08-31-2019, 03:42 PM
Finally had the chance to demo a 1250RS today. My preferred dealer in Charlotte has taken over my local dealer in Greensboro, NC. So, they had a big grand opening with demo rides (Ducati & BMW), food truck, freebies and a stunt rider.
My first ride out was on a new Ducati SS. I'm mentioning it because the quick shifter differences were very obvious. Compared to my '16 and the new RS, the shift action on the Ducati was much smoother. Up or down through the gears. Personally, I think it has everything to do with the loading and unloading all of the gears associated with the shaft drive, as opposed to the chain drive on the SS. It's been said before - when you get it right, the shift assist on the RS is wonderful and smooth. When you don't...well. Ducati vs BMW? Apples and oranges, really.
Throttle response (Dynamic Pro): First thing apparent from pulling out of the parking lot was a slightly disconnected feeling. My '16 feels more like the grip is connected to the throttle bodies, old school, with a cable by comparison. Maybe it's something that could be adjusted? Anyway, once on the move, through a little stop and go traffic, the 1250 felt slightly smoother, but very similar. The most noticeable change, once the ride opened up a bit, was in the 4-6K+ range. there is an extra grunt through the mid range that is very satisfying. It definitely felt faster accelerating through the lower gears. And it also showed up rolling on in top gear. Nice engine!
Suspension: In Dynamic mode the new RS is firm, but compliant. It manages to achieve the perfect balance between the two. My '16, in the same mode, can actually feel harsh, mainly on "square edge" bumps and pavement imperfections. In the Road setting, the 1250 is more controlled, with less brake dive coming to a stop. And no pogo action from the rear suspension, as mine occasionally does. Obviously, juggling the rider settings on the 1200 can change this behavior, it's just the new bike, with it's auto preload, does it better. I would be interested to know if the fork has different damper settings or maybe they've changed the oil viscosity.
Brakes: I think it's time for some new pads on my bike
Instrument Cluster: Beautiful display. Easy to read, even in direct sunlight. The amount of info available maybe the same as on our bikes (?), but you have to navigate to the My Bike screen to get to it. It could be that you can customize it to display other info on the main screen but I ran out of time to dive into it further.
Biggest Surprise: The stock windscreen wasn't terrible (Please stop throwing stuff at your computer screen!). If anyone would like to unload their stock screen please contact me. I never had the opportunity to remove mine, as it was replaced before I bought it.
Apologies for the lengthy post. I'll upload some pics of the demo and showroom bike in a bit.
Cheers, David
My first ride out was on a new Ducati SS. I'm mentioning it because the quick shifter differences were very obvious. Compared to my '16 and the new RS, the shift action on the Ducati was much smoother. Up or down through the gears. Personally, I think it has everything to do with the loading and unloading all of the gears associated with the shaft drive, as opposed to the chain drive on the SS. It's been said before - when you get it right, the shift assist on the RS is wonderful and smooth. When you don't...well. Ducati vs BMW? Apples and oranges, really.
Throttle response (Dynamic Pro): First thing apparent from pulling out of the parking lot was a slightly disconnected feeling. My '16 feels more like the grip is connected to the throttle bodies, old school, with a cable by comparison. Maybe it's something that could be adjusted? Anyway, once on the move, through a little stop and go traffic, the 1250 felt slightly smoother, but very similar. The most noticeable change, once the ride opened up a bit, was in the 4-6K+ range. there is an extra grunt through the mid range that is very satisfying. It definitely felt faster accelerating through the lower gears. And it also showed up rolling on in top gear. Nice engine!
Suspension: In Dynamic mode the new RS is firm, but compliant. It manages to achieve the perfect balance between the two. My '16, in the same mode, can actually feel harsh, mainly on "square edge" bumps and pavement imperfections. In the Road setting, the 1250 is more controlled, with less brake dive coming to a stop. And no pogo action from the rear suspension, as mine occasionally does. Obviously, juggling the rider settings on the 1200 can change this behavior, it's just the new bike, with it's auto preload, does it better. I would be interested to know if the fork has different damper settings or maybe they've changed the oil viscosity.
Brakes: I think it's time for some new pads on my bike
Instrument Cluster: Beautiful display. Easy to read, even in direct sunlight. The amount of info available maybe the same as on our bikes (?), but you have to navigate to the My Bike screen to get to it. It could be that you can customize it to display other info on the main screen but I ran out of time to dive into it further.
Biggest Surprise: The stock windscreen wasn't terrible (Please stop throwing stuff at your computer screen!). If anyone would like to unload their stock screen please contact me. I never had the opportunity to remove mine, as it was replaced before I bought it.
Apologies for the lengthy post. I'll upload some pics of the demo and showroom bike in a bit.
Cheers, David