Mike05 Posted February 10, 2014 Share Posted February 10, 2014 Yesterday I missed Limecreek's tech day but picked this up instead. Jumped off & took a picture. It was a great ride home. Link to comment
TEWKS Posted February 10, 2014 Share Posted February 10, 2014 Ah man, ya just missed a weekends use of the BMWST corporate Gulfstream by one picture post! Congrats just the same, very nice Mike! Pat Link to comment
Mike05 Posted February 10, 2014 Author Share Posted February 10, 2014 Thanks Tom & Pat. Now the fun begins, waiting for the farkles. Not much out there yet but I'll keep looking. Link to comment
Doug_Baliko Posted February 11, 2014 Share Posted February 11, 2014 Very nice Mike. We'll see if I can keep up with you now that you have 125 hp. LOL...... Doug Link to comment
kltk165 Posted February 11, 2014 Share Posted February 11, 2014 Nice! Congratulations. Link to comment
strataj Posted February 11, 2014 Share Posted February 11, 2014 Mike, I meet you at the dealership Saturday. I’m next on the list, hope to have mine this week. I just responded to your earbud question, hope it helps. Congratulations and best of luck with the new steed. Jay Link to comment
mistral Posted February 11, 2014 Share Posted February 11, 2014 Uh Mike, your going to need me to run that through the gears at red line. Nice looking steed, you have to lead now. Can't wait to see it. Ron Link to comment
eddd Posted February 11, 2014 Share Posted February 11, 2014 Nice! But going to the tech day would probably have been a bit less expensive. Link to comment
Kathy R Posted February 12, 2014 Share Posted February 12, 2014 Love that periwinkle! Congratulations Mike. Link to comment
tallman Posted February 12, 2014 Share Posted February 12, 2014 Takes a real man to ride a periwinkle. Link to comment
Mike05 Posted February 12, 2014 Author Share Posted February 12, 2014 Hi Tallman, LOL! I'm not a fan of blue bikes (for me personally; some history there) so I asked the granddaughters what color they saw in the pictures & was told "periwinkle". I'm pretty sure they had some help from the grandmother... Link to comment
TEWKS Posted February 28, 2014 Share Posted February 28, 2014 Update? How do you like the bike so far, Mike? Pat Link to comment
Mike05 Posted March 2, 2014 Author Share Posted March 2, 2014 Hi Pat! Sorry not to have responded sooner; we've been out of town. With some additions, what follows is a copy of the missive I sent to a fellow rider after the first 200 miles. To start with, I'm super pleased with it; great purchase, no regrets. Not to say there's some "getting use to" going on. Here you go, with the caveat "YMMV": Hi John, Sorry I haven't responded sooner; I just plain forgot! I'm getting more & more absent-minded; growing older is a pain in the butt. Thanks for your good thoughts; I really like this bike. Much, much different then any previous RT I've ever ridden. First impressions: * Fast!! Extremely well balanced; feels much lighter then my '11 RT but it isn't. * "Twitchy"; throttle-by-wire takes getting used to. This bike is very quick; exceptional mid-range power, sits lower then I expected You'd like that I think; kind of like your bike but w/o any forward lean. * Mirrors vibrate, smaller too. That surprised me. Also, can't use bar backs/risers. Everything, & I mean everything is controlled by a wheel on the left handlebar, way more then previous RT's. Spin it & watch the dashboard light up like a scoreboard, everything from tire pressure & radio stations to engine temperature and shock settings. And so much more... * Wind screen is solid, with small wings on each side to help defray the air. And the seat is, at least so far, comfortable! Absolutely no room underneath the seat for anything larger then a pack of cigarettes. Where to put the Centech fuse panel! * BMW changed everything, from grip size (smaller; "Grip Puppies" just spin on them) to brake lever/foot stand size. So all the old ""farkles" don't fit!! Aggghhh!! Surely more then you want to know but it's fun sharing with you. I like this bike but truth be told it's a little intimidating. I'm hoping to grow in to it, but gradually. We'll see. That's it for now. Hope to see you soon, Mike" To the above & after more miles I would add: * "Twitchy throttle" as much me as the bike; some arthritis in the right hand makes me a tad less sensitive. Another Wethead owner posted leaving it in "RAIN" mode to get use to it; I think that's a great idea! * Subjective comment (aren't they all!) but I seem to notice more air flow up thru the forks. Also feel more wind on arms & top of the helmet. Add to that the knees sit at a slightly increased angle, at least for me. The day I picked it up I rode it 40 miles home, dismounted & called the dealer to order the "tall" seat. Also, I think a higher (hopefully Cal-Sci.) wind screen is appropriate. Maybe peg lowering kit? That's it for now; would like to comment again in say, another 1K miles. LOL! This bike is noticeably different (in a good way) and I think will be a great favorite of RT fans. Be safe, Mike Link to comment
lkraus Posted March 2, 2014 Share Posted March 2, 2014 * "Twitchy throttle" as much me as the bike; some arthritis in the right hand makes me a tad less sensitive. Another Wethead owner posted leaving it in "RAIN" mode to get use to it; I think that's a great idea! I'd like to hear more about the throttle. My only experience with throttle by wire is in my wife's Camry and I find it difficult to get a smooth start. There is a very abrupt jump from idle as soon as you touch the pedal. I can only avoid a jerk by being extremely gentle and slow. Is the RT like that or is it just sensitive overall? Link to comment
Mike05 Posted March 2, 2014 Author Share Posted March 2, 2014 Hi Larry, It's not that bad, really. Had a Triumph 800 Tiger XC & found it to have a very sensitive throttle-by-wire & sure enough, six months after introduction Triumph provided a "fix" for it. I'm sure if this were a notable issue w/BMW's more folks then just me would be posting about it. Specifically, throttling out of a low-speed turn has been problematical; just can't get the "smoothness" I prefer. There are so many contributing factors; the '14 RT grip is smaller (less diameter - my old "Grip Puppies" just spin away on it! n.b. Size "small" Grip Puppies work perfectly, have to cut then a little shorter is all. Bought some @ California Sport Touring, Inc. So desperate for a farkle I put them on! ), my arthritic hand limits "feel" and throttle-by-wire does takes some adjusting to. Not a deal breaker; this is a fantastic machine. "Revolutionary change: 2004/5 R1150RT to 2005 R1200RT. Evolutionary change: then to now. The 2014 R1200rt is to the Hexhead & Camhead what the 2005 R1200RT was to the Oilhead. Not just technically but in the sense it is a different riding experience. For me anyway. Jury's out on if it's better; we'll know in a few years. Let the farkling begin! Seriously, I wish somebody would introduce some extended crash bars..... Link to comment
TEWKS Posted March 2, 2014 Share Posted March 2, 2014 Great, thanks for the info Mike! Pat Link to comment
lkraus Posted March 3, 2014 Share Posted March 3, 2014 Thanks, Mike. Sounds like it is mostly a matter of getting used to different responses to your accustomed input. I really like the most of the changes to the 2014 RT. I was kinda hoping that this might be more of a deal breaker. My '06 really exceeds what I need and has 98% of what I want. Guess I'm looking for excuses to put off trading up for a year or two. Need better color choices. Yeah, that'll do... Link to comment
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