R1200R: decent city bike?

[HappyHighwayman]

What rpm is it spinning at around 40 mph?

Having a quick shifter and an auto blipper, I find myself working the gear box as much as my 300 because it's just pressing the lever. I'm probably not even saving myself a noticeable amount of gas riding around in 3rd and 4th instead of just 2nd.

In 2nd gear at 5000 rpm I'm speeding. In 1st gear it redlines around 50 mph and 70 in 2nd.

 

[HappyHighwayman]

My friend rented an R1200R for his European tour and he frickin' loved it. It had the speed shifters and all the trimmings and he said it was a glorious touring bike.

 

[berth]

I had one as a loaner - it's a nice bike if you like the boxer character (I love it, some hate it - it's very personal).

Has the "boxer character" changed at all/much with the newer water cooled motor?

I ask this because I rented a, I think, '12 RT. I hadn't been on a bike in years, and I had never been on a boxer.

"Tractor like", which I've heard before, really talks to the nature of this motor.

And I'm not sure I actually cared for it. It's not "buzzy" by any means, but it is "vibey". But, my last bikes were the VFR and the K1200 RS (which is just stupid smooth).

As I understand it, the newer motors rev a bit more freely, and maybe that's what was bothering me.

I don't know if 1 day is enough to get used to the motor or not, and curious if the new one is different enough for me to explore.

 

[SFSV650]

Mine is the 2007 and it definitely shakes at idle, but I find that comfortable rather than annoying. Once it's moving I've never really noticed any kind of vibration.

 

[HappyHighwayman]

I just checked the web site the new R1200R has so many options it's ridiculous. Fully loaded it's probably close to $20k

 

[bcv_west]

Has the "boxer character" changed at all/much with the newer water cooled motor?

I ask this because I rented a, I think, '12 RT. I hadn't been on a bike in years, and I had never been on a boxer.

"Tractor like", which I've heard before, really talks to the nature of this motor.

And I'm not sure I actually cared for it. It's not "buzzy" by any means, but it is "vibey". But, my last bikes were the VFR and the K1200 RS (which is just stupid smooth).

As I understand it, the newer motors rev a bit more freely, and maybe that's what was bothering me.

I don't know if 1 day is enough to get used to the motor or not, and curious if the new one is different enough for me to explore.

It's a twin, it'll always be vibey compared to a VFR or a K (which is ridiculously, stupidly smooth). And it'll be rougher at idle than either. But get the RPMs up and the mirrors are rock steady at speed, with less buzz than any other twin I can think of off-hand (and a lot of 3s and 4s).

Just posted this on another thread, but repeating here. Tractor-like or industrial were the descriptors for 70s and 80s airheads, much less so the oilheads and camheads. What remains constant is, a rock-steady feel. An article I read once said a BMW R feels like a bike with a deep keel. It puts you in a certain position, and wants you to ride it a certain way. If you go along, it'll plant and flow effortlessly through the corners, neat and tidy and elbows in. BMWs manage the rider more than most. I love them for it, I feel more connected to the bike than on any other platform (except RTs, the giant bloated things). Others find them intrusive and boring.

Anyway - as a city bike, the R1200R could work. But you won't be filtering as easily as you would on an F800 or similar, the wide bars and cylinders will have you ducking and weaving a bit, and stopping more. And when you stop, you'll be holding up 450 lbs of motorcycle. If you're laid back and don't need to get to the front of every intersection, no biggie. But personally I'd +1 the suggesetion of a cheap chinese scooter for city use, and bring out the big guns for longer rides.

 

[Roadstergal]

The specific character I noticed on my '06 R1200S was the way the bike sort of... twisted to the side when I got on the gas. Hard to describe, it's a strange feeling. You should rent or borrow one to see if you like it.

I know that a lot of them have dubious off-road capabilities, so the styling and engineering tradeoffs involved just don't sit with me too well.

Honestly, my experience with modern ADV bikes is that they're pretty well set up for street use, and if you want to use them offroad, you have to play with them a bit.

 

[dottore]

]Alternatives I should look into?

I considered the R12R quite seriously before I picked up my S1000R, which is *awesome.*

Immense smooth power, any gear, any RPM. It will rail almost as hard as the RR; punchier but not quite as much top end. Superb brakes, great suspension, comfortable enough for longer trips. Slender enough to split easily (not quite as slim as a Street Triple, which I would also seriously consider). Did I mention that the motor is insane?

I think only two minor faults: are no luggage options I care for and I wish it had another half-gallon of fuel capacity.

If I could only have one bike... the single-R would be a very serious contender.

 

[bcv_west]

The specific character I noticed on my '06 R1200S was the way the bike sort of... twisted to the side when I got on the gas. Hard to describe, it's a strange feeling. You should rent or borrow one to see if you like it.

Honestly, my experience with modern ADV bikes is that they're pretty well set up for street use, and if you want to use them offroad, you have to play with them a bit.

^That's a nice way of saying, they're great for Starbucks runs .

If it was a pull to the right side, it's because the crank is in line with the bike and spins to the right, so when you rev it hard there's a very slight pull to the right. Most people only notice when they're parked and revving, or when they go off-throttle and take their hands off the bars, the bike drifts right. Takes a sensitive soul to pick up on it on throttle at speed

 

[bruceflinch]

When I bought my R1200R from Thumper X, First thing she said, you'll notice a pull to the right when you start it up.
That is really the only time I noticed it.

 

[Gary856]

The R1200R is perhaps THE most misunderstood moto.

The R probably makes more sense than the GS to most people in daily use, but it's hard to resist the much greater sex appeal of the GS.

Has the "boxer character" changed at all/much with the newer water cooled motor?

I rode my ZX-10R to Santa Cruz to test ride an ‘02 R1150GS, which felt shockingly slow. Like a diesel bus. “Tractor like” is also a good description. Bought it anyway. Each time I rode it, it felt faster than the time before. The boxer, with a heavy flywheel, still doesn’t feel like a free-revving motorcycle engine by any means. It feels like a car engine, like my Toyota Matrix – not revvy, but torque rich and smooth at 3k rpm. The engine grows on you if you value long rides comfort, and smooth low-end traction for crawling along on dirt.

The boxer in my ’08 GS revs freer somewhat, but a lot of it seems like it’s due to shorter gearing and lighter bike weight. On the freeway, I actually prefer the taller, more relaxed 6th gear of the 1150 over the shorter geared 1200.

The water-cooled ’14 GS I test rode was a very different animal. It felt revvy and explosive.

 

[Roadstergal]

^That's a nice way of saying, they're great for Starbucks runs .

Hey, now! Don't underestimate them. They can go to Peets, too.

If it was a pull to the right side

Yup, that's the one, and that's why. It was most noticeable starting from a stop, but even at speed, I'd feel it when I rolled on. I did enjoy that bike. Unique and striking, if not that practical.

 

[Snapping Twig]

^ Nice bike!
Did you have your wheels painted, or was that a dealer option?

Thank you.

That's the stock setup.

 

[Snapping Twig]

I just checked the web site the new R1200R has so many options it's ridiculous. Fully loaded it's probably close to $20k

That would be the new ('15 on) liquid cooled version with the inferior (IMO) USD forks.

You can easily find a good used pre '15 for @ 10K or less.

 

[ariacode]

Thanks all. Really great information.

I'll have to figure out a way to get some saddle time on one. Also gonna check out the F800GT, Versys 650.

I'd definitely miss my current slim profile if I ever do get something wider, but quantify it I've been keeping tabs on when splitting is both width-sensitive and is a actually a significant time saver while city riding. There are plenty of times that it is both (ex: Gough southbound battleground), and also a lot of times that splitting just doesn't buy you much (ex: Lombard St between Gough and GG). Splitting on Folsom st during the morning commute doesn't yield much difference. Splitting on Harrison st. going home either doesn't make much difference or isn't width-sensitive, depending on the location, etc... At the end of the day I'm not convinced that I'd be missing out on all that much, but I'll have to pay attention for longer.

...it's just right...

Love the bike! It's basically just what I'm daydreaming of.

Honestly, my experience with modern ADV bikes is that they're pretty well set up for street use, and if you want to use them offroad, you have to play with them a bit.

I lusted after GSs for years, but they just don't make sense for what I'm going to be doing. I also don't find the ADV bikes aesthetically appealing unless they're riding through rough terrain.

I'm voting with my wallet on this one - I don't want an ADV-styled street bike.

Also, awesome bike!

I considered the R12R quite seriously before I picked up my S1000R, which is *awesome.*
...
I think only two minor faults: are no luggage options I care for and I wish it had another half-gallon of fuel capacity.

Looks like a great bike. Decent luggage is a main requirement for me though.

...Just posted this on another thread, but repeating here...

Great information here and in other comments. Thanks!

Edit:

You can easily find a good used pre '15 for @ 10K or less.

Yeah, it looks like there are a lot of garage queens out there for decent prices, even ignoring the frustratingly high number of out-of-state bikes with less than the 7.5k miles needed to register it in CA.

 

[Snapping Twig]

Just to put it in perspective, boxer motors in the BMW are nickle boron lined. This means the rings don't even get seated right till @ 20K miles. Not even broken in till then!

They run a long time.

 

[parainbow]

R1200R's smallish frame is a +1 for me; I'm 5'8"ish and most ADV bikes are too tall for me.

Maybe I'll just sell my car to make room for a scooter and another moto I only really use it to go to Santa Cruz anyways.

I l-o-v-e my S1000XR. I'm 5'8", have the low suspension, and can flat-foot no problemo. Low suspension isn't the fun-killer it used to be if the bike has ESA.

 

[HappyHighwayman]

I l-o-v-e my S1000XR. I'm 5'8", have the low suspension, and can flat-foot no problemo. Low suspension isn't the fun-killer it used to be if the bike has ESA.

I am very jealous. If money was no object I'd have to stop myself from buying it because I'd die. I loved my test ride.

 

[parainbow]

I am very jealous. If money was no object I'd have to stop myself from buying it because I'd die. I loved my test ride.

Just sayin', if you find a factory demo for sale, they're $3800 off. One car and 2.5 bikes between the wife and I seems to be my happy place. I think I get in the car about 3 times per month.

 

[Surj]

Surj has one and he is the EIC of City Bike, so it must be.

Yeah. End of story. I have one, and have ridden the piss out of it, and many more bikes than most of the people posting questionable advice in this thread. Width of the boxer motor? Really?

I've always loved the RxR bikes. They have hard bags, the comfort, and people claim that they're fun in the twisties.

I'd use it for getting groceries a couple of times a week, commuting from the mission to downtown when I'm too lazy to ride my bike, going on joyrides around the bay area, going down to visit the family in Santa Cruz, getting out of town for short norcal tours, getting the hell out of CA for longer tours.

The nagging question I have is this: are they decent for riding around SF? I'm kind of concerned about the weight and the width.

Aria, there's some good information in this thread, and a bunch of malarkey too. It's true that for a pure city bike, the R is perhaps a tiny bit too big. Maybe. But for a do-it-all bike that is good in nearly every environment, it's hard to beat, especially if you rule out ADV bikes.

My use case is similar to yours. I bought my 2011 R1200R Classic when I still lived in SF, and now live in Oakland. It's been my daily commuter, it's been my long trip bike, even seen a little time on the track and some pretty serious fire road duty. Is it the best at any one of those things? Perhaps not. But it's quite good at all.

But here's the thing. I get to ride pretty much any damn thing I want and I've put a lot of miles on a lot of bikes. I never even considered replacing it for a long time. It's a very fucking good all 'rounder. One of the ingredients in the secret sauce is the Telelever, which is excellent for street riding, despite the "vague feel" complaints you'll hear from some.

You seem to know the reasons why, so I won't try to convince you further—but I'll offer this: I'm getting mine ready to sell tomorrow. It's very well set up—come check it out and see what you think. No commitment required—just an offer to see what one feels like. PM me if you're interested.

You might think it's odd that I'm advocating for a bike, then closing with "I'm selling it." Over the last 4 1/2 years on my R, I've developed a precise understanding of what would make the bike perfect for me: a bit more wind protection, a bit more legroom and a bit longer suspension. I'm buying a GS, which I chose over the other ADV options for many reasons, including the aforementioned Telelever. The new R and RS models, both of which are quite bitchin', don't have that.