I hear you. I still struggle with the looks of the r1200rt. There is no way I would have owned one 10 or 20 years ago. I was looking for something between my f6b and ninja 1000, the r1200rt is it so far. 4k miles over 5 weekends of day rides and I'm still believing the r1200rt is the bike for me. The suspension is the best part. If you can get past the part where you're looking for the mower deck underneath, it truly is a fantastic ride. Yes, it sounds like a John Deere.