Faults:

Nothing.

General Comments:

I love this bike. After owning over a dozen street bikes over the last 40 years, I find this bike (at my age) to be an unusual taste. No it's not the fastest or quickest, the handling is not bad (especially compared to the top heavy feel of the Honda Interstate I've been riding the last few years), gas mileage is good (42 MPG), and it's very comfortable and easy to work on. But this bike really just puts a smile on my face as it reminds me why I love to ride. I love the feel and sound of the torquey flat twin, the brakes are the best of any bike I've ever owned, the transmission shifts smoothly, and it just feels good going down the road.

Yeah I read how the moto-journalists all panned the R1200CL when it first came out, but I have a mind of my own, and after riding it I realized they spend too much time buzzing around on 150 HP bikes that go 0-60 in 3.5 seconds. I'm past that in my life, and enjoy comfort and quality over pure speed. I'll be riding this BMW for a long time, as she has grown on me with her quirky ways. She may not be a beauty to everyone, but she has a great personality that I enjoy!

General Comments:

These motorcycles have received generally poor reviews from journalists and other BMW riders due to poor acceleration, and I would have to agree on that point. These bikes are not for the typical BMW rider; the horsepower/weight ratio is low. I weigh 270lbs and I feel that the acceleration is a little doggy, but this motorcycle is for cruising and long distance travel. This is by far the most comfortable bike I have ever owned or ridden (including my brother's 2014 Ultra).

These bikes are awesome in turns as well as on the open road. If you are into a super fast ride, this is not the bike for you. If you are into cruising at speeds 55-80mph, I would strongly recommend this unit. The cruise control and stereo system work great, and the gas mileage is superb (I get about 47-48 MPG).

I purchased my 2004 R1200CL for $5,500 recently, and have put about 1800 miles on it in about two weeks (one 350 mile trip in 6 hours). I only stopped for gas and was not at all sore (remember, I'm a big guy, 270lbs).

Before purchasing my R1200CL, I test rode a 2004 Ultra Classic and a 2002 Goldwing; both bikes had much more power, but averaged about 5 MPG less, not to mention the asking prices for those bikes were around $12,500 (more than twice that of most CLs). I found the Harley gave off way too much heat at stop lights, and I felt the Goldwing was a little too big for zipping through the twisty roads of western Wisconsin.

Faults:

None.

General Comments:

Most comfortable motorcycle I have ever owned.

Great MPG.

You can ride for 10 hours and feel great when you get off.

Extremely reliable!!!

It is a real head turner for everyone who sees it.

Faults:

Battery lasted 5 years, good.

General Comments:

Difficult handling in tight spaces because of the handlebar mounted faring.

Faults:

ABS idiot lights go on in the rain in years 1 and 2, then on permanently in year 3. BMW tried many times to fix, finally replaced cable harness ($1,800 Canadian, under warranty).

Hard saddle bags failed many times, both sides, mostly due to poor latch design. One time I lost $2,000 worth of goods (went back looking, could not find). BMW did not compensate at all.

Battery died exactly 2 years later. I would expected at least 3 years. Trickled charged at times during the winter.

General Comments:

Good:

It is a low cost touring bike (about 2/3rd the price of their high end, but about the same as other brands), and still good enough for my 8,000 KM 23 day trip.

4 headlights!!! That's 2 low beams and 2 high beams. I can see very well at night, and no fear of a bulb burnout being an issue. Oncoming traffic can see me well too (wide profile, lots of lights).

Automatic signal cancel (15 second timer).

Heated seats, heated grips, they work okay, but if it is that cold, then you need warm gear anyhow, and the feet still get cold (I did drive once when it was snowing).

Seat comfort is "okay", but could have been shaped better to avoid cutting into thighs.

Has a clock (oddly useful, as I rode the bike to work a lot...).

Bad:

Maintenance is EXPENSIVE.

No room for highway pegs (some like them, some not). On long trips on back highways (little traffic), I like them. Missed them (well, there are some after market, but $400 for a pair is too steep).

Dealers were "nice", but could not completely solve issues in a reasonable time. Even with a 15 day in shop maintenance for the ABS under warranty, they could not fix in time (had to use bike without ABS).

The bike is "top heavy" because the windshield is mounted on the handlebars. This made cornering a delicate act (and a real problem).

Bike sits very high due to engine design, so not for small people (I am 6 feet, and *just* okay for me).

No driver backrest, but after market solved that (at $500).

No center stand.

Tail light is better than my previous bike, but I still went out and bought after market.

Forget the stereo system (a $2,000 option). I did not have it, and other owners with the same bike rarely used theirs.