BMW Waterhead R1200RS

[ohiorider]

It's out of my price range, but I am impressed (obsessed) with the 2016 on my dealer's showroom floor.  Lots of black and flat grey, vs the blue and white.  Looks the business!

Wet, multi plate clutch, approx. 125hp.

I was fiddling with the controls and was stunned by how light the clutch pull is.  I mentioned this to Gene, the shop owner, and asked if it was a slipper clutch.  He mentioned a recent dealer meeting where the presenter made the comment that it is not just a slipper, but a 'slipper/gripper.'  The slipper aspect simply makes up for sloppy downshifts.

However, the gripper function allows the clutch to have extremely light springs, but the more power you apply, the tighter the clutch plates are squeezed together.  I don't think this is an electronically controlled function, but simply mechanical ..... sort of a threaded mechanism that causes the pressure plate to exert more force due to physics, not electronics.  Clutch pull is one finger, maybe two.  First used on the K1600 6 cyl bike.

Damn bike is nearly $19k, but it was the first one in a while that caught my eye.  Maybe in the next life.

Too, I would imagine a $19k Beemer with 125hp might be a bit costly to insure.  When I owned the Griso, the rate on it was slightly more than the premium for the old R100GS and the 2008 Sport combined.

[oldbike54]

 You know you want it Bob  Yeah , the newest gen boxers are amazing .

  Dusty

[canuguzzi]

Is 19k msrp? A Norge is close to that. Everything goes on sale.

[LowRyter]

I rode a blue and white RS a couple of weeks ago.  (Also rode the RT a couple of months before that).

The clutch is a one finger effort.  The motor is a real hot rod.  It's a fast motorcycle.  It has totally different power band than air cooled beemers.  It felt like it could power wheelie (It was on par with Suzuki Bandit 1200 for power).  It's fairly light and solid handling.  Comfortable ergonomics and premium Beemer stuff.   It's a great performer at hefty price tag (A Suzuki GSXS 1000 is half the price).

I'd like to consider an RT if I could ever get used to the power steering (telelever) and an even heftier price tag. 

[molly]

Nothing wrong with telelever. My old R1100s was the best handling bike I've ever owned.

[Kev m]

My buddy picked up one on black Friday.

He gets a new bike or two each year or so though.

[jas67]

I was fiddling with the controls and was stunned by how light the clutch pull is.  I mentioned this to Gene, the shop owner, and asked if it was a slipper clutch.  He mentioned a recent dealer meeting where the presenter made the comment that it is not just a slipper, but a 'slipper/gripper.'  The slipper aspect simply makes up for sloppy downshifts.

However, the gripper function allows the clutch to have extremely light springs, but the more power you apply, the tighter the clutch plates are squeezed together.  I don't think this is an electronically controlled function, but simply mechanical ..... sort of a threaded mechanism that causes the pressure plate to exert more force due to physics, not electronics.  Clutch pull is one finger, maybe two.  First used on the K1600 6 cyl bike.

The clutch likely has a centrifugal mechanism with weights and springs that applies more pressure at higher RPMs.

I like that the clutch is no longer between the engine and transmission.   It is now right on the front of the engine.   Servicing the clutch on a BMW will no longer require splitting the motorcycle in half to get to it.

While I haven't yet ridden the R1200RS, I have ridden the new R1200GS.   It is quite an impressive bike.    It's very smooth, and makes lots of torque over a very wide RPM range.

My buddy picked up one on black Friday.

He gets a new bike or two each year or so though.

Let me know when he is ready to sell, in case I'm ready to upgrade from the F800GT.

[blackbuell]

Bob,

I checked one out at the Louisville dealership a few weeks ago; it looks great, felt very light, and fit me pretty well. However, I did not get to test-ride it. If $ were no object, I probably would have bought one already. No new bike for me for at least 2 more years; one draw-back of semi-retirement is that less $ is available for fun things like bikes.

Jon

[leafman60]

Motorcycle Consumer News recently did a comparison of the new RS with the new Caponord and the the Yammy FJR. 

The RS was not rated tops.  The Caponord was given much more praise and deemed the best value.

[Kev m]

Let me know when he is ready to sell, in case I'm ready to upgrade from the F800GT.

I'll have to put you in touch with him, cause he never gives any indication he's thinking of getting rid of something, he just kinda shows up with another bike.




But his bikes are hardly his only toys:

[ohiorider]

The clutch likely has a centrifugal mechanism with weights and springs that applies more pressure at higher RPMs.

I like that the clutch is no longer between the engine and transmission.   It is now right on the front of the engine.   Servicing the clutch on a BMW will no longer require splitting the motorcycle in half to get to it.

While I haven't yet ridden the R1200RS, I have ridden the new R1200GS.   It is quite an impressive bike.    It's very smooth, and makes lots of torque over a very wide RPM range.



Let me know when he is ready to sell, in case I'm ready to upgrade from the F800GT.

I will clarify again with the dealer re how the clutch tightens.  I asked him if it was rpm dependent, and his response was  that it was more based on torque than rpm, which kind of makes sense.  Thinking about running on light throttle in 3rd-4th gear at say, 5000rpm, there'd be no need for the clutch to be really mashing the plates together.  OTOH, if you were to grab a handful of throttle at 3500-4000 in a taller gear, the clutch would be more apt to slip (I think)

Bob

[canuguzzi]

For that 19K you're getting a really nice equipped bike, top of the line. Once you add the goodies to other bikes they get within pennies of BMWs asking price. Many of those goodies you can't get on something else, that engine being just one of them.

[LowRyter]

and for $22k you can get the RT with luggage, cruise, heated grips, and telelever.  Another grand or two and you get radio and the rest.

I am sure you can get a 10% or so off by dealing (but I don't know the number).

[Chuck in Indiana]

Meh. Just another Bavarian Money Waster.  I have less than half that in my three bikes. As soon as it goes out of warranty, it'll nail you for the price of  another used Guzzi..
How can I keep my wallet closed?? 

[oldbike54]

Meh. Just another Bavarian Money Waster.  I have less than half that in my three bikes. As soon as it goes out of warranty, it'll nail you for the price of  another used Guzzi..
How can I keep my wallet closed?? 

 Despite what our resident BMW haters opine , there are several folks that have racked up serious mileage on modern BMW's with very little drama . In fact , some of those folks are members here .

  Dusty

[LowRyter]

$20k+ for a motorcycle is serious money.


(Hint:  Guzzi Content)

[bpreynolds]

Get yr sport tourer now before they are completely eaten by the adv segement   
If you don't have the cash for this one, maybe a new Suzuki S1000F with the full fairing?  No street cred at the coffee shop, less resale value, and lots less gadgetry but likely less service dollars and you can use the extra change to probably buy a showroom leftover Griso or certainly a V7 and still keep some change.
http://www.sportrider.com/2016-suzuki-gsx-s1000f-abs-review

[Chuck in Indiana]

Despite what our resident BMW haters opine , there are several folks that have racked up serious mileage on modern BMW's with very little drama . In fact , some of those folks are members here .

  Dusty

Aw, c'mon Dusty.. I gotta maintain my Bring More Wallet hater persona.. didn't I use enough emoticons? 

[drw916]

Got 7500 miles on mine.  One of the only sport touring bikes out there that doesn't place too much emphasis on the touring end.  Mine is fully loaded, but done again I would try and find a base one with cruise control and upgrade the suspension .  All the electronics are fine I guess, but don't add much to the bike in my opinion.  The engine is nothing like the last generation.  It has attitude and is plenty fast for street use.  My only complaint to date is the transmission shifting in the lower gears.  The gauges are not my favorite, but not a deal breaker either.

600+ mile days are easy, even with the stock seat.  Anyone who drops me in the twisties will do because I can't keep up, not because of the bike.  Can't really ask for more than that until MG gets off their butts and makes a viable competitor.

[Cool Runnings]

Why an RS instead of the RT?

Get this -> 

[LowRyter]

Get yr sport tourer now before they are completely eaten by the adv segement   
If you don't have the cash for this one, maybe a new Suzuki S1000F with the full fairing?  No street cred at the coffee shop, less resale value, and lots less gadgetry but likely less service dollars and you can use the extra change to probably buy a showroom leftover Griso or certainly a V7 and still keep some change.
http://www.sportrider.com/2016-suzuki-gsx-s1000f-abs-review

rode that one too.   GXSuS.  Same color too.

It doesn't have the low end punch like the Beemer.  But it's really light and I'd love to open that bike up.  I think it would be a canyon carver with an afterburner.  Light weight, wide bars, comfy ergos, revvy motor, sharp brakes.   Just a great motorcycle and not very intimidating considering it's 140+ hp and 450 lbs. 

You might check your dealer because Suzuki is allowing dealers a couple of demos (both faired and the naked).  So if you want to ride one, just ask. 

I think the bike is about $10k list....half the price of the Beemer and third less than the Tuono.

[canuguzzi]

The ADV market isn't taking over or becoming more prevalent that the ST market if you look at it another way, evolving designs.

The ADVs are becomes more like STs. Many of the features going into ADV design is for road riding not only off-road. Honda has the idea and why they put their bike in a new segment, the Cross tour.

Car makers did the same thing, SUV became more like Minivans in their interiors and their function. Most SUVs are just tall station wagons these days.

ADVs are becoming more street oriented that they were and so the Cross Tour genre works well. The fairing in ADVs are getting larger, creature comforts abound and the electronics and gizmos are being included.

We are witnessing a completely new evolution in bike design, neither ADV nor ST but with the best things from the two other types.

This is great, it attracts more people to the sport and the bikes themselves are rapidly becoming very sophisticated and appealing to a broad range of riders.

[Lcarlson]

<< Despite what our resident BMW haters opine , there are several folks that have racked up serious mileage on modern BMW's with very little drama . In fact , some of those folks are members here .

  Dusty>>

In 42,000 miles, my R bike has given me little trouble, just needed the usual maintenance parts. Well, it did spray me with gasoline once, thanks to the plastic quick connects BMW insists on using, but that's a quick fix. Now, my recently departed K1200GT, that's something of another story.

[oldbike54]

In 42,000 miles, my R bike has given me little trouble, just needed the usual maintenance parts. Well, it did spray me with gasoline once, thanks to the plastic quick connects BMW insists on using, but that's a quick fix. Now, my recently departed K1200GT, that's something of another story.
[/quote]

 Our own Kirby 1923 has a Rockster with close to 200K miles , very little trouble .

  Dusty

[canuguzzi]

BMWs are very good bikes and with the numbers they sell, people buy them for more than the roundel. Gotta say one thing, BMW dies take care of its customers. There will always be horror stories with every brand but they step up to the plate, that suspension problem they had resulted in a very nice option for those affected.

[Cool Runnings]

2016 BMW R1200RS First Ride Review

[Chuck in Indiana]

BMWs are very good bikes and with the numbers they sell, people buy them for more than the roundel. Gotta say one thing, BMW dies take care of its customers. There will always be horror stories with every brand but they step up to the plate, that suspension problem they had resulted in a very nice option for those affected.

Not always. The original R12C had a defective rear shock. "Zere is nothing wrong with zis motorcycle. Zees are the finest engineered motorcycles in zee Vorld!"  The fix was a $700 aftermarket shock. They quietly fixed it on later models.

[canuguzzi]

Not always. The original R12C had a defective rear shock. "Zere is nothing wrong with zis motorcycle. Zees are the finest engineered motorcycles in zee Vorld!"  The fix was a $700 aftermarket shock. They quietly fixed it on later models.

Of course not always, such bikes do not exist but overall, BMWs are very good bikes and reliable too. They have continually evolved and upgraded their bikes and are the ones it seems all others are compared to.

They are not perfect but they get closer than a lot of others.

[Kev m]

Car makers did the same thing, SUV became more like Minivans in their interiors and their function. Most SUVs are just tall station wagons these days.

Tangent, but those two points aren't in agreement, minivan interiors (generally equipped with captain's chairs for a second row) are not the same as wagon interiors (,which generally have a bench rear, even if they do have a third row).

I do agree that most SUVs are more like Wagons than minivans, though there are some exceptions like the RAV4.

[drw916]

The new KTM 1200GT sure looks the business.  Just don't know if I would want to go back to a chain.