geoffm
24th August 2008, 13:48
As part of my search for a replacement for the BMW Brick (RIP), I took a 2005 vintage K1200S Beemer out for an good spin yesterday. I would be interested in the opinions of anyone else who owns or has ridden one of these.
This is the one with the across- the -frame 4cyl, wet clutch and a claimed 160hp. Not your typical BMW. Claim to fame is the Hossack type "Duolever" front suspension, and (in 05/06 years) servo assisted brakes. This one didn't have the electronically adjustable suspension, which I would have liked to play with.
Comparing with the Blackbird I rode a couple of weeks ago, the BMW is easier to ride slowly - at vaguely legal speeds. Speed tended to creep up in the Bird a lot more than the K12s, where the BMW would actually sit at 100kph on the motorway. Indeed, the BMW felt a bit flat in the midrange, but certainly boogied when you gave it some stick.
Insert usual complaints about weird BMW switch gear...
One thing you notice in slow traffic is this thing is big - longer than it looks and the steering takes some getting used to. At the end of the ride, it was no problem. Some people have complained about the handling being vague - i found it was ok and being able to brake hard over bumps without the steering being affected was nice - it does work well.
It has the added bonus of being able to watch the suspension wishbone go up and down with road bumps on what seems to be a smooth road.
I found it pretty comfortable - similar I would say to the Bird, and not as upright as the VFR or Sprint.
The engine is surprisingly noisy for a BMW - they normally have a dignified intake honk at most. The airbox is the fuel tank and there is a surprising amount of induction and mechanical noise - not bad but the Bird was a lot smoother, and possibly less interesting as a result.
Appearance is a personal choice, but I thought it looked good, although the truck exhaust muffler would have to go. It will be interesting to see how they stand up to old age - the old Beemers were very well finished and had quality plastics. The tank cover seemed almost a bit lightweight.
BMW gearboxes have a reputation for a certain amount of agriculturalness - over rated IMO, as the gearbox on my K was pretty good - not perhaps as good as the newer Japanese stuff, but ok. This gearbox was terrible - I am sure the "clunk" from neutral to first and from first to second could be heard all over the north shore, and the shifting was notchy and a long travel from 1-2. Higher gears were ok, and maybe a different bike/ technique / more saddle time or something might be better.
For those of the DIY bent, it doesn't lend it self to DIY, with the official BMW computer being needed to check and reset things - including telling you if the valves need checking. Neat feature and might save some service time in the future. We will see if aftermarket units come out as has been the case with cars.
Brakes - this bike had the power assisted servo brakes - which BMW dropped in 07+ for conventional brakes. Yes they work, and plenty of power but, did anyone ask the question why? It is a solution looking for a problem - a set of good Nissans stolen off any big Jap superbike would work as well.
Without power, you basically have no brakes like a car without the motor running. Pull on the brakes and the is a minute delay before the servo works and things start to happen seriously. I am not a big user of brakes, and they certainly slow you down, but all the extra weight and plumbing serves no purpose, and increases costs in the future. I also rode a 2006 K1200RS with servo brakes and full touring kit and it was interesting to compare the 2 bikes. The K12s wasn't bad - the servo brakes weren't really noticable. the K12RS it was very noticeable - want to lightly drag the brake - first there is nothing and a second later it is a full stop with no change in brake pressure.
At $24k for a 2005 bike (without bags at that), it is $10k more than a Blackbird of the same age and milage, or $2k more than a new Busa or Triumph Sprint ST (which comes with bags, so say equivalent to $19k without). Is it $10k better than the 'Bird? I would have to say no. It was very good, but not $10k better. the previous owner lost around $8-10k over the 3 years of ownership - that is some serious depreciation.
The other concern is the reports of transmission failures in the early models, with multiple failures repaired under warranty. the 07+ have new transmission, which would also hopefully fix the clunky, notchyness in this bike.
The other one is all those expensive joints in the suspension, and electronic goodies that will be expensive when they die of old age or electrical gremlins. The (WP made) ESA shocks in particular would be expensive to replace and I don't know if they can be rebuilt. I believe new shocks are around $US3k...each...
The sticker cost meant it was really not an option for financial reasons. If it was closer to the cost of the competition, I would give it some consideration, despite the gearbox, etc, but at this price I will wait for a 07+ model to come up second hand a few years down the track and see what faults come out of the woodwork in the meantime.
Geoff
This is the one with the across- the -frame 4cyl, wet clutch and a claimed 160hp. Not your typical BMW. Claim to fame is the Hossack type "Duolever" front suspension, and (in 05/06 years) servo assisted brakes. This one didn't have the electronically adjustable suspension, which I would have liked to play with.
Comparing with the Blackbird I rode a couple of weeks ago, the BMW is easier to ride slowly - at vaguely legal speeds. Speed tended to creep up in the Bird a lot more than the K12s, where the BMW would actually sit at 100kph on the motorway. Indeed, the BMW felt a bit flat in the midrange, but certainly boogied when you gave it some stick.
Insert usual complaints about weird BMW switch gear...
One thing you notice in slow traffic is this thing is big - longer than it looks and the steering takes some getting used to. At the end of the ride, it was no problem. Some people have complained about the handling being vague - i found it was ok and being able to brake hard over bumps without the steering being affected was nice - it does work well.
It has the added bonus of being able to watch the suspension wishbone go up and down with road bumps on what seems to be a smooth road.
I found it pretty comfortable - similar I would say to the Bird, and not as upright as the VFR or Sprint.
The engine is surprisingly noisy for a BMW - they normally have a dignified intake honk at most. The airbox is the fuel tank and there is a surprising amount of induction and mechanical noise - not bad but the Bird was a lot smoother, and possibly less interesting as a result.
Appearance is a personal choice, but I thought it looked good, although the truck exhaust muffler would have to go. It will be interesting to see how they stand up to old age - the old Beemers were very well finished and had quality plastics. The tank cover seemed almost a bit lightweight.
BMW gearboxes have a reputation for a certain amount of agriculturalness - over rated IMO, as the gearbox on my K was pretty good - not perhaps as good as the newer Japanese stuff, but ok. This gearbox was terrible - I am sure the "clunk" from neutral to first and from first to second could be heard all over the north shore, and the shifting was notchy and a long travel from 1-2. Higher gears were ok, and maybe a different bike/ technique / more saddle time or something might be better.
For those of the DIY bent, it doesn't lend it self to DIY, with the official BMW computer being needed to check and reset things - including telling you if the valves need checking. Neat feature and might save some service time in the future. We will see if aftermarket units come out as has been the case with cars.
Brakes - this bike had the power assisted servo brakes - which BMW dropped in 07+ for conventional brakes. Yes they work, and plenty of power but, did anyone ask the question why? It is a solution looking for a problem - a set of good Nissans stolen off any big Jap superbike would work as well.
Without power, you basically have no brakes like a car without the motor running. Pull on the brakes and the is a minute delay before the servo works and things start to happen seriously. I am not a big user of brakes, and they certainly slow you down, but all the extra weight and plumbing serves no purpose, and increases costs in the future. I also rode a 2006 K1200RS with servo brakes and full touring kit and it was interesting to compare the 2 bikes. The K12s wasn't bad - the servo brakes weren't really noticable. the K12RS it was very noticeable - want to lightly drag the brake - first there is nothing and a second later it is a full stop with no change in brake pressure.
At $24k for a 2005 bike (without bags at that), it is $10k more than a Blackbird of the same age and milage, or $2k more than a new Busa or Triumph Sprint ST (which comes with bags, so say equivalent to $19k without). Is it $10k better than the 'Bird? I would have to say no. It was very good, but not $10k better. the previous owner lost around $8-10k over the 3 years of ownership - that is some serious depreciation.
The other concern is the reports of transmission failures in the early models, with multiple failures repaired under warranty. the 07+ have new transmission, which would also hopefully fix the clunky, notchyness in this bike.
The other one is all those expensive joints in the suspension, and electronic goodies that will be expensive when they die of old age or electrical gremlins. The (WP made) ESA shocks in particular would be expensive to replace and I don't know if they can be rebuilt. I believe new shocks are around $US3k...each...
The sticker cost meant it was really not an option for financial reasons. If it was closer to the cost of the competition, I would give it some consideration, despite the gearbox, etc, but at this price I will wait for a 07+ model to come up second hand a few years down the track and see what faults come out of the woodwork in the meantime.
Geoff