Hi folks,
I ride an '03 hayabusa - it's a great bike, but it does more in the top-speed, power and acceleration arena than I need (or indeed can make full use of) -- and at the same time, I recon it doesn't do enough in the ergonomics and touring arena. Thus: should I consider a BMW K1200RS or an R1200GS (my brother rides an r1200gsa -- off-road touring together might be a new motorcycling activity for me)
Quite some different choices there, I know...and I'll need to take both out for a test ride before I make any decisions. (Both BMW's would set me back another 20-40.000 danish kroner 4.5 kroner = 1 us.$).
BUT! I keep reading scary stuff like, sudden loss of power assisted breaking, loss of final transmission (shaft drive), seizing front bearings (k12s), etc. The only remotely major thing I can recall from my busa forum is a burst chain.
Couple that with the comments of some of the local mc-mechanics: 'BMW wear out: after 60.000 kilometers you'll need to replace the clutch and the real wheel bearing', 'to replace an alternator you need to disassemble pretty much the entire bike', etc etc (some of the mechanics repair Suzuki and BMW (police)).
So -- please BMW-folks: please allay my fears and convince me to do what me brother tells me I will do eventually: swap my fast, reliable jap bike for a bimmer.
Soren - Denmark
I ride an '03 hayabusa - it's a great bike, but it does more in the top-speed, power and acceleration arena than I need (or indeed can make full use of) -- and at the same time, I recon it doesn't do enough in the ergonomics and touring arena. Thus: should I consider a BMW K1200RS or an R1200GS (my brother rides an r1200gsa -- off-road touring together might be a new motorcycling activity for me)
Quite some different choices there, I know...and I'll need to take both out for a test ride before I make any decisions. (Both BMW's would set me back another 20-40.000 danish kroner 4.5 kroner = 1 us.$).
BUT! I keep reading scary stuff like, sudden loss of power assisted breaking, loss of final transmission (shaft drive), seizing front bearings (k12s), etc. The only remotely major thing I can recall from my busa forum is a burst chain.
Couple that with the comments of some of the local mc-mechanics: 'BMW wear out: after 60.000 kilometers you'll need to replace the clutch and the real wheel bearing', 'to replace an alternator you need to disassemble pretty much the entire bike', etc etc (some of the mechanics repair Suzuki and BMW (police)).
So -- please BMW-folks: please allay my fears and convince me to do what me brother tells me I will do eventually: swap my fast, reliable jap bike for a bimmer.
Soren - Denmark