The R1200R - Unappreciated by both BMW Riders and BMW Motorrad?

[AKBEEMER]

We now have both an R12RT and an R12R in the household. Have not had the R on the road yet since we took delivery in December, but I am impressed with it. I particularly like how easy it is to work on. The R is my wife's bike and we spent the winter setting it up for her. Lots of add-ons and they were all easy to install; I can see me getting a roadster when time comes to replace the RT, but I do love my RT. As others have said, one issue with the R is the cost after adding farkles; it can make the cost near to that of an RT. We have close to $3k in additional stuff on the bike. The fact that we bought a 08 model that was still on the showroom floor for about 15% off and with free luggage is what sold us on the bike.

[tessler]

really?

there were 2 there friday afternoon, a lowered white one and a normal height black one with bags, i spent some times sitting on the normal one as the lowered one would have probably caused a kink in my knee.

Oops! My bad and you're totally correct. Lol. Joergen even took a picture of them! (and I was standing right next to him when he shot this... but then we all went to the big gig and drank sangria... my excuse)

[sdpc2]

under-apprecited in my book.

My wife had an R1100R and now has an R1150R (granted with a sidecar attached), but both are wonderful bikes! Easy to work, corner like crazy, are easy to ride and all around excellent machines.

But if BMW is pricing them that high, then they obviously don't care about selling them.

[mika]

I agree the R1200R is unappreciated by both BMW Riders but not by BMW Motorrad.

RT riders are more than willing to ruffle the feathers of the Roadster riders so back at you. In another thread a RT owner claimed the RT a ÔÇÿvastly superior bikeÔÇÖ; at what?
The RT and most other bikes in the BMW line have vastly superior feature lists but live with them day to day year round and the Roadster is a much friendlier bike. Obviously YMMV.

Range:
Don is correct. The tank capacity is close to what Chas suggests and if you keep your wrist out of it the bike is capable of 50mpg. My R1150R fully loaded for a month long tour has given me 49mpg when sipping real gas. Ethanol blends nock the mileage down for the R_R but is egalitarian doing the same for the RT rider. However; my mileage is no where near that good day to day. The bike is just too much fun to keep the wrist out of the equation.

Shootouts:
I havenÔÇÖt seen it show up in magazine shootouts on either side of the pond. The bike would do well in all the categories these type of articles look at but I doubt it would win a segment. Price would kill it when the article ended. The trouble with that is the price of entry into this bike may be higher than others but living with it is worth the fee.

Inventory:
This rumor strikes me as having much more to do with BMWÔÇÖs and BMW dealerÔÇÖs need to manage inventory than any real threat of the demise of the Roadster. First, unsold inventory is an ongoing expense. In any market you work to contain expenses it is even more of a challenge in a motorcycle market that is down. Secondly, again I agree with Don and believe that BMW will be announcing and bringing out a camhead R in the near future. Given that both groups need to sell existing inventory in anticipation of that.

[TinyTrains]

I am another happy customer. After 21 years on my K75, I wanted a similar bike; light weight, shaft drive, easy to work on, easy to ride and no tupperware. I had never ridden an R-bike before I went on a demo-ride, but I came back sold. With the low CG and high bars, the thing rides like a 600cc dirt bike, but with lots more power. As for insurance, even my agent was surprised how reasonable it was, under $600 a year for full coverage.

BMW did have one at the Long Beach show in December, but outside of a dealer show room, I have only ever seen one other R12R here in So Cal (and I see a LOT of bikes). He turned out to be a fellow member of R1200R.org.

Scott

[fastdogs2]

Since you brought it up, I just got my invoice for the insurance on my 2009 R1200R.

It is $456 for the year. Very reasonable, I think.

Another reason to ride the R.

[BUDDINGGEEZER]

It's not just the R1200R that is unappreciated. The naked standard motorcycle doesn't sell well in the US. There are many great naked standard bikes offered in Europe, but not here.

Ralph Sims

[EMPEG9000]

Since you brought it up, I just got my invoice for the insurance on my 2009 R1200R.

It is $456 for the year. Very reasonable, I think.

Another reason to ride the R.

Wow! You pay a lot for insurance! I pay $250 for full coverage. I ride an RT but I did the R. I like it's clean simple looks and it's more old school. The RT just fits my needs better for all weather protection and two up riding. I also have no idea how you guys get such good gas mileage. I hear other RT rider talking about getting 50 or upper 40s. I am always mid to low 40s.

[fastdogs2]

I had an RT for five years and paid close to $600 per year for it.

Define what you mean by full coverage? Also what year is your RT?

I have a $250 deductible with high limits of liability for both bodily injury and property damage. If you have a high deductible combined with low liability limits, you will pay less, but it is not worth it if you have an accident and the other guy sues you.

We pay high motorcycle insurance here in North Carolina thanks to one county (Graham) that has the highest rates of motorcycle damage and personal injury in the state. Care to guess what highway is located there? A clue - it rhymes with Wagon.

[EMPEG9000]

I had an RT for five years and paid close to $600 per year for it.

Define what you mean by full coverage? Also what year is your RT?

I have a $250 deductible with high limits of liability for both bodily injury and property damage. If you have a high deductible combined with low liability limits, you will pay less, but it is not worth it if you have an accident and the other guy sues you.

We pay high motorcycle insurance here in North Carolina thanks to one county (Graham) that has the highest rates of motorcycle damage and personal injury in the state. Care to guess what highway is located there? A clue - it rhymes with Wagon.

I do have a $500 deductible and also have high limits for bodily injury and property damage. I thought NYS was high but perhaps not as high. I do have the bike listed for recreational purposes as well. Not for commuting. It's also rolled in on an umbrella policy with my home and autos.

[fastdogs2]

OK. That explains it.

My policy has no restrictions on use. I do commute, as well as, tour on my bike.

You still have a good deal with what you are paying.

[lkchris]

It's not just the R1200R that is unappreciated. The naked standard motorcycle doesn't sell well in the US. There are many great naked standard bikes offered in Europe, but not here.

Have always thought of the "Rs" as

... bikes for folks that want new and want the cheapest--they are obviously price leaders

... bikes for folks whose next bike will have a fairing

... bikes for city riding and not the long distance touring so favored by USA BMW owners. They are for sure better for city riding than the bikes with fairings.

... difficult to distinguish from a GS, but for sure shorter

... least intimidating ... as regards fear of falling over and damaging fairing

[tntimbo]

At a recent BMW gathering held at a dealer, I saw a new R1200R "touring" model in deep blue metalic. It had the low frame option.

It impressed me as one of the most beautiful motorcycles I have ever seen. It also "felt perfect" when I sat on it for the first time. Had my bank balance permitted, I would have owned it on the spot!

I have test ridden the R1200R and it is a fantastic performer!

It is definetely the most under appreciated BMW in the current line.
Tim

[deilenberger]

Kent sez (and I gotta disagree with some of his thoughts..):

Have always thought of the "Rs" as

... bikes for folks that want new and want the cheapest--they are obviously price leaders

Hmm... price isn't a driver for the R12R - you can certainly find cheaper new bikes in a BMW dealers showroom (650's and 800's) and it wasn't in my case.. paid cash for the roadster, could have paid cash for any other bike in the showroom. Cheapest was not a factor at all.

... bikes for folks whose next bike will have a fairing

Bit odd - most of the people I know who bought a roadster USED to have a bike with a fairing, (or in my case, MANY bikes with fairings) and realized how much more pleasure they get riding "naked"..

... bikes for city riding and not the long distance touring so favored by USA BMW owners. They are for sure better for city riding than the bikes with fairings.

I'll agree the R12R is better than a bike with a fairing in the city, but that makes it hard to explain why I doubled my annual mileage when moving to the Roadster from a series of faired bikes.. I do at least one 3,000+ mile trip a year, and usually a few other 1,000 mile trips. All started since I got the R12R. I think the trips qualify as "long distance" non-city riding.

... difficult to distinguish from a GS, but for sure shorter

If you can't visually distinguish between a GS and a Roadster, I'd suggest your eyeglass prescription might be out of date.. If you mean difficult to distinguish the useability of the two - I'd agree. A chap named Chitown (Joe Finn) is well known for taking his R12R places where GS riders just don't seem to be comfortable.

... least intimidating ... as regards fear of falling over and damaging fairing

I wouldn't call it intimidating. I'd call it uncomfortable. When I test rode the RT I found I couldn't see from the cylinder heads to about 3 feet in front of the bike, and basically had concerns when I came to a stop if I was going to have to dodge a pothole with my feet. I like being able to look down and see all the pavement surrounding my bike. I find that comforting.

I like the R12R because it does what I want and it fits me. It's really THAT simple. it wasn't price that drove me to buy one. I knew the day I sat on one at the NYC moto show in '06 that I'd own one, and I did by spring in '07. I ride it year round in NJ - putting way more miles on it then on any other bike I've ever owned.

Cheap? Nope. City bike? Nope. Want a faired bike? Big NOPE. Less intimidating? Mebbe a little. Mebbe we can grade this on a curve.

[darrylri]

I'd have to agree strongly with DonE. I've never owned a "big fairing" bike, but I am working towards my 600k award. Right now, only the R appeals to me in the boxer line, and for the same reasons that Don pointed out.

My current bike is an R1200ST. That, and my R1100RS, are the best bikes for me in recent BMW memory. So, that really highlights what the OP was saying: that these bikes are unappreciated by both BMW and the customers they attract.