Another new member

[MHN-RS]

Hi all --

I'm new here, but I've been on beemers for a few decades -- as I recall (which ain't easy at 65!) this has included:
76 R90/6
78 R100/7
79 R100S (wife's)
73 R75/5 (wife's, she had it when we met in 1981, and still has it)
75 R90/6
95(?) K100LT
99 R1100RT
4 K1200LTs
1994 R100Mystik
4 K1600GTLs
2 R1200RTs (cam head, wethead).  

Others include:
21 GoldWing (current)
74 Honda CB360 T (first bike in 1978)
73 Yamaha RD350 (second bike 1979)
1980 Yamaha XS850G (third bike 1980)
1980 Suzuki GS850G (fourth bike 1980, after I crashed the XS850 - an event which led me to seek out training and eventually become an MSF Instructor)
1980 Honda CB750F (in the 2010's).

The above is not brag or say I'm an expert: I just want to let folks know that there's a few miles under my belt.  A lot of those miles were daily commuting into Wash., DC from the northern Virginia suburbs.  There's a few Iron Butts in there too, but usually because I had to be someplace asap, not for bragging rights.

The R1250RS is an entirely new world for me.  I've always been an upright/barn door rider, so a "sporting" riding position is quite the change.  But I believe I will adapt, as it fits what I want in a second bike -- something I can ride on for pleasant/fun jaunts in the hills of the central part of Virginia we've retired to.

Professional background:  Former engineer (nuclear, which is not as fancy as it sounds -- basically a combination of mechanical, electrical, materials, etc. working with a really *weird* heat source).  Finished my working life as a patent attorney.

Hope this isn't TMI!  I'm looking forward to being apart of what appears to be a great RS-specific place.

Mark

[Grumpy Goat]

Thanks for the comprehensive introduction. Welcome to a fellow engineer as well. Although we’re pretty close in age I have nowhere close to the same experience as you or the number of bikes, BMW or otherwise. Several on this forum have though. Welcome again.

[DrDave39]

Hi all --

I'm new here, but I've been on beemers for a few decades -- as I recall (which ain't easy at 65!) this has included:
76 R90/6
...
Hope this isn't TMI!  I'm looking forward to being apart of what appears to be a great RS-specific place.

Mark

Welcome Mark!  Impressive resume indeed! I did some of my training in the early 80s in Charlottesville and put in many miles in the Northern VA area- great riding. I've had many bikes in my 68 years, including a 80 RS, 99 S,  and a 2001 and 2008 RT, but the 1250RS really is something special- sportbike power and handling with true all day comfort. You're going to love it! 

Dave

[Lee]

1980 Yamaha XS850G (third bike 1980)
1980 Suzuki GS850G (fourth bike 1980, after I crashed the XS850 - an event which led me to seek out training and eventually become an MSF Instructor)

Welcome to the site.
We also had a 1980 Suzuki GS850G purchased in 1980.
We had the 1978 Yamaha XS750 triple. I don't remember what changes were made in the 850 other than displacement.
We bought the Yamaha in 1978 and started touring then.

[MHN-RS]

Welcome Mark!  Impressive resume indeed! I did some of my training in the early 80s in Charlottesville and put in many miles in the Northern VA area- great riding. I've had many bikes in my 68 years, including a 80 RS, 99 S,  and a 2001 and 2008 RT, but the 1250RS really is something special- sportbike power and handling with true all day comfort. You're going to love it! 

Dave

Thanks!  My wife and I grew up in NoVa, but it changed so much since the 60s/70s that we finally moved away.  We're closer to Charlottesville than DC now -- a very good thing!

You are so right about the 1250.  I wasn't expecting anything different from my previous boxers when the salesman pushed the keys on me, but was immediately hooked by it.  

[MHN-RS]

Welcome to the site.
We also had a 1980 Suzuki GS850G purchased in 1980.
We had the 1978 Yamaha XS750 triple. I don't remember what changes were made in the 850 other than displacement.
We bought the Yamaha in 1978 and started touring then.

Thank you, Lee.  I've followed you and Debbie via the MOA for years.  

You were lucky to get a '78 XS750 -- it was a much better looking bike than the XS850.  Unfortunately, by the time I had money (first job out of college) Yamaha had removed the tail section that followed the lines of that beautiful fuel tank, and replaced it on the 1980 bike with a fugly rounded chrome fender an early 70's-style taillight.

[Motorhead1977]

Welcome!  You're going to really enjoy the RS. Went from a GL1800 to the RT to the RS and it was the best of all possible progressions since we'd stopped serious touring rides.  Share a picture or two of your RS when you can.

[MHN-RS]

Share a picture or two of your RS when you can. ?

Will do.  She's currently apart for Wunderlich tubular handlebar installation, but I'll snap a couple pics when she's back together.

[Oldrider51]

Just found this website while searching for information regarding fork oil change. Glad I found the site and to become a member. 

I am a retired chemical engineer and have been riding since 1972. Currently have only the one bike, a 2016 model, but have always had bikes that leaned toward sport touring. Several of the bikes over the years have been:

Honda CL350
Yamaha RD 350
Yamaha RD 400
Suzuki GS550E
Suzuki GS1100E
Suzuki GSXR600
Suzuki RF900R
Ducati 900SS
BMW K75S
BMW R1100S Boxer Cup Randy Mamola
BMW R1100S Prep
BMW F650GS (800 motor)
BMW R1200RS

Hope to keep riding till I fall off traveling somewhere. Good Day to All!

[Lee]

Welcome to the site.
Both my wife and I had a 1991 K75S ABS.
We kept those bikes longer than any others. 12 years.
We kept hoping BMW would update the triple, but it never happened so we traded in 2003 for a couple K1200RSs.

[Grumpy Goat]

Just found this website while searching for information regarding fork oil change. Glad I found the site and to become a member. 

I am a retired chemical engineer ...

Welcome to the Forum Community and, of course, RS ownership. And an engineer to boot ...

[WALRUS]

I'm new, but I'll say hi, not welcome. Saw you had a ton of 1600 K bikes. Why did you opt for the RS? Love to hear your experience on the 1600s. Despite having a Street Glide, I think they are very heavy and ruled the 1600 out just trying to raise off kickstand. But I suspect I'm missing something.

[MHN-RS]

I'm new, but I'll say hi, not welcome. Saw you had a ton of 1600 K bikes. Why did you opt for the RS? Love to hear your experience on the 1600s. Despite having a Street Glide, I think they are very heavy and ruled the 1600 out just trying to raise off kickstand. But I suspect I'm missing something.

Looong story about the K16GTL's.  

You are correct about the weight, but I found it quite manageable, despite being short and having a 29" inseam.  It's all about using the bike's controls to do the work, not muscling it around.  If you drop it, yeah, it's heavy, but I never had any more of a problem picking it up using the face-away-and-use-your-legs technique than I did with any other tourer. 

In sum, the 6-cylinder motor is a *dream* -- loved it.  I had problems with a constant pull to the left (i.e., constant, fatiguing countersteering application required to go straight; it was not road crown).  I had the first one replaced by BMW, found the second to also pulled, moved to an R12RT, loved the K16 enough to try it again, left pull=another R12RT, tried one more time with the fourth K16, same result and swore off them for good.  At one point, I modified the duo-lever by shifting one of the A-arms a few mm to one side to get the bike's center of mass over the line between the wheels to cure the pull.  This worked; it resulted in the bike driving straight.  But the handlebars were now rotated ~5-10 degrees off while going straight.  A great shame, because I otherwise loved the GTLs.

The move to the RS after a few decades on touring bikes is not the result of a fundamental change in my preferences away from tourers.  In 2021 I purchased my first new non-BMW in 25 years -- a Honda GL1800 GoldWing.  The redesign in 2018 took away ~100 lbs. and made the bike handle much more like a BMW.  It's still 800+ lbs., but it doesn't feel like it.  The dual clutch transmission has also turned out to be a big plus.  

So I still have a full-dress touring bike.  

The RS is the result of my retirement and move from the Wash. DC suburbs farther south in Virginia, closer to the Shenandoah Parkway and the north end of the Blue Ridge Parkway.  I wanted a second bike that was a bit smaller and lighter for casual/fun rides in the area and small errand trips into town, without the bulk of a full dresser.  A bit more exposed and enjoying the environment.  

The RS was a logical choice for me due to my familiarity with BMWs, the electronics (cornering ABS, TFT display, etc.) and quality of the product.  I also used to do U.S. patent work for BMW, so I had a bit of insight into their approach to advancing technology.  The thing that put me over the edge was finding a 2023 with 3.1k miles for a hair less than 2/3 of the price of a new 2023 RS.  If I had not come across this deal, I might have ended up with something else, probably even lighter and smaller, to fit my second-bike objectives.

TLDR:  The K16 is a great bike.  If it trips your trigger and you are satisfied with the way it handles, I see no reason for you to avoid it.

HTH!