Still loving my 1200 RS

[sanemancured]

Hello to all.

I'm Peter, I live in the UK's Lake District, I've had my RS for over 3 years and I've been riding bikes for nearly 50 years. I've owned about 40 bikes in all.

My RS has quite a few tweaks to get it as I like it, resistant to the muck and crud thrown up from our roads, visible to other road users and comfortable to ride.

I see no need to raise the bars or lower the rests and a standard height MRA screen on the lowest position is perfect always.

My bike is holding up well. It needed a new ESA shock when the damping failed and a new shaft drive due to corrosion in the inner spool. Both warranty items.

I pretty much ride everywhere and at all times in full Dynamic. If it's really slippy I'll set a User mode 'Wet' DTC and Dynamic throttle. I like a consistent throttle and Dynamic is hardly sensitive.

Top 5 things I love??

1. Riding position
2. Engine power delivery
3. Stability
4. Predictable handling
5. Brakes
It could continue.

Top 5 things I hate??

1. The clutch disengagement isn't always consistent.
2. Clunk into first gear
3. I'm struggling now....
4. ......
5. ......

At the moment I'm thinking of a 1250 RS when I retire in August 2020. However I may struggle to say goodbye to this one.

Here it is setting off to do the North Coast 500 in Scotland a couple of years back. My wife had not long passed her test and it was her first big trip.



Peter

[Grumpy Goat]

As I said via email - welcome to the Forum Community ... and after a long absence from the old list and no presence on the other list. Great to see you here. I do recall we are very similar in viewpoints, and also in bikes as well.

Is that a Remus exhaust you have on the bike? Nice picture of both of you, BTW. You are luck to have a riding wife. Mine barely wants to ever go on the bike as a pillion.

[sanemancured]

As I said via email - welcome to the Forum Community ... and after a long absence from the old list and no presence on the other list. Great to see you here. I do recall we are very similar in viewpoints, and also in bikes as well.

Is that a Remus exhaust you have on the bike? Nice picture of both of you, BTW. You are luck to have a riding wife. Mine barely wants to ever go on the bike as a pillion.

Yes GG it is a titanium Remus. I just disliked the aesthetics of the original. It sounds a little more interesting but the baffle is still in.

I can't think of a single mod I'd add to the bike now. I've just repainted the centre stand and wrapped some self amalgamating tape around the cross member. I'll see how good it is for stopping the grit blasting going on.

Anita is a very 'steady' rider. Learning in your 60's probably has that effect We went out on the RS together last Saturday for a 100 mile trip on some wonderful motorcycling roads and she loved it. I'm taking her ER-6 in for it's annual MOT test and a new tyre this morning and she'll be back on the road.

[Grumpy Goat]

Yes GG it is a titanium Remus. I just disliked the aesthetics of the original. It sounds a little more interesting but the baffle is still in.

Same as the one I got second hand within the last few months. I too have the baffle in and like the sound as is. Don't want any more. I liked the shape of the original but the size was perhaps a tad much.

I can't think of a single mod I'd add to the bike now. I've just repainted the centre stand and wrapped some self amalgamating tape around the cross member. I'll see how good it is for stopping the grit blasting going on.

I like the idea of the tape on the cross member, but honestly I don't recall there being much of an issue with mine. But then I have not looked at the centre stand closely enough.

Anita is a very 'steady' rider. Learning in your 60's probably has that effect We went out on the RS together last Saturday for a 100 mile trip on some wonderful motorcycling roads and she loved it. I'm taking her ER-6 in for it's annual MOT test and a new tyre this morning and she'll be back on the road.

I had to look up "ER-6" since I was not familiar with that model designation. I suspect that it was called the Ninja 650 over here. The stacked headlight and shape of same was intriguing so I had to consult Google ... looks like her bike is a 2008 or before Kawasaki ER-6n like this. Nice bike.

   

[midlife]

you also get a great cuppa at the house,

Graham

[Duccrazydave]

You are luck to have a riding wife. Mine barely wants to ever go on the bike as a pillion.
Singing a familiar song there, GG :-)

[Grumpy Goat]

You are luck to have a riding wife. Mine barely wants to ever go on the bike as a pillion.
Singing a familiar song there, GG :-)

They sound like two peas in a pod. Maybe if I get an RT ...