new R1200RS

CANADIANSTEVE · Nov 11, 2015

Well I test rode one ... and when I got back to the dealer lot I sat there and said to myself " if I bought this bike, and was pulling out of the lot to go home with it right now, would I be excited ? ". Well the answer was no ... I wanted to like it but it just didn't do anything for me ... perhaps the bare R with windshield and bags would be more to my liking ? I am very used to my 24 year old R100RS so am used to a classic feel ... hard to replicate I think !!!

royce · Nov 11, 2015

CANADIANSTEVE said:
Well I test rode one ... and when I got back to the dealer lot I sat there and said to myself " if I bought this bike, and was pulling out of the lot to go home with it right now, would I be excited ? ". Well the answer was no ... I wanted to like it but it just didn't do anything for me ... perhaps the bare R with windshield and bags would be more to my liking ? I am very used to my 24 year old R100RS so am used to a classic feel ... hard to replicate I think !!!

I too prefer the new R1200R to the RS model. Just seems to "feel more right" to me somehow. The R does sit a tad more upright than the RS, and also seems to feel lighter and more flickable to me. None of this can be quantified, but were I to buy one it would be the R model.

vtbob · Nov 12, 2015

It is clear the new R1200RS is not the bike for every one. What bike is? That is why BMW and all the other Manufactures offer so many models.

Having owned an R100RT, which was quite similar to the R100RS, I can say there are huge differences. Good or bad is a matter of personal preference.

I preorder the new R1200RS after sitting on one a a motorcycle show. I like brisk riding and long distance touring. For me the new generations of the RT had gotten to big, to bulbous, and the GS are just too tall and top heavy. The new R1200RS answered my needs.
All the benefits of the new wet head engine, the new suspension and electronics with a fixed adequate fairing. That is why I bought one.

But like most BMW owners, I have tailored my RS to best suit my needs, lower foot pegs to unfold older knees, bar risers to sit up a bit straighter, and a bit wider wind screen. 9000 miles and loving it.

royce · Nov 12, 2015

bobzeliff said:
... But like most BMW owners, I have tailored my RS to best suit my needs, lower foot pegs to unfold older knees, bar risers to sit up a bit straighter, and a bit wider wind screen ...

I admit I am not like most BMW riders, but I have not modified the ergonomics of any of my bikes; never modified the pegs, the seat, the bars, no risers, and although I have experimented from time with a taller/lower windshield, I have always gone back to the original as the best one for me. My bike-purchasing approach is to find the bike that fits me the best from the factory, and then I simply get used to whatever small adjustments needed for my body to ride comfortably. This has worked well for me on six or seven bikes, nearly 200,000 miles and all lower 48 at least three times on three different bikes. If it were up to me, most after-market companies would go broke.

36654 · Nov 12, 2015

CANADIANSTEVE said:
Well I test rode one ... and when I got back to the dealer lot I sat there and said to myself " if I bought this bike, and was pulling out of the lot to go home with it right now, would I be excited ? ". Well the answer was no ... I wanted to like it but it just didn't do anything for me ... perhaps the bare R with windshield and bags would be more to my liking ? I am very used to my 24 year old R100RS so am used to a classic feel ... hard to replicate I think !!!

I'm in the same boat.........Really wanted to like it.

More annoyances than charms....

dmilan · Nov 12, 2015

36654 said:
I'm in the same boat.........Really wanted to like it.

More annoyances than charms....

When I read that, I had to laugh....really hit home
That's sums up how I felt about my departed '14 RT, and feel about my current '15 GS.

petey · Nov 12, 2015

bobzeliff said:
It is clear the new R1200RS is not the bike for every one. What bike is? That is why BMW and all the other Manufactures offer so many models.

Having owned an R100RT, which was quite similar to the R100RS, I can say there are huge differences. Good or bad is a matter of personal preference.

I preorder the new R1200RS after sitting on one a a motorcycle show. I like brisk riding and long distance touring. For me the new generations of the RT had gotten to big, to bulbous, and the GS are just too tall and top heavy. The new R1200RS answered my needs.
All the benefits of the new wet head engine, the new suspension and electronics with a fixed adequate fairing. That is why I bought one.

But like most BMW owners, I have tailored my RS to best suit my needs, lower foot pegs to unfold older knees, bar risers to sit up a bit straighter, and a bit wider wind screen. 9000 miles and loving it.

I couldn't have said it better my self....I did the same except lowering the foot pegs...9K miles and loving it as well.

jamesevans · Nov 13, 2015

Ive got 8000 km on my RS and the only thing I've changed is to add an outlet on the right side for my electric jacket. It's a stunning bike, so much fun to ride, so composed over bumps, so agile yet steady in the corners. Definitely the best bike BMW makes - for me.

rikb · Feb 8, 2016

R1200R > R1200RS for me

after grieving for a dead '00 R1100RS for too long, i was all ready to go get the '16 R1200RS. but after riding them both, i brought the naked R1200R home.

still early days, but i am in pretty deep love. i thought i'd miss the RS's narrower bars and tucked stance, but I'm even starting to like the wider bars leverage. i will need to put some bigger fairing on it (it came with BMW's smaller one).

i wish i could get the R1200R in the same gray paint (mine is the red/white/black), but the rest of the RS plastic & weight just did not add anything for me.

EUGENE · Feb 8, 2016

rikb said:
after grieving for a dead '00 R1100RS for too long, i was all ready to go get the '16 R1200RS. but after riding them both, i brought the naked R1200R home.

still early days, but i am in pretty deep love. i thought i'd miss the RS's narrower bars and tucked stance, but I'm even starting to like the wider bars leverage. i will need to put some bigger fairing on it (it came with BMW's smaller one).

i wish i could get the R1200R in the same gray paint (mine is the red/white/black), but the rest of the RS plastic & weight just did not add anything for me.

Check out Parabellum windshield for fairing. :wave

jamesevans · Feb 9, 2016

I got my RS back in June - haven't changed the ergos at all and I love it to bits. It is uncannily stable and precise in turns, the seat's the right height, the engine is about perfect, the dynamic suspension is amazingly comfortable compared to my '09 RT, the riding position suits me. Sure there are a few niggles - the revcounter and speedo should have been reversed, the power outlet is on the wrong side, the navigator position isn't ideal. But what bike is perfect? I found the K1600 too much, the R1200RT too porky, the GS too tall, the K1300 too unwieldy, the 800's too small. It's just a matter of what you like - and I LOVE the RS!

milo · Feb 11, 2016

I've not ridden an R1200R or RS but just looking them over and sitting on them I believe it would be the RS for me. It's fairing is beautifully styled and a nice size not too big, and only 12 pounds heavier. The slight forward reach to the bars would probably feel just right once moving. I can't help but believe I'd feel like a sail at speed on a R1200R which is probably why a lot of owners add windshields. But they're essentially the same bike get whichever one feels right.

slipstream · Feb 12, 2016

Love my new RS. A perfect bike for me in ride height, ergonomics, power delivery, maneuverability, etc. Perfect for long hauls, or a quick commute. I'm hooked.

CRUZER · May 1, 2016

What options are available?

bobzeliff said:
I have tailored my RS to best suit my needs, lower foot pegs to unfold older knees, bar risers to sit up a bit straighter, and a bit wider wind screen. 9000 miles and loving it.

I pick up my new RS next weekend and of course am already shopping for farkles. I'll spend some time on it first before messing with the ergos, it might be great the way it is, but in case I need to lower the footpegs or raise the bars a bit would you mind posting what options are available for it?

jamesevans · May 3, 2016

CRUZER said:
I pick up my new RS next weekend and of course am already shopping for farkles. I'll spend some time on it first before messing with the ergos, it might be great the way it is, but in case I need to lower the footpegs or raise the bars a bit would you mind posting what options are available for it?

Check out http://r1200rsforums.com/. More information than you can shake a stick at!

lkchris · May 9, 2016

bobzeliff said:
For me the new generations of the RT had gotten to big, to bulbous, and the GS are just too tall and top heavy. The new R1200RS answered my needs.
All the benefits of the new wet head engine, the new suspension and electronics with a fixed adequate fairing. That is why I bought one.

But like most BMW owners, I have tailored my RS to best suit my needs, lower foot pegs to unfold older knees, bar risers to sit up a bit straighter, and a bit wider wind screen. 9000 miles and loving it.

Thing about the old Airheads is that the market demanded the ability to carry more weight. Most Airheads used for touring these days are grossly overloaded. BMW did NOT approve top boxes on Airheads (until the '85-on models and the box is miniscule) and the weight rating for the saddlebags is pretty low. Many think the OE saddlebag mounts are weak and prone to breaking, but they'll be fine if the bags aren't overloaded.

I've looked over the new RS but haven't ridden it or actually seen the saddlebags. I did do a constant dollar price comparison with the price I paid for a new R100RS in Dec 1983, and the prices are the same ... making the new bike quite a bargain and quite an accomplishment by BMW.

beemerphile · May 10, 2016

CANADIANSTEVE said:
Well I test rode one ... and when I got back to the dealer lot I sat there and said to myself " if I bought this bike, and was pulling out of the lot to go home with it right now, would I be excited ? ". Well the answer was no ... I wanted to like it but it just didn't do anything for me ... perhaps the bare R with windshield and bags would be more to my liking ? I am very used to my 24 year old R100RS so am used to a classic feel ... hard to replicate I think !!!

Well heck Steve, what did you expect? You already have the best motorcycle ever produced.

pockomoth · Jun 30, 2016

Footpeg lowering

CRUZER said:
I pick up my new RS next weekend and of course am already shopping for farkles. I'll spend some time on it first before messing with the ergos, it might be great the way it is, but in case I need to lower the footpegs or raise the bars a bit would you mind posting what options are available for it?

My dealer suggested instead of the pricey OEM footpeg lowering, I go with the highest seat, which added an inch to the ergo height. Great idea, more cushion, I feel a little less like I'm sitting "in" it, works for me. Suburban Machinery makes a much cheaper foot peg lowering kit but it interferes with the side stand.

rjc_bmw · Sep 22, 2016

Ergos . . .

3k on my '16 R 1200 RS without any ergo changes except adjusting the gear shifter.

Can't imagine loving it any more than I already do. For me the position feels very upright, but I am coming off a Ducati, so ymmv.

Been on short 'round towners with the guys and longer overnighters with the lady. Again, cannot imagine liking it more.

vtbob · Sep 23, 2016

pockomoth said:
Suburban Machinery makes a much cheaper foot peg lowering kit but it interferes with the side stand.

This is not correct. I've had the Suburban Machinery lowering kit for over a year now. It does not interfere with the stock side stand.

When I added a Wonderlich "big foot" it did, but I filed the offending corner a bit and all is well now.

new R1200RS

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