BMW R1200RS: perhaps the most beautiful Bavarian in the world

Hello Bikepost! I suddenly realized that I forgot to publish a review of the test BMW R1200RS. I'm correcting myself! Well, for those who like to read, please cut!

The BMW R1200RS is one of the few modern representatives of the gradually dying out class of two-cylinder sports-touring motorcycles with an engine capacity of a liter and above. Let's remember such previously popular devices as the Honda VTR1000F or Suzuki TL1000S and SV1000. Where are they now? That's right, they remained on the pages of encyclopedias and sales sites in the used equipment section.

Why is this type of motorcycle gradually disappearing? Firstly, because they are usually very compromising - and not exactly tourists, but at the same time they are as interested in sportbikes as they are in the moon. And secondly, because every company that produced such motorcycle models did it according to the principle “it will do.” The engineers, apparently not even the most outstanding ones, are given the task “build an inexpensive touring bike for all occasions.” They rack their brains for a long time, but in the end they can’t come up with anything better than going to the warehouse and assembling a new motorcycle from the parts that the company already has in its arsenal. Oh, this sportbike has a cool two-cylinder engine, let's take it! Only, of course, we will deforce at the same time! Oh, and the frame suits us, let's take it. Only the geometry, of course, needs to be corrected. Reiki, trails, that's all. Let's put a simpler suspension, this is a motorcycle for all occasions! And why bother with the brakes, the engine is derated. Clients, of course, sooner or later begin to understand this and little by little interest in such motorcycles subsides.

Of course, the R1200RS is not 100% compliant with these standards. Its engine, for example, is not from a sportbike and is not derated, but from the “water goose” R1200GS, accordingly, it initially has a more friendly character. And the brakes are excellent; fortunately, since the late 90s, BMW has forgotten how to save on such critical things. But otherwise, the RS's compromise is still visible everywhere. And this is perhaps my biggest complaint.

Well, what kind of sportbike is this? By sports standards, the RS is plump, weighing 236 kilograms when loaded. And stunted - only 125 horses per two hundred liter. Up to a hundred in 3.3 seconds! Impressive? Well, only on paper. In fact, with such a power supply, even any modern sports six hundred will beat it!

Maybe he's more of a tourist? Wind protection is excellent, especially if the glass is set to the top position. Heated grips, cruise control, soft seat, central case, mount for a navigator, clip-ons... Wait, what, clip-ons on a touring motorcycle?! Yeah, and the pilot's position is slightly tilted forward. Of course, if you do not take into account the clip-ons, non-optimal fit and vibrations traditional for BMW boxer cars, in other respects the R1200RS leaves only pleasant impressions in everyday use. I rode it last fall, but did not freeze, did not get wet, and did not experience any problems at all. The clutch is light and the handling is excellent. After all, the R1200RS inherited the frame and suspension from the R1200R roadster. True, the RS has a shorter fork offset than the R1200R, so it should steer a little faster than the Roadster. Unfortunately, I cannot confirm this fact, because I have not driven the roadster itself. For those who like to ride, the R1200RS has one more advantage - you can use a proprietary quickshifter. It works perfectly smoothly if you really turn the engine to high speeds and brake strongly with a quick downshift. True, on this motorcycle it was possible to do without such a purely racing option. It’s just a shame that the boxer gearbox turned out to be not as clear and delicate as the classic air-cooled one, I’m talking about the R nineT. The R1200RS again requires little gasoline - only 5.4 liters per hundred. In the summer, I would probably drive faster and the consumption would be a little higher.

I also had one funny situation on the R1200RS, which almost turned into an epic fail. My girlfriend and I were driving along Prospekt Mira one morning. More precisely, we were crawling, because as always there was an impassable traffic jam in front of the Severyaninsky Bridge. And then another box taxis in front of me, deciding to change lanes from right to left, I slow down a little harder until it comes to a complete stop, the passenger slides down the seat, leaning on me with his 50 kilograms... It would seem like a normal situation, right? Fuck it! The passenger moves me forward a little on the seat, because it is quite slippery, if you are wearing leather gear, I put my legs out and-and-and-and... And I cling to the edge of the cylinder protection with the top strap of the left motorcycle boot! Realizing that in another second, we will be lying together with the motorcycle on our left side, in horror, with a sharp jerk, I pull my leg up and literally instantly place it on the asphalt. It passed, but, of course, I built a brick factory because I was not ready for such a joke.

The R1200RS is a good bike, but its problem is that BMW's lineup is full of even better touring bikes. Compared to them, the RS looks like a black sheep. And, as you remember, there is also a very cool superbike and comparing the RS with it is simply pointless. The only really significant advantage of the R1200RS against their background is its super-adequate price tag of 1,040,000 rubles. XR is 162,000 more expensive, and RT is almost 300,000 more expensive! And this is the cost of the whole G310R! I’m generally silent about the price tag of “GiTikhi”.

In general, this device is not for everyone to stand out in traffic. Well, for connoisseurs of German quality, because in general the R1200RS is reliable and unpretentious. Several of my foreign acquaintances use such motorcycles and none of them have had problems with them.

Specifications

Technical characteristics of BMW K1200RS:

Touring motorcycle

If we consider this motorcycle as a touring motorcycle, then in this regard it has intriguing capabilities. The fairing, which is actually a semi-fairing, confirms this. BMW has given the motorcycle excellent aerodynamics, for example, the unobtrusive deflectors bordering the fairing and tank are quite effective. They are somewhat reminiscent of the small plastic air vents on the R1200GS Adventure, which add to the comfort level of the ride. The RS windshield provides excellent protection against oncoming air flows. I liked its simple two-position adjustment. You can also install heated grips for an additional fee.

But on particularly long journeys, the RT's cocoon-like fairing and massive electronically controlled windshield would still be of better help. But additional elements of the travel kit will add 38 kg of weight. Therein lies the big question about the new R1200RS: what role will it play in the Boxer range?

BMW's tagline for the R1200RS is "the power of a sport bike and the comfort of a touring bike" and I think that's a fair assessment of the bike. The sport-tourer motorcycle segment is moving toward heavy-duty, more option-packed platforms. And BMW has its own RT model, which is a prime example of this trend. If I were asked to rate the RT as a “sport-touring”, my rating would look like this - 20% - sport, 80% - tourist, but with the RS everything is completely different.

The 17.79 liter tank makes the R1200RS feel more like a sportsbike than a touring bike (the RT's 25 liter fuel tank, for example). With the same fuel efficiency as the R model of 17 kilometers per liter, the RS is claimed to be with a fully filled tank it will cover 322 km. But, it seems to me that the driver will have to refuel every 240-260 km.

But riders can rest assured that they will be well informed about fuel levels and a host of other indicators by reading them on the R1200RS instrument panel. On the left is an analogue speedometer, next to which is a TFT display. The display is easy to read and displays a wealth of essential information such as gear changes, timing, as well as Ride Mode and ESA settings. And on the RS display, which is also available on the R model, you can choose from three styles of displaying information. This is a very original feature. You may think that this is all too confusing and not much is needed... So many options, buttons and all that... Well.. If we talk about the importance and necessity of some options, then on the RS you can also purchase the Keyless Ride option for an additional cost, which, I thought it should allow you to start the motorcycle without a key, but in order to start the motorcycle you still need to turn the key. Therefore, I, as a simple person, cannot appreciate the advantages of such systems and for some reason their meaning and importance are not at all clear to me.

Some people may not like the styling of the BMW R1200RS, but I liked its lines, especially the blue-gray color scheme that the bike I rode had. The build quality and finish of the motorcycle is luxurious. The most inexpensive configuration of this motorcycle is the Standard Package. The more expensive package is called the Premium Package. The number of options varies depending on the configuration. For an additional cost, you can also purchase the Style 2 Package, which has beautiful changes to the appearance of the motorcycle such as gold painted calipers, a stainless steel tank cover, an engine spoiler, and a gray frame.

Riding the BMW R1200RS for a full day showed that I could really enjoy riding it. It's the kind of bike that will probably go unnoticed by most riders, but I suspect the sizeable contingent of Boxer fans eagerly awaiting the new R1200RS won't be disappointed. The RS joins the versatile R-Series lineup as a legitimate, great touring bike.