Here's my assessment/review of ChiTown's '07 1200 and my '05 1150. It won't be scientific or a mechanical comparison, but it will be fun (and sometimes fanciful)!!!
First, here is the guy ChiTown paid to deliver his bike. Nice guy. Docile watch dog, but huge!
Here is how the bike was transported. Only bike on the trailer from Colorado to Houston
.
The guy made the 1200 look smalll.
I did what I could to make the welcome to Texas feel special!
Once time permitted and the weather cleared a bit, I brought both bikes out for a side by side comparison.
Aesthetics
The first unbiased assessment came from my daughter. "Wow. A black BMW. Is it fast, Mom?." "Yes. It has 110 hp compared to my 85 hp" Her reply: "Well, it might be faster, but your bike is prettier, Mom." Sorry ChiTown but the case is closed on aesthetics!!!
Personally, there are features of the 1150 which I like better than the 1200, and vice versa. If BMW would have left the instrument panel, fluid reservoirs, and the oil coolers alone when designing the 1200, I think the 1200 would win the "prettier bike" contest in my daughter's mind. I've always appreciated the classy look of the instrument cluster and the reservoirs of my 1150 over all other bikes in it's class. And the oil coolers are so unique on the 1150 - I like them. I'm still not sure if I like the beak better or not. But the 1200 has some aesthetic improvements over the 1150 in my opinion. I like the elongated, sort of sloping "ovalish" headlight of the 1200 better than the 1150's perfectly rounded lamp.
Also, the 1200 seems to have a bit more angular look which I really do like. The hexhead cylinders add to that angular look. It gives it a very sharp aggressive stance. Sitting together on my driveway, the 1200 looked anxious to move, and move fast. The 1150 looked settled and content. Perhaps that's just my imagination as a result of becoming settled and content with my 1150 over the past 3 years. But look at them side by side: That 1200 looks as ready and anticipatory as a runner in the blocks.
ChiTown has some extra special touches on his bike that give it a unique look. Too many for me to mention and probably some I'm not even aware of. But the immediate ones I noticed were the obvious ones. Those white powder coated wheels are sweet, as is the black handlebars and screen brackets. Nice. And the white powder coated cylinder heads give it an even more distinguished look, pulling in the pin stripes and integrating them with the rest of the bike. The pinstripe accentuates the angular movement of the tank and just dresses up the bike. I like them. And of course what beats BMW black? I don't know if it is the fastest color, but whether it's the 1150 or the 1200, BMW Black is classic!
Those yellow Ohlins are a nice contrast to the black and white of the bike. They caught my attention even before I realized what a difference they make in the ride. They would look so good on my bike, especially since my bike has the golden colored "R" on the tank and the tan seat (not shown in picture). With 27,000 miles on my bike, I'll be needing some of those soon.
I can't decide if I like the telelever on the 1200 better than the one on the 1150. I think the 1150's telelever would look silly on the 1200 and the 1200's would look just as bad on the 1150. The 1200's definitely adds to it's forward angular aggressive appearance. I like it. But I also like the 1150's. So a toss up there.
I do like the look of the paralever/swingarm better on the 1200 than the 1150. Everything about it and around it just looks better. Not owning a 1200, I've not read much about it, so I don't if it is a better design, but it sure looks like it would be.
The aftermarket seat looks good too. It definitely looks better than the stock seat. The only thing I don't like about the 1200 seat is that it is one piece. Personally, I like the 2 part seat on the 1150 better. I like being able to get to things stashed under the pillion seat without having to remove the whole seat. Both bike seats are just as comfortable for me. I've never had a problem with the 1150 seat even after multiple 500 mile days.
Compared to my 1150, I think the 1200 looks more svelte. Black does have slimming effects, you know, so I'm not sure if it's lissome looks are due to it's color or if the 1200 shed width when it shed the weight. Either way, the 1200 appeared a little more lithe and svelte than my 1150. In fact, my 1150 looked a little beefy next to the 1200 I thought.
I'm sure I've missed some other appearance comparisons, but I need to move on to some fun stuff.
I was taking pictures of the bikes from different angles and when I took a picture of the back wheels, I started noticing something strange. Something that seemed wrong. I had to check it out closer. Look at the difference in chicken strips!!
I cleaned them a bit to make sure I was seeing things correctly. Yes, I was.
ChiTown's back tire:
What?? Look at the width of that chicken strip. The truth comes out ChiTown!!!
GypsyRR's back tire:
To save your reputation, ChiTown, I took your bike out for some rides a couple of times to burn off some more of those chicken strips.
My test rides were a chance to indoctrinate ChiTown's bike into Texas culture and give me a chance to compare the 1200 to my '05 1150. So a bit of Texas with a bit of review:
First, you should know that in Texas (if you are a real Texan), we always fly the Texas flag if we fly the American flag. AND - we don't fly it lower than the American flag. We don't have to.
Handling
For my first test ride I headed west to the closest twisties and into the hills.
I didin't mess with the suspension on the 1200. It seemed perfect for the way I like to ride these Texas roads. The 1200 was smooth and nimble in the corners. In comparison to my '05 1150, I did not notice $5000-$6000 worth of difference in handling in the twisties, which is probably the difference I would have to pay if I wanted to 'upgrade' to the 1200. So in cornering, I didn't notice a huge difference. BUT - the 1200 is not my bike, so admittedly, I was probably riding it a little more timid than I ride my own. In addition, ChiTown's '07 1200 sits a little more upright than my '05 1150, and sits a little higher. That bit of difference is enough to make me realize that a true or honest comparison of cornering can't be accurately assessed.
I also didn't notice a big difference in weight. I know there is a difference, but I couldn't sense it when riding. I think my 1150 feels a little more 'planted' on the road, but I assume that is just because I'm more familiar with it and because the shocks are probably shot! The wind was pretty bad as you can see in the picture of the flags above. Even with the 20 mph winds, the 1200 did not feel lighter than my 1150. I do run without a muffler on my R1150R, so I lose a little weight than the stock 1150. ChiTown's bike had the addition of the Pelican case which adds a few pounds. But still, the 1200 weighs less than the 1150. That did not seem to cause any problem in the wind. They handled the same for me.
Continuing into the west.......
First: A stop by the Oil Ranch. Yes, we ranch oil in Texas:
And this is the way we make snowmen in Texas. None of that white powdery stuff for us. Nope. We use hay.
Getting to the hills now:
Power
I found a long stretch of private road to test the bike a bit:
No red line there, but a turn was coming up so I had to back off a bit. I didn't get the picture at 133 because the wind was buffeting me pretty badly by then.
I found that ChiTown's bike can do this in 2nd gear:
The most noticeable and immediate difference between the two bikes was the power and the smoothness. I don't know the technical terms to describe the power difference, so bear with me if I use the wrong words or make this too simplistic. All I can do with my limited amount of mechanical knowledge of the two engines is to tell you what I sensed and what I noticed. The 1200 is much quicker than the 1150. I was warned about the bike coming up in first or second gear if I was not careful. And that was a good warning. The whole gearing is so different than my 1150. If I could that engine in my 1150, I would be a very contented person. I'd have the perfect bike!
I found it a little difficult to modulate the 1200 in first gear. The throttle is very sensitive. Obviously that is most likely something to which I would become accustomed with time. Every gear seemed to be 'long', especially fourth. I thought to myself, there is hardly a reason to get out of fourth gear on this bike unless you are going to be doing upper highway speeds. I often 'feel' my 1150 begging me to shift to a higher gear when I'm around 4500-5000 rpms, but the 1200 seemed to run as smooth at 6000 rpms as it does at 4000. Below 4000 rpms, it felt like I was lugging the engine. I knew I should have written down the rpms at different speeds in different gears, because I have now forgotten, but it seemed I was doing 65 in 4th gear at about 5000 rpms. You guys will correct me I'm sure if I have that wrong. At 6000 rpms both bikes still have power left, but the 1200 made it feel a whole lot easier for the bike. I don't know how to say that technically, but it was real! The only time I even got to 6th gear was when I was testing it's limits (which I never found) on the long private road. Most of the time I stayed in 4th gear. The bike has a lot of power left in it even at 6000 rpms - more than I could use. (okay - a disclaimer - I didn't really have the bike up to 133, nor 120. That's photoshopped as is the wheelie picture. I did have it at 110 though before running out of road.)
Smoothness was the other very noticeable difference. I'm sure a lot of that has to do with the Ohlins versus my 27,000 mile stock shocks. But the smoothness was not just in the suspension. It was in the feel of the engine as well. I don't know how to describe that either, but the bike never felt like it was begging for another gear. That is something I sense with my 1150. The 1200 never felt like it was straining at the higher rpms, giving the bike an all over smoother ride. And the Ohlins - well, they are just superior. I wish I would have had the foresight and knowledge to have bought better shocks when I purchased my bike new in '06. But, it has served me well. Actually - had I not ridden ChiTown's 1200, I would probably not even realize that there could be a better option than the shocks I have now. I probably would not even have realized that mine were mushy. Dang. This babysitting is going to end up costing me some cash in the end, I'm certain!! Shocks are still cheaper than a bike upgrade though.
On with a short tour of Texas for the Yankee bike. Once I got out into the country a little more, I was able to introduce the 1200 to some Texas culture.
These are Longhorns, ChiTown:
The black and white one especially liked the white pinstripe on your black bike:
Oh oh, a fight in the corral:
This black cow thought she matched your bike with the Ohlins very well:
Sound
Pulling up next to the Longhorns on a back country road hardly traveled, and seeing them not move away from me, it made me pay closer attention to the sound of the 1200. Now this comparison is a little more difficult because like I said, I run my 1150 without a can. My 1150 has a nice throaty sound. Not any louder than with the can, just deeper. But from memory, I think the 1200 sounds less like a sewing machine than my 1150 did with the can on. It sounds more like a bike should. I don't think ChiTown's bike has the stock muffler though. He will have to enlighten you on that. But it has a sweet note and the Longhorns were pleased.
Now to refine the yankee bike with some more Texas Culture:
A stop in Luckenbach, Texas (made famous by Waylon Jennings and Willie Nelson) which is now a motorcycle mecca on weekends. Definitely a dip into Texas culture here!! Click the link to see an old video of the song being sung by Waylon, Willie, Johnny Cash, and Kris Kristopherson (classic Texas culture from that era)
Texas Catcus - bad for mc tires!! I was careful.
Classic Texas low water crossing. I've seen photos of ChiTown's bike do crossings much deeper than this, so I assumed it would handle this one fine.
However, the drop off is about 50feet and this isn't my bike, so I opted for this crossing a little further down the road.
Heading home I introduced the 1200 to Texas Tea.
I took a break and gas stop here, and noticed the Budweiser Truck. Not being a beer drinker, I did not know that this was not a "Texas" beer until I was informed by the driver. But it was a good picture anyway, so it got added to the collection and became the impetus for another Texas Culture moment for the 1200.
Being a little embarrassed about the whole beer debacle, I decided I should find a local beer to cover for my mistake. So once back in Houston, I asked my neighbor if he had any local beer. He offered up Saint Arnold's - made locally in Houston and Texas' oldest craft brewery (whatever that means).
Getting closer to home, I wanted to take a photo of the 1200 by this old house which has been here a very long time. But................
The house was no longer there. So the R1200R got to experience a little bit of recent Texas history: the after effects of Hurricane Ike.
Another Texas tradition: Texans are very proud of their state. They find ways to incorporate their state pride into their decorating. You will see the flag, the state shape, or the lonestar on many homes and in many yards.
And of course, I had to take a photo of ChiTown's bike in front of a historical marker, and since I always seem to pass by pretty churches on rides, I chose this historical marker. A church built in 1888 in Rosehill, Texas
Soon Christmas busyness got in the way of more test rides, so the introduction into Texas history and the bike comparison has gone stagnate over the last couple of weeks. I don't know if I will have a chance to resume it. There are so many things about Texas the bike still needs to experience and I would like to get a better assessment of the differences between the two bikes so that I could be more definitive and articulate in my review. Unfortunately time is not on my side and I'll have to surrender ChiTown's bike sometime within the next few days.
I had a lot of fun riding the R1200R. The most impressive difference between it and my '05 1150 is the POWER. Having a chance to ride the bike a couple of times and for long distances has been a great way to test ride a potential next bike. Given the choice between the two bikes, which would I buy? Easy and obvious choice.................. except: I still like my R1150R too much to turn my back on it. So I won't be trading up anytime soon, but when it's time - I think the R1200R is the route I'll go. That's at least 1-2 years from now though and new bikes might be introduced before then. I'll have to hope for another babysitting job when that day rolls around.
Thanks, ChiTown for letting me babysit this beast for the past few weeks. She will be returned to you in perfect condition, and refined in Texas culture!
