which BMW r to buy

[bimmerboy72]

I'm selling my Blackbird because my knee surgery wont let me ride sportbikes all day.
I have had a k1200rs and though very comfy and kinda fast, it was big as a battleship.
I love to ride, leaned way over, ride all day at times, travel, but also like having bottom end torque for just tooling around.
I am used to having full fairing, but heard the rt is slow from a start and has higher gears for hiway.
The r or rs has lower gears but not fully faired.
What is the best used BMW to buy?

[nylife]

well you came to r1200r forum, so most of us will be biased towards that bike, with that said you have to go and test ride them and see what you like, all depends on what you looking to get out of the bike
street riding, touring, some off road

[TT RDHS]

I love my R12R.
But if it's your knees that are bothering you,... you should seriously think about a GS.
More legroom.

[jkhomes]

The fairing issue has a lot of threads on this board, and the tools are here to address that if you want. My knees don't bother me on the R bike with regular seat height, and I quit thinking I might need the footpeg lowering kit. The 1200R is fast and fun.

[ContraMoto]

I've had a GS (twice) and have an R now. If I had issues with a knee being too bent...I'd get a GS. With a tall seat on it, it's very, very roomy for the legs. And, yes, you can still hammer it way leaned over. It's a fine handling bike that is much more nimble that it appears. Probably why they've sold a zillion of them...

The R suits me best, but the GS probably suits a wider range of riders.

[SDMAX]

R bike is fine for leg room if you use at least the standard seat or better the tall seat. Depends on the riding you are going to do; but, if you aren't going to take the GS anywhere you need GS capability then why not an R....some prefer the whole seating arrangement on the GS; but, I can't handle what it looks like. You get about 10 more HP on the R too. Just my personal bias.

[Jedi5150]

I did close to 20 miles of fairly rough dirt-road riding on my new R1200R yesterday. The street tires were noticable in the muddier spots but I really didn't notice a huge difference between it and my former 1200GS. The GS is a beast on dirt, and IMHO it's sort of misadvertised as an enduro. I view the GS as the ultimate sport-tourer. I found it more comfortable than even the RT on the highway and every bit as nimble in the turns as the R.

I went with the R because I wanted to get back to the feel of motorcycling. It may sound very odd but I wanted to actually have to stress about how much and what to pack for trips. I wanted to be a little bit more bothered by the weather. I guess the only way to describe it is my big GS with large cases and tall windshield and a bit of fairing sort of took the "adventure" out of riding. Go figure. Plus, the R has always been the "looker" of the boxer line IMHO.

[bimmerboy72]

I found a 01 rtp in Dallas where I live and picked it up for a song. She is in great shape and runs perfect and all the electrics work.
The last rtp i rode was an electric nightmare.
This thing is so stable and planted but off idle, it handles like a big sportbike, I can really throw it around.
The coolest part is that car drivers NOTICE ME, I get waved past, cars slow down and they don't pull out in front of me anymore.
It is hilarious to drive.
The plastic is all perfect as well as the paint and it is Oklahoma PD bike, not cali. It has oil cooler fan too.
And the accessory rack really gets folks attention.
There is very little info on these bikes though.
How do i get the seat off to look under her skirt? I am very mechanical and want to ck everything out before I take a trip.
Also how long is Alt belt good for? Has anyone put rear seat on and can you change back and forth? I like the radio box look but my wife likes to ride too.
After prev maint. done I want to put in radio and radar detector and plan a trip.

[deilenberger]

Also how long is Alt belt good for?

Can't answer any of the other questions - but this one I can.

BMW sez 36,000 miles. I'd say more likely 60,000 or more, based on how my belt looked when I changed it at 42,000 miles. The one that came off looked exactly like the one that went on - no sign of cracking, wear or anything else worrysome. Unless they magically snap when they reach a certain mileage, I think they are a very long lived belt. Of course on an RTP - if it was used with lots of electrical consumers (like extra lights, radio, etc.) it might be under more stress then a standard R12R, so you may want to err - at least once - on the side of caution. Once you R&R the old one, you'll be better set to judge how long the belt will last.

[USMCDad]

I went with the R because I wanted to get back to the feel of motorcycling. It may sound very odd but I wanted to actually have to stress about how much and what to pack for trips. I wanted to be a little bit more bothered by the weather. I guess the only way to describe it is my big GS with large cases and tall windshield and a bit of fairing sort of took the "adventure" out of riding. Go figure. Plus, the R has always been the "looker" of the boxer line IMHO.

This remark helped me a LOT. I've been lurking here and wanting a R12 for years (currently riding a 2001 Honda VFR). I've test ridden an R12 3X at BMW Open Houses but have been able to resist the urge to write the check (overly Dad/Husband "problem" LoL). When the 2011 R12 came out, I saw one at the LA MC show, then guys started posting very favorable ride reports, and I was ready to buy this year (make mine Red please!). Then I got laid off from my job at the end of March. Then the K1600 shipped to USA, and people started posting ride reports, I kinda got off track there for a few weeks wanting a K1600 GT. I was thinking "Oh it would be nice to have a fairing on those chilly mornings, and that six is to die for."

Please forgive me brothers and sisters for getting off track!

Jedi your remarks hit home big time and reminded me why I want a big twin naked bike and an R12 in particular. Thanks much brother!

Oh by the way Don there is "free" garage space for your West Coast R12 here in San Diego. As long as you leave the key in it that is ... you know, so I can move it in case of an "emergency". LoL!

- Dad out

[Jedi5150]

No problem at all, glad it helped. Keep us posted and I hope you enjoy whichever one you get!

This remark helped me a LOT. I've been lurking here and wanting a R12 for years (currently riding a 2001 Honda VFR). I've test ridden an R12 3X at BMW Open Houses but have been able to resist the urge to write the check (overly Dad/Husband "problem" LoL). When the 2011 R12 came out, I saw one at the LA MC show, then guys started posting very favorable ride reports, and I was ready to buy this year (make mine Red please!). Then I got laid off from my job at the end of March. Then the K1600 shipped to USA, and people started posting ride reports, I kinda got off track there for a few weeks wanting a K1600 GT. I was thinking "Oh it would be nice to have a fairing on those chilly mornings, and that six is to die for."

Please forgive me brothers and sisters for getting off track!

Jedi your remarks hit home big time and reminded me why I want a big twin naked bike and an R12 in particular. Thanks much brother!

Oh by the way Don there is "free" garage space for your West Coast R12 here in San Diego. As long as you leave the key in it that is ... you know, so I can move it in case of an "emergency". LoL!

- Dad out

[JohnM]

Throwing my 2 cents in here ....

As members of our local club here on the NJ Shore, DonE convinced me about 2 years ago to take a long hard look at the R1200R as a replacement for my aging `92 K75RT.

I almost bought a new 2010 ... wife didn't like the milk-truckish white color on the dealer's floor model ... and ended up finding locally a nice low-mileage`09 in Granite Gray last year ... from a fellow forum member!

Fast-forwarding to 2 weeks ago, DonE and I attended Morton's Spring Rally in Natural Bridge, VA. I stole away for a 75-mile solo ride on VA-39, just outside Lexington. One of the best m/c roads I've ever travelled. Let's just say that it planted a smile on my face that the coroner won't be able to take off. Damn! This is a GREAT motorcycle! I am not a squid, but the chicken strips were fried. Best still, it serves with equal aplomb as a slow & high-speed tourer.

I really considered an RT, but this equation holds true .... less weight = bigger smiles. (At least IMO.)

Over 14K later, I'm very happy I drank the Kool-Aid.

[bimmerguy]

Bimmerboy is now bimmerguy because of password issues.
Yep i'm the guy who started this thread.
I found a very clean '01 RTP1100 copbike from Oklahoma, with 64k on it.
It is immaculate and seems to be well maintained, shifts easy, runs great.
I have started removing the cop wiring and it looks like they just scotchlocked wiring instead of butchering it up.
What a HUGE change from riding a sportbike like the Blackbird.
My knees, hands, neck and back don't hurt after getting off.
I take my same fav twistie roads I used to ride, but now on the BMW, it just wants more.
I'm still getting used to paralever front end, I've heard of losing front end midturn is an issue, so I don't push as hard.
But I am amazed at how far she likes to lean.
I'm gathering parts for civilian conversion now..
BMW, they make bikes that make you want lunch in another state, not across town.