www.boxertrix.com

I have just booked a ride next week - hoping for a wet day and will head for a bumpy road so we can see how good the toys are...

Well, the weather was sunny but it was still a useful exercise.

Engine - stonking, very strong and smooth. Lots of power and torque.
Brakes - better than anything I've ridden before
Ergos - comfy with a good riding position. More upright than the 1100s or 1200s
Suspension - good but not as wow as I expected it to be. The original ESA was a real quantum leap but I'm not sure the D-ESA is worth the extra. (Its £700 over the normal ESA).
Dashboard - very busy with small digits on the speedo. You can configure it to have a large digital speed display but then lose other stuff.
Cruise control - surprisingly useful
Build quality - pretty good. Bike fairings are built as numerous panels these days so the don't actually fit together but the quality of paint and panels was good.
Sat Nav moiunt - bit Heath Robinson but again no problem if you don't order it !

Had a good 90 minutes. It will be a good bike to ride/own as it is very useful.
Looks don't make me go

Booked test rides at Williams on Wednesday for a GS, R1200RS and the S1000XR. Should be fun.

SP250 wrote:Booked test rides at Williams on Wednesday for a GS, R1200RS and the S1000XR. Should be fun.

Don't forget John, pictures and a full report is expected ...

...one of the mates has one...
...sold his K1600GT, and got him a full spec R12RS...

...he likes it a lot...

I had brief rides on both an RS and GS yesterday - agree with what all have said re the engine. That dash is overly complicated. Handles well but didn't like the fork dive under braking. Took a GS out and thought the RS was better which disappointed me as I'd wanted a GS for a long time. Then, something clicked and new the GS would be the right bike for me out of those 2. Didn't realise how much I appreciate the telelever front end. So, the VFR is going and I think I'll be adding a GS to the garage before the end of the month

Good stuff Dave, pleased for you mate.

Well the S1000XR was an absolute weapon - bout the same as my tricked up Gixxer was, only with a sensible "adventure" riding position. Suited me down to the ground except for a really serious vibration through the bars and footpegs at 60 to 80 mph which also made the mirrors unuseable cos the image was so blurred. Shame, but I had numb fingers and feet after about 30 miles, so I couldn't live with that.

The R1200RS was a peach and about half way house between my 11S and the XR in performance terms. It felt a lot lower than the XR and also my 11S but was roomy enough and a more sports riding position. Liked the 2 position screen and all the traction /abs toys too. £2k cheaper than the XR so a serious candidate for the future.

The vibes through the bars are a well know problem with the S range of bikes.

Someone on the S1000RR UK forum has done a lot of work and developed a set of heavier stainless steel bar ends which, apparently, make a huge difference. Only just started to sell them so not much feedback yet.

http://s1000rrforum.co.uk/showthread.ph ... g-bar-ends

There is another thread covering the development somewhere.

Shame BMW didn’t do that.

If you are seriously thinking about the bike, maybe worth considering.

Yes, a nice looking bike, saw one up the hilltop café outside Salisbury last Saturday.
Had the luggage and the Garmin and all sorts of toys.
I was very impressed with the bike (which is more than I can say about the one egg hand full of chips scabby ham dinner).
Would I have the R1200RS.
Oh yes......
but would it be any good for a run to Castallane?

Probably the replacement to the r1100s we have been waiting 10 years for,
Looks a capable two up sports tourer, sadly now out of fashion. So it just may be obsolete already no matter how good it is.

Buy an R1200r instead?

boxerscott wrote:Probably the replacement to the r1100s we have been waiting 10 years for,
Looks a capable two up sports tourer, sadly now out of fashion. So it just may be obsolete already no matter how good it is.

Buy an R1200r instead?

I think they will do well with it. Sports tourers will come back into fashion.

I know a couple of my mates, previously loyal to Triumph and the 1050ST in particular are looking with interest at the RS because Triumph did not replace the ST in their range.

I am tempted, but as strictly a solo rider it does not offer enough over my 12s to be worth the extra layout. I also hold a grudge over the lack of Telelever. Might not be rational but grudges rarely are.