fred_jb
Registered user
I've just had the first run out on my new R1250GS, having had it in bits in the garage for a while fitting various gizmos - BikeTrac, alarm, front/rear dashcam, phone charger, additional horn etc, plus a HexeZcan to power it all. Still running it in, but given that, first impressions as follows.
A few more vibes apparent through the seat at some revs than my previous 1200, but not through the bars - though not excessive or disturbing.
The extra torque is quite misleading if you judge your speed by engine feel - I was finding that I tended to be in one higher gear and going 10 mph more that I thought I was whenever I looked at the instrument panel. Can see I'm going to have to be more attentive in speed camera areas until I get used to it!
Even while not really exceeding 5000-6000 rpm this thing shifts. I thought the 1200 was good, but this is noticeably better, overtakes are effortless without needing to drop a gear. The low speed running is also much improved, nowhere near so on/off as the 1200, so you can trickle along at very low speed when required without a tiny movement of the throttle causing the bike to leap forward - so much more civilised.
Gearbox is much better than the old bike. Even though the 2017 1200 supposedly had the improved box it was always stiff and uncooperative changing from first to second and to a lesser extent from second to third. The new one has an easy shift every time.
Suspension feel is quite different, and I'm not sure why. Road mode feels more like Dynamic mode on the old bike, or possibly as if the tyre pressures are too high, but they are not. Could be because I am on the new Annekees which may have a stiffer carcass, having mostly run Roadtec 01s on the old bike. Could also be that I did a lot of the miles on the old bike two-up with luggage, which probably calms down the suspension response quite a lot.
The chuntering/whining noise from the front which I had on the old bike and which stopped when I replaced the Annekee 3s with Roadtec 01s is back, presumably still due to the tyres, so an early change may be on the cards.
Overall, very enjoyable, and the new engine is going to be superb, both for long distance two-up touring, or solo local blasts.
A few more vibes apparent through the seat at some revs than my previous 1200, but not through the bars - though not excessive or disturbing.
The extra torque is quite misleading if you judge your speed by engine feel - I was finding that I tended to be in one higher gear and going 10 mph more that I thought I was whenever I looked at the instrument panel. Can see I'm going to have to be more attentive in speed camera areas until I get used to it!
Even while not really exceeding 5000-6000 rpm this thing shifts. I thought the 1200 was good, but this is noticeably better, overtakes are effortless without needing to drop a gear. The low speed running is also much improved, nowhere near so on/off as the 1200, so you can trickle along at very low speed when required without a tiny movement of the throttle causing the bike to leap forward - so much more civilised.
Gearbox is much better than the old bike. Even though the 2017 1200 supposedly had the improved box it was always stiff and uncooperative changing from first to second and to a lesser extent from second to third. The new one has an easy shift every time.
Suspension feel is quite different, and I'm not sure why. Road mode feels more like Dynamic mode on the old bike, or possibly as if the tyre pressures are too high, but they are not. Could be because I am on the new Annekees which may have a stiffer carcass, having mostly run Roadtec 01s on the old bike. Could also be that I did a lot of the miles on the old bike two-up with luggage, which probably calms down the suspension response quite a lot.
The chuntering/whining noise from the front which I had on the old bike and which stopped when I replaced the Annekee 3s with Roadtec 01s is back, presumably still due to the tyres, so an early change may be on the cards.
Overall, very enjoyable, and the new engine is going to be superb, both for long distance two-up touring, or solo local blasts.
