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

My 850R was due it's 12K service today & I wanted to get a trade-in evaluation too. Turns out it has a weeping final drive input seal after only it's 2nd birthday - which will be fixed under warranty - and the rear brake pads and tires are worn out, which I sadly have to pay for myself...

All that was going to take a while, so I'd called ahead to Sales & tipped em off that I wanted to try a K12 'before making any decisions'. They didn't have a K12R available sadly (which is the one I could most likely afford) but I was able to try both a K1200R Sport and an '07 K1200S back to back for an hour each.

'S' demo was an '07 Silver with yellow wheels: ( )


- Unbelievable surge of power. If my little Boxer is an engine, then this is a turbine...
- R Sport is shorter geared than S, quick to get up to 6th without realising whilst taking it easy & short-shifting
- Much more noticeable 'kick in the pants' from the R Sport, I could hardly get near the top of the rev range in any gear and still hold on
- Gear selection seems almost irrelevant, though S labours a little in top below 70mph... Yikes!
- Still quite windy on the R Sport, despite fairing. I was getting a lot of head noise & could feel wind on my shoulders (more so than R12S) probably because of the fairly straight bars?
- Both bikes easy for me to flat-foot and move around whilst parking with 32" inseam
- Riding position very roomy, I had loads of variance in position to choose from, so if you are taller than me you still wouldn't be all that cramped
- Stock seat is odd, not bad, but odd - there's a strange lump right under your backside balance point which can sit either on / in front of / behind, weird
- ESA didn't seem to make much difference in my brief experience on good fast roads
- Non-servo ABS brakes are just unbelievable, I cannot get over how fast you can slow down (?)
- Overall, so amazingly easy to ride and so blindingly quick - it's like they've twisted the dial round on the speedo to read 30mph higher. There is no acceleration, just 'picking a number' and then being there - awesome.

A new 'S' with ABS & heated grips is £11,045 in the UK, but they'd just got in an immaculate '05 yesterday (ESA, ABS, H/grips, Akrapovic, MRA screen) which has done only 6.5K miles as the guy puts bike miles on his new R12RT instead - that'd be my bike plus £5K / $10K ...



Rode my Boxer home thinking about it (only hit the rev limiter twice & my flat Rockster bars feel like apehangers now...) Sorely tempted & seduced by the sheer power of the thing - it is so fast! - but my sensible side tells me I may stay out of jail/hospital for longer on my bike or even an R12S instead though...

Test ride a R1200R and you'll be swapping pink slips!

I traded my K1200S for a R1200R and I wasn't even looking to swap!

Just like you,I test rode a K12R when my rockster was in the shop to have a leaking final drive seal replaced (for the 2nd time).

I traded for a K12R a week later and have never regretted it.

One of these is going to be my next bike...

How much more upright was the riding position on the K12Rsport compared to the S?

And you are saying you liked the non-ABS brakes?

Interesting...

I also rode two different K1200Ss recently. One was an 05 and the other an 07. The 05 suprisingly rode better than the 07 (maybe because of the higher mileage) but both had phenominal performance compared to my 02 RR. I found the S very easy to ride and it seemed lighter than my R even though it is fact slightly heavier. Bothe bikes had ESA but, to be honest, I wasn't riding at the limits of the bike so found the variance between the settings hard to notice.

I was very interested in purchasing a new bike but the local dealer here does not seem interested in selling me one. They lent me a K1200S for a half-day ride but then took 10 days to follow-up. I am still awaiting some definite figures from them on a specific bike and a trade-in price for my RR.

Anyway, that aside, I have since spoken to two K1200S owners both of whom were critical of the gearbox when hot and one was about to trade his for a R1200GS.

Ideally I'd like to keep the RR but have a KS as well.

Have been out on Mitzi's K1200R getting a new front tyre today (130 mile round trip, weeeelll I had to scrub it in didn't I... )



Still prefer the Rockster - the K is just too quick for me.... ahem

adg44 wrote:... How much more upright was the riding position on the K12Rsport compared to the S?

And you are saying you liked the non-ABS brakes? ...

The R Sport is a lot more upright with flatter bars, compared to the S with it's clip-ons. The fairing is still wide & quite big overall, but the screen is still fairly low & I was disappointed with the windblast relative to an RR - although it is quieter & you are of course going a lot faster!

Both the K bikes I rode had ABS brakes, but from '07 models they are non-servo assisted like the current R12R and GS. The front brake bite and grip enable you to slow down faster than I thought was possible - if I were going this way then I think I'd definitely choose an ABS bike.

MartinW wrote:... Bothe bikes had ESA but, to be honest, I wasn't riding at the limits of the bike so found the variance between the settings hard to notice.

I was very interested in purchasing a new bike but the local dealer here does not seem interested in selling me one. They lent me a K1200S for a half-day ride but then took 10 days to follow-up. I am still awaiting some definite figures from them on a specific bike and a trade-in price for my RR ...

Martin - Bahnstormer near Alton (at the former SPC site) are keen to do business, they have the immaculate blue bike above & gave me a price-to-change on the spot.

http://www.bahnstormer.co.uk/

Not far past Farnham on the A31 / A32 - nice location for a test ride via the A272 to Winchester!

I agree with you on the ESA, unless perhaps you do a lot of mixed loads (solo, pillion, with/without luggage etc). It's a big-money option otherwise.

Thanks Hirsty. It's where I bought my RR from when it was SPC so I know the location but haven't paid a visit there since Bahnstormer picked up the pieces. I know what you mean about the A272 although I believe it is often targeted with speed cameras.

hass wrote:Test ride a R1200R and you'll be swapping pink slips!

I traded my K1200S for a R1200R and I wasn't even looking to swap!

I too have ridden the R1200R, and if I had my choice, it would be it!