When/Where/Pics was the last time you rode your bike ?

[Bustaspoke]

Day off work today,I went for a walk this morning,proper frosty & random stretches of black ice so I waited until early afternoon before risking a gentle spin on the Triumph.Not sure how many more rides I'll get in before winter sets in.
Blue skies,a chilly wind & low winter sun,not ideal but better than rain!

[Gregor]

Old fatty needs some new tyres.

Bit parky out today.

[Bigyin]

Nice day today and no bike training to do so got the Ducati out for a play as it’s not been out much lately. Filled up with fuel and off around a few of the coastal and inland roads. About 110 mile loop and back home for a cuppa.

Heated grips on lowest setting, leathers on lower half and textile jacket on top half and nice and warm



Back to the auld Fazer tomorrow

[Skub]

A stolen couple of hours today.

[JackyJoll]

No parking my ass!

[weeksy]

In your defence, it's not M25 busy is it

[weeksy]

not 'your' bike as such but today i rode this.

2021-12-16_04-19-18 by Steve Weeks, on Flickr

I think it's a BMW R1200R.... or that's what's written on the tank.

I know it as the 'fucking weird thing going round corners'

One of the neighbours is into bikes too and had bolloxed his rotator cuff, his bike hasn't moved for 4 months and won't again for ages, so he says "i need to ask one of the mates if they'll take it out".... To which my reply was "hold my beer, i'll ride it"

Part of me enjoyed it, part of me regrets riding it. The engine was nice, pretty darn nice indeedy. But the handling... well that was weird.

It was part weavy, part stable, all bars and no lean. When you're going along it's like the bars turn 45 degrees into turns, the slower the turns the more pronounced the bar turn, it's like you sort of turn the bars into the corner instead of pushing down in a counter-steering way. It was just weird. I scrolled through the dash to see if it told me the pressures. 2.1bar and 2.4bar... i don't know what bar is... but sounded OK and it wasn't flashing any lights. So i just got on with it for 25-30 miles.

Brakes were excellent and responsive.

Forks don't move under anything, braking, cornering, anything... no dive, i actually thought it was a telelever front end for a while, i stopped for a pic and saw it's a standard fork !

Seat is soft and comfy... the shock, well that's kinda.. well... bouncy !!!! bouncy like a bouncy bouncy ball...

The dash is a bit weird, with a speedo on the left, but then a weird line rpm counter on the right... It sort of half knows what it wants to be and half doesn't.

As you may gather, i'm not sold.

[Skub]

2.1 bar is about 30psi and 2.4 around 35.

Sounds low to me,I'd imagine it would feel ponderous.

[weeksy]

2.1 bar is about 30psi and 2.4 around 35.

Sounds low to me,I'd imagine it would feel ponderous.

Yes but not bonkers low. Not low enough to make something really quite unpleasant.

[Skub]

2.1 bar is about 30psi and 2.4 around 35.

Sounds low to me,I'd imagine it would feel ponderous.

Yes but not bonkers low. Not low enough to make something really quite unpleasant.

Down to the individual,I suppose. If my front tyre goes much lower than the usual road going 36,I notice it and don't like the extra work.

Mind you,it could be just the beemer,they do have their quirks!

[Count Steer]

Doesn't sound right at all.

I don't know if the model changed but it was telelever front end at one time and was supposed to tip in quite merrily. Never had that particular model, nearest I got was the R1200ST and don't remember anything iffy about handling/steering at all.

What reg year is it?

MCN said:
Telever front suspension (relies on a single main spring under the steering head) is unique to BMW, as is the Paralever shaft arm. Used on its touring models the whole system is a testament to stability and a role model for coping with UK roads. Now lighten the steel-based frame, add sports-like steering and you get a bike, the BMW R1200R, that rolls over quicker than a nervous spaniel. Traffic dodging and A-road blasts are simple and fun, which sums the motorcycle up completely

OK I know, it's MCN ...they liked the engine too.

[Rockburner]

2.1 bar is about 30psi and 2.4 around 35.

Sounds low to me,I'd imagine it would feel ponderous.

Should be around 36/42, no wonder it felt ponderous.

[Rockburner]

2.1 bar is about 30psi and 2.4 around 35.

Sounds low to me,I'd imagine it would feel ponderous.

Yes but not bonkers low. Not low enough to make something really quite unpleasant.

More than enough on a heavier bike I'd think. I'd certainly feel it if the pressures were that far out.

[Rockburner]

Doesn't sound right at all.

I don't know if the model changed but it was telelever front end at one time and was supposed to tip in quite merrily. Never had that particular model, nearest I got was the R1200ST and don't remember anything iffy about handling/steering at all.

What reg year is it?

MCN said:
Telever front suspension (relies on a single main spring under the steering head) is unique to BMW, as is the Paralever shaft arm. Used on its touring models the whole system is a testament to stability and a role model for coping with UK roads. Now lighten the steel-based frame, add sports-like steering and you get a bike, the BMW R1200R, that rolls over quicker than a nervous spaniel. Traffic dodging and A-road blasts are simple and fun, which sums the motorcycle up completely

OK I know, it's MCN ...they liked the engine too.

It's a later model, the R12R went to forks in about 2014-ish.

It might have the Active Suspension, which is excellent, bit not sure what that would feel like with soft tyre pressures.

[Count Steer]

Doesn't sound right at all.

I don't know if the model changed but it was telelever front end at one time and was supposed to tip in quite merrily. Never had that particular model, nearest I got was the R1200ST and don't remember anything iffy about handling/steering at all.

What reg year is it?

MCN said:
Telever front suspension (relies on a single main spring under the steering head) is unique to BMW, as is the Paralever shaft arm. Used on its touring models the whole system is a testament to stability and a role model for coping with UK roads. Now lighten the steel-based frame, add sports-like steering and you get a bike, the BMW R1200R, that rolls over quicker than a nervous spaniel. Traffic dodging and A-road blasts are simple and fun, which sums the motorcycle up completely

OK I know, it's MCN ...they liked the engine too.

It's a later model, the R12R went to forks in about 2014-ish.

It might have the Active Suspension, which is excellent, bit not sure what that would feel like with soft tyre pressures.

Ah. Cheers. Guessed they must have couldn't find anything about handling with anything other than telelever.

Needs to get those hoops pumped up and get out there again for Review #2.

[weeksy]

Year of reg, no idea, never looked

[Rockburner]

Year of reg, no idea, never looked

We can see from the photo it's not Telelever!

[Count Steer]

Year of reg, no idea, never looked

We can see from the photo it's not Telelever!

Yer...my original post was a bit garbled in trying to get my head round the idea they might have made a neat handling bike with what some might think of as a whacky front end lacking in 'feel' into a conventional boingy one - with crap handling.

17% down on tyre pressures front and back is quite a lot. Odd that the percentages are exactly the same....or maybe not.

[Rockburner]

Year of reg, no idea, never looked

We can see from the photo it's not Telelever!

Yer...my original post was a bit garbled in trying to get my head round the idea they might have made a neat handling bike with what some might think of as a whacky front end lacking in 'feel' into a conventional boingy one - with crap handling.

17% down on tyre pressures front and back is quite a lot. Odd that the percentages are exactly the same....or maybe not.

I've ridden the R1250RS with active suspension (forks and Paralever), and above about 40 the handling is brilliant, best cross-country bike I've ridden.












Below 40 it's like 2 pogo sticks bungeed to a wheelbarrow.

[Bustaspoke]

I took advantage of the mild weather & got out on the Street Tiple for a couple of hours earlier,the roads were greasy & muddy but no grit or black ice so I made the most of things.



I might get out again over the weekend,if I don't at least I got a nice few hours in today