I've ridden this bike as well as the RT and the S1000XR - you really need to totally shut the throttle to make downshifts with the shift assist. The motor then auto-blips the revs to match the new gear & it's completely smooth and takes a huge amount of fatigue out of a long ride.
Thanks for this review. I have just bought one (she's a week old) and I find your comments pretty accurate. You didn't mention it in you Keyless video but the key also opens the seats so you take them off. could come in handy when the key no longer has any battery or is lost. You get a "baby" key that you can use to start the bike from under the seat until you find your key or get a new key. Thanks again and hope your dad is still enjoying it :)
+Gino8451 Well the RS is super confortable and has some Securities to make stealing a lot more difficult... Meaning without the code for the key the Bike will never start... I really recommend this bike, I've had her now for a month and have driven her almost every day (sun, rain and fog, heat and cold) and she's really a super great ride! I haven't seen many here in Paris so she attracts the eye... but so far touch wood so good!
+Gino8451 Well my Buddy who had the 2 Harleys I tested wants one very very badly. I was told by the sales dude from BMW that it is a "toy" for people who want to have something pretty and powerful. It's not really funtional... I personnally think it's a very nice looking bike... but I need a frame... I drive on the highway everyday and need a minimum of comfort ;)
+Gino8451 Well here's a mission for you... Take the RS on a half day spin... and let me know what you think about :- fast- powerful- sexy cool- comfortable- weightbecause I know how she is and Harley only has the looks sorry to say ;) this baby is Worth it SERIOUSLY!!!! :D
Nice review: I assumed like other ride around reviews it would be a little bone-headed, but this one's very informative. The "Style" function is the style of the dash, you get three options, you were in the touring option I think. Just got mine, gotta agree with you for the most part, nice job.
I test rode one of these recently. I was told to keep the throttle stable when shifting up without the clutch. I noticed that you were reducing the throttle slightly and this may be the reason you found it a little clunky.
Also you are supposed to use the clutch for 1st and 2nd the after that you can go up just don't let off the throttle, when you go down shut throttle completely then you can go all the way to 1st.
Awesome R1200RS review dude. Great to hear thoughts from another fazer rider! I'm considering the RS as an upgrade from my FZ6R... My main concern at this stage is how easily the cylinder heads would scrape in the twisties
Lifeon2wheels I havent had it low enough to scrape anything haha, though there are peg feelers. So I'd assume they are designed to touch first. I'd say you'd have a hard time getting low enough to scrape the head covers.
The clutches downshift was flawless in my demo. The upshift is too jerky for me personally. aAll my bikes with auto up is relatively smooth, its odd that bmw didn't get that right with this bike. The wobble is the front end lifting.
I have a 2012 BMW R1200R and love the boxer engines. This bike looks awesome and is on the top of my list for my next bike in two years. Thanks for the great vid. My two concerns are: * I'm concerned is the electronic key has an issue while you're on a long trip you might not be able to fill up one's bike * Bit irritated that BMW only offers basic bike or loaded bike but the loaded bike ONLY comes with the Shift Assist which I'd never want. Thanks, Craig
+fleuger99 I agree with the electric key thing, I dislike how "locked out" I am electronically with any BMW, not enough juice to start the computer and you're SOL. No bump starting options or anything... Doesn't sit right with me on bikes supposedly build to cross continents etc. The shift assist doesn't impede normal riding, its not like the clutch isn't there, just you don't have to use it if you don't want to. Nice thing on this updated boxer - since 2013, is that its a wet clutch so I don't feel bad slipping it from time to time if the moment calls for it. Now I'm wondering why the R9T doesn't also have the updated boxer...
For Info / Style, I read if you hold down the info button you can see 3 different display styles with different info being displayed. Great review. Thanks for posting.
PHOTOM42 Interesting, funny cause when I was looking through the dash stuff at the end I thought to myself I bet Style changes the layout, something I'd already complained about haha, Thanks!
Thanks for the review, very comprehensive. I just bought a tiger 1200 explorer and I'm always wondering if I should have gone BMW ilk instead (like this or the R1200GS). I don't think you can really go wrong with any of them. I dislike that turn forward to disable cruise, my tiger has that and sometimes if I hit a hard bump I knock it forward, it's a stupid feature IMO, only should tie to clutch/brake. Also, not a big fan of linked brakes. I recently rented and put 250 mi on a '15 R1200GS and that dynamic feature works really well, I took it on a dirt road (yea, I wasn't supposed to, but didn't go too fast) and it switched to dirt mode pretty nicely, then back to road mode when I got back to pavement.
Considering the bike, but really concerned about a more forward sport position vs a upright touring position. Can you comment on that? Any wrist pain? I want to be able to ride up to 4 hour with no discomfort. Thanks!
Great review. Thank you. When you talk about the speed you are going, is this in kph or mph please? (I see that the speedo is calibrated to read in kph but I think your accent is Canadian (sorry if I got this wrong and if you are in fact American!) and so you would normally be using mph. Judging from the video I suspect you are talking kph?
I am indeed talking km/h, you are right about the Canadian accent too. Someone mentioned it the other day when I was around a bunch of Americans, I never realized we had our own accent though
How does the steering lock work with a Keyless FOB? Also are there any power sockets on it? my K1300R had a 12v socket near the rear seat and came in very handy for charging devices on long rides.
grum666 I'm not actually sure on the steering lock, it has a full alarm system with the buttons on the key FOB, my dad set it off the other day walking away from the bike running with the FOB in his pocket. I'll have to get home and play with that system a bit more to figure it out. And yes there is a 12v BMW socket right by the seat just like you have.
jearley22 Did you mean the 1200 GSA? Well I've only ever sat on a GSA, ridden a normal GS though. Biggest thing I notice right off the bat is the seat height, the GSA borders on too tall for me, the RS I can flat foot both feet with bent knees slightly (5'10", 32" inseam). I miss the analog tach the GS had, the RS is digital. The control layouts are the same for the most part. When I'm on the throttle heavy I feel a little more pull out of the RS, but its a very similar feeling to the GS. Cornering is very comfortable on both for me, the GS is taller though so I feel this one would be a little easier to flick around/get a knee down. The windshield on the GS gave me more protection and it definitely had a wider nose. I haven't ridden in any dirt or mud yet, but I found the GS (when the bags were off) coated the backs of my legs in water and crud, like it really needed something more to cover me. Hoping the RS is better, while I wont be in the mud much, I do like my legs to stay dry in the rain... Very similar bikes in my opinion when it comes to stopping and starting in my opinion (which they should be given the same engine and brakes...) Just the RS is way better suited to a variety of rides; short, long, through town, etc. while the GS likes to go for long distances, not as good for short around town jaunts.
Ridwan Ridwan Interestingly enough my little brother took off on the bike while the key was still in my dads jacket, the bike performed completely normally, just flashed a little light at him constantly.
The main reason I gave up BMW (Boxer) ownership was the high cost of ownership per mile. Aside from the thousand dollar "major maintenance" schedules I also had wonky tire wear issues. God help me if anything actually broke, I'd just give Otto my credit card, sell off my assets and return in a week to find out when I could pick up the bike. Not to say they're not sweet rides, but they're not for the light of wallet. I've owned three new bikes since my last Beemer and the cost per mile - for all three bikes - has been less than the one BMW. Just my experience, or common - I don't know. Before I'd take another gamble, I'd love to hear from other high mileage owners . . .
Sammy B1988 Its hidden on the backside of the left hand control cluster, looks a bit like a "passing" switch you'd find on a U.K. spec bike. Meant to be cycled through with your left index finger
I'm 5'10" and my dad is roughly 5'8", its inseam that really matters though unless you're talking bar angles/risers. I have a 32" inseam and ride my F800GSA with the 35" seat height very comfortably, he has a 30" inseam and wont touch my bike
BMW needs an Italian cat and pipe designer and fired the Russian- designer kid! The entire system in S1000R sucks - ugliest crap I have ever seen on any bike!
I've ridden this bike as well as the RT and the S1000XR - you really need to totally shut the throttle to make downshifts with the shift assist. The motor then auto-blips the revs to match the new gear & it's completely smooth and takes a huge amount of fatigue out of a long ride.
Alex Mann Interesting, thanks for the tip! I'll have to give that a try.
Thanks for this review. I have just bought one (she's a week old) and I find your comments pretty accurate. You didn't mention it in you Keyless video but the key also opens the seats so you take them off. could come in handy when the key no longer has any battery or is lost. You get a "baby" key that you can use to start the bike from under the seat until you find your key or get a new key. Thanks again and hope your dad is still enjoying it :)
+Gino8451 Hi, I have tried the Harley 48 and the 883!
+Gino8451 Well the RS is super confortable and has some Securities to make stealing a lot more difficult... Meaning without the code for the key the Bike will never start... I really recommend this bike, I've had her now for a month and have driven her almost every day (sun, rain and fog, heat and cold) and she's really a super great ride! I haven't seen many here in Paris so she attracts the eye... but so far touch wood so good!
+Gino8451 France
+Gino8451 Well my Buddy who had the 2 Harleys I tested wants one very very badly. I was told by the sales dude from BMW that it is a "toy" for people who want to have something pretty and powerful. It's not really funtional... I personnally think it's a very nice looking bike... but I need a frame... I drive on the highway everyday and need a minimum of comfort ;)
+Gino8451 Well here's a mission for you... Take the RS on a half day spin... and let me know what you think about :- fast- powerful- sexy cool- comfortable- weightbecause I know how she is and Harley only has the looks sorry to say ;) this baby is Worth it SERIOUSLY!!!! :D
Nice review: I assumed like other ride around reviews it would be a little bone-headed, but this one's very informative. The "Style" function is the style of the dash, you get three options, you were in the touring option I think. Just got mine, gotta agree with you for the most part, nice job.
Sweet! Thanks so much for posting this! There are so few vids of this GREAT bike out there at the moment. Greetings from the West Coast! :)
Shut off gas to down shift. Use clutch to upshift from 1st to 2nd.
I test rode one of these recently. I was told to keep the throttle stable when shifting up without the clutch. I noticed that you were reducing the throttle slightly and this may be the reason you found it a little clunky.
Ziggy Sheppard yeah its hard to brake that habit haha
You're not kidding. I was pulling the clutch almost every time because I kept thinking I'd damage the gearbox.
Also you are supposed to use the clutch for 1st and 2nd the after that you can go up just don't let off the throttle, when you go down shut throttle completely then you can go all the way to 1st.
Awesome R1200RS review dude. Great to hear thoughts from another fazer rider! I'm considering the RS as an upgrade from my FZ6R... My main concern at this stage is how easily the cylinder heads would scrape in the twisties
Lifeon2wheels I havent had it low enough to scrape anything haha, though there are peg feelers. So I'd assume they are designed to touch first. I'd say you'd have a hard time getting low enough to scrape the head covers.
Lifeon2wheels pegs scrape well before that
The clutches downshift was flawless in my demo. The upshift is too jerky for me personally. aAll my bikes with auto up is relatively smooth, its odd that bmw didn't get that right with this bike. The wobble is the front end lifting.
I have a 2012 BMW R1200R and love the boxer engines. This bike looks awesome and is on the top of my list for my next bike in two years. Thanks for the great vid. My two concerns are:
* I'm concerned is the electronic key has an issue while you're on a long trip you might not be able to fill up one's bike
* Bit irritated that BMW only offers basic bike or loaded bike but the loaded bike ONLY comes with the Shift Assist which I'd never want.
Thanks,
Craig
+fleuger99 I agree with the electric key thing, I dislike how "locked out" I am electronically with any BMW, not enough juice to start the computer and you're SOL. No bump starting options or anything... Doesn't sit right with me on bikes supposedly build to cross continents etc. The shift assist doesn't impede normal riding, its not like the clutch isn't there, just you don't have to use it if you don't want to. Nice thing on this updated boxer - since 2013, is that its a wet clutch so I don't feel bad slipping it from time to time if the moment calls for it.
Now I'm wondering why the R9T doesn't also have the updated boxer...
For Info / Style, I read if you hold down the info button you can see 3 different display styles with different info being displayed. Great review. Thanks for posting.
PHOTOM42 Interesting, funny cause when I was looking through the dash stuff at the end I thought to myself I bet Style changes the layout, something I'd already complained about haha, Thanks!
Great review very helpful!!!!
Thanks for the review, very comprehensive.
I just bought a tiger 1200 explorer and I'm always wondering if I should have gone BMW ilk instead (like this or the R1200GS). I don't think you can really go wrong with any of them.
I dislike that turn forward to disable cruise, my tiger has that and sometimes if I hit a hard bump I knock it forward, it's a stupid feature IMO, only should tie to clutch/brake. Also, not a big fan of linked brakes.
I recently rented and put 250 mi on a '15 R1200GS and that dynamic feature works really well, I took it on a dirt road (yea, I wasn't supposed to, but didn't go too fast) and it switched to dirt mode pretty nicely, then back to road mode when I got back to pavement.
great, useful review
Considering the bike, but really concerned about a more forward sport position vs a upright touring position. Can you comment on that? Any wrist pain? I want to be able to ride up to 4 hour with no discomfort. Thanks!
Awesome review
Great review. Thank you. When you talk about the speed you are going, is this in kph or mph please? (I see that the speedo is calibrated to read in kph but I think your accent is Canadian (sorry if I got this wrong and if you are in fact American!) and so you would normally be using mph. Judging from the video I suspect you are talking kph?
I am indeed talking km/h, you are right about the Canadian accent too. Someone mentioned it the other day when I was around a bunch of Americans, I never realized we had our own accent though
Could you please inform me whether the gear box is automatic??
How does the steering lock work with a Keyless FOB?
Also are there any power sockets on it? my K1300R had a 12v socket near the rear seat and came in very handy for charging devices on long rides.
grum666 I'm not actually sure on the steering lock, it has a full alarm system with the buttons on the key FOB, my dad set it off the other day walking away from the bike running with the FOB in his pocket. I'll have to get home and play with that system a bit more to figure it out. And yes there is a 12v BMW socket right by the seat just like you have.
grum666 ruclips.net/video/IQCUYGWWviA/видео.html I did a little video on how the Keyless ride/Alarm system works
Cheers for that, I should be picking mine up in next few weeks. Hopefully with the panniers.
can you share your thoughts on this bike vs the 1200GSW?
jearley22 Did you mean the 1200 GSA? Well I've only ever sat on a GSA, ridden a normal GS though. Biggest thing I notice right off the bat is the seat height, the GSA borders on too tall for me, the RS I can flat foot both feet with bent knees slightly (5'10", 32" inseam). I miss the analog tach the GS had, the RS is digital. The control layouts are the same for the most part. When I'm on the throttle heavy I feel a little more pull out of the RS, but its a very similar feeling to the GS. Cornering is very comfortable on both for me, the GS is taller though so I feel this one would be a little easier to flick around/get a knee down. The windshield on the GS gave me more protection and it definitely had a wider nose. I haven't ridden in any dirt or mud yet, but I found the GS (when the bags were off) coated the backs of my legs in water and crud, like it really needed something more to cover me. Hoping the RS is better, while I wont be in the mud much, I do like my legs to stay dry in the rain... Very similar bikes in my opinion when it comes to stopping and starting in my opinion (which they should be given the same engine and brakes...) Just the RS is way better suited to a variety of rides; short, long, through town, etc. while the GS likes to go for long distances, not as good for short around town jaunts.
what happens if you are doing 100 and you drop your key?? does it warn you or just stalls? can you pull the clutch?
Ridwan Ridwan Interestingly enough my little brother took off on the bike while the key was still in my dads jacket, the bike performed completely normally, just flashed a little light at him constantly.
The main reason I gave up BMW (Boxer) ownership was the high cost of ownership per mile. Aside from the thousand dollar "major maintenance" schedules I also had wonky tire wear issues. God help me if anything actually broke, I'd just give Otto my credit card, sell off my assets and return in a week to find out when I could pick up the bike. Not to say they're not sweet rides, but they're not for the light of wallet. I've owned three new bikes since my last Beemer and the cost per mile - for all three bikes - has been less than the one BMW. Just my experience, or common - I don't know. Before I'd take another gamble, I'd love to hear from other high mileage owners . . .
No main beam and dipped beam switch? Is this automatic?
Sammy B1988 Its hidden on the backside of the left hand control cluster, looks a bit like a "passing" switch you'd find on a U.K. spec bike. Meant to be cycled through with your left index finger
Bro so this bike will alert with alarm if someone wanna stole the bike?
+Brian Tan It will for sure, its pretty loud when you actually set it off
Nice review. Crappy roads though, and the camera angle is a bit low. :)
How tall are you and your dad?
I'm 5'10" and my dad is roughly 5'8", its inseam that really matters though unless you're talking bar angles/risers. I have a 32" inseam and ride my F800GSA with the 35" seat height very comfortably, he has a 30" inseam and wont touch my bike
Ah thank you, I was wondering because you said you can't flat foot but good enough right? I'm 5'9" not sure about inseam. Was curious :)
BMW needs an Italian cat and pipe designer and fired the Russian- designer kid! The entire system in S1000R sucks - ugliest crap I have ever seen on any bike!