BMW R****R Thread

[FernandoPorto]

Best bike I ever had.

[seevtsaab]

Originally Posted by AlecMyrddyn

I picked up a used '11 R1200R this spring. Still in love with it over 6000 miles later!

Why an 'R over other bikes?
I'm too short for a GS. Plus I think they are fugly. :)
I didn't want the extra weight, wind protection or cost of an RT. I was coming off an FJR and I found it to be too heavy.
I liked the F800ST on paper, but in person it was uncomfortable and the motor was uninspiring.
One test ride convinced me. The 'R just felt right, like it was built for me.

The 'R has a surprising amount of wind protection with just the fly screen, but still lets enough clean air through to let you know you are on a bike.

Thanks to heated gear and grips, I've commuted on it since I got it in March. I'm starting to worry about ice & salt, so will probably stop for the winter unless we get unseasonably warm days with dry roads.

Rode two-up into Vermont on October 19th for a weekend trip with the girlfriend on the back, passing through record breaking rains. The bike never skipped a beat. We were comfy, but quite damp by the time we arrived. Rode home on Sunday after our gear was finally dried out, and had a blast on the App Gap and Kancamagus. Cresting a ridge into a small town in VT on the way home a police car flashed his blues at me to slow down for the town, but didn't turn and pull us over... I don't know if it was because I was slowing down, it was about 50 degrees and there were two of us fully geared up, or we were on such a standard looking bike, but I was happy not to have to add an unexpected cost to the trip.

All in all, it really is the perfect "do everything" bike for me. Comfy enough to ride all day between the seat, weight and suspension. Sporty, light & powerful enough to have a lot of fun in the twisties. Just enough wind protection to prevent fatigue. Passenger seat and storage enough for two-up trips. All packaged in a way that I find really well engineered and very stylish.

It's not without its quirks or course... On-off throttle transitions were rough, but have gotten noticeably better since installing a BoosterPlug. Mirror vibes were awful until I installed Wunderlich mirror extenders and Throttlemeister bar-ends. Replacing the worn out Bridgestones with Pilot Road 3s has made a huge difference in handling too. I'm considering some additional lighting for safety, but mostly just better gear and more riding!

-Alec

Nice post. It's asshole's like you are gonna put a huge hole in my savings!
Glad you enjoyed your ride to (from) Vt. - Oct wasn't a pretty month. SO and I rode from Jeffersonville VT to Ogunquit in Sept on our RS via the Kanc and some totally random back roads, loved it. Encouraging to hear you're riding March till salt season, and it works for you 2-up.
One thing the RS does for my commute compared to my Monster, is weather protection. The R is on my list when the time comes. God they're pretty.

[ninepeaks9]

Originally Posted by seevtsaab

Nice post. It's asshole's like you are gonna put a huge hole in my savings!
Glad you enjoyed your ride to (from) Vt. - Oct wasn't a pretty month. SO and I rode from Jeffersonville VT to Ogunquit in Sept on our RS via the Kanc and some totally random back roads, loved it. Encouraging to hear you're riding March till salt season, and it works for you 2-up.
One thing the RS does for my commute compared to my Monster, is weather protection. The R is on my list when the time comes. God they're pretty.

RS is a great bike. I had 99 11RS, Took a long ride down to Smokey Mountains. Ended up selling due to vibrations in handle bars above 80 mph would put my hands to sleep. But it would cruise all day 75 mph easy.

[2wheelfish]

Figured I'd jut add some R12R love. Nothing fancy, just a cell phone pic from a local ride. A fun machine, even if you can only get away for a couple hours....

[ninepeaks9]

Originally Posted by 2wheelfish

Figured I'd jut add some R12R love. Nothing fancy, just a cell phone pic from a local ride. A fun machine, even if you can only get away for a couple hours....

Same as mine. Looks like aftermarket exhaust tho. Arrow?

[DiabloADV]

Originally Posted by 2wheelfish

Figured I'd jut add some R12R love. Nothing fancy, just a cell phone pic from a local ride. A fun machine, even if you can only get away for a couple hours....

Which fairing is that? Looks great.

[AlecMyrddyn]

Originally Posted by seevtsaab

Nice post. It's asshole's like you are gonna put a huge hole in my savings!
Glad you enjoyed your ride to (from) Vt. - Oct wasn't a pretty month. SO and I rode from Jeffersonville VT to Ogunquit in Sept on our RS via the Kanc and some totally random back roads, loved it. Encouraging to hear you're riding March till salt season, and it works for you 2-up.
One thing the RS does for my commute compared to my Monster, is weather protection. The R is on my list when the time comes. God they're pretty.

Umm, you're welcome?

I ride a '99 Monster 900 myself as well, and the wind protection from the sport/fly screen on the R is noticeably better than the open blast I get on the Monster. Long distances on the highway can be fatiguing; but more from wind noise than wind blast. I find the wind on the 'R to generally be more comfortable than it was on my FJR, since I get less intense wind on my helmet, and enough body airflow for jacket vents to work.

Careful of taking a test ride... ! That's what did it for me... Then I found a used 2011 on Searchtempest that was essentially $4,000 cheaper than new, or $1 off per mile on the odometer.

To be fair, I'm running a heated jacket and glove liners to be comfortable in the 25-55 degree range.

Best of luck in your search!

[Hoop71]

Originally Posted by DiabloADV

Which fairing is that? Looks great.

I think it is the Wunderlich Trophy fairing.

I'll let 2wheelfish confirm though.

[David R]

I had an R11ooRT. Test drove an 09RT and was not impressed. I bought the 12 R1200R for the same price as the USED RT with out a test drive. It was all I expected and more.

[ridewv]

Your basic R100R here.

[2wheelfish]

Originally Posted by DiabloADV

Which fairing is that? Looks great.

Yes its a Wunderlich Trophy fairing.

Originally Posted by ninepeaks9

Looks like aftermarket exhaust tho. Arrow?

It's a Zard. I think it looks better than stock and adds a bit of grumble down low, but it still is very BMW sounding. It's no Akrapovic and unfortunately does not have the option of removing the inner silencer to open it up a little.

[ninepeaks9]

Originally Posted by ridewv

Your basic R100R here.

What's the mileage on that beauty? That 93 R doesn't look all that much different than my 77 R100/7. Does it indicate not much advancement in technology in motorcycling during that time?

[beemerphile]

Originally Posted by ninepeaks9

What's the mileage on that beauty? That 93 R doesn't look all that much different than my 77 R100/7. Does it indicate not much advancement in technology in motorcycling during that time?

Boxer development proceeded at a snail's pace independently of motorcycle technology in general. Having owned both a 1977 and a 1993, I'd say the biggest things he has on you are:

Dual Brembo vs. single ATE "anti-stop" brakes
Monolever rear with no splines to wear out.
Solid state maintenance free ignition.

[ninepeaks9]

Originally Posted by beemerphile

Boxer development proceeded at a snail's pace independently of motorcycle technology in general. Having owned both a 1977 and a 1993, I'd say the biggest things he has on you are:

Dual Brembo vs. single ATE "anti-stop" brakes
Monolever rear with no splines to wear out.
Solid state maintenance free ignition.

I did notice the dual caliper Brembos. Single most item that I'd been considering upgrade is the single ATE brake set up. No easy solutions though unless swapping out the entire forks, calipers, master cylinder perch, etc. Or just ride like I used to ride in the eighties and just compensate for braking distance. Other than that, I'm still surprised at how much roll-on acceleration my vintage BMW has.

[ridewv]

Originally Posted by beemerphile

Dual Brembo vs. single ATE "anti-stop" brakes
Monolever rear with no splines to wear out.
Solid state maintenance free ignition.

Nikisil (spelling?) cylinders.
Tubeless tires.

Basically the R100R is simply a 91-94 R100GS with a 18" front wheel, shorter rear shock/spring, K75 forks, low muffler off the K100, and a couple styling changes.