Follow up - first foothills ride.
Got my new R1200S into the foothills today. Thought I would post some impressions just for follow up:
A little background - for comparisons I used to have a couple of BC Preps, a K1200R and a R1200GS. I still have an R1200ST. I'm *very* used to the road I was on. I have a personal preferance for my butt being close to the ground. I feel more confident when I corner when my butt's not up too high. I only mention this because the seat height on the R1200S is higher than I'm used to. I didn't really wring the neck of this thing, engine wise, today since it only had about 50 miles on it when I left for the ride.
First impression - on the freeway: Once up to speed the wind takes all the pressure off your hands. This may matter more to me than many people since my "reach" is only 69 inches even though I'm 5'10". What this means is I'm leaning over a little more than someone else of the same height. The seat is just fine. The ride is *super*. This is a very comfortable bike on the freeway. Period. The only thing holding it back from long days is the lack of storage. Don't believe you can't spend the day on this bike. It's every bit as comfortable as an R1100S.
Second impression - the twisties: OUTSTANDING. I still have a preference for my butt being closer to the ground but shifting my weight helps more than usual with this bike for some reason. I had some apprehention entering corners due to the simple fact that I'm still getting used to the change in the riding position compared to what I'm used to. Don't forget the tires needed scrubbing too. That said - this bike rails!!! Once in the turn there are *no* surprises. Everything does what you think it's going to do and does it quite well.
One of the things that I always liked about my R1100S was the "balance" of engine and handling. As a package, to this day, I consider that bike hard to beat. The R1200S has that same feeling. There are faster bikes out there, acceleration wise, but as an overall package this bike feels like exactly what it is - an upgraded R1100S. More power, ligher weight but that same overall feeling of balance. If your love for the 1100 is one related to this balance you would be quite pleased with the new model. I'M ALREADY IN LOVE!!!
I'm sure everyone has some favorite turns. I'm no different. I've got some comparisions to share for those as well:
Hwy 193 comming out of Chili Bar there is a 15MPH posted hairpin turn right at Rock Ridge road. This turn goes on forever for some riders. It also has a slight dip right in the middle of the hairpin so you need to leave yourself a little room if your all the way over scraping things. When I had my R1100S, on a perfect run, it could come out of that turn at 48 MPH. Keep in mind that what helped that bike was the increadible cornering clearance. I really worked on that turn when I had my 1100. On my ST, my GS and on my K1200R I could come out of the turn almost the same on each - 38 to 42 MPH with the higher speeds usually comming from the ST. The main limiting factor is cornering clearance and remembering about the dip. Today, on the R1200S, I had a slight distraction with some cars parked around the turn. Entering the turn I couldn't tell which lane they were in so I went in rather easy. After picking my line and seeing that they were on the opposite side of the road I gained speed thru the turn and exited at 48 MPH. First pass, with a distraction, same speed as I used to get from my Boxer Cup Prep. Not bad at all!!!
That is just one example but it sums up many more turns just like it. Every where I went I was just a little faster than my other bikes. To me this is amazing since it was my first trip up there and I'm still adjusting to the bike.
One last thing - the brakes. These are the best, most predictable, brakes I've ever had on any bike. The feel and power are perfect for me.
This leaves me with one HUGE problem. I doubt I'll want to ride anything else in the foothills again. This bike is perfect for slow turns, fast turns, bumpy roads and freeways.
You guys HAVE to try one of these!
I like the stripey red / silver paint scheme. Cool bike though 
... its your thighs and lower back that should be in agony... 
