BMW 1200RS

[JustPassinThru_imp]

When I was a kid, my father rode Indians and then Harleys. I am not kidding when I tell you this, top ends on his bikes had to be overhauld every 10,000 miles. Bottom ends every 20,000 miles. BMWs from that era would reportedly go 100,000 miles. So I grew up wanting a BMW (you could also get a 10 gallon gas tank as an option which I thought was cool).

I've always thought the BMW R100/7 was one of the most beautiful bikes ever made. 4 times since 1976 I have tried to buy BMW motorcycles. First time was an R 90S. Last time was an 1150 Rockster.Each time a test ride convinced me not to buy. Love looking at them. Hate riding them.

The handling is far different from that of a UJB.

Just getting on one for the first time...it's squirrely. It wants to go every direction BUT straight. It doesn't seem to have a strong self-centering pull.

But, once you make friends with the chassis...it's actually more intuitive. You steer with your hips - lean into it. Then you press AGAINST the handlebars to control the steer. Sounds crazy; but once you've acclimated to it, it's a very engaging dynamic.

The engine/driveline is another matter. If I were to describe the Boxer engine, it would be "tractor." It pulls away strong at the light...which is good, because with a $3k clutch you don't want to be slipping it. It'll wind up, but it sounds like you're destroying it long before the redline.

Not unlike the AMC Jeep six-cylinder engines.

My guess is, the Boxer design just got too big for its parameters. Six hundred CCs in each cylinder...it's not going to run as smooth as a three or four, or as well-mannered as the old airhead boxers half the displacement.

No matter - I'm done with the marque. Found a buyer for my RT this weekend; I get the cash and deliver the goods tomorrow.

That 2015 R1200RS still looks like a sweet ride. Seems all the owners I see on them have grey hair

The cost of admission is a barrier.

And while Harleys offer the "vroom-vroom" appeal to a certain demographic, BMW has allure of a different sort. It's the true Yuppie ride...guys who've made some money and now have the time to play.

Harleys, IMHO, are all about noise and spectacle and people who want to pretend they're Hell's Angels. The actual ride is less important than the social angles...the groups; the meets; the...whatever.

IMHO, of course.

Well nothing lasts forever. As my father used to say the Roman Empire did not last, England did not last, but my guess is after spending the last 15 months working on and off on my K75 as mostly preemptive age related restoration, and addressing well documented design issue, this bike will out last me know matter how much I ride it. The current high mileage holder I know of has over 800,000 miles. So 800000 miles/40 mpg = 20,000 gallons x $3.00 = $60,000. Wow!

Not bashing the old BMWs deserved the excellent reputation the earned. In mid 2000s that changed.


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As Germany changed. As its culture changed.

Remember VW of years ago? Literally, the "People's Car." As the name said. Humble transportation - well made, to deliver value to buyers who eschew status symbols.

That went in the dumpster about 1980. The company was losing money on Rabbits, due to the strong dollar which meant VW could not price to match Japanese manufacturers. So, a new chairman decreed, publicly, that they were committed to making money on every sale, and market-share would not be a consideration.

And it came to pass. Aside from the brief dalliance with the Brazilian-made VW Fox, VW models have moved WAY upscale. And it's been only recently that the market has shifted to where a VW is actually an option as a mid-priced car.

And only an option when you ignore the high cost of repairs later in the car's life. This is where Toyota has beaten VW hands-down: Toyotas are boring, but the company stands behind them to the end. German cars, all three major brands, are superbly engineered - and sold and serviced by people with the ethics of a grave robber.

Toyota, and other Asian makes, view the customer as a long-term associate. The Germans view him as PREY.