New to me R1200S

bikesnbones · Post by **bikesnbones** » Tue Jul 09, 2013 3:56 am

Hi All.
Just thought I'd register here and see what happens.
I've been riding 31 years, the last seven of which have been Guzzi's.
I had a Griso 1100 (Solid great roadster), and more recently an old 97 Sport 1100 (quirky, idiosyncratic, torture for more than an hour in the saddle, but huge fun).
I sold the sport recently planning a break from biking due to a bit of a back problem.
That lasted 2 months until I saw an R1200S parked up and knew I had to have one,
As luck would have it, my local BMW dealer had one and after a test ride I just had to buy it
I have a 2006 bike with 10,000 miles, full dealership service history, with Remus pipes (jury's out on those).
What I love about it is that it combines all the best bits of the Guzzi, with a shedload more performance plus nice little touches like a neutral light that doesn't lie, and mirrors that you can actually use to see behind.
This seemed like a good place to find out more about the bike.

eyore · Post by **eyore** » Tue Jul 09, 2013 6:57 am

Hi and welcome, glad you found the forum here.

I too am a recent convert and completely besotted. Best bike I have had in years.

McBoxer · Post by **McBoxer** » Tue Jul 09, 2013 8:34 am

Welcome on board! I was never a fan of that colour scheme, but on yours it looks great. Must be the rim tape.....
You'll enjoy it here

Gromit · Post by **Gromit** » Tue Jul 09, 2013 8:49 am

Welcome BnB - have fun!

Talking of Guzzis, I've always had a soft spot for them. Despite my old V65 Lario being just about the most awful thing ever, I still loved it for some irrational reason. A few years later I got very close to buying an 1100 Sport.

bikesnbones · Post by **bikesnbones** » Tue Jul 09, 2013 11:21 am

Gromit wrote:Talking of Guzzis, I've always had a soft spot for them. Despite my old V65 Lario being just about the most awful thing ever, I still loved it for some irrational reason. A few years later I got very close to buying an 1100 Sport.

Thanks for the welcome.

I will always have a soft spot for Guzzi's and will have another along side the Beemer when finances permit.

With Guzzi's. provided you stay the right side of 1995, they're good in terms of reliability.

The really modern bikes of course are leagues ahead (Piaggio now own them)

In terms of refinement though, they're no match for BMW.

BTW I also own a 1998 R1200C - Don't laugh.

GRAgusta · Post by **GRAgusta** » Tue Jul 09, 2013 12:00 pm

bikesnbones wrote:
BTW I also own a 1998 R1200C - Don't laugh.

That is super shiny

exoticices · Post by **exoticices** » Tue Jul 09, 2013 12:10 pm

Welcome to the forum. The bike looks good. Could you post some pictures of the 1100 Sport? I'm afraid I have a bit of a fetish about them!!

Boxermed69 · Post by **Boxermed69** » Tue Jul 09, 2013 2:13 pm

Hi there. It was someone on here that once said a beemer is just a guzzi with droopy tits. Sure you'll get on just fine

Mike.

bikesnbones · Post by **bikesnbones** » Tue Jul 09, 2013 2:24 pm

exoticices wrote:Welcome to the forum. The bike looks good. Could you post some pictures of the 1100 Sport? I'm afraid I have a bit of a fetish about them!!

Picture taken on a recent trip to London earlier in the year where I took a pic of it outside the shop where I bought my first bike in 1981.

It's the Sport Corsa Limited edition - only 200 made of which 30 were imported to the UK.

Carillo rods. and lightened crank.

Great bike actually.

Herb · Post by **Herb** » Tue Jul 09, 2013 3:18 pm

Welcome to the site.

What the hell do you have in that tank bag. You could get a body in there!

f90x · Post by **f90x** » Tue Jul 09, 2013 5:01 pm

hi b'n'b. funny, my next change shall probably be a griso. i shall be picking your brains.

bikesnbones · Post by **bikesnbones** » Tue Jul 09, 2013 8:15 pm

f90x wrote:hi b'n'b. funny, my next change shall probably be a griso. i shall be picking your brains.

It's a great bike but you do need to tread carefully with the later 1200 8V models.
I'd always go for the earlier 2v 1100, but do get in touch when the time comes.

exoticices · Post by **exoticices** » Wed Jul 10, 2013 12:36 pm

Thanks for the picture. The Corsas are really nice, some subtle/useful improvements over the std injection and the carb models, and good lookers too.

bikesnbones · Post by **bikesnbones** » Thu Jul 11, 2013 2:59 am

exoticices wrote:Thanks for the picture. The Corsas are really nice, some subtle/useful improvements over the std injection and the carb models, and good lookers too.

Main improvement over the carb'd bike was a gearbox that didn't eat itself.
The early straight cut boxes were notorious for that.
It really is interesting comparing it to the R1200S.
The Beemer is so forgiving and "user friendly".
I mean if you need to make adjustments mid corner, it allows you to do it with ease, whereas the Guzzi would have none of that.
"You f**ked it up, you deal with it" I'd here it say.
It is definitely not a bike for the feint hearted, or novice but that was part of it's appeal.
It's a hard core old school sports bike and I enjoyed every moment of riding it, but I have to say that it would never get close to the BMW in anything other than a straight line.
Another pic.
I'll probably have another one day sitting alongside the BMW.