Yesterday I took a chance on the mixed weather, we always experience this time of year in the UK, and ventured out on the RTLC. I’d only covered a couple of hundred miles since I purchased it in December and thought a trip out on some familiar roads would help me get to grips with the bike. The alternative task was continuing to empty out my garage. No contest.
The intention was a reasonably wiggly route roughly following the Southdowns, from West Sussex, into Hampshire and getting a coffee at the cafe attached to Bahnstormers. BMW Bahnstormers is the latest incarnation of the long established BMW dealership in Lower Farringdon. There is a cracking road, B2141, that runs from just north of Chichester up over the Southdowns and into Petersfield, that I wanted to try the RTLC on.
The RTLC is a very different bike to my previous one (VFR800) and having owned a couple of Beemers (R1100RS and R1150RS) in the past, I was anticipating the ‘lack of feel, blind faith in the front end’, but it still takes a bit of getting use to when tipping into a corner. I am still feeling my way in the wet and I can’t decide whether that’s the tyres or just the vague front end I grew to accept on the old R1100/R1150RS’s. The front Metzeler was new when I bought the bike so upgrading to Michelin 6s could be seen as frivolous. I’ll give it a bit more time and mileage before committing more money.
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Having finished off my coffee at Bahnstormers and having no particular plans, I decided to aim for Bournemouth / Christchurch and see what took my fancy. This gave me more opportunity to use the RTLC on fast A roads and motorways. This machine is completely in its element under these conditions. Magic carpet ride. It was once I came into the smaller roads in and around busy seaside towns that it became apparent that the RTLC is also completely at home just ‘pottering’. Once you take the haste out of the ride, it all just clicks as a classic touring machine.
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A quick motorway blast back along the M27, taking in a brilliant Chilli Burger from Mick’s Monster Burger van on Portsdown hill, and the trip finished in a very wet miserable West Sussex.
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I have no regrets in buying the RTLC; it’s a brilliant comfortable and capable machine. The same trip on the VFR would have required, more clothing (how good is the weather protection on the RTLC ?!) and a trip to the Osteopath. It’s got lots of punch, stops well, is practical, huge tank range, and is a bit of a ‘Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde’. Very pleased.
Slow in, fast out.
