R1200R: decent city bike?

[ariacode]

So, ideally I'd have a scooter for practical city usage, a motard for fun city riding, a sportier bike for the twisties, and a R1200(R|S)T for touring.

But, of course, I only have room and money for one bike. I currently have a '10 Monster 696, which I use for all of the above, but it's pretty impractical for most of what I do. I'd really want hard panniers that I can stick helmet(s) and groceries in, and I'd love to be able to do back-to-back 6-hour days without throwing out my back.

I've always loved the RxR bikes. They have hard bags, the comfort, and people claim that they're fun in the twisties.

I'd use it for getting groceries a couple of times a week, commuting from the mission to downtown when I'm too lazy to ride my bike, going on joyrides around the bay area, going down to visit the family in Santa Cruz, getting out of town for short norcal tours, getting the hell out of CA for longer tours.

The nagging question I have is this: are they decent for riding around SF? I'm kind of concerned about the weight and the width.

Any thoughts on this? Alternatives I should look into?

Thanks!

 

[RRrider]

IMO: different use cases drive the selection of different bikes. if you want ONE bike, then you have to choose what variable you prioritise as the basis of the compromise.

My present view is I prioritise twisties as my #1 criteria, and then the question becomes is the second criteria city riding or touring? If city riding, I prefer Street Triple R 675 and if touring I prefer the S1000XR.

 

[Roadstergal]

I had one as a loaner - it's a nice bike if you like the boxer character (I love it, some hate it - it's very personal). Upright, nimble, lots of poke. I'd also consider a Hyperstrada if you want a cool Euro bike with touring ability and luggage. Any of the ADV bikes are good options, as well, from the budget V-Stroms and Versyses to the less-budget KTM ADVs to the utterly non-budget Multistradas.

That being said - scooters are dizam cheap. I'd rather spend a little more to have one for city use vs exposing your Nice Bike to all of that.

 

[bruceflinch]

I'm 6'2" & found a R1200R too bent over. But I have a back issue & need a more straight up riding position. The bike is pretty wide with the side bags.
My ST is a little slimmer.
I'd consider a scooter type thing for city driving & keep something larger for the weekends. But I have room in the garage for another bike. :teeth

 

[ariacode]

R1200R's smallish frame is a +1 for me; I'm 5'8"ish and most ADV bikes are too tall for me.

Maybe I'll just sell my car to make room for a scooter and another moto I only really use it to go to Santa Cruz anyways.

 

[HappyHighwayman]

It's a fine city bike but more power than you'll need in the city. I'm on an 800 and hardly leave 2nd gear.

 

[davidji]

I've had a few do it all versatile street bikes, the R among them. I think the Versys 650 has some advantages for city use, and it's good for that other stuff too. The R has better brakes, suspension and power and is pretty comfortable. The Versys wins on lightness, agility and I think on all day comfort as well--but either are fine for touring.

 

[Roadstergal]

R1200R's smallish frame is a +1 for me; I'm 5'8"ish and most ADV bikes are too tall for me.

I'd reconsider - at a fair bit shorter than you, I've had a few ADVs, and the Versyses and Stroms (and my current 'Tard) are very easy to ride.

And the ADVs are more comfy for touring than plain naked standards, like FZ-09/R1200R/Street or Speed Triple/etc. For what you describe as your 'wants' and where your current bike is letting you down, an ADV bike sounds like the right place to look.

 

[danate]

If it was just city riding, I think a 650 class bike would suffice and probably have the benefit of being a little more narrow. That said, the R1200R will do just fine around the city, but also be capable of taking you on a 6000 mile journey across the country and back if you so had the desire.

Obviously I'm a big fan of boxers and have two that I pretty much always ride everywhere. I think it's the best all around bike ever made.

 

[SFSV650]

It can be a little unwieldy in seriously crawling stop and go traffic due to the dry clutch, and I find that in SF there usually is not enough room to split because of the width of the cylinders. I find the ninja 650 to be a hoot for the first few minutes every time I ride it because it's the opposite on every front.

That said, the R1200R is a perfect size for me (5'-11 15/16"), the wide bars and upright posture make for a very comfortable, manageable ride at both high and low speeds. The R1200R is actually better than my old SV at parking lot speeds, and is much smoother over rough pavement. You feel the bumps but they don't cause the bike to change direction.

Overall it's an absolutely stupendous bike, particularly if you're more into 'cruising with purpose' than absolutely railing it. It makes turns beautifully and without drama, it has all the power a street rider could ever want but delivers it smoothly, stops very nicely, and tracks straight as an arrow once it gets going. I'm also getting 40+ mpg, which I don't quite understand.

Good luck.

 

[Phanuel]

It's a fine city bike but more power than you'll need in the city. I'm on an 800 and hardly leave 2nd gear.

What rpm is it spinning at around 40 mph?

Having a quick shifter and an auto blipper, I find myself working the gear box as much as my 300 because it's just pressing the lever. I'm probably not even saving myself a noticeable amount of gas riding around in 3rd and 4th instead of just 2nd.

 

[davidji]

Whether you buy that R, or an adv bike, or an adv-style bike (e.g. Versys), folding mirrors will be your friend in the city.

I used the shorter mirror here on my Versys and with an adapter, on the R1200R:
http://www.moto-science.com/product/ktm-oem-folding-mirror-243-or-280mm

Since they fold around a single axis, they're really easy to re-position.

Plenty of other choices on that site too--probably something good for the Monster. I've got some different folding mirrors from there on my FZ1.

 

[Ogier le Danois]

Great bikes to ride, even in the city.

I wouldn't want to be an owner of one. Terrible reliability in my experience.

 

[RightCoastBias]

Surj has one and he is the EIC of City Bike, so it must be.

 

[ariacode]

Thanks, all. Great information.

I'm kind of turned off to the idea of buying an ADV bike for the street at the moment. I know that a lot of them have dubious off-road capabilities, so the styling and engineering tradeoffs involved just don't sit with me too well.

I'll have to go take a new R out for a test drive and maybe rent something similar from dubbelju.

If Triumph would come out with that rumored half-faired street triple, I'd probably spring for it right away. If I can't wait 'till then and the R test rides work out, I'll probably be in the market for a decent used one with cases.

Whether you buy that R, or an adv bike, or an adv-style bike (e.g. Versys), folding mirrors will be your friend in the city.

Bookmarked, thanks! I was folding my mirrors in when necessary until I found out that it was unscrewing itself every time and I ended up with a mirror flapping around on me :-/

I wouldn't want to be an owner of one. Terrible reliability in my experience.

This is said about most of the bikes I like, unfortunately. Call me a sucker, call me vain, but I prefer motorcycles that appeal to more than my brain :dunno

 

[NeilInPacifica]

The R1200?? boxer is too much for the City, I rarely take mine in. It's great for long trips, twisties or freeway - it has the power to do whatever is needed to get out of tight spots. This week I took mine down 1 and various highways to Morro Bay, Pismo Beach, and Santa Barbara.

For the City I use my Versys 650, engine and bike size are perfect. It's also great for trips to Santa Cruz by way of 35, 84, 9, 1, etc.. The Striple might be similar.

 

[RightCoastBias]

The R1200?? boxer is too much for the City, I rarely take mine in. It's great for long trips, twisties or freeway - it has the power to do whatever is needed to get out of tight spots. This week I took mine down 1 and various highways to Morro Bay, Pismo Beach, and Santa Barbara.

For the City I use my Versys 650, engine and bike size are perfect. It's also great for trips to Santa Cruz by way of 35, 84, 9, 1, etc.. The Striple might be similar.

R1200R vs R1200GS isn't really a direct comparison.

The GS is a fatty boom batty compared to the R.

 

[Snapping Twig]

The R1200R is perhaps THE most misunderstood moto.

With all the other brands and types available, the boxer powered S/T 1200R is overlooked.

The frame & motor is the same as the RT and the GS, but the suspension is shorter than the GS and it's lighter than the RT since it's a naked.

In short, it has all the power of either but due to weight and suspension it's faster and more nimble.

I lowered my pegs with Knight Design replacements and now it's just right.

Would I park it in the City? Probably not, too many damn thieves.

Otherwise, it can do anything you want - rail, cruise, travel, short hop.

 

[SFSV650]

^ Nice bike!
Did you have your wheels painted, or was that a dealer option?

 

[SFSV650]

The frame & motor is the same as the RT and the GS, but the suspension is shorter than the GS and it's lighter than the RT since it's a naked.

One thing to note is that while the bike may sit lower, it also has a little over 6 inches of suspension travel - that's more than the adv-style Triumph Tiger or Kawasaki Versys.