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

Guys, I'm thinking (just thinking at this stage...) about moving to an ST. I know a few of you have ST's. Dean, you may have been the first (?)
Anyway, I walked into my dealer yesterday to maybe ask about any leftover GT's. There were none to be had, but an ST caught my eye.
My '02 R (black) with 25 k miles has been trouble free and I love it. However, the new boxer drive train sounds like it might be too good to pass up.
I had been thinking about a previous generation K (I love the looks of it vs the newer K's) hence my interest in the GT. I'd like to see what more, smoother power feels like.
I started chatting with the parts guy and he said I should drive any of the new boxers before considering a K. I have not test driven an ST yet, but if the weather here in NJ is
decent next week I will. I did sit on the bike and liked the feel of it but of course the body position is a bit more aggressive than my R (I have the Verholen bar backs installed).
I've been doing quite a bit of research since yesterday but I still have a couple of questions with issues some of you may be able to help with. If I go for an ST I'd like to get it set up as
closely as I can to the way my R is 'personalized'. i.e.:

Bar Backs. Do you guys know if anyone makes these for the ST? I can't find any from Verholen or Moto techniques. Any ideas ?

Signal Minder. Kisan doesn't list the ST as a supported platform, do you know of any other providers ? I believe the ST has self cancelling turn signals but I really like the running light option
and would like to retain that.

Has anyone installed an XM Roady, V1, or a Garmin Quest on an ST? What mounting solution did you use ?

With the new CAN bus I know I can't just tap into any cable to hardwire accessories; I assume I'll need one of those Centech AP-1 fuse panels wired up to the battery.Correct ?

Backrest. Any ideas ? The one I have from Pirate's Lair won't work. The ST luggage bridge is quite different from the R's.

PIAA 1100x's. I have these mounted to the Wunderlich crash bars now. Any ideas as to a good mounting point on the ST?

Thanks guys, any other advice would be appreciated.

Happy New Year !

Ah the ST. Yes mine was the first one sold in the US and now has 17,000 miles. Very comfortable bar backs are available from San Jose BMW, in fact, Lisa the GM has them on hers. Don't know about a back rest but the BMW back box has a built in back rest.

Signal Minder. Kisan doesn't list the ST as a supported platform, do you know of any other providers ? I believe the ST has self cancelling turn signals but I really like the running light option
and would like to retain that

Don't know anything about that as the head light turns nite into day.

Has anyone installed an XM Roady, V1, or a Garmin Quest on an ST? What mounting solution did you use ?

Ask Lisa at SJBMW as she has done all of that to hers.

With the new CAN bus I know I can't just tap into any cable to hardwire accessories; I assume I'll need one of those Centech AP-1 fuse panels wired up to the battery.Correct ?

Same answer as the above.

No need as the head lights on the ST are unbeliveable.

On mine I have the BMW ST tank bag, the BMW side cases and the full Remus exhaust. Simply a fantastic bike.









I could go on, but that is enough.

Dean, thanks, this is helpful. I will contact Lisa this week.

Happy New Year.

dean, that sure is spiffy getting that jacket to match the bike.

Faaaancy!

Tony,

If you are motivated to move now, I think the R1200ST is the closest to a roadbike while we await the R1200R. Very nice lines (for those who like it) and the Hexhead engine, drivetrain, final drive improvements. Dean has done the beta testing for the rest of us. The R1200GS and R1200ST between them cover the niche that the R1200R might fill. Good luck.

M

Tony, one of my local dealers has two STes that were demo bikes, and have reduced prices.

Mike, I agree. I would like to consider something with some wind protection so I don't know if the new Roadster will tickle my fancy. In any case, I'm not really in a rush. I must say Dean's writeup on his ST was highly influential to me. It might be the right blend of sport and touring for moi. I do a lot of local around-town and city (as in NYC) riding as well so the light weight would be a plus.

Jeff, thanks for the tip - my dealer also has a could of un-used demo units as well including on in my color of choice: the blue/black combo.

We'll see..........

Thanks for the input guys.

Guys FYI, here is the reply I got from Kisan when I emailed them asking about a Signal Minder unit for the new hexhead models.

"We are coming out with an inline plug-in unit for the chassis computer of
the newer BMWs that will incorporate the signalMinder and tailBlazer
deceleration features. Anticipated release in May '06."

Deano & Tony,

I put an HID headlight in my RR, its a great mod. I can only imagine what a double HID installed in an ST would be like. You'd be talking about 3 times more light. What would be cool is for one of the headlights to have a high/low beam & the other a low only. Thatway you would get fantastic coverage from the combo hi/low, as the high beam uses the same bulb but just wiggles it to achieve a higher beam pattern, which on my single beam RR I find to be very good for way down the road but not quite bright enough up close.

Tony, that ST is very cool. I've demoed it twice, liked it very much, but really want to see the new RR (not to mention the new R1200S). I bet there are some great deals on the ST right now, & I think its destined to be a very rare & sought after bike. I just have a feeling 5 years from now I will kick myself for not picking one up. On the BMW-ST site a guy was talking about buying a second one & putting it in storage.

is the ST definitely going to be 86'd?

Tony,

I did see somewhere some bar risers or bar backs. That would also be a concern of mine. I think the bike would be ok without them, but I like the idea they're out there IF I needed em.

Socalrob, I did manage to locate a US distributor for the MV / Verholen bar backs:
http://www.creativecycleconcepts.com/st ... egoryID=78

I agree with you, if I do decide to go for the ST, I will wait a while before I make any ergo mods.

And I will have a sh*tload of stuff to sell...........

San Jose BMW has the barbacks in stock, and I have ridden an ST with them, very comfortable. Lisa at SJBMW has them on hers.

I knocked off early today and test rode a new ST.

WOW WOW WOW

Smoooooooooooooth. No 1st gear "clunk". Very very quick and nimble. The bike had exactly zero miles so the tires weren't scrubbed but I managed to have a ball on that thing. Feels lighter than it is.

The riding position is definitely more aggressive than my bar backed R but it's fine.

All I can say is I'm glad I didn't have my checkbook with me.

Stay tuned, I may be selling a bunch of R stuff.

Soon.

Make sure you get a deal. I was at the dealership looking at the KR and the salesman told me he would knock $3K off of an ST.


Bill

Well BP..must have been Victory..I take delivery of an ST on TUE.

Dean, if ya read this, I have already contacted San Jose about the bar backs, told em you sent me if that's ok. I'm gonna give it a month to see if the stockers are ok.

I have to wait for the bike as its 0600 on Friday the 13th and I'm heading to Vegas for a honeymoon.

I can't wait for the ST, its gonna be fun, I loved it on the 9 test rides I took. Victory cut me a hell of a deal.

Roger

Congrats Roger, hope to see you on the highways out east of town!!

Bill

Roger,

Congrats on both accounts!

One work of advice - Don't let the new wife know you spent the weekend dreaming about a bike.

Bill, you'll see me I'm sure. I live waaayyyy across town from you. However, gotta ride ya know.

Thanks BP and SC. Had a great time its now Monday, and really except for a couple times we were too busy having fun for me to think about the new ST, left a little money in Vegas but not much.
Rog