BMW R1200RT/R1250RT Forum

You buy something and later the reality kicks in, so after 3000 miles during the winter and spring, am I still in love with my 2015 R1200RT ?

I guess I am, but there are some niggles .

First the gearbox and its loud first gear clunk, although there are ways around it.

Ride at below 30mph and you get the impression the gearbox is falling apart. Not impressive at all, but it gets better as you increase speed .

It is irritating , especially as BMW made some improvements to later models, but I will live with it.

This is not a town bike , the tall gearing, plus the size and weight can make her cumbersome two up around town, especially in small villages when

having to turn uphill onto narrow hilly roads designed for 1950s motoring.

The front forks transmit every imperfection on everything other than a perfect surface.

That is it really, I have now got used to the bulbous front end, the brakes are amazing, the dash is a thing of beauty, I am not keen of the new

TFT screens. Cruise control makes longer rides more comfortable, and the magic info wheel is great . You get used to the tech very quickly.

The motor is so smooth at 70, no vibes, unless you are gripping like mad, soft hands is the key. You always know there is a tractor like engine

below, but it is much more refined than I expected. The motor noise is not excessive, though good ear plugs are a must.

My wife loves the power when overtaking, albeit when it is safe to do so.

So she is a keeper, and I look forward to as many years with her, until I really need to downsize.

Bob

Mine is s 2013 so clutch and perhaps also transmission are different.

On this engaging 1st gear it does not produce any sound and neither changing up or down either - smooth as butter, cold or hot.

My previous 2014 wethead was different. Dealer prior to sale had changed the oil and had put in some brand of oil and clutch and transmission operation was getting worse and worse the closer to my home I got.

Right after I changed the oil to something else I was familiar with and operation became a lot better.

If I compare said wethead with my current camhead this one is a lot more silent.

Perhaps consider changing the oil to something else?

I took a 2013 model out for an hour and it was nice, although the motor was harsher than my wet head during acceleration.

One major factor of the wet head for me, was that the clutch had been moved to the front, I also wanted as newer a bike as I could afford.

I think when the time comes to downsize in a few years, perhaps the r1200r might be the solution.

My oil ( motul 10/40 ) level is slighlty above the mid point , so the clutch bite is instant but gets better when the oil is hot.

I ran her to the red line for the first time today, and she really motors, even with the annoying flat spot in the mid range.

It was interesting reading your comments about the imperfections you have learnt to live with. I have only been riding my 2023 RT for about a week and agree with your comments so certain things remain part of the bike engineering makeup. I am comparing with my previous F900XR which is chain drive.

Transmits bumps in road - agree I noticed this on my first long ride. Not a major issue but more noticeable to me than the XR. I see the RT has upright forks while the XR are inverted. Inverted forks mean less sprung weight being subjected to the road surface so might explain why the RT fells a bit bumpier.

First gear is about the same slightly sharp engage as the XR, but Neutral on the RT is a dream to find in comparison. It feels like a distinct gear. The quick shifter has surprised me on how smooth it is as the dealer said I would find it sharper than the XR. Supposedly the chain softens some of the mechanical load. Well I haven't found this to be the case and my bike is still running in.

Connectivity with bluetooth devices remains a challenge for me. Once I am connected everything is usually ok for the whole ride. But often I have to re-pair my Sony earbuds as they won't reconnect automatically or manually. This much the same on the XR and RT.

The off the shelf ergonomics of the RT for me is as bad as the XR and I am in the process of getting my high seat option and foot peg lowering kit. I am 190cm tall so expect this, but I still think they design the leg arc and seating position for vertically challenged people. Also increasing the size of the ends of the gear lever and rear brake lever so they better suit my size 13/48 boots. Bit of a challenge getting my boot under the tip of the gear lever to change up so lowering the pegs is vital.

Brakes - absolutely agree. The front Brembos are amazingly strong yet the bike wants to stay in a straight line under extreme braking. By comparison the XR starts to feel like it wants to fall over as you approach ABS kicking in.

But overall this beast is a Dreeeeem.... to ride. So much better than the XR.

i recently purchased a '23 1250 RT. I had owned an 1100RT previously and then owned a few HD's before coming back to the RT. My first trip was down to the Tail, we left Mass and took 3 days to get down; 3 days of local riding and then 2 days back. Traveling about 3200 miles in total and in a variety of weather. My observations:
love the engine response and the clutchless shifting. Active cruise control is great on those interstate drives. Driving mode selection is noticeable between road and dynamic; I was in the dynamic mode 90% of the time and used the road mode only if on the interstates or lazy roads without many twisties. I used the rain mode once and it just calms down engine response, etc., which I guess helps to keep you out of trouble on the wet roads The boxer engine and low center of gravity is such a dramatic positive change as compared to my previous HD Streetglide. I had to instal a peg lower kit as I do feel a bit cramped as I'm 6'1" but i am getting used to the sitting position vs. how you sit on a Streetglide which is very different. Braking and control is just out of this world amazing. You really have to be careful as the bike gives you such confidence (over confidence?) going into turns, tight hairpins and even the 90 degree switch backs, that you feel like you can do anything in the turns and yet so much so that you could get into trouble going too fast. But the bike responds so well if you feel like you are in trouble in a turn and corrects itself with the correct driver input without any drama. The weight of the bike feels "light" to me after driving HDs that weigh more than 200 lbs more, so the weight of the RT is not an issue with me. My biggest complaint(s)? CONNECTIVITY!!! The self charge tray for my iPhone 12 does not work consistently, requiring a direct connect. The maps application sucks big time as you have to have the BMW connectivity app open on your phone at all times. For the life of me, I cannot understand on a bike at this price point, that Apple Car Play is not integrated into the electronics. This is a big issue for me that does take away some enjoyment of owning the bike. BMW gets the engineering right on so many levels and then just whiffs when it come to technology and connectivity. I'd really like to see the factory provide a software update to change this.

I have a 2007 RT

things I like:

- comfort
- wind/rain protection
- cruise control
- brilliant for touring

things i do NOT like:

- clunk into 1st gear
- the shit indicator switches arrangement
- fuel strips constantly failing
- recessed oil filter, hard to remove
- headlight bulbs impossible to reach