T
Tropical Bird
Guest
Greetings from down under.
I recently posted the following K1200S ride report on the Aussie BB board:
K1200S ride report
Well, after some weather-induced delays, I finally got to ride the K1200S yesterday.
The ride lasted for about 25 mins, through urban traffic and some 80 km/hr sections with good sweepers.
The bike I rode was brand new, with only 20 kilometers on the clock. It was fitted with ABS and the electronically adjustable suspension.
I have done a fair amount of research on the S, including trawling through the K1200S discussion forum at length to identify owners concerns.
Accordingly, I paid particular attention to the following areas during the ride:
FI mapping (surging, etc)
Drive line lash
Rear brake effectiveness
Clutch action
Gearbox action
Comparisons are made against my 11 month old Blackbird, which I have owned since new.
Ergonomics
BMW have got the seat-bars-peg combination right. The bars are higher and flatter than a Blackbird. The reach to the bars feels about the same. The pegs feel slightly higher, and the seat is lower ? you tend to sit into the bike, rather than on top of it like the Bird. However, the riding position does push your nether regions into the tank.
I felt that the front lip of the seat could be slightly higher.
Although the S and the Bird are very similar in weight, the C of G is noticeably lower on the S ? the bike feels easier to move around at very slow speed.
The mirrors were excellent, with a surprisingly wide field of view out beyond your elbows. Better than the Bird.
Engine
As noted previously, the bike was brand new, so the engine was quite tight.
Performance was good ? it would be at least on par with the Bird after some more miles.
The FI mapping was spot on. There was no surging on steady throttle openings, nor any tendency to hold RPM on a trailing throttle, as has been reported by some owners.
I presume the bike I rode has the latest FI map, which is reported to resolve all previous FI problems.
The intake noise is quite pronounced. When combined with the wail from the surprisingly loud can, it makes accelerating the S a visceral experience.
The Bird is much more business like and refined under acceleration. Whether this is a good thing or not really depends on personal preference.
I do like the wail from the K1200S can, though?.
Transmission
The transmission required a firm action, and was a little clunky compared to the Bird, but it was not as bad as reported by some owners. Neutral was slightly difficult to find, but this was probably related to the newness of the bike more than anything.
The gear lever was too low ? I had to consciously hook my boot under it. A matter of adjustment, I assume.
There was some driveline lash, but this was not particularly obtrusive for a shaftie..
Clutch action was slightly heavier than the Bird.
I recently posted the following K1200S ride report on the Aussie BB board:
K1200S ride report
Well, after some weather-induced delays, I finally got to ride the K1200S yesterday.
The ride lasted for about 25 mins, through urban traffic and some 80 km/hr sections with good sweepers.
The bike I rode was brand new, with only 20 kilometers on the clock. It was fitted with ABS and the electronically adjustable suspension.
I have done a fair amount of research on the S, including trawling through the K1200S discussion forum at length to identify owners concerns.
Accordingly, I paid particular attention to the following areas during the ride:
FI mapping (surging, etc)
Drive line lash
Rear brake effectiveness
Clutch action
Gearbox action
Comparisons are made against my 11 month old Blackbird, which I have owned since new.
Ergonomics
BMW have got the seat-bars-peg combination right. The bars are higher and flatter than a Blackbird. The reach to the bars feels about the same. The pegs feel slightly higher, and the seat is lower ? you tend to sit into the bike, rather than on top of it like the Bird. However, the riding position does push your nether regions into the tank.
I felt that the front lip of the seat could be slightly higher.
Although the S and the Bird are very similar in weight, the C of G is noticeably lower on the S ? the bike feels easier to move around at very slow speed.
The mirrors were excellent, with a surprisingly wide field of view out beyond your elbows. Better than the Bird.
Engine
As noted previously, the bike was brand new, so the engine was quite tight.
Performance was good ? it would be at least on par with the Bird after some more miles.
The FI mapping was spot on. There was no surging on steady throttle openings, nor any tendency to hold RPM on a trailing throttle, as has been reported by some owners.
I presume the bike I rode has the latest FI map, which is reported to resolve all previous FI problems.
The intake noise is quite pronounced. When combined with the wail from the surprisingly loud can, it makes accelerating the S a visceral experience.
The Bird is much more business like and refined under acceleration. Whether this is a good thing or not really depends on personal preference.
I do like the wail from the K1200S can, though?.
Transmission
The transmission required a firm action, and was a little clunky compared to the Bird, but it was not as bad as reported by some owners. Neutral was slightly difficult to find, but this was probably related to the newness of the bike more than anything.
The gear lever was too low ? I had to consciously hook my boot under it. A matter of adjustment, I assume.
There was some driveline lash, but this was not particularly obtrusive for a shaftie..
Clutch action was slightly heavier than the Bird.
