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New member, a few questions

PeteMoss

New member
Hi All,

Yesterday i put a deposit on a 2005 K1200s at a dealership in NJ; I am quite excited and just slightly anxious about my decision (I originally was looking for a sport-tourer in the $4k range for fun and some commuting, they were offrering the bike at a great price and they let me drive it, which was a huge factor in deciding to purchase). The K1200s is alot of bike!! It is a beautiful, awesome monster that I am eager to befriend. Holy guacamole it's fast; I've owned a K75s and a GPZ 750 in the past, and they are completely different animals.

I'd like to put a few questions to folks out there who own the bike. There are two things in particular that I did not like about the bike, that I believe can be remedied.
1) Mirrors are not the best.
The thing I remember about my K75s was that during the test drive, we got up to speed and the mirrors did not vibrate at all. I felt supremely confident about what was behind me, far behind me and to either side of me.
The question is, has anyone else experienced this and is there a decent solution. Bar ends? Good after market extenders of some sort?
2) Throttle and clutch are not terribly forgiving. Bike seems to be 'off' or 'on', throttlewise. Some of this is my lack of experience and finesse with the controls, which will improve once getting used to the particulars of the machine. Question is: are there any tricks to making the clutch pedal a bit smoother/ are there alternative software programs that change the injector mapping?? Again, I think most of this is user rather than machine related and I'm on the steep part of the learning curve with this machine.

I'd appreciate any feedback that may help; I am new here (hope I'm in the right forum-My bike is a wedge? well, OK.)
I did try to search the mirror topic, but did not find anything, unless I'm not using it correctly. Thanks in advance.
 
The mirrors are ok on my '05. I would make sure they are not loose or that the swing-out-of-the-way feature is snug and not worn.
The bike is a little jumpy. Make sure the latest computer updates are done since that smooths the bike out quite a lot.
 
The mirrors are ok on my '05. I would make sure they are not loose or that the swing-out-of-the-way feature is snug and not worn.
The bike is a little jumpy. Make sure the latest computer updates are done since that smooths the bike out quite a lot.

+1 on the software updates. Make sure its part of the deal closing. The dealer already has the software, so it doesn't cost them anything but a few minutes of plug-in time to do the updates!

Oh, and welcome to the addiction... :)
 
SW-Motech makes mirror extension/widener, available at Twisted Throttle fpr $65. I have not tried them, but have thought about it.
 
Thanks all.

I believe they said they did the software update, but will ask again.
Mirror extensions sound like something to look into...

Yes, I believe I have the fever...I'm already ordering aftermarket stuff and don't even have the bike yet!
 
I have the K1300GT, that I'm still getting used to.
The throttle control needed for smooth driving around town was aggravated (for me) by the thin grips. A pair of Grip Puppies was a great improvement - and they are cheap.
Enjoy!
 
Do the Grip Puppies affect your grip heaters too much? That's been my only hesitation about getting a set, for the same reason...
 
Do the Grip Puppies affect your grip heaters too much? That's been my only hesitation about getting a set, for the same reason...

I don't know about Grip Puppies, but I have noticed that the heated grips are not much affected by additions to the grip surface. I had foam grips on my K100RS grips and the heat came thru just fine. There are some "o-ring" accessory grip thickener kits out there. The GS guys use them sold by Tom Dowell in IL. Essentially a bag of rubber o-rings that fit snug on the stock grip along the length of the grip and make it bigger.
I have the thin grips on my K12S(es) and don't mind the grips. They are ok for me...maybe a little getting used to.
 
I would think that the only difference would be that it would take a little longer for the grips to heat up. I think I'm going to get a set of Grip Puppies and give them a try. Like J. said, they're cheap.
 
There are some "o-ring" accessory grip thickener kits out there. The GS guys use them sold by Tom Dowell in IL. Essentially a bag of rubber o-rings that fit snug on the stock grip along the length of the grip and make it bigger.
I have the thin grips on my K12S(es) and don't mind the grips. They are ok for me...maybe a little getting used to.

we have the O-rings on ours...they heat up well and don't get mushy from the heat. The stock square shape just felt odd and maybe with the death grip I had at full on throttle,I was wearing out gloves:laugh
 
So I've had the bike for about a week and a half now, unbelievably fun.
I looked back at this post and have ordered/installed everything suggested! (Am I impressionable or what?).

Mirror extenders helped tremendously...

Helmet lock (fr Pirate's Lair), is a cool device, even though my helmet doesn't have a 'D' ring...

Grip Puppies are totally cush, maybe a bit too cush, but I think they will wear in a bit...

Got a tank bag that I don't know about, unsure if I put it on correctly...

Bought a BMW rear tail light extender/flasher (Which, when I got it home, had no instructions, not too many parts, but I certainly don't want to guess with any of the electronics...)

The bike rides very nicely. Have a problem with the fuel sensor being completely misleading, so now I'll reset the trip every time I fill up..

The Shifter is incredibly sloppy, which I understand to be an issue, so I MUST do that fix ASAP.

The only other issue I've noticed is that at slower speeds, attempting to hold a completely upright stance, the bike kind of wants to slalom a bit. Is it doing some sort of happy dance? Should I check the ball joints? Is this a common trait?

The thing I really need is a radar detector, b/c the bike really wants to go 90, and does feel rock solid beyond that...
 
I got the mirrors on my K1200RSport changed under warranty....actually within 3 months of purchase.

If clutch/ Throttle is not smooth, see if the latest software update is done and airbox recall is done.
 
radarforbikes.com is the place to go. I have the TPX radar on my K1300GT, with the optional visual alert LED mounted to the top of my dash. Its completely waterproof, easy to use, mount and dismount.
 
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