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

In the New Cycle World magazine there is a big article about Honda's new C-ABS. "Best Brakes Ever" . Does anyone know how much better they are than BMW's ABS?
The Honda C-ABS weighs 25 lbs. I think the BMW ABS weighs 3.3 lbs. Although I could be wrong about BMW's. Seems hard to believe but here in Webbikeworld's article
http://www.webbikeworld.com/BMW-motorcy ... bs-asc.htm
"An enhanced system based on this technology was introduced in 2006 in the new F800 S/ST midrange models as well as the new R1200S Sports Boxer and weighs just 3.3 lbs. (1.5 kg)."

I could find no mention of BMW in the piece at all.
Do you think Cycle World is in the bag for Honda? Or have they got it in for BMW?
When they do a story on Suzuki's B King or the new V-Max they compare the two to one another but no mention is made of the K1300R (or K1200R). It seems like an obvious comparison to me even if they just wanted to trash the beemer.
If the new S1000RR starts winning races will they take notice?
I don't NEED them to give credit to our brand , I guess I just took notice and wanted to whine a little.

Mark

I think (I sometimes do) that the reason is that most of the writers were brought up on Japanese machines. In the past BMWs weren't noted for their blazing performance. Good touring bike that went around corners well but not a slide you back on the seat when you twisted the throttle type bike. A nice bike for old guys putting down the road hundreds of miles from home or a leisurely trip around the world.
The companys (BMW) new direction in the horsepower department hasn't sunk in with a lot of people yet. I occasionally take a ride with the go-fast crowd, although I admit that I can't maintain the level of attention needed for that kind of riding for long. Those guys usually expect a Beemer to turn reasonably well but they are usually surprised at the straight line capabilities of the bike (IE: horsepower).
I'm sure that a few podiums and eventually a World Super Bike championship will change the stigma of the old fat guy in black leathers on a black bike with white pinstripes.

Naturally:IMHO

Ignorance is bliss!...


Example: I was at a stop light recently on the RR when a bright yellow Ferrari V-12 pulled up beside me, revving up his engine. Light goes green and he stomps on the V-12 (which sounds a lot like a nest of mad hornets). Doing the Guy thing, I rolled on the throttle to see how my 109HP 2 cylinder hex head would perform against the 500+HP V12. Not even rolling on to full power in any gear up to the next stop, I was right beside the Prancing Horse. When we stopped, he looked at me with wide eyes and exclaimed "what ya got in that thing?". I smiled and said " 109 HP Two cylinder boxer. Is that all you got in that thing?". $13,000 BMW matches $350,000 Ferrari. Guess the guy did not understand power-to-weight ratios!

Life is good

mogu83 wrote: I'm sure that a few podiums and eventually a World Super Bike championship will change the stigma of the old fat guy in black leathers on a black bike with white pinstripes.

Naturally:IMHO

Hey, I resemble that remark!

If i had a stable of new bikes to choose from and only 5 min to ride each i'm not sure i'd choose the R1200R either. I'd go for some contraption that would give some quick thrills and be done with it on to the next bike. I think this is what happens to BMW in a lot of press - the best features of the bikes are the ones that reveal themselves over time. It's the quality, fit and finish, real world performance, resale value... all things that a magazine reviewer isn't likely to weigh when trying to write an exciting article.

ABS is a good example, or the ASC is an even better example. "I never used them once - waste of money!" Testers take bikes out in nice weather, maybe on a track, and have a focused 1hr ride. But these features reveal their usefulness on the not nice days, not on hour one but hour 5 of a ride, in a jammed commute, or a round the continent tour... again situations that are less likely to be present on the 1 ride review.

You can appreciate why the Japanese bikes win the hearts of reviewers. The price looks good on paper, often thrilling performance, and the styling is updated every year providing something new to write about.

ka5ysy wrote:Ignorance is bliss!...


Example: I was at a stop light recently on the RR when a bright yellow Ferrari V-12 pulled up beside me, revving up his engine. Light goes green and he stomps on the V-12 (which sounds a lot like a nest of mad hornets). Doing the Guy thing, I rolled on the throttle to see how my 109HP 2 cylinder hex head would perform against the 500+HP V12. Not even rolling on to full power in any gear up to the next stop, I was right beside the Prancing Horse. When we stopped, he looked at me with wide eyes and exclaimed "what ya got in that thing?". I smiled and said " 109 HP Two cylinder boxer. Is that all you got in that thing?". $13,000 BMW matches $350,000 Ferrari. Guess the guy did not understand power-to-weight ratios!

Life is good

Ditto new Corvette. He was wide-eyed over the BMW boxer matching his racer.

I test rode a Honda CB1000F before I got the 1200r....the front brakes were activated by the rear brake pedal..Felt soft. The R1200R has the BEST brakes....full stop ,no pun intended. As far as power...I'm just starting to realized what it means to have 109hp with 200kg bike and such torque...I mean...wow.Overtaking is a breeze. Not to mention resale and durability.

Most of the reader's letters in Cycle World are from owners of recently reviewed bikes. It strikes me that most of them are looking to validate their ownership of a particular model when they read and (sometimes) then write. I ordered a back issue of Cycle World just to read the review of the R1200R. After reading the review, I realized that 1) I didn't learn anything new and 2) I was probably just looking for that validation. I should know better. I get the validation I need every time I go for a ride. A little self-examination can be a healthy thing from time to time. I promise to keep working on my insecurities. If that doesn't work, I can get all the validation I need right here!

Doug