re: From a legendary sportbike to a legendary globe tourer BMW R1200GS First thing that strikes is that this is one huge bike. Part reason for me liking this bike was that finally I would feel at home on this bike. Not like the other bikes I have sat on and I feel like an elephant on a moped.haha.
The sheer size of this bike is not imaginable by any reference. The first time I saw one was at the showroom and when I sat on it, the sheer size of the machine dawns on you. The acres of space towards the handle and the handlebar itself is so wide. Its nothing like I have ever experienced before.
The attention to detail is amazing. Each part is properly engineered. Beautiful Engineering if you're from a mechanical engineering background. The shaft drive is a beauty to behold.
Ergonomics:
This is a supremely comfortable bike. Sitting straight. Legs have a comfortable angle and the hands have a very wide and high grip. The rider is sitting so high that it can be properly termed as an Iron Horse. My helmet was above Innovas to give you an idea.
There is one thing that is very different here. The bike is very roomy. There is lot of room to move around the seat and there is lot of distance from the seat to the handlebars. This can be a problem with slightly shorter riders who might have to bend forwards to grip the handlebars.
The wide grip of the handlebars is very confidence inspiring at all speeds. It is just that when parking the bike or when reversing it out of your garage or gate, it is a problem because when the handle is at its extreme turn, it goes very far and reaching it might be a slight problem.
The height of this bike is quite a lot. The seat height is such that I being over 5'11" can only touch my toes on the ground. This becomes a problem when parking the bike on slowing down to a stop on uneven ground.
The bike is very well balanced that one does not have to put the feet down at crawling speeds but whenever I have to place my foot down it does become a bit of a worry that I should not topple the bike over.
A few things that need to getting used to is the turn signal switches which are placed on left and right hand side respectively. The horn switch is at a weird angle.
The rider seat is height adjustable and is pretty comfortable for long rides. It is engineered in the correct way to enable offroad riding while standing up or simply cruising.
For offroad riding the standing posture on this bike is nearly perfect. I say nearly perfect because for me the bars need to be a bit higher. That will soon be done by variable handlebar fasteners which will be coming soon.
My soon to be better half did not like the looks of the bike initially. But one ride and the comfort of the bike and ease with which I was riding it and having a conversation with her has not made her love this bike too. The pillion seat according to her is supremely comfortable and the pillion pegs are placed very ideally for her.
The center stand is easy to put on and the bike does not feel too heavy when in straight position. Although it feels heavy when taking it off the side stand.
The windscreen works well. It does not deflect too much wind in the lowest position from the helmet. But at a position nearly the highest, it deflects the wind off the helmet and does a good job. Riding dynamics:
Stability at speeds is superb. even though this is a tall bike, the fact that it is a horizontal twin keeps the CG very very low. This gives immense confidence at speeds on highways as well as twisties of mountains.
During the ride from delhi to dehradun, it is all a flat out straight road with 2/3rds of the distance a very fine 6 lane highway. And then in the end one gets the taste of twisties of the mountains for about 30 odd kms. Initially I was a bit skeptical about its handling in the twisties. This is a big bike with a huge wheelbase. So with this apprehension I entered the mountains being careful on the turns and getting feedback from the bike as I progressed. The way it started handling and inspiring confidence was amazing. Agreed its not a corner carving sportbike but this is very close. The whole thing has been engineered so well that even with its 19 inch front wheel is turns in very well and holds the lines very well. Very soon I was leaning into the corners like anything.
Flickability is another thing I was surprised. Now I guess most of you know that leaning into a corner is one thing but flicking the bike from one corner to another is a totally different ballgame. Here this behemoth was flicking corners better than my previous 12R. Amazing to say the least. This bike has been surprising me in and out. My riding abilities just cannot match the abilities of this bike and its a bit reassuring that even when i push it, there will be so much in reserve with the bike that it won't give up on me.
I have ridden it on some decent offroad trails and it handles well. This is not an enduro bike mind you. It has its short comings with weight as well as a touring oriented suspension setup and can never replace an out and out offroader. But it will take you across the trail. It will be slower than the enduro bikes but will get the job done. Best part is that because of its weight it really tracks well. It does not slip and slide about. It digs in and keeps going.
Braking is something one has to get used to on this bike. This is something not felt on any bike that I have owned till now. The front end does NOT dive under braking. Very unusual in the beginning and a bit uncomfortable. But as I rode this bike more and more I felt more confident about it and it actually helps a lot. You brake for a speedbreaker or a few potholes and you still have full suspension travel to take you through the potholes. It does not bottom out like other bikes while attempting a similar maneuver.
Engine and drive train: This is an air cooled boxer twin engine. It will never have the finesse of a liquid inline 4. Simple. Yes it has vibrations. Yes it heats up quite a lot and the cylinders let off quite a bit of heat especially in traffic. But it is not unmanageable. It has never overheated in the densest of traffic. And once the speeds climb to 50-70 kmph, the heat goes away.
The best part about having 2 big cylinders is the torque. Its virtually everywhere. All across the rev band. Just rev the throttle and the bike lounges forward in any gear.
A small problem of the boxer engine is that it takes too much space and the cylinders are exposed to damages. I have ordered a set of guards for the cylinders but the danger of getting a hit on those cylinders jutting out still very much present.
This bike can actually just crawl along the road like a bullet thumping along. It is that tractable. Perfect for cool evenings with the lady. Just chug along at 20-30 kmph chatting with the lady and looking at beautiful natural views all around. Perfect!
The shaft drive is something which I have ridden for the first time. It is a very direct drive system. I mean the moment you wring the throttle you will feel a jerk from the drive and the bike will move forward with full force. The gearing is tall and it gives a relaxed ride but at the same time it can become a hooligan and you can ride it really hard if you want to.
The Experience: This bike has given me what I actually wanted. I felt riding freedom when I bought the bullet. A fairly big bike with good torque and I could go anywhere without a hiccup. Leh, weekend rides to remote places in the mountains. Some amount of offroading. This bike has added to that freedom and by a huge margin. I can ride it anywhere. It is comfortable. Has good power. Everything that I wanted from a bike is here. The public attention that I get is also limited. Most people cannot understand what bike this is and just move on. The looks of this bike are weird to everyone. They just don't understand what to make of it. Thats superb for me. No one following me on the road and no one troubling me when the bike is parked next to a roadside tea shop. Yes the size does gather some attention but as to a first timer it is an ugly bike they just move on. Some even thing its a modified bike. haha. Perfect!
After I had gone back to IIT Kanpur the bike had to be taken to the RTO for registration formalities. Dad did the honours. He had ridden the bullet before but never the ninja. But this bike he wanted to ride. Major problem he had was that he is unable to find a Helmet his size. So that day Dad rode the bike and behind him the driver followed in a car with the small helmet in tow to prove to the cops that the helmet really did not fit his head. He really enjoyed the ride. And he gathered more attention that I ever did. hahaha. Imagine a big built man with a white french beard and Avaitors riding a big black bike. hahaha. A sight to behold.
My parents were shocked when I first showed them the bike. At the showroom this is parked right next to a S1000RR and hence there is an obvious comparison. Then I had to do a detailed explanation that why this is the bike to buy for me. I have been there done that on sportbikes. No sportbike can give me more than what I got from the ZX-12R. Or rather my limited abilities cannot.
The indian mentality has been developed such by the media and films that we believe that anything that does not have a fairing is not a superbike. That includes me too. I today believe that those who truly love riding. Irrespective of what a bike looks like, should buy this Genre of bikes.
And to make a statement this is the genre of bikes that I will buy for the rest of my life!
Some of you might know that BMW is coming out with a Liquid Cooled version of the 1200/1250 GS. This will have more power and torque obviously. You may also ask the question as did my parents that why not wait for the new bike. Well I have owned a ZX-12R in the past. A 2005 model which was its last year of production. The recalls were done and all problems sorted. I never faced any problem with it. This R1200GS has been around since a lot many years too with the Camhead coming in 2010. The problems have been solved and in a way this is the best version of the R1200GS as of now. This will not give me any problem for the coming few years. Then when the LC version has had its recalls and is reliable enough, I will definitely shift to that. But Genre will remain the same.
Over these years I have realized that the truth is that I love riding. I want to enjoy new places. Beautiful places. Especially with my better half and my friends. I don't want my life revolving around a bike. A bike is just a small part of that equation which will make me happy. Thats why no more sportbikes which make me more miserable thinking about the parking and other fiddlers.
These are my views only any I bet almost all of you disagree with it. But then this is what I am. This is the reason I chose a bike that is not a good looker and not the fastest around either. But I love my life and now this bike is making me live my life better by giving me occasions which I enjoy with my Family and Friends.
Pics are due and will come up in the following posts.
Last edited by navpreet318 : 15th May 2012 at 15:58.
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