EllenGtrGrl
Active member
Hi, my name's Ellen, and I just jointed the FTR 1200 Forum. I live in the Milwaukee Metro Area (yep, in Harleyland 
). I've been riding since 1979 ( when an old boyfriend pestered me to give motorcycles a try - you should have seen the fun, 16 year old me, had convincing dad to let her get a motrcycle!). I road steadily from 1979, till the early 90s (when I was in college at the University of Wisconsin in the 80s, my motorcycle was my sole source of transportation), when repairs my motorcycle needed at the time, forced me to quit riding (the repairs cost more than the bike was worth, and I couldn't afford another motorcycle). Life intervened, and through the rest of the 90s, and into the early 2010s, though I kept track of what was going on in the motorcycling world, I was not an active rider. In 2013, I finally told myself, "get another motorcycle, or get over it." So I bought a motorcycle (a 2004 BMW R1150R), and I've been riding ever since then.
I've gone through a few motorcycles since 2013 (BMW R1150R, Triumph 900 Thruxton, BMW F800R, and BMW R1200R), always preferring the sportier side of things (but not supersport/race rep). I always thought it would be great to have an American made sportbike, but by the time I started riding again, Buell was gone (and I didn't want an orphan bike), and the I didn't like the Harley Roadster I test road shortly after they came out (I hated the feet forward, lean towards the handlebars riding position, and $12,000 price for a bike that was at best, on a par performance-wise with the Triumph Thruxton 900 I had at the time [that cost quite a bit less than the Roadster]). When the FTR 1200 came out last year, I thought it was cool, but my 2016 BMW R1200R suited me just fine. All of that changed a couple of months ago, when I found out that the local BMW dealer, decided (without fanfare) to shut down late last year, making the nearest dealer support now 50 plus miles away (there are local mechanics that will do sevicing on BMWs, but for in depth servicing, BMW's diagnostic equipment is needed, which they don't have). So, due to the lack of dealer support for my current BMW R1200R, what was at the back of my mind, moved to the forefront - getting another sporty motorcycle, preferably American, from a local dealer. I test rode a Base Model FTR 1200 (on a 30 degree day, brrr!), very much liked the riding experience (sporty, without being naked racebike extreme), and after I was given a good offer (with my R1200R as a trade-in) said "sold!"
It'll be interesting to see the reactions at work in the motorcycle parking area, when I start using my FTR 1200 for my daily work commute (complete with some spirited riding, during the 25 mile trip on backroads) - especially since most of the other riders at work, ride cruisers (not my thing), with a few of them being Harleys.
). I've been riding since 1979 ( when an old boyfriend pestered me to give motorcycles a try - you should have seen the fun, 16 year old me, had convincing dad to let her get a motrcycle!). I road steadily from 1979, till the early 90s (when I was in college at the University of Wisconsin in the 80s, my motorcycle was my sole source of transportation), when repairs my motorcycle needed at the time, forced me to quit riding (the repairs cost more than the bike was worth, and I couldn't afford another motorcycle). Life intervened, and through the rest of the 90s, and into the early 2010s, though I kept track of what was going on in the motorcycling world, I was not an active rider. In 2013, I finally told myself, "get another motorcycle, or get over it." So I bought a motorcycle (a 2004 BMW R1150R), and I've been riding ever since then.I've gone through a few motorcycles since 2013 (BMW R1150R, Triumph 900 Thruxton, BMW F800R, and BMW R1200R), always preferring the sportier side of things (but not supersport/race rep). I always thought it would be great to have an American made sportbike, but by the time I started riding again, Buell was gone (and I didn't want an orphan bike), and the I didn't like the Harley Roadster I test road shortly after they came out (I hated the feet forward, lean towards the handlebars riding position, and $12,000 price for a bike that was at best, on a par performance-wise with the Triumph Thruxton 900 I had at the time [that cost quite a bit less than the Roadster]). When the FTR 1200 came out last year, I thought it was cool, but my 2016 BMW R1200R suited me just fine. All of that changed a couple of months ago, when I found out that the local BMW dealer, decided (without fanfare) to shut down late last year, making the nearest dealer support now 50 plus miles away (there are local mechanics that will do sevicing on BMWs, but for in depth servicing, BMW's diagnostic equipment is needed, which they don't have). So, due to the lack of dealer support for my current BMW R1200R, what was at the back of my mind, moved to the forefront - getting another sporty motorcycle, preferably American, from a local dealer. I test rode a Base Model FTR 1200 (on a 30 degree day, brrr!), very much liked the riding experience (sporty, without being naked racebike extreme), and after I was given a good offer (with my R1200R as a trade-in) said "sold!"
It'll be interesting to see the reactions at work in the motorcycle parking area, when I start using my FTR 1200 for my daily work commute (complete with some spirited riding, during the 25 mile trip on backroads) - especially since most of the other riders at work, ride cruisers (not my thing), with a few of them being Harleys.
