The All New LIQUID COOLED R1200GS threadfest

I have the ride modes but I also have no complaints with throttle response. When you twist the grip, the bike responds immediately. There is zero lag. Mine is white just like the one posted.

Congrats on the new GS - love the looks of it.

How does the bike compare to the Explorer? What did you prefer about the GS?

Here's my new GS I picked up a few days ago. Had a great long-way-home ride with it but haven't been able to ride since due to work getting in the way. The bike is absolutely amazing! Looking forward to riding it this weekend.

Yes- that's right. In reading about it before hand I had imagined having to "unload" the engine to a point where it was awkward. After testing it you're right- very intuitive. On a few very quick shifts (almost cluchless) it didn't engage the cued up mode but I was impressed on how easy it was to use.

Some more miles today. The more I get used to it the better it gets.

Also- for me anyways neutral is easier than on the previous. It's much smoother than the engine noise would indicate. Had to buy a new pair of gloves as the grips melted mine... OK-just kidding. Easier to get up on the center stand but really, who cares- the bike's ride delivers. Enjoy it for that! Looking forward to what the other tire options are though.

Warm weekend ahead.... Oooouuwwww.

I tried to answer this just before but you bring up the tractor!- which I agree is key to the bike. I also think that feel and familiarity are key to that type of control. In my very brief experience I was able to do the same type of maneuvers I've learned to do on my older model but it took a lot more concentration. With that said It's already getting easier and that's just an indication of my learning curve... and I'll be the first to point out that it's probably the "archer not the arrow". Tractoring (is that a word?) on my 06 felt kind of gritty on all three controls- the new ones are so smooth (maybe a different sound feedback as well) it just takes a bit of schooling.

FWIW- getting some wheel spin is just flat out easier!

1 hour of demo riding schedule... Vroom Vroom!!!
.....

Picking up my bike tonight. Since I live only 5 min from the dealer I could not resist taking a peek at the bike this morning as it was being prepped

Time sure moves slow today...

Typically the left grip needs to be hotter than the right one as it is on the metal handlebar which conducts heat from it. The right one sits on the throttle tube which insulates it.

Yes, the clutch is easily modulated. And I suspect you can slip it without worry, too. The bike has MORE low end grunt than my '05. It has more high end grunt, too. The throttle response is something else. If you don't have a smooth throttle hand you will hate the bike. The first time I blipped the throttle to down shift on a test ride I got about a 5K RPM increase instead of the 500 I intended.

That said, by the end of the test ride (about an hour) the throttle and I were old friends. Only down side is that it is HARD to keep the bike at 25 in 25 MPH zones!

Biggest dislikes are the speedo and the shift lever. The speedo jams from 0-60 MPH in 90 degrees of arc, then uses 180 degrees of arc to show 60-150. The shift lever was hard to get to without angling my toe in toward the centerline of the bike. If I tried to slide my entire foot inboard my boot would hit the ball on the end of the side stand deployment tang.

Since that was the most annoying thing I found and I'm sure I'll get used to it I ordered one. Assuming BMW accepts my order (I did not order one of the standard packages) the bike will be built in a couple of months. That gives me plenty of time to de-farkle the current GS.

And regarding the heated grips.... it wasn't very cold here today but I tried them out. They were plenty warm with my winter gloves when the ambient was about 52 ºF. As I said, not very cold. The test ride bike did not have hand guards, though. I imagine with guards they'll be fine for most of my riding.

I picked my bike up today around 3pm. Thw dealer said the Pro plugs came in this morning. Mine had the software update done too. All new bikes from here on out shiuld be good.

A few observations regarding posts mades.

Heated grips. When I demoed a bike last week, it was at the highest 35 degrees and the bike had no hand guards. Compared to my 07 GS that I rode to the dealer high was noticably less hot as others noted. However today riding the new bike home in 48 degree weather and with hand guards even low was too hot where I never hsd this issue with my old GS in similar temps. So looks like low is warmer and higher is cooler. Go figure. This is all with summer gloves.

Risers. I removed a set of Rox risersnfrom my 07 that was traded in. Im planning on mounting them on the new one. Ill report how it works out..

Throttle response. On the relatively smooth pavement I never noticed a twitchy throttle. Its certainly more abrupt but im putting that on the fsct the throttle is so light. I hit a few dirt roads coming home and on the bumpy stuff I did feel what one could call a twitchy throttle though. Every bump was enough to make the bike surge a slight bit. I was in ROAD mode. I switched to ENDURO and the issue completely went away. Clearly BMW knows how sensitive the throttle can be and worked out the bugs. For those without ride modes though you may be screwed.

Overall, I still feel like I did when I demoed the bike last week. Far more flickable, power that is instant, sounds way better, looks better, etc.

Anyway, a few driveway pics...

Congrats

Eager to hear about the differences with the explorer

Congrats. Now you need to change your signature line by removing "on order ..."

You sure look mighty happy to me doc. Congrats.

Based on the pics seen so far of US owners, the headlights have been halogen. Has any US buyers received LC GS with LED lights?

...and LED turn signals?

I have seen few pics, and I am beginning to like 2 different color schemes for myself.

1. White with spoke
2. Thunder Grey with cast

It would be less stressful for me now, I just choose the wheel type and color is automatically selected.

I was orginally planning on waiying for the LED but none were brought in in the first batch and the wait could still be another month or two. It wasnt worth it to me to wait.

LEDs will likely start showing up next month sometime.

No LED turnsignals come on the US bikes. Only the big ugly ones.

I think I am beginning to appreciate the long stalk of the turn signals, whether it is LED or bulb based. I knw LED ones are short stalked.

The longer stalk will help differentiate the yellow light from the main lights at night, either from rear view mirror of the front care or oncoming traffic.

BMW is actually smarter than that. Both grips use the plastic sleeve to keep this from being an issue. That is why it takes two throttle sized grips if you ever replace them.