Hi Ian,
Try the RS. I had a 1200 RS for almost three years; 26,000 miles, and absolutely loved it. The combination of the low and midrange torque of the boxer engine, and the more sporty riding position and handling, made it a phenomenal bike. As for filtering, I suspect it may be that you think you can't filter as well because of the sticky-out heads; I've gone from RS to GSA, and can filter fine on both - unless I've got both aluminium panniers on the GSA, anyway!
Regards,
Martin