Hi Jason
When i test a bike,ride it one up,then go back to the shop,pick my other half up and after half an hour stop ask her what she thinks!!,i'd failed to tell her when i was one up had it showing a nats over 175!!!!,the bike is as bland a dish water,but i've got all the angles covered with the other two,but not horsepower!.
Hopefully i'll bump into a an R1200s fairly soon give me some kind of bench mark of were i've got to with my S,road an S not so long back with a few bits and bobs on,came as s major shock at how far i'd come with mine,the new S should more top end,but the mafia up here are fairly close to a solution to that!.
R1200s
Moderators: slparry, Gromit, Paul
I've ridden both fast K-bikes - liked both of them, but not enough to get me to part with my ill-gotten gains for. Preferred the K12R out of the two, simple because it's totally daft. Giving it max pasty in second gear made me giggle like a kid. Great noise too. However the demo bike I rode (with only 4.5k up) felt decidedly secondhand - rattled, knocked and had a terrible gearbox/transmission. Strange as the K12S I rode ages back felt really good - so much so I wondered why the mags moaned about it. Lack of product consistency obviously (BMW? Surely not). 
I so wanted to dislike the R12S but I couldn't. It's proper quick, handles very sweetly and ticks every box bar the practicality one. A genuinely nice bike.
For out & out fun (and where bhp isn't No1 on the rider's list) I still reckon the little F800S is the best bike BMW make. Perhaps it's because it's not trying too hard. If they made a slightly larger one with 1000cc I'd have it sitting in my garage.
Best 2-up bike I've ridden in the past couple of years is the Buell Ulysses. Mrs G thinks so too.
I so wanted to dislike the R12S but I couldn't. It's proper quick, handles very sweetly and ticks every box bar the practicality one. A genuinely nice bike.
For out & out fun (and where bhp isn't No1 on the rider's list) I still reckon the little F800S is the best bike BMW make. Perhaps it's because it's not trying too hard. If they made a slightly larger one with 1000cc I'd have it sitting in my garage.
Best 2-up bike I've ridden in the past couple of years is the Buell Ulysses. Mrs G thinks so too.
The Ulysses?
Must admit to liking the look of it, but it doesn't get much of a write-up in the press. I take it you've ridden a GS1200? How did the Buell compare?
They take the piss out my BCR at the BMWRidersScotland outings already (they all ride GS's) - A Ulysses would be like writing "Kick Me" in big letters across my back!
I was examining a Ulysses the other day and it was fitted with a nifty bracket on the RH bar, that offered up a Garmin Quest such that you could operate the buttons with your right thumb, reasonably safely.
Al
Must admit to liking the look of it, but it doesn't get much of a write-up in the press. I take it you've ridden a GS1200? How did the Buell compare?
They take the piss out my BCR at the BMWRidersScotland outings already (they all ride GS's) - A Ulysses would be like writing "Kick Me" in big letters across my back!
I was examining a Ulysses the other day and it was fitted with a nifty bracket on the RH bar, that offered up a Garmin Quest such that you could operate the buttons with your right thumb, reasonably safely.
Al
If I am ever on life support - Unplug me......
Then plug me back in..........
See if that works .....
Then plug me back in..........
See if that works .....
Al - the Uly, like all Buells, is most definitely an acquired taste. The bike has received a panning from the press and I have to admit that some aspects of the bike make this deserved. Weather protection's not great - but then again it doesn't buffet like the GS and will sit at 100mph in perfect comfort all day.
However, the bike needs VERY careful suspension setting-up, with rider weight being taken strictly into account to give the correct adjustment. Never before have I ridden a bike which is so sensitive to suspension settings. I had Thames Valley HD's Uly demo out for the day on several occasions when my Harley was in for service etc and each time the Buell grew on me a bit more. The last time I had the bike for the day a thumb through the owners' manual found me setting the bike up according to the very detailed info found in that manual. The bike was transformed. Problem is, most journos wouldn't know their *rses from their elbows when it comes to setting one up, or plain couldn't be bothered to even try ergo the bike gets slated before the first fence.
Yes, I have ridden a 12GS (had one for the day when the S was in for service). It's a very accomplished, seriously good motorcycle but it doesn't really fill me with the desire to own one. It goes well and handles very sweetly but is the sort of bike I'd put back in the garage, shut the door and walk away from without a backwards glance. The Buell on the other hand goes nearly as well, set up carefully handles almost as well but sounds 500% better, has much better brakes and is a lot more comfy. I was truly surprised at what a fantastic 2-up bike it makes. It also has wheels which will take proper rubber too; steering shimmy on the Uly has been put down to the woeful standard Dunlops - folk have been fitting Scorpion Syncs which have completely cured the problem. All in all a 'left field' bike - so just the sort of thing I like.
However, the bike needs VERY careful suspension setting-up, with rider weight being taken strictly into account to give the correct adjustment. Never before have I ridden a bike which is so sensitive to suspension settings. I had Thames Valley HD's Uly demo out for the day on several occasions when my Harley was in for service etc and each time the Buell grew on me a bit more. The last time I had the bike for the day a thumb through the owners' manual found me setting the bike up according to the very detailed info found in that manual. The bike was transformed. Problem is, most journos wouldn't know their *rses from their elbows when it comes to setting one up, or plain couldn't be bothered to even try ergo the bike gets slated before the first fence.
Yes, I have ridden a 12GS (had one for the day when the S was in for service). It's a very accomplished, seriously good motorcycle but it doesn't really fill me with the desire to own one. It goes well and handles very sweetly but is the sort of bike I'd put back in the garage, shut the door and walk away from without a backwards glance. The Buell on the other hand goes nearly as well, set up carefully handles almost as well but sounds 500% better, has much better brakes and is a lot more comfy. I was truly surprised at what a fantastic 2-up bike it makes. It also has wheels which will take proper rubber too; steering shimmy on the Uly has been put down to the woeful standard Dunlops - folk have been fitting Scorpion Syncs which have completely cured the problem. All in all a 'left field' bike - so just the sort of thing I like.
Blackal wrote:
They take the piss out my BCR at the BMWRidersScotland outings already (they all ride GS's) - A Ulysses would be like writing "Kick Me" in big letters across my back!
Al
I know what you mean. Last time I had the Uly out I took a blat over to S*C for a browse/free coffee/natter with Tim where, on leaving the showroom to walk outside I found a couple of GS owners (a 12 and an 1150) giving the Uly the benefit of their opinion. Overheard one of them saying something along the lines of 'they should have named it the useless...chortle chortle'. I proceeded to walk over to the Buell and placed my lid on the seat in preparation to leave. I followed them away from the dealer onto the A339 Alton/B'stoke road. They were trying - hard. I ended up waiting for them to catch for over a minute at the roadworks just outside Basingstoke. Neither of them would make eye contact with me.
Big? Not at all
Clever? Ditto
Will they slag the Uly off so readily next time? Probably not.
I made the mistake of popping in to SPC yesterday and having another test ride on an R1200S. I took out their demo with Remus cans on it. I found it a bit loud for my tastes and it seemed to make the low rev lag even worse. However, when I got back I thought sod it, you only live once so put a deposit on a new red/silver one. Hopefully I will pick it up Wednesday. I feel I may be having a few questions for you guys re suspension settings etc!
Nice one Paul 
Re suspension settings: If it were me I'd set everything on the standard settings then take the bike out for a spin, having put a pen and paper in my pocket to jot down what I'd changed etc etc. Make one adjustment at a time, see how it feels then write down what you've done.
On an 1100S I just set the preload roughly half way between fully soft & hard then turn the small damping screw out half a turn. The front adjustment doesn't seem to make that mutch difference so I just wind it all the way clockwise and leave it.
Re suspension settings: If it were me I'd set everything on the standard settings then take the bike out for a spin, having put a pen and paper in my pocket to jot down what I'd changed etc etc. Make one adjustment at a time, see how it feels then write down what you've done.
On an 1100S I just set the preload roughly half way between fully soft & hard then turn the small damping screw out half a turn. The front adjustment doesn't seem to make that mutch difference so I just wind it all the way clockwise and leave it.
Don't BMW sell the 1000cc one through the MZ dealer network?Gromit wrote: For out & out fun (and where bhp isn't No1 on the rider's list) I still reckon the little F800S is the best bike BMW make. Perhaps it's because it's not trying too hard. If they made a slightly larger one with 1000cc I'd have it sitting in my garage.
.
_________________
Nigel
Keep smiling, it makes people wonder what you've been up to!
1999 R1100s (mandarin) '
2018 DL 250V Strom
2019 CB125F Honda.
MZ301 Saxon Fun ( currently retired)
'03 Bullet 65 project..
Nigel
Keep smiling, it makes people wonder what you've been up to!
1999 R1100s (mandarin) '
2018 DL 250V Strom
2019 CB125F Honda.
MZ301 Saxon Fun ( currently retired)
'03 Bullet 65 project..
-
bigblackfalco
- Posts: 1922
- Joined: Wed Feb 18, 2004 10:05 am
- Location: Darkest Aberdeenshire
Which reminds me......was deep in thought the other day: Is the F800 engine a half version of the later K1200 engine or is it a totally different beast?nab 301 wrote:Don't BMW sell the 1000cc one through the MZ dealer network?Gromit wrote: For out & out fun (and where bhp isn't No1 on the rider's list) I still reckon the little F800S is the best bike BMW make. Perhaps it's because it's not trying too hard. If they made a slightly larger one with 1000cc I'd have it sitting in my garage.
.
I know that lots of Jap bikes are simply half engine affairs....like the GPZ500 etc etc.
Bailey.
Honda VFR750 FV 1997 Red and dirty, 130K miles.
Honda VFR800 Xf Crossrunner 2016 White and dirty, 120K miles.
Honda VFR800 Xf Crossrunner 2016 White and dirty, 120K miles.
From memory and according to herebigblackfalco wrote:Which reminds me......was deep in thought the other day: Is the F800 engine a half version of the later K1200 engine or is it a totally different beast?nab 301 wrote:Gromit wrote: .
I know that lots of Jap bikes are simply half engine affairs....like the GPZ500 etc etc.
Bailey.
http://www.motorcyclenews.com/nav?page= ... Id=4503254
It's a Rotax although possibly the head design (combustion chambers etc have k12 design features)
Nigel B
_________________
Nigel
Keep smiling, it makes people wonder what you've been up to!
1999 R1100s (mandarin) '
2018 DL 250V Strom
2019 CB125F Honda.
MZ301 Saxon Fun ( currently retired)
'03 Bullet 65 project..
Nigel
Keep smiling, it makes people wonder what you've been up to!
1999 R1100s (mandarin) '
2018 DL 250V Strom
2019 CB125F Honda.
MZ301 Saxon Fun ( currently retired)
'03 Bullet 65 project..
