Ugly
I sat on a white 12 today. I don't care for it and like others I think we are stuck with it for 2 or 3 years.
I liked the white and the front end was ok because it is almost unchanged, and the stern looked exactly like that, the back end of a big not so pretty boat. I did not care for the lack of wrap around lights on the stern.
The salesman kept throwing the selling points of the bike at me: Improved suspension. Fine, I have the full Traxxion. The GPS is now programable. Fine, I have a Garmin 665. Now it has an Ipod hook up in the trunk. Fine, courtesy of The Lovely and Talented Louis of Electrical Connection I also have that in feature in my trunk just like the 12. The 12 has an improved seat. Fine, I have a heated Corbin that is color matched to my Hot Rod Yellow. There is an XM radio built into the 12. Fine, my XM is black, looks good and sits nicely on the left handle bar and I don't mind it a bit.
The 12 has more storage space in the trunk. Me too, I have a pak-It-Rak. There is provision for a new fog lamp that is rectangular and will be more powerful. Fine, isn't that special, now parts guys will be knocking themselves out to make rectangular one's and charge a premium for them (Suggestion to new 12 owners, stick with anything Louis makes for those rectangular fog lamps) and, I already have the EC fog lamps AND PIAA's that go below the fairing. Proven reliable strong 6. Fine, so is the motor on my 01A with 57K miles. And worse, my 01A is paid for. Gosh golly Gee the 12 is a much better bike that 01 through 10. Naaaaaaaaaaa. At 67, I have a feeling my next bike after I put another 50 or 100K of good times on FRISKY will be a Bergman.
Unless.......mother H comes out with a spectacularly redesigned wing in the not so distant future. Time will tell.
And, an unsolicited word about the BMW1600. No dealer network and parts and service are bases loaded, out of the park home run, flat out expensive and for me, that is bad news, and, I gather that ordinary manintence is difficult and may void all or portions of the warranty, and the BMW service departments are notoriously snobbish, bitchy and slow. You know, just like the majority of GS 1200 riders who ride by you with their nose in the air. The 1600 is a fast and fine bike, however, everything else that comes with it is somewhere between a nightmare, a very bad headache and a pocket full of $100's but the pocket has a big hole at the bottom and you just don't know where the money went. Just me always not-so-humble opinion, and I could be wrong.