Got a chance to see a new 2026 Triple Black at the local dealership last weekend.
Frankly, I'm underwhelmed. I've always hated the big graphic slathered over the fairing and the bike just looks plasticky. The sport bike seat looks way less than fun to my backside. Then there's the crummy windshield. I don't really care for the black forks, I'm a fan of the gold. The pannier racks are gone and a new mounting system appears. This is nice, but you can't use older panniers. The last thing is the lack of a clutch lever. Apparently the autoclutch works well, but the clutch lever is just part of the experience for me, YMMV.
I was unable to see one in any other color than triple black. My take is that I don't really care for the aesthetics of this presentation. I'll hang on to my '23 model.
I tend to agree with all your points although I am sure the windshield is an improvement over the current one (which was quite frankly, terrible for noise). I too hate the big decals. The one on my 2016 are big / bad enough. I too like the gold forks. Will try and see if my dealer has one when I get back to Houston.
Regards,
Grumpy Goat 2016 BMW R1200RS 2023 Triumph Tiger 900 Rally Pro
(04-11-2026, 07:44 PM)Grumpy Goat Wrote: I tend to agree with all your points although I am sure the windshield is an improvement over the current one (which was quite frankly, terrible for noise). I too hate the big decals. The one on my 2016 are big / bad enough. I too like the gold forks. Will try and see if my dealer has one when I get back to Houston.
I'm sure the windshield is an improvement, but not enough. Of course, I'm the guy with the big V-stream, so you know how I like a decent screen. The very first thing I did when I got my bike home was get out the wife's hair dryer and get rid of the big sticker. Really cleaned up the presentation I think.
(04-11-2026, 08:42 PM)saread Wrote: I'm sure the windshield is an improvement, but not enough. Of course, I'm the guy with the big V-stream, so you know how I like a decent screen. The very first thing I did when I got my bike home was get out the wife's hair dryer and get rid of the big sticker. Really cleaned up the presentation I think.
Oh, for the record, the Astros suck.
I thought the picture looked like someone's backyard instead of a dealership ... the way you wrote the OP I took it that you saw but didn't buy ... Now it sounds like that is your new bike.
Not an Astros fan ... still a Toronto BlueJays fan when I watch baseball.
Regards,
Grumpy Goat 2016 BMW R1200RS 2023 Triumph Tiger 900 Rally Pro
I sat on one almost exactly like that at the Seattle BMW dealership a few weeks ago. First thing I noticed was no clutch lever. Not happening. I'll stay with my '22 RS, thank you very much.
I saw one at the dealer a week or so ago when I was getting a safety inspection on my RT. I sat on it, and thought it felt comfortable, and looked better in person (triple black) than in the pictures I’ve seen. I’m so happy with my R1250RS however, that I wasn’t really tempted to take it for a spin.
The adaptive cruise, and blind spot warning would be nice features, but not enough for me to “pull the trigger”. It also dawned on me that the blind spot warning mirrors will most likely prevent use of any “extenders” to increase the efficacy of the mirrors, so they’re really a trade-off.
I was at the D ship the other day. Loved the look of the new red/white & blue RS but at >$30k my 2016 works just fine. (now that I changed the fork seals and oil)
Nice bike, but too many electronics that are not needed and to fail and cost even more. Also, valve clearance adjustments are more complicated. I will just keep my 16 model.
I totally agree. I'll keep my 2016 with all the extras I have installed.
At first look they dont look as comfortable as the older models. Yes I'm sure they
could be modded but at the price to purchase would there be any money left?
