ThomasMagnum wrote:I just rode it for about 50 miles.Damn - this bike is NICE!
I was surprised at how easy I made the transition from my Vulcan to this bike. Overall it's very smooth, and really wants to get up and go. I've heard people say it's heavy for a sport bike, but it seems like a huffy compared to my Vulcan - VERY VERY nimble in the turns.
NOOB QUESTION - At approx. what RPMs should I be shifting gears in general urban riding (not highway). It sounds like it wants to shift by 4,000.
I notice a little dropping of revs from 1st to second when I shift around 3.5 - 4K. Nothing too bad, I just wonder if I should control the RPMs better to prevent this.
Should I be riding around in 3rd or 4th when traveling between 35-45MPH?
I only ask because it was very obvious on my old cruiser when it wanted to shift, with this BMW engine, it's not stressing in any gear.
Glad to see that you love the bike. The transition was pretty easy for me as I've gone from sportbikes to cruisers and then back to a k1200. I still miss my Harley sometimes but I would never give up the k12 for a cruiser. I might buy a cruiser as a second bike, though.
As far a shift points, the k12 never seems to struggle, even at low rpms. I would suggest you alter your shift points depending on whether you're just riding around or moving in a more sporting fashion. When I'm just putting around town, I usually keep her at around 3k rpms. Just don't lug the engine as you could do damage to it eventually.
