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

I wish for a new bike, my rr is fine but I do not feel 'attached' to
it like my pos guzzi. which I do not 'like' but could not consider
parting with.
Definitly a new R is on my horizon, I feel the weight of the R,
the new one will be lighter for sure... BUT i will have to wait!!
So, I know the K-Rs weight is equal to my 2spark R But does it
FEEL and handle like a lighter R?? All this tilt engine, low center
of gravity etc, Is it obviously lighter?? No test rides yet in Guatemala,
probably none till a used one is on the lot.... Low speed handling,
gravel parking lot, U turn kind of less weight is what I am wondering..
Who has experience with both r?? and gravel and u turns....
Israel

To me, the KR is difficult to compare to the RR because it is so different. The low speed handling of the KR, even on gravel, is not a problem at all - as long as the throttle control remains delicate. MikeCam would be the expert on this. He has a steep gradient and tight hairpins in loose, rocky gravel just between his garage and the road.

mac

That MikeCam has an undeserved reputation...be careful of his advice.

But my experience with both the RR and KR is this: at a standstill you feel the same weight as you lift them off the sidestand. At the vertical, the KR suddenly feels very much (noticeably) more balanced, hence lighter.

On the move, on gravel, in tight turns (up and down a 40% slope and on the level) the sensation of trail braking the RR yields a controlled, throttle moderated sense of balance. With the KR the feel is somewhat less - less 'feel' from trail braking, less 'feel' of turning the front duolever. Not, however, any less control. Also, the KR idles higher than the RR and provides plenty of unmodulated push against trail braking without the need to feather the throttle.

My overall experience in gravel - every ride starts and ends in a 1/4 mile up/down hill loose gravel drive - is that the bike is less the challenge than the technique. Head up and eyes forward and out; 'feel' the road, don't look at it. Trail brake, maintain a speed and balance from which you can either accelerate or stop. But don't do either - just maintain.

Then when you reach tarmac again--------let 'er rip!