I was really hoping the "downdraft EFI" on the XR1200 would eliminate this problem. ALL of the EFI Harleys I've owned ('07 Street Bob and '07 Sportster Roadster) or ridden (rented several) have a low speed hiccup that is very annoying. It occurs on very light throttle applications. Some don't notice it but if you do start to notice it, it's hard to ignore. Even after a race tuner and dyno runs it was still there. I think it's because the transition between fuel on and off is so abrupt. It's 2008 so why can't HD make a decent smooth fuel injection system?
My '07 Low Rider had a very pronounced surging issue that was fixed with an ECM flash later in the model year - that's the only Harley I recall owning that had a noticeable surge. The surging I noticed with the XR wasn't as noticeable and it may be just me getting adjusted to the bike. Unlike my Buells though, I've noticed no decel popping with the stock pipes.
Best of luck it looks like a great bike on paper. I can't wait to demo one. The local dealer puts new bikes on the lot on nice Saturdays and it's just a matter of sign the waiver and demo; no salesman pressure.
Thanks for your comments TowJam, I really can't wait to come back to the states and try one to compare with mine. I'm sure they probably changed a few things that positively change the overall handling of the bike. Cheers