BMW R1200RT/R1250RT Forum

I took out a new R1250RT with all the options on yesterday for a few hours. (still don't see the point in audio on the bike) 110 miles in poor conditions but I must say what a difference the new bike is.
The engine is smooth and just pulls all the way round the rev range, the clutch and gearbox maybe the same as the old bike but felt lighter and smoother.
The bike itself felt lighter and more stable when changing direction quickly ( or as quick as I dared on wet roads with shiny new tyres)


I can see the there being a lot of R1200Rt's hitting the second hand market soon....mine being one of them (hopefully  )

michaelc2710 wrote: I took out a new R1250RT with all the options on yesterday for a few hours. (still don't see the point in audio on the bike) 110 miles in poor conditions but I must say what a difference the new bike is.
The engine is smooth and just pulls all the way round the rev range, the clutch and gearbox maybe the same as the old bike but felt lighter and smoother.
The bike itself felt lighter and more stable when changing direction quickly ( or as quick as I dared on wet roads with shiny new tyres)


I can see the there being a lot of R1200Rt's hitting the second hand market soon....mine being one of them (hopefully  )

I am looking forward to a test ride. Might be time to change my 2014 bike. I do like audio, when crossing Europe on motorways, the radio relieves the boredom and its better than my BT headset radio. I also don't have to pair the Nav with my BT as it comes through the bike BT connection, so I have my phone directly connected to my Headset. I ride different bikes, so that setup works better for me.

michaelc2710 wrote: I can see the there being a lot of R1200Rt's hitting the second hand market soon....mine being one of them (hopefully  )

I hope so... It'll mean more bargains for us poor folks  8)

Slightly surprised that the new model hasn't delivered a big price hike. Having said that a new one with the same spec as mine is circa £19k.... makes my 2nd owner bike look like a bargain.

Old-Git wrote: Slightly surprised that the new model hasn't delivered a big price hike. Having said that a new one with the same spec as mine is circa £19k.... makes my 2nd owner bike look like a bargain.

What's more surprising is that the part ex price's are still strong for the out going model.

michaelc2710 wrote:
What's more surprising is that the part ex price's are still strong for the out going model.

19k, did you order gold bar end weights


I just spaced one up on the configurator and without negotiating discounts, it came to around 17.5k with audio. I would keep my top box and re-spray it. That was with an Akra can as well.

Casbar wrote:
19k, did you order gold bar end weights


I just spaced one up on the configurator and without negotiating discounts, it came to around 17.5k with audio. I would keep my top box and re-spray it. That was with an Akra can as well.

My '15 is an LE with all the options incl audio, which I wouldn't bother with if I was gonna buy a brand new one....

Does anyone ever just get the base model?

I'm not planning to change before Spring 2020, but I've gone through the configurator on the BMW website and a R1250RT to the spec I would want adds up to £18,345.


The big question for me is what my current bike, a 2017MY registered in November 2016, will be worth. It already has more than 22,000 miles on it and could be up to 35,000 miles by the time I'm looking to change.  It will be a good buy for somebody as long as the dealer doesn't ask for £2,000 more than he gives me .....

Interesting vid on the GS1200 & GS1250 comparison, I'm not sure it'd be worth (I'm guessing for a 12/18 month old bike) £4k of my hard earned to upgrade?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5WgugJQmRJA&t=4s

After watching that I think my hard earned will go on a remap at hilltop motorcycles.

Not very convincing, I think the telling statement was when he said how he had ridden the 1200 and didn't think it was missing anything. To describe the 1200 as a bit breathless at the top end is a bit irrelevant, especially on the GS which is after all a giant trail bike. If they had stuck to saying the 1250 is more flexible at low revs (due to the VVT) it would have been made more sense. Don't think I'll be rushing out to change my 2016 RTlc for a 1250.


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Old-Git wrote: After watching that I think my hard earned will go on a remap at hilltop motorcycles.

Interesting how different people found the video. I thought it made a good case for the new engine. I personally have never found the 1200 lacking, so wouldn't consider the Hilltop option, but as I have a 2014 bike with over 18k on it, if I did decide to change the 1250 would be a good option. There will be an all new RT in a couple, of years with the 1250 engine, but the attraction for me is, if I did want a new bike, the extras I currently have, including the top box, would all fit the new bike. That might not be the case on an all new model But would I trade a bike that was only a year or two old, probably not, unless I won the lottery.

An interesting video and review especially for someone contemplating a change.
Things I noticed:
1200 didn't seem wanting when ridden, only noticeable side by side.
Minimal power and torque increase, like another comment, a trip to Hilltop would probably sort the curve to a smoother response.
Braking: the 3m extra distance to stop from 70mph was discounted as only 1 test. But that is a very important factor.
My conclusions:
Not ready to change my 2018 RT but will probably pay a visit to Hilltop to get it "smoothed". I do find in a bit "lumpy" around town in Dynamic mode. I know I can change to road (or even Rain) but I shouldn't have to.
Apart from that, I love the RT. I could probably "bore" for England going on about it.

I only ever ride my bike in Dynamic mode, but I have never found it lumpy around town, or needing a remap. Perhaps its something to do with the emissions for 2018 bikes. I have not ridden a 2018 bike so can't comment. On the braking front, I don't really believe that the test they did is valid as the guys doing the test stated. 3 metres is a long way, so if the brakes on the GS are really not stopping the bike as well as the old bike, that would be a concern. I do agree that mapping (and I mean mapping on a dyno) can massively help make a bike run smoothly. After reading many posts on UKGSER on Hilltop, I'm still on the fence. Having raced the only real way to sort an engine is too map it on a dyno. Hilltop just put their code on the ECU and then do a power run to look at the fueling. People do swear that it improves the fueling, but the hp gains claimed are not really believable.  But saying all that, just improving fueling would make a difference. I would be interested on the results if anyone does get their RT to Hilltop. UKGSER does run a group discount day as well.