R1200RT vs ST1300

[junglie]

Good morning,


I am new to the forum so please be patient whilst I find my way around!


I have a question which I guess has been done a thousand times so please push me in the right direction to any links / posts.


Next bike is likely to be an R1200RT (2010 MU) or ST1300. I have always been a Honda man although had a K1300GT for a bit but did not get on with it.


A great chum has had both the RT and ST and swears the RT is the way to go.


I won’t write any more now as I am sure others have asked in the past and I can read about it rather than ask for repeats.


Thank you.

[David.]

I have a question which I guess has been done a thousand times so please push me in the right direction to any links / posts.

With the whole "Forum" selected, enter "ST1300" in the Search box, (top righthand corner),  there may be some useful threads.

[Doctor T]

This is a hard one. Most on the site will be biased towards the RT. There are pros and cons for each bike. Ask your mate if you can borrow each bike for a day to see with suits you. I own a 2007 RT SE, maintenance wise the servicing is a doddle if you are doing it yourself. All oils including the rear-drive, filter, new rear disc, and a full set of pads front and back cost just over £150.00. If i didn't need the pads and disc the cost would drop to around £80.00. I did more than 24000 miles of BMW service recommendations. My bike was a trade-only bike and with any bike, i like to do a major service when i get any bike. It took my time and did the service over 2 days.
Ps
Taking off the panels needed to sevice the bike can be done within 15 minutes.

[junglie]

It is a hard one but both are great bikes so not an issue either way.


My apologies as I did not make myself clear. My mate had both the RT and ST but sold them both. Now has a 1250 RT which is lovely but more than I want to spend!

[Levisp]

I have owned both. Did 30K on the Pan ST1300 while at the same time owning my current bike a 2014RT LC. Sold the Pan because the RT was a better bike for my needs. Both bikes are good bikes but here are some of my pros and cons.
1. Pan is some 50 Kgs heavier. You notice this when pushing on when riding the twisties and pushing the bike around in the garage and getting her on/off the side or centre stand. However low speed handling is good.
2. Pan is an old design. Here some things are good. Its bullet proof. But on the other hand no modern aids such as cruise, heated seats or adjustable suspension on the move etc.
3. Pan handles well at legal speeds but when pushed the RT is so much better. RT I think is more dynamic / fun.
4. Pan has a lovely V4 engine capable of very big miles and is smooth with a good gearbox. Its best feature.
5. Pan has lower seat height.


I sold the Pan because in the end I was riding the RT more and needed to go back to one bike. For me the weight was the big factor it was too damn heavy. It's a shame Honda lost interest in the Pan. But really you need to ride both and see which you prefer. They ride very differently. The other big question is whether you like the boxer engine. I do but at times I do miss that smooth V4.


Doctor T mentioned servicing. From my experience servicing the RT is much easier than the Pan. From oil changes, valve clearances, brakes and wheel removal the RT is easier. The only service item easier on the Pan was changing the air filter.


Hope this helps and if you have any questions just PM me.

[junglie]

Levisp,


Thank you for taking the time to provide your thoughts; it confirms what I think.


Let me drop you a PM when I can get in the keyboard vice phone!

[dpickens]

Echoing some of the previous comments:


1) ST1300 seat height is slightly lower - I could completely flatfoot on it vs not quite but close on the RT
2) The V4 engine is smoother than the RT opposing twin... more buzzy whiny but pleasant
3) The default ergonomics of the ST had me leaned forward more than the RT
4) Even though it was heavier, low speed maneuvering wasn't an issue - pushing in the garage was
5) Not sure if the windscreen on my ST was stock or not but it didn't seem to offer the same protection as the RT does

[Doctor T]

What drew me back to the BMW was the character of the engine. While newer bikes like the V4 are ultra smooth and quiet they have no character and that's the biggest problem with newer bikes they are just too sterile, the same goes for new cars. With the Boxer, it lets you know there's an engine in there. Another plus is that all the weight is mounted low. The bases of the engine goes back to 1922, so something has to be right for them to still produce a boxer engine. This is copied from a search
"T[size=16px]he strong-charactered twin-cylinder boxer engine has always embodied the typical BMW nature. [/size][size=16px]It is considered the perfect engine for a motorcycle[/size][size=16px]: appreciated by connoisseurs for its strong start and the confident punch you feel when riding".[/size]
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Could be a minus for some is that i find the footrests could have been mounted lower. They are set in a semi sports placement. I Am 5ft9in with a 30" inside leg and on a long ride of 250 plus miles, i suffered no cramp or bum burn with the standard seat. I can also flat foot with the seat in the low position.

[Casbar]

Have ridden both for work. Both great bike. My only reason for now owning a later RT, well I have had 4, is I am now on the newer bike carrousel. The Pan is a great bike and if I was buying an earlier bike it would be a difficult choice.

[Steve398]

I worked for Honda for 5 years and rode a new ST1100 each year so when I left it was natural that I bought the ST1300 in 2009. It was a great bike and I covered 48000 miles on it, but as stated on other posts it was the weight that finally got to me… it’s just so damn heavy!

The ST1300 was launched 20 years ago in 2002, with mild mods in 2004  but otherwise untouched or perhaps I should say un-updated until they stopped production in 2012, so anything extra you want will be add-ons, even heated grips, so things like LED’s, rear fogs, accessory front lights, sat-nav, cruise control all have to be sourced and added on to what is supposed to be, according to the name, a touring bike.

The engine, gearbox and final drive are completely reliable, but on the downside the bike can have appalling throttle snatch and can get incredibly hot, riders in places like Texas have reported their petrol bubbling and boiling. On one Greek trip the fairing got so hot I couldn’t touch it with an ungloved hand - check out the US forums.
You may have also heard of the dreaded weave, a complaint that frequently surfaces on forum searches and which I never experienced, but Honda withdrew all the ST from the Police Service as a result.

Don’t get me wrong I loved the Pan over the 11 yrs of ownership but by the end it was showing it’s age, perhaps we both were! I’m told by my mechanic who’s a Honda specialist that Pan bits are now also getting difficult to get hold of.

The RT is pretty much everything the Pan owners wanted Honda to produce, light, quick, modern, and well equipped, and for us it’s the only bike of the 13 that we tested in 3 years as a potential Pan replacement that my wife gave the nod to, and judging from the number of ex-Pan owners on this site it seems to be a natural progression.

[beemerboy9]

An acquaintance is still riding his ST1100 with upwards of 200,000 miles. So Honda reliability is still bang on given regular servicing.

The others have raised good points. The ST1300 has the better engine - the RT is the better overall package.


The Triumph Trophy 1200 triple could also feature in your reckoning, but that a heavy lump as well - too heavy for me to get it onto its centre-stand. Definitely worth a try though to see if you like it.

[Doctor T]

The only Triumphs ive owned were a Tiger 1050 and a Trophy 1200. As beemerboy9 said the 1200 is a very heavy bike, most of the weight is high up in the frame. It had all the bells and whistles, the bike is more compatible with the K1200LT. The bike was 100% reliable but the killer for me was that the 24000-mile service cost me over £700 plus vat. I traded that bike in for the Tiger, a totally kettle of fish. Sold that bike although i loved it before it needed the same service. This is the main reason i returned to BMW, with the ease of self-servicing.

[carp]

New to the forum.  Just bought a 2016 rt because it is lighter and I am getting up there in years and small.  Like the cruise control and some of the bells and whistles but my ST is much smoother on the road.  The rt is easier to ride though the seat height is a bit higher. Just not sure I will get the same long term performance on the RT. RT radio quit 2nd day. RT a little more torque at low end.  ST much smoother at higher speed.  Hopefully the RT will last as well as the ST. I like riding both.

[jackronner]

If you go with the hexhead RT, just be aware there's no automatic cancellation of the turn signal directly after a 90 degree turn.  You have to cancel manually, and if you forget you'll be dangerously giving false intentions to other drivers.  It does cancel after about 30 seconds when moving, but that may be too late.


I've ridden both, and the RT's the bike if you like the twisties.

[junglie]

New to the forum.  Just bought a 2016 rt because it is lighter and I am getting up there in years and small.  Like the cruise control and some of the bells and whistles but my ST is much smoother on the road.  The rt is easier to ride though the seat height is a bit higher. Just not sure I will get the same long term performance on the RT. RT radio quit 2nd day. RT a little more torque at low end.  ST much smoother at higher speed.  Hopefully the RT will last as well as the ST. I like riding both.

……….and back to the beginning again!


I thought I was coming around to the RT on top but another vote for the old ST again!