R1200S - Knockout or bloody nose ?!

boxerpan · Post by **boxerpan** » Fri Mar 10, 2006 11:13 pm

winger wrote:Do you know!! this board is like an iceberg!,it's what going on under the surface that counts!!

Let's just hope it doesn't collide with an unsinkable object like the Titanic

theseadog · Post by **theseadog** » Fri Mar 10, 2006 11:30 pm

I'm off to the Scottish Bike show tomorrow, so hopefully get a chance to see/sit on the new bikes, mabey even the new S. Must admit the pic in the comic the other week actually made it look quite good, still think the exhaust looks like a baboons arse though !

Pics and report to follow, mabey .....

Toodle Pip

nab 301 · Post by **nab 301** » Mon Mar 13, 2006 8:10 pm

Had a good look at the Irish bike show in Dublin last week . Didn't bother trying to see if it fits (just in case I really did like it) price(euro) €15k basic or €18k with the options (switchable abs etc etc)
Nigel B

Me-109 · Post by **Me-109** » Mon Mar 13, 2006 10:23 pm

theseadog wrote: I'm off to the Scottish Bike show tomorrow

So did you actually get there on the day that it was open?

minivin · Post by **minivin** » Tue Mar 14, 2006 10:49 pm

Won't buy one, no hard luggage means I can't use it since it has to be my main means of transport, in a couple years time when I finally come to pension mine off as a winter-rebuild and summer toy, I'll be on the look out for a R1150GS Adventurer with low mileage, suspect I'll find plenty that have only done 15k miles after Long Way Round

adamski49 · Post by **adamski49** » Tue Mar 14, 2006 11:52 pm

winger wrote:Shaft or chain has never bothered me,but after delving into Gus's shaft at 40 odd thousand, i'll take a chain very time,it's dirtier and more hassle maintenance wise but just being able to strip sprocket's and chain off,in the bin and start afresh,as opposed to something that is progressively going to get worse!!

This pretty much sums up why I've abandoned BM for now. I put 40k plus on a number of early 90's K's without any shaft issues - in a little over 30k on the S the shaft drive needed attention on two occasions. Both fell outside of my mechanical comfort zone whereas any numpty can change a chain and sprockets. Goodbye BM, hello Yamaha.

I bet the new S is a stonking bike but I could buy a GSX-R 6 that would pretty much trounce it on the road or track and still keep the Fazer all for the price of the S.

Adam

Gromit · Post by **Gromit** » Wed Mar 15, 2006 8:34 am

adamski49 wrote:
I bet the new S is a stonking bike but I could buy a GSX-R 6 that would pretty much trounce it on the road or track and still keep the Fazer all for the price of the S.

Adam

Amen to that.

As to the chain v shaft issue, I also agree - especially since hearing of the shaft/tranny failures on some 1200GS's.

Belt's the way to go though - smooth, zero maintenance, long-lasting, quiet, clean (no lube needed) and lighter than a chain. In fact my perfect bike would be...

BM chassis (including Duo or Telelever) luggage and switchgear
Aprilia V60 motor (but get Suzuki to build the gearbox)
Harley's belt drive
Then get Honda to put it together - and Guzzi to be on standby to inject some character.

Robert's your mum's brother.

bmwonder · Post by **bmwonder** » Wed Mar 15, 2006 10:00 am

I came to the same conclusion. I have a second hand Blade for fun (which is probably as fast as the new 1200) and I will probably buy something like a TDM900 or Fazer 1000 for practical transport. I'd still have a stack of change left from the price of one new 1200S. As for chain maintenance. It takes about fifteen minutes once every six weeks or so. Even I can handle that!

sandbar · Post by **sandbar** » Wed Mar 15, 2006 10:39 am

Just to put an opposite opinion ( no change there then!!), the last bike that I had with a chain was a 996. It was a fantastic bike - for what it was designed for there was, IMHO, nothing better.

But I was sitting there one sunny afternoon cleaning the chain - cloths,WD40 and cr*p and dirt all over the place - prior to oiling it and I had one of those 'Eureka' moments.

"We are in the 21st century - there is a better way"

So I bought an R1150RT - the best (most fun) track-day bike I ever used

sandbar

Stevie · Post by **Stevie** » Wed Mar 15, 2006 11:00 am

I've been thinking about changing my bike for a while, and obviously I am keen to see the 1200S when it finally puts in an appearance (was going to go the Edinburgh bike show on the Sunday

).

Now, I am a big fan of shafties, 'cos even once every six weeks, I cannae be arsed with all that chain cleaning shunte, but as others have also mentioned, for the difference in price between a 1200S and a new Fazer, you can buy a fair few packets of chocolate hobnobs.

Problem is, I had a Yam TDM a few years back, and despaired of watching it literally disintegrate in front of eyes. Now I know that the build quality on BMW's isn't what it once was, but my 6 year old 1100S still looks far better than my TDM did after only two winters.

I remain undecided

bmwonder · Post by **bmwonder** » Wed Mar 15, 2006 11:00 am

you can have a Eureka moment when you come to the beemer in the morning and there's a little puddle of oil under the swing arm by the rubber gaiter.

Stevie · Post by **Stevie** » Wed Mar 15, 2006 11:03 am

That'll be like the Eureka moment that I had when I discovered a puddle of geabox oil under my XT600

Dog Tyred · Post by **Dog Tyred** » Wed Mar 15, 2006 1:47 pm

Stop it, your scaring me

bmwonder · Post by **bmwonder** » Wed Mar 15, 2006 1:52 pm

But if BMW's are no longer any more, or less, reliable than other Jap manufacturers and they are not screwed together any better, or worse, why the big price differential?

That is obviously a rhetorical qustion sinc the answer is pure marketing - whether it will work or not is another matter.

Gromit · Post by **Gromit** » Wed Mar 15, 2006 3:08 pm

bmwonder wrote:But if BMW's are no longer any more, or less, reliable than other Jap manufacturers and they are not screwed together any better, or worse, why the big price differential?

I think it stems from the 'old days' (which aren't that old as I still remember them...

) when BM's were quality pieces of kit, and much more solidly built and reliable than the Oriental competition. Folk got used to paying premium money for a premium product. Because of that, people still almost expect to pay premium money for the marque, yet not for quite a while has BMW been a name to associate with premium quality and reliability.

Sure, the aftersales contiunues to be pretty good (in my experience anyway) and they do good coffee...but those 50" plasma tv's/posh sofas/free internet don't come cheap.