bought a R1200GS

It's loverly. I've only ever had 600cc sportsbikes before now so it's a
bit of a change and I'm absolutely astonished at how composed and
versatile it is. I would think I'm probably 5% quicker on the beemer
than I am on the ZX6R on most roads.

I'm doing London to Kathmandu on it in september (which is why I bought
it) but I'm now thinking I might keep it in preference to the kwak.

Heated grips! They actually keep your hands warm! Who knew?

Christ I'm getting old.

steve

 

if you're going to use it around London, remember it's a *lot* wider
than your 6R. On the plus side, if you've got the hand-guards as well
as the heated grips, they're pretty good for knocking transit van
wing-mirrors out of your way.

 

Steve Rawlinson emerged from their own little world to say

Will you have a BMW support team to repair it every 1000km?

 

I'm doing London to Kathmandu on it in september (which is why I bought

Yes, and a russian fixer, doctor, TV crew, admin staff and Obi-Wan
Kenobi.

The only thing that bothers me is the computer. The rest I think we can
handle. I tried getting a non-ABS model but they're rare as hens teeth.
We'll see.

steve

 

if you're going to use it around London, remember it's a *lot* wider

Yes, fortunately the handle bars are the widest bit so judging gaps isnt
too bad (so far anyway). Despite being fucking big to look at (and get
on) it's surprisingly nimble.

How they manage to get only 100bhp out of 1200cc I dont know, but it's
adequate power for the bike.

steve

 

But BMW ABS is incredibly good and reliable, unlike some other bits of
the bike.

 

You don't read this NG much then!! several of us wax lyrical about
them. Riding all year round in some waterproof armoured summer sports
gloves is something of a joy. I've just gone with heated gloves to try
and regain some of said winter joy.

 

'Hog emerged from their own little world to say

Not the system on the R1200GS.

If I understand correctly, BMW fucked up with the size of the
battery/charging system. If a rider plugs too many accessories into the
system the alternator cannot cope with demand and the battery goes flat.
Without electrons the braking system does not work as it has an electric
servo. This has caused quite a few eek moments.

BMW have recently issued new firmware for the ECU to try to conserve
energy. If electrical demand is too high the ECU switches off the accessory
sockets via the new fangled CANBUS. The latest thread on UKGSer bemoans
that the accessory sockets are deactivated if rider & pillion each use a
heated waistcoat (which is about 120 watts for Giali jackets).

 

New fangled CanBus
Pah,
Been around for yonks.


Even the Cranes I repair have a CanBus system to monitor and resolve issues
with the lifting moments and such, so hardly "New Fangled" really.

Latest idea for the system (prototyping now) used in the cranes is to
monitor the leg/stabiliser length deployment to reduce lifting moments
accordingly dependent on the leverage exerted on the leg in question. Should
the load be excessive for the particular length of leg deployment the crane
is restricted, either in slew or load lift to prevent overload and therefore
damage or accident.

 

R obbo emerged from their own little world to say

<for the hard of thinking>

Irony dear, irony. BMW can't even implement 20 year old technology without
fucking up.

I started working on CANBUS for photocopiers in the 1980s. They drastically
reduced manufacturing costs by eliminating loads of discrete wiring and
concomitant assembly time.

 

I had an R1150GS - I agree with the above in general - however,
compared to the 1200, the 1150 was desperately lacking in power.

I might think about trying a 1200, to see if they're less dog slow than
the 1150.

you're aware that they're gay, BTW?

 

Does this apply to all their 1200 twins or just the GS? I've been toying
with the idea of a 1200ST as my next "sensible" bike as they seem to have
a reasonable amount of power now. But I see no point whatsoever in an
unreliable BM.

Regards, Ian

 

But that doesn't mean the ABS is bad now does it, which was my point.
All new BMW's are shit IMHO.

 

'Hog emerged from their own little world to say

Well, if we go OT and talk about older BMW bikes, then the ABS system
fitted to my 2000 model is temperamental. It is very fussy about battery
voltage. I think the threshold is 11.2V. If, when you press the starter
button the battery voltage drops below 11.2V then the ABS records a fault.
This was always annoying on a very cold morning with the OE wet battery. As
the battery aged it became a more frequent problem.

Last winter I changed the battery for one of the Hawker Odyssey AGM types.
This has cured the problem as they are much more efficient. Apparently they
hold their charge for longer and are less affected by cold weather.

When it deigns to initialise, the ABS system is excellent. It very rarely
actuates but it is reassuring to know that it is there to deal with
unexpected situations.

 

Ian Northeast emerged from their own little world to say

AFAIK the other boxer 1200s have had less trouble than the 1200GS.

However, the 1200GS far outstrips any other BMW bike in the sales
figures. The actual number of failures might be a small percentage of
the bikes sold.

See my post above about batteries. BMW know they have a 1200GS specific
problem related to the alternator/battery output. Other models in the
range probably have larger battteries/alternators as they have not been
hyped about weight loss.

In general, BMW quality is not what it used to be. The materials used
are inferior and the assembly can be a bit hit & miss. If you are
careful about which dealer you use then the warranty back-up is still
very good.

I really like my W reg R1150. However, if I was in the market for
another bike then I doubt I would be looking at a BMW. I'm very much
with Verdigris when he says that new BMW bikes do not represent very
good value for money. They don't give you enough to justify the price
differential.

Why spend £9k on a 1200ST when you can get a much faster SV1000 for £6k?
Why buy a 1200RT for £11k when a SprintST is £8500? The price
differential would mean I could have a Sprint and keep the R1150GS.

Of course, BMW don't give a toss. There are enough people willing to pay
that differential for a badge. Very few bikes sit in showrooms unsold:
most are built to a firm order and the customer might have to wait
several months for a bike. It's a very successful business model and
good luck to them. Unlike most other marques they seem to be selling
more bikes. My localish BMW dealer has recently employed an additional
mechanic and taken on an apprentice to cope with demand.

 

Excellent batteries. I use one in my R100RS.

 

Paging Lozzo ... Spic to the purple courtesy phone ...

 

'Hog (hogSPAM&@freenetCHIPS.co.uk) wrote:
: Excellent batteries. I use one in my R100RS.

My Dad's mate is thinking of selling his R100RS ... 1981, 25k miles, one
owner, vgc ... what's it worth?

Cheers, Blair

 

Pip said...

It appears that the BMW owners are starting to do my job for me.

 

Using the patented Mavis Beacon "Hunt&Peck" Technique, B.G. Finlay

Depends.

Is he senile?

--
Wicked Uncle Nigel - To stay young requires unceasing cultivation of
the ability to unlearn old falsehoods.

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