Well, after 3 days of riding the R1150R, I’ve decided that Penny doesn’t have to worry just yet. She’s just so much lighter and nimbler and since a lot of my riding is in traffic, it’s nice to have that littleness. And BMW just does not set up their grips for people with small hands – even with the adjustable clutch my hands were sore after dealing with rush hour traffic (though I did come to like the turn signal arrangement, with left on the left side and right and cancel on the right).

Penny did feel really small when I first got back on her, and I had gotten used to the increased accelerative power of the 1150, but I was exhilerated as I sped home to be on something that felt more like a part of me than something I was riding.

Besides, I’d kinda missed her purring, thumping rumble. I know the boxers are supposed to be a little loud, but I found it quiet, and I didn’t like all the mechanical whining as servos powered up and down.

Oh, and Penny’s problem? Turned out that the wiring harness needed to be replaced, which is somewhat of a weird thing to have happen to a relatively new bike. Thankfully it was still under warranty.