BMW K1200RS (1997 - 2005) Review

Version: ABS

Year: 2001

Annual servicing cost: £100

Its my daily driver, summer or winter, long range touring and with passenger. Bought it for 1500EUR few years ago with a clutch/mainseal just done at 65'000km. Now I'm at 112'000km. She is super-reliable, never let me down. I do the maintenance myself, so also super cheap.

Buying experience: Bought privately in 2015 (now 2022) at 65'000km for 1500EUR.

Year: 2004

You don't want to do a clutch and main seal... but if you do it yourself the parts aren't that bad... it's just time consuming. ABS is known to be a costly replacement... but all things considered this is the favorite bike I've owned. Super comfortable, PLENTY of grunt... twisting the throttle is very exhilarating in comparison to anything that isn't a "racer". And it's just SO SMOOTH to ride you have to remind yourself to take a peek at the speedometer. Factory suitcases are wonderful for traveling... suspension is decent enough and configurable. Brakes are very good in my opinion. Headlight is eh...

Buying experience: Got it for a song... no complaints.

Version: SE

Year: 2003

Annual servicing cost: £200

A little heavy but good performance especially on the motorway.

Buying experience: At the time I paid 3K at a dealer

Year: 1999

Annual servicing cost: £100

It's a very good bike more of a motorway muncher than a B road scratcher but she can do both, every one mentions the weight and she is a bit heavy when pushing it around has the turning circle of a barge but once moving the weight disappears you just have to keep watching your speed as she is so smooth it's quite easy to go over the limit without realizing, I would not recommend this bike unless you are good with the spanners as a clutch problem which they are known for can right the bike off at a BMW bike dealership and finding a non franchised bike dealer to do the job can be a problem, so if you or a mate can't do the work yourself I would not consider buying one, routine maintenance is easy though once you have all the tupperware off .

Buying experience: I purchased it from someone I knew so I know it's service history and the clutch and other items had been replaced so I should have no problems.

Year: 2001

Annual servicing cost: £80

Lovely and comfy. Good weather protection from the screen and she fits me like a glove. A lot is said about the weight of the bike, I cannot see, or feel, the problem myself. Worst feature? The headlight which is pretty poor considering the size of the bike. Really could do with a better headlight.

Buying experience: I bought the bike secondhand from a small independent bike dealers. I paid £1600 which was book price at the time. She only had a genuine 47,000 miles on her. Now up to 55,000.

Version: ABS Servo.

Year: 2001

It's a great bike.

Year: 1998

Annual servicing cost: £100

The best thing about this bike is the smooth torque-rich engine. Once above 25mph one can stay in sixth gear and take it easy; if you wish to accelerate faster then drop a cog, or two, and it will be off quicker than a council worker on a Friday afternoon. The worst feature would be the weight. True, the mass disappears when rolling and the machine is nicely-balanced, making slow manoeuvres simple, but moving it around in the garage, or parking spaces, is not easy.

I didnt use the K much over the worst of the winter - maybe I'm getting old and soft! But I have managed to add 200 miles of commuting between Oxford and the city and this bike eats it for breakfast. Really comfy at 80 in the traffic -and gets to seriously illegal speeds in an eyeblink without grumbling. A couple of times I've twsited the grip and been caught out as I caught the car in front - good job the brakes are top notch! It's cofy - I have adopted a riding position which includes lying forward almost when manouvering - this is where the bike becomes scary - slow sppeed parking stuff and I confess I have dropped it at almost 0mph on a u-turn. £100 body shop job later and it looks like new but was p*ssed off with myself for trying to be too sharp with a bike that is so heavy. The crazy thing is that as soon as it's moving (and you;re not trying to turn a tight circle) it's superlight! No niggles so far - biggish ride coming up |London to Newcastle and back at a weekend - should test my age again!

...it's beautiful on the eye...someone really though this through - whatever you say about BMW bikes it's not usually that they are beautiful - but this on is a stunner.

Just acquired a 2001 SE version. First K1200RS for me. Rode it back to London from Somerset. Ive owned and ridden several BMs and covered too many miles! I know that the first trip on a new bike will highlight all sorts of 'issues' associated with fit and comfort and reach and son on...bit like taking a walk in new shoes - feels weird - and the trap is to think weird is wrong - when its just different. SO ...the K1200rs is different from other BMs I've owned. And with just one longish rifde under my belt I can only comment on first impressions...and they are - very comfortable - easy to ride - I can reach everything easily - I stayed warm (it wasn't raining - and I stayed comfortable - ie not buffeted. I was ready to stretch my legs after a couple of hours which coincided with a refill. Quick coffee and back on - couldnt wait. It's super responsive in any gear with more power and punch than I will ever need. I got it on and off the stand easily - rode 150 miles on the A303 and spent an hour tootling around London inc very slow stuff around Chelseas ground when a home game tipped spectators out onto the pavements and roads! Easy - not wide - even with panniers - ie I was able to shoot around stationary traffic without worrying about clipping others. Climeebd off after about 4 hours total riding and felt very comfortable. I'm 5'8" - and it fits me! Didnt adjust anything. It could turn out to be a beautiful relationship - I had one of those with a GS and with a K1100rs. Thsi looks like the best value bike I ever bought - but its early days. In summary I've read a lot about how difficult these bikes are to ride - and I found it easy.....

My K1200RS is my first BMW Motorcycle. Brilliant build quality, exceeds Hondas best by miles. Has everything possible fitted with the exception of a Kitchen Sink. Would be perfect if the engine had the same level of Clout as my 1991 C1 ZZR 1100 or my Blackbird XXY or 2001. The performance doesn't seem to be any greater than a Varadero or a VFR750FN. A very good bike though !

What ever possesed me? I traded in a 1997 k12rs for a 2002 abs VFR800vtec. The Honda goes round corners faster, the ABS is better, and the back doesn't lock up like the BMW, but I never ever felt scared on the BM, it stopped, it went and it scraped the bottom of its pegs on request, and in any gear....not forever up and down the box like the Honda. The most surefooted tractor in christendom.

Handles far better than a Pan ST1300 i know ive had two new ones, gearbox is smooth, hunts a bit at tick over but power commander sorts it or remus exhaust. weather protection is good, small amount of bufferting at speed, sensertive to tyre pressures. very stable, point to point crusie missile,not as fast as My Hyabusa but then thats new and so mental. But the bmw is very well built and fun.

nice run down to Turkey from Aberdeen & back again though the rain from Italy to UK then the bludy UK roads.... speed really drops then. The thing went ok. But back home the lump seized & the backup support from BMW in Aberdeen was a waste of time !!! I shall be getting a Kwacker GTR1400 & forget BMW. I am still furious with them & the support I did not get from them. By the way where is the complaints site for them ?? or are they too good for that ?!Had an old Kawasaki Z1100 & it is still running , I shall be putting it back on the road & scrapping the beemer before I get the GTR.Really not impressed with BMW.

I'm not sure what MCN was thinking when they wrote the review on this engine but it sells this bike way short. For someone lookiing for a sport tourer with serious speed this is the perfect bike. I've ridden both the Ducati ST4s and Honda ST1300s and this is a better bike. 147HP with new pipes and Ohlin suspension means i can take to the twisties with most sport bikes.

Second Hand and in good condition, these bikes offer great value for money versus some new rivals.... I've clocked up 10,000 miles in the last year on mine (mainly 2 - up touring) purchased with only 2,500 miles on the clock, and rate it very highly. It is not a 'sports bike' and a tab heavy in the tight tights - but in all other circumstances it is magic - loves sweeping corners, great power, great brakes, good instruments, compliant suspension good economy and a 200 mile range on a tank plus all the luggage we need. I strongly recommend this bike.