End of an Era?

[deilenberger]

In Wisconsin, Nick's BMW didn't have an R model on the floor this fall. I asked about it and I was told that they never sell any of them. I wonder how much has to do with weather. While you can bundle up, it certainly is easier to ride in the cold on an RT.

That's a self-fulfilling prophesy sort of thing. You can't sell what you don't have - and you certainly won't make any effort to. If they aren't in stock, it's really hard to offer test rides. The R1200R test-ride syndrome is widely accepted on the R1200R specific forum.. You take a test ride and you come back and buy one. BTDT. Lots of other people BTDT.

When I first saw the R1200R at the NY Moto show in 2006 it became the first new BMW bike I'd lusted after in about 15 years of riding BMWs. BMW apparently adopted Nick's attitude - the past two NYC shows there wasn't an R1200R that I could find, and ditto on the demo truck for the past two National rallies.

The RT may be not too far away in price, but it has about zero appeal for me.. and the R1200R is just fine down to where I stop riding (when there is snow or ice on the roads) 32F isn't a big deal with the right gear. I think it would be a mistake to stop making it - IMHO an 800cc vertical twin with an engine made where isn't really a replacement for the iconic BMW model. I was showing someone some pictures of the Vintage display at the Tennessee National - and the 1928 original BMW was one of the photos.. the comment was made that the lineage was pretty obvious, right down to the black with white pinstripes - one wide, one narrow.

 

[PAULJR]

- and the 1928 original BMW was one of the photos.. the comment was made that the lineage was pretty obvious, right down to the black with white pinstripes - one wide, one narrow.

I agree totally, if you look across the BMW range from the start, the current roadster is the logical sucessor in comparison to anything else. I would certainly never consider an RT, did not like them when they arrived, don't want one now. I would however love a replacement for one of my old S or RS models, it must however be useful for 2-up and accomodate hard bags.

 

[ULTRAPASS]

End of an Era NOT

There is a 2010, white R1200R on the showroom floor of my local dealtership- Dealer says they are making them for 2010. End of rumor!

Ultra LT

 

[PGlaves]

Well, we know the 2010 models have been available for months. The rumor they "Will be discontinued", as posted by the original poster would most likely refer to the 2011 models which might or might not be available after August of 2010. We actually won't know anything about the 2011 lineup until BMW announces it, or somebody really in the know leaks it. And most dealers tell me that they are the last to know.

 

[rguy]

My 2 cents - I doubt the dealer has any inside information that far out, they are only speculating. BMW has stopped making the last of the 'old' style hexheads with the final run of the R1200R. They are now cranking out 'new' style hexheads (camheads) in the GS and RT models as fast as they can. They can only produce a certain number of engines a year. They want to sell as many GS's and RT's as possible before they offer the 'new' engine in the Roadster platform which undoubtedly has a lower profit margin. They don't want to compete with themselves. I would expect to see the Roadster appear with the new engine in 2012, maybe 2013 depending on the economy. They did basically the same thing when they went from the R1150R to the R1200R. If there are any 2011 models they will have the 'old' engine and they are already in crates in a warehouse somewhere. Just my speculation....

P.S. Don, there were 2 R1200R's in the demo fleet at Gillette - a silver one and a white one. I don't remember any at Johnson City.

 

[deilenberger]

P.S. Don, there were 2 R1200R's in the demo fleet at Gillette - a silver one and a white one. I don't remember any at Johnson City.

Ah.. I missed Gillette. There were none at Johnson City, I looked and then checked with them.

 

[bmwrebel]

I test rode one in at the national in 2007 and fell in love with it. Was going to by one in the spring of 08, but the roof developed a leak. At that time the dealer said that they only do a short run of the R's each year But he found one equipted like I wanted. Rode it again in WO. Got a 08 with a salvage title last spring and love it. Does not have traction control or tire pressure that I wanted, but has ABS a must with me. Ztech windshield makes it a great tourer. The horn is a fraline fart and the seat can get confessions out of a Russian mobster. Bill Myers will do the seat when work picks up again. I agree that the RT has to much plastic and the GS is just to much. The R1200R is the first R that I test rode at the nationals since the early 90's that I like. Now I have one. Here it is with my sons K75T in the back ground on the Sky Line Dr. going to Johnson City last year. There always needs to be a R in the line up.

 

[macfly]

Well, I can add a little more to the rumor mill. A little bird who seems to be a reliable source, told me that there will be quite a selection of naked twins next year, based very loosely on the Lo Rider concept. You will be able to order them tailored to your taste much as Harley owners can, so no two will be the same.
Apparantly the Cafe Racer version is a really good looking bike, not unlike the Ducati Classic, but much more modern and cool looking, an R90S for the 21st Century.
Now thats what I'm talking about!

 

[mika]

I hope the ÔÇÿlittle birdieÔÇÖ is correct. The Low Rider concept had two components. The bike concept and the production/sales/delivery concept were combined in the presentation. The latter is far beyond what H-D is currently doing in their custom order process.

 

[Talon Six]

BMW has stopped making the last of the 'old' style hexheads with the final run of the R1200R. They are now cranking out 'new' style hexheads (camheads) in the GS and RT models as fast as they can.

So, hypothetically speaking, what does this mean for those of us who are waiting for a 2010 R12R to be built?

And no, I didn't get any updates from my dealer on my order beyond "BMW has acknowledged receipt". I'll nag him again at the end of this week.

 

[mika]

So, hypothetically speaking, what does this mean for those of us who are waiting for a 2010 R12R to be built?

And no, I didn't get any updates from my dealer on my order beyond "BMW has acknowledged receipt". I'll nag him again at the end of this week.

I suspect the two things have little to do with each other beyond the fact they share a model number. Serial production of the current hex head model R may or may not have ended. That has nothing to do with the production of individual orders for the model that are accepted by BMW. If I had a question for my dealer it would be did BMW accept my order.

 

[Ludell]

The Low Rider concept had two components. The bike concept and the production/sales/delivery concept were combined in the presentation. The latter is far beyond what H-D is currently doing in their custom order process.

BMW trying to come at Harley again? That's a good one. I have many Harley friends and nothing that BMW does will ever make them change.

If Motorad can just work on their delivery concept it would be a huge improvement. My factory-ordered R12R languished in pre-delivery for a month after entering the country before being shipped to the dealer. This was four times as long as my wife's factory-ordered 335. Now they are going to confound and compound their poor delivery with a new custom order process?

A BMW factory rep was supposed to call me to discuss this but never did. I wonder why.

 

[mika]

BMW trying to come at Harley again? That's a good one. I have many Harley friends and nothing that BMW does will ever make them change.

If Motorad can just work on their delivery concept it would be a huge improvement. My factory-ordered R12R languished in pre-delivery for a month after entering the country before being shipped to the dealer. This was four times as long as my wife's factory-ordered 335. Now they are going to confound and compound their poor delivery with a new custom order process?

A BMW factory rep was supposed to call me to discuss this but never did. I wonder why.

BMW is not thinking about this to make a run at Harley-Davdison. Not everything is about taking H-D on or even the US market. H-D was an early adopter of a factory customizable bike. There are several small European builders in niche markets that have taken the concept even further of factory custom that H-D did. BMW's concept is in line.

In general the custom build concept has all sorts of advantages for manufactures dealers and customers. When the Low Rider concept came out I submitted an article for the news letter (I don't know if it was published). In the conclusion I expressed my interest in the concept but my strong feelings that they needed to fix several other things in their build/delivery systems before they took this concept on for a single bike in the R lineup.

 

[ka5ysy]

BMW trying to come at Harley again? That's a good one. I have many Harley friends and nothing that BMW does will ever make them change.

That's funny ! I teach Riders Edge and feel the same way about the HD line. Nothing they build tickles my fancy. The V-Rod slightly tingles, but can't corner like my RR and has foot- forward controls. Buell is kaput, so nothing strikes my fancy.

I get the "when you gonna get a REAL bike?" from my friends that ride HOG's all the time. The really funny thing is that we have 12 active instructors and only one owns a Harley. It makes for some interesting conversations with students who notice the "other" bikes!

 

[macfly]

I had a Harley once, for five weeks. it was the worst bike I ever owned, didn't go, stop or handle, though it did feel good between the traffic lights. I traded it in for a bumble bee GS that I loved, and covered the deserts and the mountains on for years.

I think Harley riders are somewhat different from motorcyclists. They just want to ride an American legend, something quirky, interesting and with history. If they weren't on a Harley they wouldn't be on a bike, they'd be in a Shelby Cobra (replica?) an old Corvette or Caddy El Dorado.

Nice folks I'm sure, but just not really 'motorcyclists'.

 

[47512]

Careful now, yes there are many posers that ride HD's, but I know a few BMW posers as well, it seems to be a fashon show. I have a friend that has riddden a HD over 100,000 miles, that was his goal, and I have ridden half of that milage with him. He would ride from Sacramento to LA. just to ride a poker run. We rode the Saddle sore 1000 every year together for 10 years, the bike never left him stranded. I know he is a exception, but he was just another guy that liked to ride, he just happend to like Harleys.

Ken G.

 

[ragtoplvr]

Different tools for different Jobs. When I get to ride a Harley, I grin a lot. Let me rephrase that, when I get to ride anything I grin a lot. I ride a Harley different than I ride the beemer. A hog needs good deep loud pipes. If I want to cruse around town, nothing beats a Harley. I just do not cruse around on the beemer, there needs to be a destination, preferably one with some twisty roads, which is more important to me. Since I can only afford one tool, my tool is a beemer. And I like Harleys.

Rod

 

[JoeDabbs]

There's only one guy I ever see commuting all winter to work (like me) from my parts. He rides an '03 Ultra. He's got about 70,000 miles on it. It's never left him stranded or broken down. Around here (Norfolk), you need a bike with a big, fat front tire to get you over the pot holes in the expressway withouth suffering bent rims and the like. I don't know what I'll do when my CLC has seen it's day, as BMW does not make any more bikes with a fat front tire...maybe go to a Road Glide, or seek out another used CLC. Whatever I get, it'll have to be heavy to deal with the fierce cross winds that we get around here. A GS will blow right over.

 

[Talon Six]

Well everyone, it's apparently true: R12Rs will not likely be made again anytime soon.

For the new people to this thread, I ordered and put a deposit on an R12R on 21 Jan 10. BMW accepted the order (and my money of course) and I have since been waiting for a production date.

I received an email from my dealer down in San Antonio who stated that he called the BMW NA rep about a production date for my bike yesterday morning since it had been 30 days since they accepted my order. According to my dealer, the BMW NA rep was somewhat evasive about whether my bike as ordered would be made anytime soon. The rep's reply was something along the lines of, "I'm not really sure, but it probably won't be manufactured anytime soon if at all". My dealer said that it sounds like there will be a redesigned nekkid R bike coming out in 2011 or 2012.

So fully understanding my desire of not wanting to continue to be motorcycleless, my dealer found a new-in-the-crate 2009 alpine white "premium package" R12R sitting in the warehouse in Joisey. It doesn't have all the options that I specced out in my original R12R order (I had all the options except a chrome exhaust and lowered suspension on that bad boy), but he was able to offer me a very, very good price on it on top of the February promotion for $1750 in free BMW farkles. I'm not thrilled about the alpine white color, but the price difference versus a blue or grey 2010 model without the free farkles would have made me, well...pretty dang stupid not to accept the offer. Plus I can retrofit the ASC and TPM systems anyway, right?

So, the best news is that there will be a brand new R12R waiting for me when I get home from Afghanistan in three weeks. I'll be riding around Texas Hill Country before you know it!



For he record, there is no way I am buying an alpine white helmet to match...

 

[jimvonbaden]

Congrats on the new bike!

However, you cannot retrofit the ASC or TPM without major cost. You can get a good aftermarket TPM, but the ASC is pretty much out.

Sorry.

Jim