REVIEW: K1200R-Sport Long-Term Test - images/video

[SHIVA]

This is month-long 2000 mile review of BMW's new K1200R-Sport. This comprehensive review of a Press bike includes comments on almost every aspect of the bike, testing of some aftermarket parts, finding quick fixes for common bugs, ride reports, images and videos. This review was conducted on August of 2007.







I was attracted to the K1200R-Sport as soon as I saw the first images. However, it took me longer than expected to finally be able to ride one. I've had a K12R-S for about a week now. Actually I hopped on a Cosmic Blue K12R-S after coming off a Flame Red F800S, after a 10 day review.

Here's a link to the F800S story "The Heretic:" http://bmwk1200s.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=6586

By the way, I've ridden a few of the new K machines including the first K1200S that hit our coasts at retail level,
http://bmwk1200s.com/ride_report.htm

then the K12S 06 version
http://bmwk1200s.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=4052

and the K1200R
http://bmwk1200s.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=3821

followed by the 06 K1200GT
http://bmwk1200s.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=3464

Coming off of the very light and nimble F800, and immediately getting on the K12R-S I thought I was going to feel the difference in weight. But amazingly this "K" machine doesn't feel porky and it lifted up from the sidestand with little effort. The experience was of course very different when I first got on the F800, coming off my own '99 K1200RS. There the F800 felt like a bicycle. So, BMW's post-2004 focus on lighter and faster bikes is certainly evident in this German company's new crop of high performance machines. Of interest, BMW's latest Press release celebrates the release of the 100,000th R1200GS. I think it's very safe to say that their new strategy has been extremely successful.

I took delivery of the K1200R-Sport in the rain, so, I checked out the tires and I see they are running on Pirelli Corsa. Corsa is unfamiliar to me, so I decided to take it easy for the first few minutes just to feel bike out. But you see, a funny thing happens when I sit on a "K" bike, any K bike, specially post 1998. I feel at home! So, it didn't take long that the "extra cautious, new bike, unknown tires, riding in the rain" thought was forgotten.

These new "K's" are meant to be driven. They feel so secure on the road. Since then, I haven't hit rain yet. So, been putting the K12R-S through it paces. But no long distance trips yet. I'll do that in a couple of weeks.

I need to get going now, I have an appointment. But look for the continuation of this ongoing review, which will include testing aftermaket parts and images and video reports... S

[Asphalt]

Shiva, just got done reading your K12GT report in the ON this morning. Great write-up. Looking forward to what you report about the K12RSport. (Don't want to call it a K12RS just yet, Nandi wouldn't appreciate that!) Ride it safe...and hard. You are a lucky man of late. International Man Of Motorcycle Mystery with all these "missions" and test rides in exotic locales...enjoy.

[SHIVA]

asphalt, thanks very much for your comment.

You got it, I can't call this one K12RS just yet. not as long as I'm still riding NANDI. Crazy I know... S

[SHIVA]

Sorry about the pause there folks. The story continues. Being on the 07 K1200R-S is a different experience than the prior versions of the K12S and K12R. The bike overall feels a lot of tighter. In the German Motorrad magazine review of the K12R-S ( http://bmwk1200s.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=5041, by the way they call their test TOP TEST, which really means A Tough Test on Top Bikes), this bike came out looking pretty impressive. The Germans specially praised it for overall tighter, smoother and better performance. Even the Brit reviewer Kevin Ash who seem to dislike everything German, has given a rather positive note on the new K1200R-S, which you can read here: http://bmwk1200s.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=6613

The reason for these positive reviews can partly be attributed to the maturity of the design. The new K rockets have been out for about 3 years now and they are getting more refined, as we expected them to become.

The next morning when I began riding this bike, on dry roads, I was surprised to find it almost pitch perfect in its execution. I found it to be very "linear," in another word, without any dip in torque, it pulls hard from just above idle. It's "linear" in its execution of the power delivery.

To me the Duolever on this bike, feels more refined than the older models I've lived with. Is this just me, or have you experienced it too? I don't recall the Duolever performing this beautifully. Initially when I got on the 06 12S, I found the Duolever a bit floaty, not so with the 07 K12R-S.

Also, great, is the lack of servo-assisted braking. Although those brakes are fine and they work very well, I find the new I-ABS II, non-servo system to be superior. And I don't think that the bike loses much braking power without the assistance of servos. I think the new braking system is very powerful, without being overwhelming. I really love the new ABS system too. It felt great on the F800S and it feels wonderful on the K12R-S. This is the least intrusive ABS I've seen from BMW. When they do come in, they simply tick-tick-tick away and almost do their job in silence and save your butt from crashing. On the older bikes you feel the tires stop and rotate, in essence you feel the sysetm working, not so much with the new system. Just to save you guys a bit of typing here, and to clarify further, I am not saying that the new ABS is 100% transparent, but to me they feel 25% more transparent than the older systems.

Thanks for reading to this point. The story will continue. S

[SHIVA]

How an $8 accessory with free shipping and a few turns of a screw can totally change the feel of the bike:


I'll have some pics of the actual bike for you guys soon. I'm waiting for one more part to show up before I start clicking away. One of my gripes with the new sport bikes from BMW is their small and hard grips. I complained about this back in 2006 when I rode the K12R and the S, the R12S and the same grips are used on the 2007 F800S and of course the K12R-S. I think these hard grips are counter-intuitive to BMW's mileage-friendly overall design. You don't make a "sport bike whose odometer performs too" and supply it with grips that put your fingers to sleep after a short 20 or 30 miles. Granted these new grips are more "pure sport," but considering the average age of a biker in the US is mid forties (my age) you think they would be a bit more considerate. The other problem with these hard grips is that they provide no buffer from the harsh roads we ride on. Unless you are wearing real thick gloves, which is counter to sport riding, you'll feel every imperfection on the road.

I tried to like these grips, I really did. Since I a fan of BMW sport bikes and all of their sport bikes run these grips now. You think I'd just give up and file in. Not me, it's more fun to customize anyway.

So, what's the solution you ask? As it has been mentioned in our community in various threads, the solution is a $8 grip accessory called "Grip Puppies." They work fantastic! Here's some info on these "puppies" not to be confused with our own "lost puppy" by the way. They are made by Grip-Tek http://www.grip-tek.com and they are sold at many online stores under the Grip-Tek brand name, but one industrious and creative outlet named California Sport Touring decided to call them "Grip Puppies," provide free shipping in the US and grab all the business away from the other outlets... Smart! Even though I know the history of the brand, I still got mine from CA Sport Touring, because of that darn free shipping... http://www.casporttouring.com/store/merchant.mvc

These "Puppies" go on in less than 5 minutes, they use no adhesive and they fit perfect and they look good too. I know I owe you pics, but be patient pls. First off, order the small diameter size, 2nd to install use some soapy water on the inside of the "Puppies." Then simply pull them on over your grips, let them dry a bit and you got yourself a whole new riding experience.

Yes, I am not exaggerating. These "Puppies" IMO change the overall feel of the bike drastically. The moment I rode the bike with them on, the K1200R-Sport felt smoother, creamier, and more comfortable and I was inspired to go faster. It felt like how a BMW supposed to feel.

If you are wondering about the affect of these "Puppies" on the heated grips. They do diminish some of their radiance but you can still feel the grips getting very warm. Overall, they probably diminish the grips heat potential by about 15%, which I think is a fine compromise considering the benefits.

The other little thing I did, which also changed the way this K1200R-Sport performs, in low to mid RPMs, was to tighten the throttle cable by about 1/4" or so (also mentioned on our forum on a few threads). That took 3 minutes and the difference in bike's low-RPM is again very tangible. The overall jerkiness of the throttle is better by a good 70%. Simply amazing! Needless to say, my ride today was quite enjoyable. However the bike is not 100% there yet. And I'll tel you about the last bit of crucial change after the said part arrives and is installed (no, it's not an exhaust).

Thanks again for keeping up with my ongoing review of this bike. More comments and hopefully this time with pics and video later... S

[SHIVA]

By the way, I paid special attention to the heated grips this morning, to see the affect of the "Grip Puppies." I think the grips get as warm, however they take a bit longer to heat up. S

[Eka]

This is turning me on:

[SHIVA]

AC Schnitzer sometimes hits a bulls eye and their version of the K1200R-S is real tempting.

But it needs some more work:
> Tinted shield.
> Different mirrors.
> Custom turn signals.
> Custom seat.
> All black.

[dgardel]

...............

To me the Duolever on this bike, feels more refined than the older models I've lived with. Is this just me, or have you experienced it too? ............
S

From MY2007 BMW changed the angle (reduced) on Duolever for K1200R and K1200R-Sport models (according to the ETK) (none for K1200S)..

So MY2007 KR and KRSport have more handling....

Ciao

Daniele

[SHIVA]

daniele, this is very interesting news. can I ask where you heard this? if this is true, then the 07 K12R and RS should have a different part number for the duolever. please ellaborate... cheers, S

[SHIVA]

[SHIVA]

I am glad to be posting some pics of this K1200R-S. The above image was taken by the Brooklyn Bridge, across the East River in this image is Manhattan.

Well, here's a shot of the "Grip Puppies." They fit very well and add about 1/8" or just a few millimeters to the diameter of the grips. I have been looking for a solution to soften the very hard sport grips that BMW has been using recently and I think these "puppies" are it. They are foam sleeves and basically just get pulled over the OEM grips. They require no adhesive, just a little soapy water to help pulled them on. That's all.

[SHIVA]

Please click on the link below for my video intro on the 2007 K1200R-Sport.

http://www.bmwk1200s.com/video/BMW-K.COM-K1200R-S.MPG

and here it is the same video on YouTube.com

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ndMPUrRTrDs

[SHIVA]

The other must-have modification on this bike was the seat. Once you get used to aftermarket seats, OEM's will always disappoint. Before I was scheduled to pick up this K12R-S, I contacted Corbin and asked them for a seat. And the Corbin K1200R & K1200R-Sport seat arrived in about a week and not a minute too soon.

OEM seats are simply sub-par and painful. There is a reason why OEM seats are so hard, first they are meant to last for a very long time, they are designed to be abused, left outside in all kinds of weather, they are supposed to require no maintenance. Basically a tough product for the tough world.

Thankfully we live in a very resourceful world, and there is no reason to suffer needlessly. Two things I don't consider when I test new bikes, seats and shields, since both will disappoint me big time and I know aftermarket will always beat OEM's designs. Fix your bike with an aftermarket seat at the time of purchase, if at all possible, and save yourself a lot of discomfort.

Well, here it is, Corbin leather seat for the K1200R and K1200R-S.



The instructions were very simple to follow, I installed the seat in less than 10 minutes. This seat comes in two sections, front and rear. There is actually a 3rd section, a glove box if you care to order it separately. The seats fit beautifully and they are very comfortable. However, keep in mind, Corbin seats require break in. They actually get more comfortable with time.

The seating position is almost perfect for my height. Also the backrest is phenomenal, you can crank up the revs quickly as you lean back and not worry about sliding backwards.

The seat looks quality and the leather, although, ultimately not as maintenance-free as vinyl is very luxurious to the touch. Good work Corbin.

[SHIVA]

[SHIVA]

A few more shots from today's 150-mile trip to some favorite two-wheel friendly destinations.

[SHIVA]

This shot was taken at a very popular state park. This state park has several lakes with many miles of twisty two-lane roads.

[SHIVA]

The weather was exceptionally nice today. So, a lot of bikers were out. Actually the state park and the roads where quite crowded with bikers. Mostly on cruisers, and many riding in large groups.

This picture should say it all: US' two-wheel culture is dominated by cruisers and customs. In the US cruisers have 50% of the two-wheel market, whereas BMW captures only 1.7%.

[SHIVA]

So, What Do I Think of the K1200R-Sport So Far? Part I

I've put more than a 1000 miles on the bike in the past two weeks. I've made some mods to increase comfort, such as foam sleeves for the grips, an aftermarket seat and also taken out the slack in the throttle cable to minimize some low RPM jerkiness. All have been explained in detail above.

A thousand miles is a good benchmark for evaluation. Normally when I go on Press intros, we ride a bike or two for a day and are asked to write about our experience. However, when you live with a bike for a while the ride report can become a lot more detailed and hence more useful.

What do I like about this bike:
The K1200R-Sport has a lot going for it. Although it's based on the K1200R, the sport fairing enables a more effortless triple digit riding. The sport fairing does work. It's very well designed. Although at a quick glance it looks like the fairing was lifted from the R1200S, actually just the headlight is shared the fairing is designed exclusively for the K12R-S.

I like the position of the handle bars. The bars are wider and higher than the K1200S. I like the width of the bars, but the height doesn't concern me. I'd be OK with the bars being lower. But the wider bars grant a greater control over the bike, specially in the flickability department.

I like the headlight. The low beam does work and it's quite effective at night.

I LOVE the ESA. And I've said this many times. What an amazing innovation. I changed the settings maybe half a dozen times today. Just terrific. For those who are on the fence about the ESA, I would tell you to go for it. It's a very useful option, especially if your ride takes you through different types of roads. Now WP and Ohlins both offer electronically adjustable suspension for a lot of different bikes. Our shocks are made by WP.

This is of course one powerful bike with plenty of torque. The straight line stability is already legendary and has been praised in almost every Press review.

I like the quality of the OEM paint. Although not a fan of people-friendly Cosmic Blue, the paint quality is first rate.

I like the jet turbine design of the sport rear rim. None of the aftermarket rims I've seen on our forum can match its beauty.

I like the computer option and I really want it to show even more info. I think, average speed, fuel economy, ambient tempt, miles to empty, Oil check and clock are simply not enough and I am not kidding. I want more. I want it to tell me if I have voice mail, number of new e-mail messages and how many are spam, how far am I to the nearest gas station, my weight through a sensor on the seat with a message saying: "Shiva did you have to eat so much at the last stop" and "My sensor show that you are risking a chance of dehydration, please pull over at the Quick-E-Mart, exactly 1.5 miles away to your right and pick up a bottle of water, that I just ordered for you." But I think it would be even more terrific if it would say: "Shiva, I am afraid I can't pull over at the next burger joint, they get a poor rating. Think of the your new aftermarket seat"

I'll cover what bugs me about this bike in a later post...

[Eka]

How many years this long term test will last?

[SHIVA]

well, you know the MOTORRAD magazine 50,000KM test? This one won't be like that.

[Eka]

Great article. Seat you have, when it will be sprayed black?

[SHIVA]

that's funny

[SHIVA]

just to clarify, this is going to be a comprehensive, long-term review, that will eventually go into a couple of publications. S

[SHIVA]

So, What Do I Think of the K1200R-Sport So Far? Part II

In my last long post I talked about some of the aspects of this bike that I really like. I'd like to add that it's really an impressive commuter and a great long distance runner.

So, what bugs me about this bike?
I re-read Kevin Ash's review from above and although he wrote a brief write up, he nailed the functionality of this bike. This is a bike with many virtues, but also has some areas that simply need work.

Put it simply and I conquer with Kevin, it tends to get buzzy, specially riding in the twisty backroads, where you tend to be on the throttle and grips more intently, than just cruising on A roads. It becomes a challenge to keep your fingers from going numb after 30 minutes or so of twisty riding. I don't remember this on the K12S, nor the K12R, this maybe an R-S thing. I would like to take a K12S for a spin again to properly compare it with the K12R-S. But the buzzing at low/mid-RPM, even with the "Grip Puppies" was annoying. Granted I was wearing super thin AlpineStar summer gloves with virtually no padding. My experience would be very different with proper riding gloves.

I also am not totally satisfied with the styling of this bike. I think it looks unfinished. I wish BMW would have offered it with a black belly pan. Granted you could upgrade to carbon fiber, if you wanted to, but the bike would have looked finished with a basic pan. This way the R would be a naked, the S a sport and the R-S a perfect balance of the two. I have a couple of pictures of the K12R-S with belly pans on the very top and I think they speak for themselves. Granted you can always buy an aftermarket belly pan to complete the look, but somehow, I'd like to see BMW offer it in their 2008 version for this bike. It's very doable and I hope they do it.

If you look at the AC Schnitzer bike above, you can see my point exactly, the bike looks all business--the way it was designed to look. It looks sporty, fast, muscular and handsome. Even BMW's own image, showing the bike with CF pan, is pretty awesome.

May the clunk be with you: Yes, you got it, my bike is totally clunky in 1st and 2nd gear. We have several threads that mention that 07 K's are clunkless. It is true that BMW released a new transmission for the K bikes for the MY2007. But why is my bike so clunky? Granted it's a Press bike, meaning it's amongst the very first that came to the US with a built date of Oct, 06.

I'd like to hear some comments from you guys riding the newer less clunky trannies. I am going to try a K12S with an '07 built date as well. If I do, I'll post my comments here.

But on a positive note, this is a bike that behaves itself in traffic and doesn't tire you. But when the road opens up, it shoots out with a nice growl, feeling very stable.

Thanks for reading... This report shall continue...