BawdyMonk
21-11-2004, 05:07 PM
I posted this on the UKGS site in May, I've copied it here in case any of you are considering the bike, and it's better (IMHO) to get a review of a bike from a real rider and not some journo who doesn't have to spend his own ££££s
I picked the bike up at 10am, in showroom condition, with a full tank and more importantly, with 3000km/1800miles on the clock and shod with Tourances, as is my Adventure, even more importantly, I was briefed on the dysfunctional fuel gauge..�it drops from full to half instantly and when the warning light comes on you’ve got about 20km� was my warning...
Within 500 yards I’m on to the highway, believe me, it goes! (This is noticed about a millisecond before the lack of a screen; wind and buffeting is horrendous!) The power is almost turbine like in its delivery and coupled with the slick gearbox, instantly addictive; I forgot the serious side of test riding an expensive bike and screamed the daylights out of it for the next few miles, 5th is good for 200kmh, I saw 220kmh indicated in 6th but that was down a slope, as was with my RT, it’s just an overdrive.
I came to the junction for Larnaca and as normal went into the bend at around 160kmh/100mph, its not the smoothest piece of highway but I’ve ridden on worse, the R12GS didn’t feel as composed as my Adv, not dangerous, just a couple of noticeable twitches. At the next junction I gripped the bars a bit harder and again chucked it around at 160kmh, this time the junction was smooth but sharper and I felt my left boot just touch the tarmac, very satisfying. Surprisingly, I was getting numb fingers from the vibes, although there are vibes on the Adv, they seem a bit lower pitched and not so intrusive.
Onto one of my favourite roads which goes from the British Garrison at Dhekelia to the RAF/Army listening post at Ayios Nick, not only favourite for the fast bends and switchback straights but for the fact that if I get caught speeding I just get fined and my Cypriot license doesn’t get endorsed (if it did I’d have been banned in the last year)
After grinding my right boot on the only roundabout and going airborne on one particular dip I realised just how quick and nimble this bike is, I’m not sure if it was any quicker than my Adv around some of the more demanding bends, but the “point and squirt� in between would give it a good edge on a ride out.
35 minutes into the trip and my legs were killing me, I pulled up to check the seat height, I carefully placed the seat pads on the grass beside the road, and in doing so realised the rear rack was plastic, which I could find a bit unnerving if my son or wife were leaning on an overloaded topbox, after 10 minutes of inspection, including getting on the gravel and looking up under the seat, I’m stumped and call the dealership… �the seat height adjustment is made to the rider’s seat squab sir�.
As I was by now being watched by a small herd of goats, and in my haste to prove I was a real biker I decided to leave a bit quickly, one huge wheelie soon restored the grin factor, my first on a BMW!
Instant relief to my aching legs ensured the next 20 minutes of traffic, speed humps and extensive road works were easily covered, the slick gear change being very much appreciated. IMHO the bike is as well balanced at low speeds as both the 1150 GS and RT.
http://image18.webshots.com/18/9/83/29/220298329LqMJUo_ph.jpg
After lunch a 90km play over roads I know well, and I’m convinced the R12GS is not as composed at speed over potholed and poorly surfaced roads as the Adv is, especially on bends, not a major problem but noticeable.
What fast became a source of irritation was the rattle from the plastic fittings when pulling from low rpm, I stopped a couple of times to check that the “screen� was tight.
After the proverbial 3 S’s, it was off to work.
Parked up outside the bar… it certainly doesn’t have the audience pulling power that an Adventure has, of a few biking regulars, NOBODY thought it was a 1200, and a couple thought it belonged to the bike hire shop next door, although that’s not the reason I would or wouldn’t buy a bike, I’d like a bit more recognition of £10K’s worth!
Riding home at 2am was a hoot, I kept my Blackbird riding mate at bay over some bendy bits, the R12GS HAS lights, not as good as a VFR, but I probably wouldn’t need to fit auxiliaries. By now scuffing my boot in bends was getting boring but as it’s a demo bike and I’d like to try a few more models when they come out I thought I’d best not scrape the pegs.
http://image20.webshots.com/21/8/84/70/220288470MnLEoy_ph.jpg
Next day I took my son out for a mornings play, about 12 miles of gravel tracks, some of it quite rough, and some of it fast, despite reservations I had due to it’s handling on lousy roads, and although it bottomed out a couple of times I couldn’t fault it over gravel tracks, we were doing 100-130kmh and it felt predictable and safe, however, going up a couple of embankments (alone) it felt very light on the front end, I tried the same yesterday with my Adv and it was much better, swings and roundabouts though, if you do need to get you feet down on the R12GS you can, on the Adv, not so easy!
After a trip up to Stavrouni Monastery, on the very twisty slope called a road to the top the lack of weight was a big plus, we came back on the highway and the vibrations gave me numb fingers pretty quickly, I was surprised as the engine is definitely smoother, and foot peg vibration was less than my Adv, the tyres and suspension were set at factory standard (I was told), I’m wondering if the lack of centre spar on the handlebars can make the difference.
http://image20.webshots.com/21/8/95/60/220289560iIqTQW_ph.jpg
The next day was a boring day of errand running, which was useful as it gave me time to live with the bike, the vibration from the plastics was by now a major irritant at low RPM around the town, I tried but couldn’t improve on the fit of the side panels, although in doing so found that the BMW badges can be popped of with finger and thumb in a second, luckily for those that have them nicked it causes no damage and replacement is a 2 second job.. (Oh to have shares in the company that makes those!)
On the third morning my wife and I got up early to get the bike back by 10am, I’d filled up once and having started with a full tank assumed I’d be OK for the trip up the highway, the gauge showed half and if the light came on there’d be no problem in getting petrol..WRONG! At 150kmh, in the fast lane, it died, no warning light, no spluttering and with the gauge on about 33%, to their credit the dealer got somebody to me in about 20mins, and it was a nice warm morning, if it had been a kilometre later I’d have been on a very busy roundabout.
After a weeks reflection, the answer is No, I won’t be buying an R1200GS, well not one of the current models anyway.
The pluses are performance, low weight, and decent lights, the first is addictive, the second convenient and the third shouldn’t be an issue on a new bike anyway!
It’s basically still a GS, despite what some have said, offering the on and off road capability that I enjoy with the Adventure, and probably still the best all rounder available today.
Some of the minuses are cosmetic but enough to make me hang on for a while (and I was prepared to go for it if impressed, despite the wife), I don’t like the looks, perhaps if they coloured the panels instead of leaving them in grey it would give it a beefier look, the fit of the panels and those silly badges on the test bike, with the accompanying noise wasn’t acceptable, the cheap handlebar reservoirs are another put off, they’re better on my son’s 50cc Kymco…and those handlebar vibrations are terrible. My 5’4� wife and 6’1� son both said it wasn’t as comfortable, but without a topbox/backrest and the sheepskin it wasn’t a fair comparison.
All in all, I never got that buzz as I walked up to the bike that I get with my Adv, or had with my RT, which I’d have expected to have got after 3 days with the bike.
When BMW bring on the R12GS Adventure, providing it’s got a bit more grit in the looks department, or simply put the new engine in the current model, I don’t think I’ll be slow in ordering one!
http://image22.webshots.com/22/9/46/20/220294620THfxkk_ph.jpg
I picked the bike up at 10am, in showroom condition, with a full tank and more importantly, with 3000km/1800miles on the clock and shod with Tourances, as is my Adventure, even more importantly, I was briefed on the dysfunctional fuel gauge..�it drops from full to half instantly and when the warning light comes on you’ve got about 20km� was my warning...
Within 500 yards I’m on to the highway, believe me, it goes! (This is noticed about a millisecond before the lack of a screen; wind and buffeting is horrendous!) The power is almost turbine like in its delivery and coupled with the slick gearbox, instantly addictive; I forgot the serious side of test riding an expensive bike and screamed the daylights out of it for the next few miles, 5th is good for 200kmh, I saw 220kmh indicated in 6th but that was down a slope, as was with my RT, it’s just an overdrive.
I came to the junction for Larnaca and as normal went into the bend at around 160kmh/100mph, its not the smoothest piece of highway but I’ve ridden on worse, the R12GS didn’t feel as composed as my Adv, not dangerous, just a couple of noticeable twitches. At the next junction I gripped the bars a bit harder and again chucked it around at 160kmh, this time the junction was smooth but sharper and I felt my left boot just touch the tarmac, very satisfying. Surprisingly, I was getting numb fingers from the vibes, although there are vibes on the Adv, they seem a bit lower pitched and not so intrusive.
Onto one of my favourite roads which goes from the British Garrison at Dhekelia to the RAF/Army listening post at Ayios Nick, not only favourite for the fast bends and switchback straights but for the fact that if I get caught speeding I just get fined and my Cypriot license doesn’t get endorsed (if it did I’d have been banned in the last year)
After grinding my right boot on the only roundabout and going airborne on one particular dip I realised just how quick and nimble this bike is, I’m not sure if it was any quicker than my Adv around some of the more demanding bends, but the “point and squirt� in between would give it a good edge on a ride out.
35 minutes into the trip and my legs were killing me, I pulled up to check the seat height, I carefully placed the seat pads on the grass beside the road, and in doing so realised the rear rack was plastic, which I could find a bit unnerving if my son or wife were leaning on an overloaded topbox, after 10 minutes of inspection, including getting on the gravel and looking up under the seat, I’m stumped and call the dealership… �the seat height adjustment is made to the rider’s seat squab sir�.
As I was by now being watched by a small herd of goats, and in my haste to prove I was a real biker I decided to leave a bit quickly, one huge wheelie soon restored the grin factor, my first on a BMW!
Instant relief to my aching legs ensured the next 20 minutes of traffic, speed humps and extensive road works were easily covered, the slick gear change being very much appreciated. IMHO the bike is as well balanced at low speeds as both the 1150 GS and RT.
http://image18.webshots.com/18/9/83/29/220298329LqMJUo_ph.jpg
After lunch a 90km play over roads I know well, and I’m convinced the R12GS is not as composed at speed over potholed and poorly surfaced roads as the Adv is, especially on bends, not a major problem but noticeable.
What fast became a source of irritation was the rattle from the plastic fittings when pulling from low rpm, I stopped a couple of times to check that the “screen� was tight.
After the proverbial 3 S’s, it was off to work.
Parked up outside the bar… it certainly doesn’t have the audience pulling power that an Adventure has, of a few biking regulars, NOBODY thought it was a 1200, and a couple thought it belonged to the bike hire shop next door, although that’s not the reason I would or wouldn’t buy a bike, I’d like a bit more recognition of £10K’s worth!
Riding home at 2am was a hoot, I kept my Blackbird riding mate at bay over some bendy bits, the R12GS HAS lights, not as good as a VFR, but I probably wouldn’t need to fit auxiliaries. By now scuffing my boot in bends was getting boring but as it’s a demo bike and I’d like to try a few more models when they come out I thought I’d best not scrape the pegs.
http://image20.webshots.com/21/8/84/70/220288470MnLEoy_ph.jpg
Next day I took my son out for a mornings play, about 12 miles of gravel tracks, some of it quite rough, and some of it fast, despite reservations I had due to it’s handling on lousy roads, and although it bottomed out a couple of times I couldn’t fault it over gravel tracks, we were doing 100-130kmh and it felt predictable and safe, however, going up a couple of embankments (alone) it felt very light on the front end, I tried the same yesterday with my Adv and it was much better, swings and roundabouts though, if you do need to get you feet down on the R12GS you can, on the Adv, not so easy!
After a trip up to Stavrouni Monastery, on the very twisty slope called a road to the top the lack of weight was a big plus, we came back on the highway and the vibrations gave me numb fingers pretty quickly, I was surprised as the engine is definitely smoother, and foot peg vibration was less than my Adv, the tyres and suspension were set at factory standard (I was told), I’m wondering if the lack of centre spar on the handlebars can make the difference.
http://image20.webshots.com/21/8/95/60/220289560iIqTQW_ph.jpg
The next day was a boring day of errand running, which was useful as it gave me time to live with the bike, the vibration from the plastics was by now a major irritant at low RPM around the town, I tried but couldn’t improve on the fit of the side panels, although in doing so found that the BMW badges can be popped of with finger and thumb in a second, luckily for those that have them nicked it causes no damage and replacement is a 2 second job.. (Oh to have shares in the company that makes those!)
On the third morning my wife and I got up early to get the bike back by 10am, I’d filled up once and having started with a full tank assumed I’d be OK for the trip up the highway, the gauge showed half and if the light came on there’d be no problem in getting petrol..WRONG! At 150kmh, in the fast lane, it died, no warning light, no spluttering and with the gauge on about 33%, to their credit the dealer got somebody to me in about 20mins, and it was a nice warm morning, if it had been a kilometre later I’d have been on a very busy roundabout.
After a weeks reflection, the answer is No, I won’t be buying an R1200GS, well not one of the current models anyway.
The pluses are performance, low weight, and decent lights, the first is addictive, the second convenient and the third shouldn’t be an issue on a new bike anyway!
It’s basically still a GS, despite what some have said, offering the on and off road capability that I enjoy with the Adventure, and probably still the best all rounder available today.
Some of the minuses are cosmetic but enough to make me hang on for a while (and I was prepared to go for it if impressed, despite the wife), I don’t like the looks, perhaps if they coloured the panels instead of leaving them in grey it would give it a beefier look, the fit of the panels and those silly badges on the test bike, with the accompanying noise wasn’t acceptable, the cheap handlebar reservoirs are another put off, they’re better on my son’s 50cc Kymco…and those handlebar vibrations are terrible. My 5’4� wife and 6’1� son both said it wasn’t as comfortable, but without a topbox/backrest and the sheepskin it wasn’t a fair comparison.
All in all, I never got that buzz as I walked up to the bike that I get with my Adv, or had with my RT, which I’d have expected to have got after 3 days with the bike.
When BMW bring on the R12GS Adventure, providing it’s got a bit more grit in the looks department, or simply put the new engine in the current model, I don’t think I’ll be slow in ordering one!
http://image22.webshots.com/22/9/46/20/220294620THfxkk_ph.jpg