Finally an early spring day gift in Chicago! - What a gosh awful place to live, especially if you like motorcycling.
Anyway, I got my new R1200R out today for the first time, and thought I would share my observations. It's a 2017 with cruise control, Dynamic ESA, quick shift, heated grips. Some other less significant goodies.
Engine: The liquid cooled boxer is a gem. Power delivery and fueling is very smooth. There is a ton of torque, and plenty of power. I am still breaking it in of course, so nothing over 4K, but past demo rides, I have launched the front wheel into the air on upshifts. The new boxer is plenty powerful, and very smooth.
Braking: Superb Brembo brakes, with great initial bite and amazing feel. Not grabby, but very well calibrated. This is the way brakes should feel and perform.
Suspension: I kept in Road and did not experiment in Dynamic. However in Road it was very comfortable and soaked up the potholes and frost heaves really well. In fact, it does so noticeably better than my C14. The R handles superbly....a virtue partially from being about 500lbs, but the suspension is nicely tuned and with the ESA offers the flexibility of different settings.
Ergonomics: Some good and some not so good for me. I really like the wide bars and reach, etc. However, the legroom is a bit cramped. I'll need to address that. Seat is so-so, which is about my assessment of all stock seats to varying degrees. There is little wind protection from the sport screen that came with the bike, but it's actually not problematic until around 80 mph. I'll need to investigate a shield with a bit more torso protection. Overall though a very comfortable bike. I could do a 500 mile day on it with no problem.
Transmission: Clutch pull is very light, the quick shift works seamlessly, and gear changes are very smooth. Throws might be a touch longer than on my C14.
Looks: I personally think it's a sharp bike with the blue frame, and white tank. The wheels are grey, which I think might look better in another color. All personal taste.
Versatility: So, you can get hard bags, umpteen windscreens, it has cruise control, nice range, handles superbly, is relatively light, and if so inclined, it could be taken to track days. It's really versatile is a simpler way of saying it.
Hope you enjoyed. I really like this bike. It does so many things, and all of them pretty well.
