BMW R1200RT/R1250RT Forum

Hi.  I've been riding Harley Davidson motorcycles since 1968.  Not all that tall or big to begin with, now that I'm old, I wanted a lighter bike.  After many weeks of research and test rides, I've decided to take a gamble on a 2017 BMW R1200RT.  I really liked the test ride and all the reviews and Youtube videos I've researched, the riders seem very happy with the bike.


I'll be picking it up tomorrow.  It's the bronze color, fully loaded, with the small tour pack and GPS. 


I'll update this thread the more I ride it... asking many questions about service and accessories.


Cheers.

WillPhelps52 wrote: Hi.  I've been riding Harley Davidson motorcycles since 1968.  Not all that tall or big to begin with, now that I'm old, I wanted a lighter bike.  After many weeks of research and test rides, I've decided to take a gamble on a 2017 BMW R1200RT.  I really liked the test ride and all the reviews and Youtube videos I've researched, the riders seem very happy with the bike.


I'll be picking it up tomorrow.  It's the bronze color, fully loaded, with the small tour pack and GPS. 


I'll update this thread the more I ride it... asking many questions about service and accessories.


Cheers.

You will love it!


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Will
Great choice, your gonna enjoy it immensely
Now the fun begins you will learn what the term "Bring More Wallet" means
Lots of aftermarket options
(Not nearly as many as HD though)

I picked up the bike today.  I'll skip the complaints about the delivery and get right to the ride home.  I left the dealer at about 4:30 PM... just in time for rush hour.  I bought the small tour pack with the bike.  I thought I felt some ... hard to explain... wabble?  Not a serious wabble, but just a slight back and forth.  I thought maybe the wind was catching the tour pack... or maybe the handling was so much more sensitive than a Harley, I was over-compensating my movements. 


I also think I was holding on too tight.  The riding position was more forward, resting on my arms, more than the laid back position of the Harley.


Once traffic thinned out a bit, I got a good feel for highway riding. Very nice.  Once off the highway and on a nice back road, I really saw the big difference between the Harley and the BMW.  The RT was very light in the curves.  I was racing a thunderstorm and pretty much ignored the speed limit for a bit.  I just made it home and put the bike in the garage when the rain started.  I was glad I didn't have to slow down on the curves to avoid grinding the floor boards (HD).  I would have gotten wet.


So first impressions.  Very nice, but even with the low seat and my riding boots, I still found myself wishing I could put both feet flat on the ground.  The seat was still about an inch too high and the weight felt a little high.  I think the difference between my ride home and the demo ride was a full tank of gas.  That's an extra 6 pounds per gallon. (approx)


I plan on taking the bike to work on Friday and doing more riding over the weekend.

Hi Will


I got a 17 RT LC and from leaving the dealership I felt so uncomfortable until I got home.
Then the weekend came and I covered over 130 miles on the first day and I totally loved it, the comfort, handling everything.


I can't stay of the thing now 

You'll grow used to the difference in seat height. These bikes feel a LOT different from a cruiser with their low seat height! That might make them seem top heavy, but this bike is lighter than most cruisers by quite a lot. Again, it takes some time to grow comfortable with it. [size=2px]There is a seat height adjustment, make sure yours is in the "low" position. [/size] The steering is much more precise and if your touch is still a bit heavy that can make them seem to wonder. So can Continental tires, so if yours has those it is part of the nervous front feel. Experiment with the different riding modes ( Rain, Road, Dynamic ) and make sure your suspension is set for a single rider with no luggage ( shows this on dash display of motorcycle, you want "1" helmet in white for single up ).


There is a BMW get-together June 26-29 at the Fontana Village Resort near Robbinsville, NC. If you get a chance, ride up and say hello!

Thanks for the info and well wishes.  I hope to get some miles on it this weekend and hopefully feel more comfortable with it.


As far as the get together goes... it's a week too early.  I'll be retiring on the June 30th.  After that, I can do these week day rides.  Sorry I'll miss it.

I found that my RT's suspension settled a bit after it got some miles on it. I originally had the low seat on low position and after some miles I was able to move the seat to high position. Can't remember how many miles but others have reported similar results.

I went for a four hour ride today, in order to add another 200 miles so that I can get my 600 Mile Service on Wednesday.


I must say, the "lift" boots surely helped me feel better about the bike.  I'm not ashamed to say, the extra 3 inches made the difference.  Now I can plant both feed on the ground when coming to a stop.  Not my fault I'm short.  I consider the boots no less embarrassing than glasses.  Just another tool to make riding safer.


As for the bike... I loved the cruise control.  Switch hands every once in a while while on the highway was awesome.  On the back roads and county roads, it was great. 


Now if I can get that seat on order, maybe my butt won't hurt as much.


Cheers!