What a Monster Bike

[Tandum (Robin)]

I've been buying and restoring junk motorbikes for a few years and finally backed myself into a corner with a bike I don't wanna sell, an ex cop bike, BMW R1200RT. It's the bees knees on a long distance hiway run but it is heavy and a bit of a pig in traffic without the flashing lights.

I test rode one of the new gen BMW KBikes this week.

These things are absolutely amazing. The handle bars are isolated from the steering, (aka front axle), by a set of pivoting link arms. So you can hit a bump and the single front computer controlled shock sucks it up before it hits the bars. Everything is smooth as silk. They produce 165HP and there is a utube of one doing 295K/Hr down an autobahn so loads of go juice.

I'm hooked. The one I rode was an S model so you lie on the tank. Going to ride an R model this week end. See pic.

Feels like xmas

[acropolite (Phil)]

I know the feeling, I've been eyeing off a Triumph street triple for some time at a local bike shop. The only way is to spend your way out of it....

[Hagar (Doug)]

This is one huge arm chair of a bike with loads of bite. Met the owner at Warrnambool caravan park. You should have seen how much camping gear was under that tarp.

[alocky (Andrew lockwood)]

I still ride one of the first k12s that were imported into Aus. Have not been able to justify replacing it, it is simply far and away the best bike for my purposes I have ever owned, and it just works, every time. I can remember every time I have opened the throttle to the stops for more than 5 seconds. You experience special relativity....

Originally Posted by Tandum

I've been buying and restoring junk motorbikes for a few years and finally backed myself into a corner with a bike I don't wanna sell, an ex cop bike, BMW R1200RT. It's the bees knees on a long distance hiway run but it is heavy and a bit of a pig in traffic without the flashing lights.

I test rode one of the new gen BMW KBikes this week.

These things are absolutely amazing. The handle bars are isolated from the steering, (aka front axle), by a set of pivoting link arms. So you can hit a bump and the single front computer controlled shock sucks it up before it hits the bars. Everything is smooth as silk. They produce 165HP and there is a utube of one doing 295K/Hr down an autobahn so loads of go juice.

I'm hooked. The one I rode was an S model so you lie on the tank. Going to ride an R model this week end. See pic.

Feels like xmas

[Tandum (Robin)]

Thanks for answering PM questions Andrew but this isn't a bike for me. I found a workshop manual online, 8gig, and the number of special tools to do basic maintenance is unbelievable. If I can't maintain it here I won't own it.

eg: To refill a flushed cooling system you must create a vacuum in the cooling system and draw new fluid in. If you don't you may get an air bubble in the head and cook the engine. To create the vacuum you need the BMW venturi nozzle tool set and a shop sized compressor.

Nice ride though.

[alocky (Andrew lockwood)]

Originally Posted by Tandum

Thanks for answering PM questions Andrew but this isn't a bike for me. I found a workshop manual online, 8gig, and the number of special tools to do basic maintenance is unbelievable. If I can't maintain it here I won't own it.

eg: To refill a flushed cooling system you must create a vacuum in the cooling system and draw new fluid in. If you don't you may get an air bubble in the head and cook the engine. To create the vacuum you need the BMW venturi nozzle tool set and a shop sized compressor.

Nice ride though.

Fair enough - I don't touch mine. I have an '85 G/S with the full Paris Dakar treatment to satisfy my need to balance carbs and do oil changes...
Fortunately, there's not a lot of maintenance needed on the K12S.