[drDave]

Before I got my 1200, I had a G650gs, which could toast a grilled cheese sandwich if you wrapped the bread around the heated grips.

In contrast, the 1200's heated grips, even on "2" seem, well, kind of weeny. Anyone else had that experience? Anything that can be done, other than heated gloves?

 

[Hoshiko]

Although this is the only bike I had have with heated grips so I can't compare, I found it really helpful to install hand guards. i can ride with summer gloves and the heated grips for a good amount of time because the cold air does not hit my hands directly.

I did remove the storm sticker and applied some reflective tape.
Hope this helps.

 

[drDave]

another farkle Well have to wait a month. Just ordered a "freedom-air" sports cushion

 

[Hoshiko]

another farkle "freedom-air" sports cushion

A what????

 

[drDave]

A what????

Alternative to Airhawk. Available at Bikercushions. Looks like it will fit the R12 but will let everyone know. Most of those air cushions seem tailored to a Harley style bike but the Freedom Air Sport Cushion looks like it may do better.

 

[Hoshiko]

Most of those air cushions seem tailored to a Harley style bike but the Freedom Air Sport Cushion looks like it may do better.

Anything that has the world freedom, eagle, American, legend, attitude, ultra, premium and some other similar ones are for sure tailored for Harley

Harley's marketing department is as good as BMW's engineers, BMW marketing department is as "good" as Harley's engineers.

could toast a grilled cheese sandwich if you wrapped the bread around the heated grips
Pictures????

 

[drDave]

Hoshiko,
Unfortunately, I traded the G650gs into the R12, so I can't show you the grilled cheese grips, but they were Hot Hot Hot, as Buster Poindexter used to say. . .In contrast, I can sort of tell that the 12's grips are Not Cold, but not much else. Am going to try some First Gear electric gloves this fall and see what happens. I found out that the 12's electrics are even more weeny than the 650's; the dealer had to install a 10 amp fuse on the outside socket to allow my First Gear 65 watt vest to plug in without blowing the fuse. The 650 handled it fine. So BMW's accessory and CAN bus engineers are right up there with Harley's frame development, vibration and sound reduction, and weight reduction programs. . .

 

[Hoshiko]

I found out that the 12's electrics are even more weeny than the 650's; the dealer had to install a 10 amp fuse on the outside socket to allow my First Gear 65 watt vest to plug in without blowing the fuse. The 650 handled it fine. .

I know how annoying that is, Santa got me a heated jacket 90w

and gloves

2 years ago. I had them straight to the battery on my Yamaha, then I got the R, spend something like $20 bucks for a cable specially designed for Beemers, first ride out on the cold, I was sure I wouldn't freeze to death, just to find out the canbus as shutting the power on the socket off, miserable ride.
Now I have a cable straight to the battery, with a fuse.

Why does everything has to be complicated.

 

[drDave]

Agreed Hoshiko! And it's really odd, given BMW's attention to engineering, that they would produce such a carefully designed, high-tech bike, and then wire it so you can't plug in common accessories.

OK, BMW Bike Division Note: PEOPLE TO REPLACE:

1. Advertising Department (there's probably no-one there anyway).

2. Paint and Sexy Design Department (the only reason for a Brown Bike is to match the riders pants when they are cut-off by a sexy Ducati).

3. CanBus, Accessory and Weeny Electrical Department: e.g., horns, heated grips, accessories, etc.

 

[moto-m]

The 2006 R1200R had very hot and effective heated grips but my new 2012 R1200R is quite dissappointing by comparison - position 2 seems about as hot as the original version on position 1.

Why would they change something like this that was working so well?

 

[drDave]

Moto-m, glad (or at least relieved) it's not just my bike. I have no idea why or whether it's a "fix" a "f-up" or a "feature"

 

[Hoshiko]

Why would they change something like this that was working so well?

May be they realized that grilling cheese sandwiches was more dangerous then texting.

 

[drDave]

May be they realized that grilling cheese sandwiches was more dangerous then texting.

Nonsense....between cooking a chicken inside the muffler pannier and grilled cheese grips, you'd have a gourmet meal on wheels....wait...what am I talking about...these guys are German...gourmet cooking wouldn't be in their vocabulary...

 

[avocet]

I just picked up my new R1200R today. It was a bit cool so I turned on the heated grips. I didn't need to leave them on very long, so I'm not sure they got fully up to temperature, but my impression was that they aren't as hot as the R1200GS grips, which frankly are too hot on the higher setting and not hot enough (in very cold weather) on the lower setting. I always found myself switching back and forth between high and low heat and wishing there was an intermediate setting. Maybe BMW decided to reduce the high setting to simulate a setting that is in between the GS high and low settings?

I'll be riding tomorrow morning when it will be pretty cool, so I'll give the grip heaters a more definitive test. Regardless of how they work, I intend to get some hand guards, because even the best grip heaters can't warm the back of your hands.

 

[avocet]

There was some discussion in this thread of heated clothing. I've used a Gerbings heated jacket liner and gloves for several years on my GS and on my K1600GT. All Gerbings clothes come (for no additional charge) with a wiring harness that is very easy to connect directly to the battery. It has its own fuse and bypasses the BMW Canbus, which limits the current available from the Powerlet socket on the bike. I intend to install a Gerbings cable on my new R tomorrow. Incidentally, the R1200R uses the same high output alternator as the GS, so it can easily power heated clothing, but you can't connect them to the Powerlet socket because the Canbus will detect an over-current condition and shut the socket down.

 

[drDave]

Avocet, My G650gs was really hot, even on the "1" setting. In contrast, my 2012 R1200r is barely tepid, even on "2". Let us know what you think, but I don't think it's the wind.

 

[avocet]

OK, I rode for a couple of hours this morning with the air temperature around 60 degrees (F). I was wearing BMW "Summer Gloves" which have a couple of layers of leather on the palms. German Summers must be cool, because there is no way I can wear these gloves on hot days. They work well this time of year though, and are completely waterproof.

Anyway, with those gloves on the grips felt comfortably warm on the high setting, which means that they won't be warm enough when it gets really cold out. On the low setting I could feel that they were warm, but they are only probably of any use on that setting when the temperature has just dropped below the temperature that your gloves can handle without the aid of heated grips. These grips are clearly not as hot as the grips on the GS I just traded in on the "R", but probably will be somewhat useful anyway, especially with hand guards installed.

The other thing I did this morning was to wire the bike for Gerbings heated gear using the cable that Gerbings supplied. It took around a half hour.

 

[Hoshiko]

I hate to hear all that info Avocet, NY gets pretty cold, good thing I have heated gloves, and hand guards. I actually have to lower the heating output on the gloves with the hand guards on, they really help.

 

[avocet]

I intend to put on hand guards as well, Hoshiko. Hand guards on my GS made a huge difference when it was cold, and also help keep hands dry when it rains. I have to decide if I want Barkbusters, or maybe the transparent ones that Wonderlich makes.

 

[drDave]

What about these?

Handle Bar Muffs R1200 R 8110360 | BMW Wunderlich America