• Welcome, Guest! We hope you enjoy the excellent technical knowledge, event information and discussions that the BMW MOA forum provides. Some forum content will be hidden from you if you remain logged out. If you want to view all content, please click the 'Log in' button above and enter your BMW MOA username and password.

    If you are not an MOA member, why not take the time to join the club, so you can enjoy posting on the forum, the BMW Owners News magazine, and all of the discounts and benefits the BMW MOA offers?

2017 r 1200rs

I think is I was buying a new bike and had the time and patience this is why I would want a 17.

"For 2017, all R1200 designs get judder dampers on the transmission output shaft (previously basic devices for simply the R1200GS Experience), in addition to modified selector drum actuators, transmission shafts and transmission shaft bearing."

I love my 15 RT but man I wish I had these updates as I think they will make a difference in feel, riding experience in felt vibrations and shifting in particular, and overall longevity of these parts. I bet Shift Pro feels much better.

Any way my thoughts if you have the time and money is not that big of a deal for a 1k savings or so.

The current rebates and discounts could amount to 2~3K. But, that's up to you.
 
They (BMW) must have seen something to go with a new drive shaft, new drive shaft bearing, shudder damper, and to modified selector drum actuators for shifting.

All I've seen is some owner complaints about the feel of the shifting action, and about the operation of the quick shift option. There's quite a long RS thread at ADVrider with a variety of opinions on it.
 
I owned a 2014 RT WH and a 2015 GS WH..
Didn't care for them... well, more accurately, they had a number of annoying characteristics that bugged me too much/often.
One of the things that annoyed me was the clunky shifting of the lower gears.
I want to chime in about the transmissions and the updates to the transmissions as being discussed in this thread.

I was anxious to ride a 2017 GSA with the new tranny parts in order to compare it to my departed bikes.
Same transmissions I guess... RT, GS, RS ... just different final drive gearing.

Last week my local dealer allowed me to test out a new 2017 GSA.
It was a rather brief test ride. ~25 minutes.

Rode the bike on the freeway for 10 miles or so to make sure it was up to operating temp.
My 2 departed WC were fine shifting from 1-2 and 2-3 until they started to warm up to operating temp. Then the clunking began.

Couldn't do anything about the ambient temp, a little cool... mid 50s or so.
I think that ambient temp can have some effect on shift quality so I would have rather it had been an 80 degree day in order to make a more confident observation.
The bike only had about 160 miles on it... another possible factor.
After getting the bike all warmed up I got off the freeway and rode it stop and go for a couple miles.
Didn't need to come to a stop or shift the low gears very often so it wasn't a very thorough test experience.


3 things came to mind during the test ride.


1. The transmission seemed to be far less clunky than my 2 departed WH during the 1-2, and 2-3 shifts with clutch. I keep expecting the clunks due to my prior ownership experiences, but only once was there even a hint.
Similarly to my prior WC, the bike still seemed to bash in to first from neutral whist engaging at a stop. No real change there.. I'm not sure that the changes were intended to do anything about that issue.. I don't know if there's much that can be done about that issue...many, if not all bikes do it to some degree.

2. There's a lot to like about the WC GSA, and the WC Boxer Series in general.
The lightness of the controls and slow speed handling are very nice. The engine is peppy for sure, but some of the sensation is due to the Fly by Wire throttle... There's little resistance to turning the throttle and you don't have to turn it very far to get it to respond.
What I'm trying to say is that a Camhead, for example, might feel quite different if it were to be equipped with Fly by Wire as opposed to throttle cables..

3. The engine noise that annoyed me on my 2 WC bikes was still there. Cruising steady state, a relaxed 30-45 mph, and at other times, the mill still makes some bizarre mechanical sounds. Now, since I didn't own the bike, and knew that I'd soon be giving it back to the dealer, it wasn't really annoying... it struck me as somewhat comical sounding.

Anyway..though hardly a definitive experience, at first blush, I'd say that the transmission seems to have been changed for the better.
 
Response to shifting comments.

I have a 2015 R1200R, which is pretty much the same bike as the R1200RS. Its shifting up and down all gears without the clutch is great. No complaints at all.

I cannot same the same for my 2015 R1200RT. Its pro-shifting action is not nearly as smooth at the R's. I can shift up and down through the gears, but it takes more effort and is not nearly as smooth. And it has had all the updates done.

They both "clunk" into first gear when stopped or stopping. So what?
 
Response to shifting comments.

I have a 2015 R1200R, which is pretty much the same bike as the R1200RS. Its shifting up and down all gears without the clutch is great. No complaints at all.

I cannot same the same for my 2015 R1200RT. Its pro-shifting action is not nearly as smooth at the R's. I can shift up and down through the gears, but it takes more effort and is not nearly as smooth. And it has had all the updates done.

They both "clunk" into first gear when stopped or stopping. So what?

Well, I guess, in response to "so what?" I'd offer this.
Some people think it's overly harsh, and don't care for it.
I'm one of them.

I understand that many bikes do it...
My V-strom 650 did it, my 2 K1200 GT Wedges did it.. But on those bikes, if you held the clutch in for a bit, longer on the BMW than the Suzuki, the tranny would fall smoothly and silently into gear, as one would, well... expect it to.
Even my current Camheads w-dry clutches do it.. but it's very easy to adjust my technique and have them not do it.
Having owned a Hexhead RT, you're probably aware of that.

With the Wetheads, my 2 anyway... you could hold the clutch in till the cows come home and it still felt and sounded like you're hittin' it with a 5 lb sledge hammer. Loud, jarring.. Sort of an unnerving way to treat one's $24,000 uberbike.
Puts some people off that's all.
 
Last edited:
2016 rs

I just took delivery of a 2016 RS. Found it as a left over. Seems they still have new ones in the crate in the NJ distribution center.

Until those are gone they probably won't bring in 2017 models.
 
My local dealer has an RS on the floor; can't sell it. I considered it, but it would need 4" risers to make it remotely comfortable for me. There are deals to be had on them!
 
Back
Top