but were a bit underpowered for the expressway riding we did. The V-star, by comparison had lots of torque and fairly low horsepower (approx 60 bhp) and seemed like a great combination for city/expressway driving. The Rockster seems like, well a rocket, compared to the V-Star. (I remember getting back on the V-Star after test riding the Rockster. It seemed like a garden tractor compared to the Rockster Srange thing is, that I likely would have been happy with the V-Star and would have looked no further had it not been for the lousy ergonomics/seating position of cruiser bikes. I'd rather be riding than polishing and hanging around show and shine events Anyway, I've rambled on enough - but consider this: at least our friend isnt considering a light and manuverable sport bike with 150+ bhp as his first bike. I'm always surprised at how many people start out on those things - then become statistics

My only fear of the RR as a first bike is that the rider may never learn the comfort level of tossing aorund a light bike like a 400 cc dual sport or dirt bike, something that can pull power wheelies & nice rear wheel slides. The RR is a bit daunting to truly toss around, & for myself at least, that makes it harder to learn the boundaries that may need to be known in that split second you have to make an advoidance manuver.